My talipia have grown fast in less than a year and are ready to eat - over 12" long.  But I had to put everything inside and buy heaters for the 500 gallon tank.  I had to buy the $50 Illinois permit and my place had to be inspected and approved before I could get the permit.  Pros and cons - Talipia grows faster than anything else - but needs water over 70"++ to thrive and I really can't get the water there or keep it there.  I have seen another place showing they have their fish in a take completely enclosed and insulated and they only open the lid to feed the fish.  I only got 25 fish to start and from what other people have told me that is not enough to fertilize the plants.  And when I found out on youtube how to sex the fish after 4 fish died when I kept moving them the ones left were all females.  So I have to start all over again.  Plus my plant never took off either.  Yellow perch or some other fish would have saved me a lot of head aches just starting out.  So I am still struggling to get it right.

Thanks for your note to me.

Bob