How to Raise Tilapia in Tanks & Ponds

Tilapia has been called the "aquatic chicken" by fish experts, states Agri Business Week, because they are easy to raise and tolerate varying conditions. They also remain relatively healthy in captivity as they resist disease and parasites. Tilapia grows well in tanks and ponds, but if you live anywhere outside of the tropics, tanks may be more preferable as you will have to consistently heat the water so that it remains within the acceptable temperature range for tilapia health and growth.

Things You'll Need

  • Large tank or adequate size pond
  • Fine-mesh bamboo screen
  • Organic fertilizer
  • Heavy-duty filtration system
  • Tank heater
  • Commercial fish food
  • Automatic fish feeder
  • Ammonia test strip
  • Nitrite test strip
  • Nitrate test strip
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Instructions

    • 1

      Purchase a large enough tank to hold your desired tilapia population or a pond with enough surface area to accommodate your fish. According to Agri Business Week, allow approximately 3 square feet of water surface per tilapia fish. If you have an available pond to keep your tilapia in, fence off any outlets or inlets with fine mesh bamboo screen to prevent escape. The depth of the tank or pond should be no less than 3 feet.

    • 2

      Prepare the tank by cycling it with the use of ammonia products. Your tank is done cycling when your ammonia and nitrite levels measure 0 consistently. Also, for your tank, install a heavy-duty filtration unit and keep it running during the cycling stage. Install a heater for the tank and set the temperature between 82 and 86 degrees Fahrenheit. Purchase several smaller heaters if you can't find one heater that is rated for your size tank. For example, if you have 300 gallon tank, you can either purchase one heater rated for 300 gallons or you can purchase 6 heaters rated for 50 gallons each. There is no need to cycle a pond unless it is a newly built pond.

      Purchase commercial tilapia feed or fish feed that is vegetarian with a high percentage of protein such as 40 percent.

    • 3

      Release your tilapia into your pond or your tank after allowing them to adjust to the new temperature of the water. If the tilapia you purchased are shipped to you in plastic bags, then float the bags in the tank or pond for 15 minutes before releasing. If they come in another container, slowly mix the pond or tank water into their container before releasing them into their new home.

    • 4

      Install an automatic fish feeder set to release feed 3 to 6 times per day. Monitor how much food your fish eat and adjust the quantity accordingly. They should finish all the food within 15 minutes. Add more food if all the food is gone in just a few minutes. For fry, feed powdered food. When they get bigger, switch to floating pellets.

    • 5

      Test the water for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate levels daily with ammonia, nitrite and nitrate test strips. Perform a water change whenever ammonia or nitrite levels go above 0. Also, perform a water change if your nitrate level goes above 10 ppm. Once your tank or pond has cycled, ammonia and nitrite levels should remain at 0 ppm consistently unless the fish population changes. Water changes are essential during times of change and for optimum growth.

    • 6

      Monitor the water parameters on a daily basis. Maintain a consistent water temperature. Keep the water quality pristine by performing water changes often. The higher your tilapia population, the more often you will need to perform a water change. Adjust feed as necessary according to the growth and size of your tilapia.