Tilapia Breeding Tips

Tilapia is a tropical fish of the cichlid family. They are lean, high in protein and have a bland taste. This means they can be cooked with just about anything. Tilapia are one of the most farmed fish in the world. Adult tilapia weigh an average of 1 to 2 lbs. and are fairly inexpensive. They are hardy and easy to breed. You need only know a few tilapia breeding tips in order to have a large hatching.

Things You'll Need

  • 40-gallon tank
  • Fish food
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Instructions

    • 1

      Buy a 40 gallon tank. You need a tank this big because when tilapia breed, they do so in large quantities. If the tank is too small, they will runt themselves out.

    • 2

      Place substrate in tank. Choose whatever kind of substrate you want. Tilapias dig pits when they are ready to breed and they will dig in anything.

    • 3

      Select the fish. When purchasing your tilapia, select a few young from each sex. This way they will grow together and form pairs on their own.

    • 4

      Remove other fish. Once a breeding couple has established themselves, removing other fish to another tank is advisable. This will give your breeders enough territory to claim as their own and to defend their eggs and fry.

    • 5

      Feed your fish. Make sure that the breeding couple is well fed to promote breeding and a healthy batch of eggs. They will eat vegetation, flakes or pellets.