How to Rear Tilapia in a Tank

Various species of tilapia have been raised in ponds dating back to the Ancient Egyptians. While this is still a common method for rearing the fish, using tanks does provide several advantages, such as controlled the water temperature, oxygen content, and protection of the tilapia from natural predators such as birds and snails. With the correct care and maintenance, you can successfully rear tilapia in a home tank.

Things You'll Need

  • Tank heater
  • Filtration pump
  • Gravel cleaner
  • Commercial feed
  • Duckweed
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Instructions

    • 1

      Select a species of tilapia to raise that will be suitable for the tank size and location of your tank. If you want to raise tilapia in an smaller, indoor tank, chose a species such as Blue tilapia, which grow slowly and are also cold tolerant. For outdoor tanks, you may be able to raise larger tilapia, such as the Nile tilapia, as long as you can provide the fish with tropical-like conditions. You should be able to raise approximately 1/4 pound of fish per gallon of water in your tank.

    • 2

      Keep the water temperature heated to between 82 and 86 degrees F with a tank heater.

    • 3

      Clean the tank once a week. Do not remove the fish to do this. Unplug the heater and turn off the tank's pump. Clean the tank's filter in a sink or tub and allow it to air dry. Clean out debris from the water or the floor of the tank with a gravel cleaner until the water looks clear again. Never remove more than 30 percent of the water level.

    • 4

      Add fresh, clean water once you have finished cleaning the tank. Make sure that you add water that is exactly the same temperature as the water in the tank. Do not add 55 degree F water if the water in your tank is 80 degrees F. This could cause serious stress for the tilapia. Once you have refilled the water, you can plug in the heater again and restart the filtration pump.

    • 5

      Feed the tilapia a combination of commercial fish feed and duckweed, which you should be able to purchase at a commercial fish farm or fish center. The amount and frequency of the feeding will vary depending on how many tilpia you are raising and the species, so make sure that you follow the instructions on the fish feed label closely.