# Buying Mozambique Tilapia by the pound



## johnnymax (May 22, 2019)

Ulu said:


> What's up with tilapia? Hybridizing like mad?
> (I remember when tilapia filets hit the supermarket.
> It was never seen here before maybe 2004?)
> Now I have a friend with 2 acres and a bunch of old bath tubs who wants to set up big this aquaponics rig with tilapia.
> Somehow I really expect it to turn out more like Dave's Fish Rescue rather than produce serious food, but tilapia? They must like the summer heat, because we have 3 mos in the hi-90s ~ lo-100s here in the SSJV.





duanes said:


> I started seeing Mozambique Tilapines back in the 60s and 70s, I got my first ones around 63.


If I can get off work this Friday I am hoping to drive to a fishery in Buffalo, Texas. It is a 3 hour trip and 187 miles away, in my Kia that gets 41 mpg it will cost $20 in gas. A friend is making the trip with me. Overton Fisheries sell fish for pond stocking purposes. Bass, minnows, catfish etc, and they sell Mozambique Tilapia also. They sell small tilapia 3" to 6" in length for $12 per pound. They say 15 to 25 fish per pound. I am planing to get two pounds. I will try to get them to cull out the bigger fish, so I get more in number.










Not sure how many I will put in the 75g tank and how many in my pond. I had some in a smaller tank years ago. It was cool watching them with the eggs, then fry in their mouths. I know one thing, they are extremely easy to breed and to breed by the thousands! I need to get a permit, so I can at least give the excess fish away, or I will have to separate by sex (what a pain)
Anyway, I am excited with my tank build and getting Tilapia to put in it.


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## noddy (Nov 20, 2006)

Don't they get big?


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## johnnymax (May 22, 2019)

noddy said:


> Don't they get big?


Yes, they get up to 14" long and weigh up to 2.5 lbs. I will put most in my pond as the get bigger and keep a pair or two. I am thinking about putting bigger tanks in my big shop also. There is one room that is insulated and climate controlled. It was as office when we had our business in it. I have been thinking about a 1,000 gallon plywood aquarium, but that is a bit much. I am trying to talk myself out of it and at the same time I am trying to talk myself into it. LOL :fish: If the size issues and rapid breeding is too much of an issue I may eventually go will traditional cichlids. But, this will get my up and going fast and I can have a tank full of fish for not too much in fish cost to start. I am in real cichlid learning mode and these fish are easy to take care of. I had them before about 7 years ago. I did not even know they were cichlids back then. Actually, I could not have even told you what a cichlid was? Maybe that is why am so excitde about this forum. :dancing:


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## BC in SK (Aug 11, 2012)

johnnymax said:


> noddy said:
> 
> 
> > Don't they get big?
> ...


Since you have a pond, I don't think the size of the fish will be much of an issue. Breeding stock can be replaced by younger/smaller fish and the larger placed in the pond after some time.
But as they say, mouthbrooders are not really "pairing fish". Male and female come together for only the spawning act itself. Once the female picks up the eggs in her mouth, male and female are no longer together what so ever. So in general, the way to keep a mouthbrooder in the confines of an aquarium is in a harem style. One male, and many females. To begin with, maybe the sex ratios won't matter, but in time, males will become completely intolerant of each other, even in big tanks.
Mozambique is an aggessive cichlid. You need some numbers in order to have a functioning community. Too low of numbers and they are going to kill each other off and chase excessively(very stressful). In the past, when i kept the fish, I didn't have large numbers of them, and only a 180 gal. (not a large pond). I kept male with female in the same tank only briefly. Bred them and removed the female. But long term, the male was to relentless, absolutely brutal on the female(s) to be kept in the same tank. you'll need many females....and then retired to the pond after they are too large or no longer tolerated by the male.


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## johnnymax (May 22, 2019)

BC in SK said:


> johnnymax said:
> 
> 
> > noddy said:
> ...


Thanks for the advice. I am going "Heram!" :dancing:


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## johnnymax (May 22, 2019)

I may have taken too long to get my tank set up and ready. All the fish farms sold out of Mozambique Tilapia in the last two or three weeks and won't more until spring. One fish farm still has some, but they are filling and order for 1400 lbs Thursday. He said that may wipe them out. If not he will call me, but their are several people ahead of me.
You know, what he said got me thinking. This is the end of his season and he is selling 1400 lbs of fish at $10 per pound.....
Hummmmm


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## BC in SK (Aug 11, 2012)

Well, at least to initially stock your aquarium, you wouldn't even need 1/2 a pound. A 4" cichlid is typically around the 20 gram weight. 10 would probably be about right to start with. 5-6 would probably be the minimum as that is what is typically recommended for just about any cichlid to get a breeding group or pair. Less, and your more likely to encounter con-specific aggression problems right from the start.
If it's only a lb or so, maybe you could contact the person/farm that is buying 1400 lbs. when they are picking them up and offer them a little more for a lb. or so?


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## noki (Jun 13, 2003)

You don't need many at all to start a pond, could you just ask for a few and pay extra for a few. From the scale that they are selling, a dozen is a nothing off their stock and you could pay extra for the trouble.

As for a 75g tank, they get too big long term and you could choose from many different types of cichlids.


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## johnnymax (May 22, 2019)

UPDATE:
I broke down and ordered tilapia from eBay.
I had to order them priced individually.
They are small, 1/2" to 1" in size.
I ordered 12 regular Mozambique and
12 Hawaiian Gold Tilapia (a selectively bred Mozambique Tilapia)
I have the tank ready ans waiting.
I am so anxious and excited , I can hardly wait! :fish:


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