1/2-1" Select Blue Tilapia Fry

Algae Control and Bass Forage

Tilapia Ship on Monday via UPS 2 day 

Consider tilapia warm-season pond-management fish stocked to help control filamentous algae while producing additional forage for largemouth bass and other predator fish. Stock them small at <1/2 inch to maximize algae control.

They graze during the growing season, grow quickly in warm water, and convert unwanted pond growth into live fish forage.

Blue Tilapia can help:

• Reduce filamentous or “string” algae.
• Graze soft aquatic plant growth.
• Produce additional summer forage for bass.

How Many Should I Stock?

For algae control, stock:

1,000 Blue Tilapia per surface acre

Use the surface acreage of the pond—not its average depth.

For best results, stock before filamentous algae develops into thick floating mats.

When to Stock

Stock Blue Tilapia during warm weather - at above 55°F.

Blue Tilapia are warmwater river fish. In much of the United States, they must be stocked annually because they begin dying when water temperatures fall to around 50°F. In warmer climates, they may survive the winter, which is one reason possession and stocking laws vary by state.

Sportfish Pond Benefits

Blue Tilapia provide two benefits from one stocking:

During warm weather: They graze algae and add new forage to the pond as they grow and reproduce.

As temperatures cool: They become slower and easier for bass to catch. Where winter temperatures are cold enough, the seasonal die-off provides a final forage opportunity before the tilapia disappear.

Best Results

Blue Tilapia work best when combined with:

• Good pond aeration.
• Early stocking before algae becomes severe.

Blue Tilapia can reduce algae pressure, but they will not correct the excess nutrients that caused the algae. Heavy filamentous-algae growth may also require mechanical removal, aeration, or other pond-management measures. 

Legal Notice

Blue Tilapia are nonnative fish and are regulated differently by each state.

They are intended for private pond stocking only where legal. Permits or other restrictions may apply. Never release Blue Tilapia into public waters, streams, rivers, wetlands, drainage systems, or ponds connected to public waterways.

Stocking Instructions

Be present when the fish arrive and stock them immediately.

Do not float the bags. Pour the entire contents into the deepest accessible water from the bank.

Short Product Description

Blue Tilapia provide seasonal algae control and additional bass forage in private sportfish ponds. Stock 1,000 fish per surface acre of algae before filamentous algae becomes severe. Blue Tilapia work throughout the warm growing season and generally require annual restocking where winter water temperatures approach 50°F.