Food for Tilapia

[french]

Guys, obviously Tilapia are extremely efficient feeders and convert most of the feed given to it to flesh. What I wanted to ask, and think I know the answer but really want to make sure, is can vegetable scraps be used after shredding it extremely fine to feed them also? Theres quite a bit of vegetables, stalks etc left at the farmers market and if its usable its definately a source of cheap feed. Any I should avoid??

[Ravnis]

If you can, you might want to put your tank in the sunlight. The algea that grows in the tank will provide food for the tilapia. Then use a high protien feed for supplementation. Tilapia are super easy and cheap to feed. I go through $15.00US feed every 3 months for 50 pounds of fish ~ 20 kg.

I have not had much luck with them eating vegetable clippings, but they will eat some basil. Mine were feed trained so that may be part of the reason they don't take well to the veggies.

[GaryD]

Hi French,

I'd be very surprised if your tilapia wouldn't eat duckweed, too.

It's high protein, easy and cheap to produce and harvest and it comes in tiny bite-sized chunks.

Gary

[POC3442]

I talked to a few guys who do Tilapia commercially here in the states and just a little info on Duckweed. He said that they will eat duckweed however you will see that they grow a lot slower. So if u supplement duckweed as a feeding once a week I wouldn't think it would be that bad. The biggest concern I had was that he said if you feed them duckweed too much the meat dosn't taste as good.

This is not from experience just what a guy who grows tilapia commercially told me...he's retired from it now but did it for 8 years in Arazoina.

[DaveOponic]

My Tilapia love earthworms. If I am digging in the garden, I always find a few worms for them. I tried making a worm farm but found I couldn't breed up enough worms just by digging out of the garden. there is no worm supplier here in Borneo as far as I know.

I have also fed them water hyacinth, which they love to eat, but they make a mess and the roots end up clogging up the pump inlet, so I stopped feeding them water hyacinth. I am not sure what duckweed is or where to get it here so I feed my fish grower pellets (floating) that are meant for groper which is a commercially grown fish here. My Barra and Koi fish all eat the same pellets.

I have never thought of giving the fish vege. scraps and doubt they would eat it. It would end up fouling and stinking up the water I think.


Dave

[Bidadisndat]

Dave, it's extremely difficult to grow out/breed earthworms that you've dug up from the garden as they're not exactly suitable for a worm-farm setup.
Try getting a small supply of the Red Wrigglers or Indian Blues that are usually found in compost heaps and you'll probably have a lot more success.
......Bid...

[DaveOponic]

Dave, it's extremely difficult to grow out/breed earthworms that you've dug up from the garden as they're not exactly suitable for a worm-farm setup.
Try getting a small supply of the Red Wrigglers or Indian Blues that are usually found in compost heaps and you'll probably have a lot more success.
......Bid...

I've dug up worms from the jungle floor in front of our house that are over a metre long and as thick as my little finger but have never seen any red worms or blue worms anywhere here.

The small red worms I find in the fliter foam are the larvae of midgies I am told and there's plenty of them but my fish don't seem interested in those worms. Too tiny I spose.

[Apache]

If you can, you might want to put your tank in the sunlight. The algea that grows in the tank will provide food for the tilapia.

I have learned that by having algae in the tank and the fish eating it will make the meat fishier tasting.?.? Can any one else weigh on on this?

Cheers,


Austin

[Ravnis]

I don't have objective data, but my family liked the taste of the tilapia as well as friends that I have given some to sample. Purging or letting them sit in only clean water without feeding them for a few days to a week is supposed to enhance the flavor. However, I have not bothered with purging as the taste of the fish had been good straight out of the system.

[DaveOponic]

I have learned that by having algae in the tank and the fish eating it will make the meat fishier tasting.?.? Can any one else weigh on on this?

Cheers,


Austin

My Tilapia don't show any interest in algae. I always have a few big Borneo sucker fish vacuuming the pool so they wouldn't find much anyway. All my fish are feed on demand. As for the taste, they taste great without need to stop feeding or purge their gullets. My water is always pretty clean now as they share the tank with Barramundi. Once it gets slightly green, I dump the water and refill.

The tropical sun is very strong here. I have one small outdoor pond but have to cover it as it turns green very quickly in the sun. All my fish are under cover.


Dave

[zeke]

Hello..........Duckweed is a great supplement for feeding Tilapia. These fish also have the ability to strain the green algae in the water and use that as a food source. A light and zapper over the pond will add insect protein.....and lets not forget maggots of various kinds for those that are not squeamish:rolleyes:.