Smallest tank size capable of sustaining about 3-5 mature tilapia??

[poohbear]

I'm working in a small space here so I'm wondering if I wanted to go with tilapia I'd like to have at least 3 mature ready to eat while still able to sustain some smaller ones till they are dish ready. I know there are some small tank owners here working in smallspaces.

[Ravnis]

I wouldn't recommend tilapia in anything less than 40 gallons. They really have a high waste output as compared to goldfish. They grow really fast and would outgrow anything smaller in a few months
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[arachdog]

If you had all the right filtration equipment you could probably stick them in a 1 foot by one foot tank. But if you got any sense of morality at all you'll give them them a tank where they can at least turn around wherever they like and swim comfortably. If you want to grow them to plate size then thats quite a big tank certainly no smaller than 500mm in any dimension.
But to be honest I don't see the point in growing just 3 eating fish. It certainly not going to be any cheaper than just buying 3 fish from the market. If you so tight for space why not use goldfish or some other freshwater aquarium fish?

[DaveOponic]

I'm working in a small space here so I'm wondering if I wanted to go with tilapia I'd like to have at least 3 mature ready to eat while still able to sustain some smaller ones till they are dish ready. I know there are some small tank owners here working in smallspaces.

With a few Tilapia in a small tank you will have territorial issues. When I first tried to breed Tilapia I selected 5 fish, one large and four smaller ones. I guessed the large one was a male. I had them in a large glass aquarium of about 60 litres in volume.

Within a day I had two dead fish. The bottom of the tank was covered in fine gravel and the remaining two males made their "pits" and proceeded to fight over the female. They got quite aggressive, locking lips until eventually I took one of the males out. the next day the big fish was the sole survivor. The fish I had assumed was a female was probably just a juvenile male.

In my bigger tanks (1000litres) I usually have between 25 - 100 Tilapia swimming peacefully together with no problems and no fish deaths.

In my concrete pond (800 litres) I have had about 8 Tilapia for the past few months. When I cleaned the pond the other day, I discovered over a hundred tiny newborn Tilapia so I took out all the larger fish before they are eaten.

Dave