Howdy friends.
I was wondering why my ditch tilapia don't want to eat duckweed?...almost 1 month since I caught them and did not eat for over 1 week and then I started feeding them koi feed and they love it but won't eat anything else and I would love to feed them some home grown duckweed.
Any suggestions?
Mahalo
Hi Mahalo,
Have you considered withholding the koi feed and just giving them the duckweed? They might prefer koi food but, if there's nothing else, they may switch to duckweed once they get hungry.
Gary
"All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident." - Arthur Schopenhauer
www.microponics.net.au - for candid dialogue on integrated backyard food production.
www.urbanaquaponics.com.au - the home of the Online Urban Aquaponics Manual.
Or start mixing duckweed in with the koi feed. Slowly increasing the percentage of duckweed.
Mahalo for the quick replies.
I've been doing that for the last couple of days but I don't see them eat the duckweed.
Do you guys mix it with something else to make it more attractive?
We just caught some 15 more tilapia over the weekend making it 36 total for our 300 gal. FT
It seems like we have different kind of tilapia, the wife caught 3 big black ones with a net, they would not take the bait but they were so mellow and docile and I feel a little worried about them and wonder if they are ok.
will post some pics and please let me know if they are a good kind to grow on my FT.
I'd say you have to mix it well enough so that they don't have a choice. Perhaps add a bit of water to the feed to soften it up and allow better mixing. I should probably mention that I've never actually done this (or even seen a tilapia for that matter) but its a well known strategy for weaning fry onto pelletized food. I can't see why it wouldn't work.
My Tilapia eat mainly pellets. I tried feeding them water hyacinth at one stage and they will eat the roots and kill the plants but it just gets too messy in the tank. I have never seen them eating algae, the sucker fish do but they also prefer pellets.Originally Posted by lobitonomada
My Tilapia are silvery grey in colour with some beautiful green highlights. I guess they are a hybrid type. the original ones I bought from an aquarium shop and most I have now are bred in my pond, probably 3rd or 4th generation by now. I have seen pink Tilapia here and some white and blotchy ones too but never seen the really black Tilapia in your photo.
Dave
I've had to change my food on my tilapia 3 different times. Each time I changed pellets they would not eat it for a day or two. After a week they would eat it like crazy. Might try feeding only duckweed and nothing else for a day or two.
Knowledge comes from books and classes...Wisdom comes from surviving mistakes not taught in either.
You better call or email Tim at Friendly Aquaponics about duckweek. He is really negative about duckweed and had to clense his whole system and get rid of it all. Good Luck Andy
Hi,
Given that he runs raft systems, I can understand why Tim wouldn't want it in the system. It would grow right throughout the system and make a big mess in the raft tanks.
His system is also commercial and, if I recall correctly, it's certified organic. He may be concerned about the transfer of harmful organisms on the duckweed.
In a media-based system, it's a different matter entirely. You can control its movement within the system much more effectively and some species (particularly Jade perch) will eat a lot of it so it can be used as a dietary supplement. Duckweed should be treated like any other introduced organism.....it should be sourced from a healthy system and quarantined in circumstances that allow you to determine that it is not going to be problematic.
Gary
"All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident." - Arthur Schopenhauer
www.microponics.net.au - for candid dialogue on integrated backyard food production.
www.urbanaquaponics.com.au - the home of the Online Urban Aquaponics Manual.
So do you guys just feed them the cheapest the floating fish food you can find? the only fish food I could see that they would want to eat according to people is purina trout chow. I'm here in the states but about to get my fish sometime this month after I cycle my system with ammonia.
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