# Raise tilapia as food at home



## stratos (Apr 21, 2010)

I have heard of several people around Vancouver raising tilapia species at home for use as human food; now it looks to be going global:

BBC News - Fish farming in a high-rise world


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## Smatt (May 27, 2011)

Tilapia is now one of the most farmed fish species in the world, and due to its toughness and ability to digest plant proteins it will soon be the the number one. It is an excellent protein source for developing countries.
Eventually they will create a saltwater strain which will solidify its place as the number one farmed species all over the world.
I actually really enjoy eating tilapia, I roll it in sweet chilli sauce, cover it in flour and then fry in butter nom nom nom!


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## CRS Fan (Apr 21, 2010)

Smatt said:


> Eventually they will create a saltwater strain which will solidify its place as the number one farmed species all over the world.


There is Caribbean farmed saltwater Tilapia available commercially. I only know this because one of my employers sells it.

Best Regards,

Stuart


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## Smatt (May 27, 2011)

Thanks for the info Stuart. I had never heard of this before.


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## 2wheelsx2 (Apr 21, 2010)

I know one member here raising Tilapia in there home for the dinner table. You know who you are.....


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## SeaHorse_Fanatic (Apr 22, 2010)

I did this in the 80s. I got some tilapia from a guy selling fish out of his basement and raised them in an outdoor tank all summer. We ate them when it got too cold and they were delicious.


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## 2die4 (Apr 12, 2012)

Do any of you guys know where i an get ahold of a few hundred tilapia?


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## SeaHorse_Fanatic (Apr 22, 2010)

Just had a tank-raised Pacu for dinner tonight. Wok-fried with some seasoning salt, garlic powder & black pepper & stuffed with green onions from the garden. Mmmmmmm. It was delish. <ducking for cover now>


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## SeaHorse_Fanatic (Apr 22, 2010)

BTW, any one else using their tank water or filter cleaning water to fertilize their gardens? My veggies, fruits, berries & flowers love the koi pond water and the dirty filter water. Very "organic" way to recycle dirty water and reduce on chemical ferts.


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## Ursus sapien (Apr 21, 2010)

I raised tilapia in a pool I got from you, Stratos! They were so fresh and clean tasting that some of the people who tried them are still asking for more

It was pretty straight forward, and there are a number of ways to use solar energy to heat up the pool. It's a great way for people globaly to improve their diet and access low cost protein. Just remember that you can die of malnutrition if tilapia is your main source of protein, as it lacks an essential (enzyme?) element needed. You may wish to consider pacu or an other species for farming.


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## overlord1957 (Jul 28, 2011)

Hi There.
Tilapia can be grown in any water fresh, brackist, or sea water as long as you can keep the water temperature about 28 degree C.
The fish meat is better if you can grow them in salt water.
It is good fish to eat but the meat do not have Omega3 in them.
Cheers.

Van


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## stratos (Apr 21, 2010)

Glad that pool went for a good use. 



Ursus sapien said:


> I raised tilapia in a pool I got from you, Stratos! They were so fresh and clean tasting that some of the people who tried them are still asking for more
> 
> It was pretty straight forward, and there are a number of ways to use solar energy to heat up the pool. It's a great way for people globaly to improve their diet and access low cost protein. Just remember that you can die of malnutrition if tilapia is your main source of protein, as it lacks an essential (enzyme?) element needed. You may wish to consider pacu or an other species for farming.


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## King-eL (Apr 21, 2010)

I grow tilapias for feeders for my fish. Breeds fast grows fast. David just picked up a pair for his own breeding program.


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## stratos (Apr 21, 2010)

We should all start thinking of raising fish for own consumption too, it is not a far fetched idea at all when you stop and think about it...


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## SeaHorse_Fanatic (Apr 22, 2010)

I would love to raise Pacu for my wok. Mmmmmmmm. Very yummy fish. Tilapia is good too.


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## hondas3000 (Apr 22, 2010)

In Asia people have raise giant gourami in pond as well.


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## SeaHorse_Fanatic (Apr 22, 2010)

Realistically, it is not cost effective for most people to raise these fish for themselves since they would only be able to grow out a few and these are tropical fish that require heating (unless you are able to use some sort of solar heating). My friend had a neighbour who grew rainbow trout in a small pond outside and since these are cold-water fish, that might be better for our climate.


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## stratos (Apr 21, 2010)

SeaHorse_Fanatic said:


> Realistically, it is not cost effective for most people to raise these fish for themselves since they would only be able to grow out a few and these are tropical fish that require heating (unless you are able to use some sort of solar heating). My friend had a neighbour who grew rainbow trout in a small pond outside and since these are cold-water fish, that might be better for our climate.


But some of the fish like Tilapia sp. can do fine in temperate water, meaning an ambient room temp of 68-70F/18-20C should be okay. Get a couple big 300 gallon plastic tubs for a few hundred bucks, one for the tank, one for the sump; then raise up 50-75 tilapia to 10inches in 6-8 months. It shouldn't cost you much in electricity (just for the filter), you could use the old fish water for watering your plants (or a rooftop/balcony garden). Trout chow used for aquaculture is dirt cheap. Keep a few Alpha males and big females for breeding purposes and eat the rest. I think it is totally doable.


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## SeaHorse_Fanatic (Apr 22, 2010)

The warmer the water, the faster they tend to grow if fed enough and given enough space & clean water.

As an experiment, I may do this in my greenhouse (when the big one finally gets built). In the filter "pond", I would hydroponically grow vegetables like Romaine lettuce and water cress, making it a polyculture system.

BTW, how much would a school of tilapia cost anyways?


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## Ursus sapien (Apr 21, 2010)

stratos said:


> But some of the fish like Tilapia sp. can do fine in temperate water, meaning an ambient room temp of 68-70F/18-20C should be okay. Get a couple big 300 gallon plastic tubs for a few hundred bucks, one for the tank, one for the sump; then raise up 50-75 tilapia to 10inches in 6-8 months. It shouldn't cost you much in electricity (just for the filter), you could use the old fish water for watering your plants (or a rooftop/balcony garden). Trout chow used for aquaculture is dirt cheap. Keep a few Alpha males and big females for breeding purposes and eat the rest. I think it is totally doable.


Mine did not feed below 20-21C.


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## 2wheelsx2 (Apr 21, 2010)

SeaHorse_Fanatic said:


> Realistically, it is not cost effective for most people to raise these fish for themselves since they would only be able to grow out a few and these are tropical fish that require heating (unless you are able to use some sort of solar heating). My friend had a neighbour who grew rainbow trout in a small pond outside and since these are cold-water fish, that might be better for our climate.


I agree with this, and they grow fast too, but you need a pretty big body of water. I used to work at this restaurant at Granville Island where they had a big pool with Rainbow trout that you can catch and order cooked up and were fat and healthy from all the feed they got.


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## stratos (Apr 21, 2010)

Ursus sapien said:


> Mine did not feed below 20-21C.


What kind of tilapia were they?


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## reeferious (Apr 30, 2010)

next to black crappies that i catch tilapias are my second favorite. i get them 3 for 10 bucks in chinatown although you might have to bargain a bit with the guys wearing the aprons.


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