Tilapia For Controlling Weed Growth

[atpeace]

Have a 15x15 meter pond with running water 6-8 months a year.  Had a storm about 3 weeks ago and it has risen about 1/2 meter gradually and still seems to be rising.  I'm guessing it will shrink down to 10x10 meters some years since the wife is now pulling out 50-150 gallons a day to water 1/2 a rai of vegetables.  She told me it has never dried up.

 

I want to get rid of the weeds if possible that seem to float on top and extend about a meter above the surface.  I can easily pull them all out in a day if I get motivated but sense they will just grow back.  What about throwing tilapia in the pond like I saw Mexicans doing as kid in their mud ponds?  I am not concerned about it being a productive tilapia farm and just want to have enough survive to eat the weeds.

 

Thanks for any advice.

[Crossy]

Tilapia are cheap, fast growing, indestructable and self maintaining, they are also pretty good eating, what's not to like?

 

I'd buy a couple of hundred fingerlings (the cheap ones will be mixed sex you will need some males) and drop them in, with enough weed you probably won't need to feed them unless you do want to eat some.

 

 

 

[atpeace]

5 hours ago, Crossy said:

Tilapia are cheap, fast growing, indestructable and self maintaining, they are also pretty good eating, what's not to like?

 

I'd buy a couple of hundred fingerlings (the cheap ones will be mixed sex you will need some males) and drop them in, with enough weed you probably won't need to feed them unless you do want to eat some.

 

 

 

Thanks!  My gut was telling me that this would work but my lack of any knowledge when it comes to farm fish was holding me back.  Now I will look for some fingerlings.  I'm on the banks of the Mekong so assume this should not be hard to locate a seller.

[Crossy]

7 minutes ago, atpeace said:

Thanks!  My gut was telling me that this would work but my lack of any knowledge when it comes to farm fish was holding me back.  Now I will look for some fingerlings.  I'm on the banks of the Mekong so assume this should not be hard to locate a seller.

 

You should be able to get babies anywhere, they are very popular fish.

 

Just make sure you have some boys in there, apparently some of the commercial growers treat the babies in some way so they all grow into the (larger) females.

[atpeace]

Just now, Crossy said:

 

You should be able to get babies anywhere, they are very popular fish.

 

Just make sure you have some boys in there, some of the commercial growers treat the babies in some way so they all grow into the (larger) females.

Great, I'll jump on the motorbike and go tilapia hunting this afternoon. Just getting over a hyperthermia episode after wading neck deep in the pond pulling at the weeds for an hour.  How is that possible at 30 C.  Anyhow, after sitting in the sun for an hour with a jacket I'm feeling good.

[Crossy]

Deep water can be very chilling! Do take care!

 

And if you don't already know Thai for tilapia is "pla nin".

[atpeace]

3 minutes ago, Crossy said:

Deep water can be very chilling! Do take care!

 

And if you don't already know Thai for tilapia is "pla nin".

Will do and thinks for taking the time to help a novice.

[Crossy]

1 minute ago, atpeace said:

Will do and thinks for taking the time to help a novice.

 

I'm certainly no expert.

 

Madam had some tilapia in our goose pond. Unfortunately when they were just about "barbecue" sized she gave them all to our poorer neigbours! I didn't even get to cook one ???? 

[farmerjo]

I don't think they will eat the weeds away.

There are chemicals you can use and available if you don't want to pull by hand.

[kickstart]

You have some weed in the pond ,but what weed ,if it is Pack-Boong,Morming Glory they will eat that .

The grass is a meter above  the surface it could well be  Yar-Con,in Thai or Para Grass ,Tilapia will eat the very young shots ,but as you are pulling it ,it must be well established ,and old  as FL said, I would  doubt if any fish will eat it ,we have Yar-Con in our pond ,we have a few Bla-Nin's Tilapia ,but they are not going to have any effect on the grass weed .

As FJ said they are some chemicals that can be used .y

 

[atpeace]

On 2/7/2022 at 7:10 PM, farmerjo said:

I don't think they will eat the weeds away.

There are chemicals you can use and available if you don't want to pull by hand.

What chemicals and where to find? 

 

I Just worked harder than I have worked since bailing hay 40 years ago.  Snapped a rope trying to pull out a 5x5 meter section with a truck.  It must have weighed a ton+ because of the water weight. Strapped a rope around myself and waded into the pond and the GF would drag me to where I could put my feet down after grabbing a handful of the weeds ( think they are rosemary ).   This strategy worked! Hard f'n  work but I am able to do this type of thing.  One of my few talents.  My fear is after 24 hours in total of hard labor they will just grow back and if there is a chemical that would kill the weeds I might have to go this route.  I can do this manual weed work every year but would like to have a plan B.  Locals won't go in the water because of snakes I think so this will be my fun project.

[farmerjo]

45 minutes ago, atpeace said:

What chemicals and where to find? 

Any local AG shop that sells chemicals for rice production could give you an idea.

I would try bispyribac sodium,might need to find a larger shop as a bit more expense than what Thai's generally use.

Your better off to do it before water starts flowing otherwise higher amounts are required.

[atpeace]

14 minutes ago, farmerjo said:

Any local AG shop that sells chemicals for rice production could give you an idea.

I would try bispyribac sodium,might need to find a larger shop as a bit more expense than what Thai's generally use.

Your better off to do it before water starts flowing otherwise higher amounts are required.

Thanks and I'll look into chemicals around where I live.