Max size of a tilapia

kdrun76

Piranha
MFK Member
Mar 4, 2009
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I have a 7 year old hybrid tilapia. He is the result of a research experiment done a long time ago. All fish in the tank the fry he was raised from were hybrids. It is probable that he is a 4 species hybrid, but I will never know. We thought all the fish in the tank were male.

The adults in the tank he was spawned in were:
Oreochromis mossambicus x O. hornorum and
O. nilotics x O. aureus

If he is a result of 2 identical hybrids spawning or two different hybrids spawning is a guess only a DNA blood test could answer. For now, presume he is a 4 species hybrid.

My question is how big should I realistically expect him to get?

He was moved into a 125 gallon tank last year at 14.75 inches. I just realized that he is now longer than the tank is wide. He is over 18" and about to get moved into a 210. My 7 year old fish grew 4 inches in a year!!!!

Good grief, when will he stop growing?
 

boldtogether

Polypterus
MFK Member
Sep 25, 2008
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chino hills, california
18"? Thats a big fish. A size of 20"-22" could be on the horizon, IMO. Tilapia wont get much bigger than 15" in the wild, Oreochromis either. Perhaps the mixing of no less than 4 species has effected its growth hormone production? Who knows. Ride it out ans see what comes of it. Those fish wont live much past 7 anyway.
My2¢
 

kdrun76

Piranha
MFK Member
Mar 4, 2009
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Gomez, you are scaring me!!!!!
 

screaminleeman

Jack Dempsey
MFK Member
Nov 27, 2009
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Westminster, MD
kdrun76;4299720; said:
Gomez, you are scaring me!!!!!
In Baltimore there is a "world famous" since 1788 marketplace called "Lexington Market". They have a number of different vendors selling an unbelievable variety of market fish.

One of the vendors (Harbor Seafood) usually always have their fish displayed whole and have a staff to fillet/ cut your fish to order upon purchase. They had some Tilapia ($2.99/ LB) that I have no idea of the species, but were very dark with lots of blue hues. I bought one around 24" head to tail for feed for my fish and they of course weigh it for sale. It was a measily 6.5 pounds!

Funny as heck. The "world record" for tilapia is 6.4 LBS!

In Nicaragua they regularly catch Tilapia up to 11 LBS but keep the locations as secret as humanly possible (which disallows for official world record acknologment) to keep fish farmers from swamping to the area(s) for breeding stock!

A small 6 pounder looks like this!

Joyce_Tilapia.jpg

I bought four (were labeled Nile Tilapia - I don't know, I'm a newbie to the hobby) back in January of this year all at under 2". I have read that they are suppose to (MAX OUT!) at between 5.5" and 11". Two of them are over the 11" mark now and the other two are not far behind. Here are some pictures from a month or two ago!

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