Tilapia fingerlings and tilapia breeding colonies

Understand what you are buying!

We strongly recommend that you read our sections on Fingerling Grading and Tilapia Fingerlings to help you fully understand your choices.

Tilapia fingerlings are not created equally! Thirty days after they are hatched, our fingerlings are evaluated and graded according to their individual rates of growth. When you buy tilapia fingerlings from Lakeway Tilapia, you can choose from three different grades to suit your needs. We are the only hatchery that offers graded tilapia fingerlings.

Why buy from Lakeway Tilapia?

A commitment to tilapia purity

Our tilapia fingerlings are raised indoors, away from disease-carrying insects, birds and rodents. The plastics used in our hatchery are food-grade and BPA free. We keep our breeding colonies and fingerlings in glass enclosures and employ the use of ultraviolet sterilizers and ozone to keep their environment sanitary. Our water is sourced from our own deep wells and is tested for purity before being introduced to our tilapia. We do not use hormones or give genetically modified food to our fingerlings. We feed a diet that includes organic Spirulina and high quality aquatic plants. And of course, all of our tilapia are independently inspected to be disease free.

No hormones

Think that hormone use is rare? Think again. The state of New Mexico actually requires that all fish be treated with testosterone! Under the FDA, tilapia producers are not required to disclose such hormone usage. However, it is a federal crime to ship fish intended for human consumption after making false statements about hormones, so the companies that use them just don't talk about it. Lakeway Tilapia does not use hormones of any kind at any time. Our tilapia are 100% natural.

No imported or diseased tilapia fingerlings

You would be shocked at how many of the websites offering tilapia fingerlings don't actually hatch any of the fish that they sell. Top ranking websites that promote themselves as veritable "tilapia stations" with multitudes of species are actually just re-selling tilapia acquired elsewhere, even buying and re-selling our lowest cost value tilapia for a premium price. Aquaponics dealers sell tilapia that they don't have, then pay other website owners to drop-ship on their behalf. This activity is how diseases are spread and makes it nearly impossible to determine the point of origin whenever questions arise.

In November of 2018 the US Government stepped in under the Lacey act to aid state officials who were fed up with the importation of potentially diseased tilapia. The Lacey Act is a 120 year old piece of legislation that regulates the trade of wildlife, fish and plants. Deadly diseases such as Viral hemorrhagic septicemia, found primarily in the Great Lakes region as well as toxic algae and deadly bacteria stirred up by hurricanes cutting through Florida's swamps are hard to ignore. The reason why Lakeway Tilapia is licensed in or able to ship to places like Illinois, California, Hawaii and Alaska is due in no small part to the traceability of our tilapia back to our own sanitary hatcheries.

Florida tilapia fact: The State of Florida actually prohibits the transportation of tilapia across some of its own county lines and for good reason.

No stunted fingerlings

Under perfect conditions, tilapia fingerlings begin life growing at a maximum rate of 20% of their body weight every 24 hours. Over the first 42 days of their life that explosive growth will decrease down to about 4%. This steep drop in daily growth eventually flattens out and by day 75 they are growing at around 3% per day. On about the 98th day, their growth rate levels off at about 1.5% per day where it remains for another 142 days. This completes the 240 day period of accelerated growth, after which the daily size increase drops to a point that can only be measured in months.

It is important to understand that these growth rates are on a "genetic timer" coded into the DNA of every tilapia and have nothing to do with the current size of the tilapia. A three month old fingerling is going to grow at a maximum rate of 1.5% per day even if it is still only an inch long due to stunting, instead of the six inches that are possible. This is why the first 42 days in the life of a tilapia fingerling are so important. Any stunting that occurs during this time will cascade throughout its entire life and cannot be recovered.

On the farm, stunting can be caused by poor conditions, usually water temperatures outside the 80-88℉ range common in green houses. However cramped conditions, lack of proper nutrition, chemical damage from city water supplies, improper use of acids to adjust pH and low dissolved oxygen content can all stunt tilapia fingerlings.

On a retail level, the most common cause of stunting is over crowding due to slow moving inventory. A cubic foot of water can only hold 32 ounces of biomass before stunting occurs. When you consider the incredible growth rate of tilapia during their first 42 days of life, a typical 20 gallon tank goes from being able to hold over a thousand fry to no more than a hundred fingerlings very quickly.

Our high sales volume ensures that our inventory moves quickly and that our tanks are never over-crowded. Every tilapia that leaves our hatchery has been raised under perfect conditions and is growing at its own maximum genetic rate.

No fingerling word games

As you look around the Internet, check out the sizes of the fish being sold as "tilapia fingerlings" and you'll see a lot of ⅜ and ½ fractions being used. Some sites even add a bit of eye-candy by giving a size range of ⅜ to 1 inch or ½ to 1½ inches and one site even reads "up to" 3 inches long, but the "up to" part includes every other size down to ¼ of an inch according to the fine print. These same sites claim that a foot long tilapia weighs six pounds (actually about one pound). It's all nonsense written by people who have never actually farmed tilapia or raised one to maturity.

Remember, the size of tilapia fingerlings does not tell you anything about it. A stunted fish at three months old can be the same size as a properly raised fish at one month old.

The only accurate way to judge tilapia fingerlings is by weight at an exact age. After 40 days of growth any tilapia that weighs one gram or more has graduated to fingerling status. The same goes for tilapia that weigh 750 milligrams within the first 30 days of life. Fish at this stage have working fins (they can swim backwards), true scales, developed guts and they have reproductive organs. Everything else is a tilapia fry. So how long is a 750 milligram or a one gram fingerling? Well, from their top lip to the tip of their tail the average in our hatchery is from ⅞ to 1⅛ depending on where in the 30 to 40 day grading range that they are at the time.

From the River Jordan in the Middle East to the Lower Nile River in Africa, Blue tilapia have been fished and farmed for thousands of years. In South Africa, it is called a Blue Kurper, and in the north you might hear it referred to as an Israeli Tilapia. However, around the Sea of Galilee (Lake Tiberias), it is best known as St. Peter's Fish, named after the Bible story of Apostle Peter, who was instructed by Jesus to look into the mouth of the first fish that he caught for a coin to pay the temple tax. We are very proud of the fact that we have obtained genetically pure lines of this culturally significant fish.

Blue tilapia is the only species that makes economic sense for fish farms in most of the United States. This is due to their fast growth and excellent cold water tolerance, down to 47º. Blue tilapia convert more food into weight and require less energy to keep warm, saving money for the tilapia farmer.

Blue tilapia advantages: Blue tilapia thrive in water temperatures that will kill any other species of tilapia. Blue tilapia have an internal salt content that makes them easy to purge prior to harvest and allows them to survive in slightly salty water. Blue tilapia is the species of choice that is served in restaurants and preferred by chefs due to its light clean flavor.

Pure strain Blue tilapia fingerlings

We offer three grades of Blue tilapia as well as un-graded. All graded tilapia are shipped when they are between 30 and 40 days after hatching for accurate grow-out results.

Food Grade Tilapia^®

Our organically raised Blue food grade tilapia fingerlings are ready for grow-out. They are between 30 and 40 days old and average about one gram in weight. They will grow to over one pound and will be ready for harvesting in approximately seven months. As a result of the grading process, our food grade fingerlings are predominantly male. Food grade Blue fingerlings™ can also be used in aquaponics systems however their faster growth rate may result in greater fish waste which may require additional filtration depending on your system design.

For fewer tilapia, use the drop down lists. Quantities may be multiplied in the cart.
If you need more than 500 Food Grade Blue, contact us to place your order over the phone.

For fewer tilapia, use the drop down lists. Quantities may be multiplied in the cart.
If you need more than 500 Food Grade Blue, contact us to place your order over the phone.

Aquaponics Grade^™

Aquaponics grade tilapia have been specifically selected for aquaponics systems of all types. The primary benefit of aquaponics grade is their staggered growth rate which helps to maintain steady ammonia levels to feed nitrifying bacteria colonies for healthy plant growth. Select the largest tilapia for weekly harvest leaving the rest to drive plant growth. Aquaponics grade may also reduce or eliminate the need for additional fish waste removal depending upon the design of your system. Our grading process results in a fairly even mix of male and female tilapia.

For fewer tilapia, use the drop down lists. Quantities may be multiplied in the cart.
If you need more than 500 Aquaponics Grade Blue, contact us to place your order over the phone.

Aquaponics point: You can put 73 pounds of tilapia in a 275 gallon IBC tote and 88 pounds in a 330 gallon tote. You'll find quantities of 70 and 85 tilapia, intended for these tote sizes, in the drop down lists above.

Pond Grade^™

Pond grade are specifically selected for use as algae control in open water ponds and lakes. These tilapia are not recommended for food production or aquaponics systems. Their smaller size and slower growth rate means that nuisance vegetation such as algae, water meal and duckweed will remain as their primary dietary choice for much longer. We recommend 1000 pond grade tilapia per surface acre for algae eradication. If you intend to stock tilapia for the purpose of sport fishing, we recommended that you select our un-graded tilapia instead.

For fewer tilapia, use the drop down lists. Quantities may be multiplied in the cart.
If you need more than 500 Pond Grade Blue, contact us to place your order over the phone.

Un-graded pure strain Blue tilapia

Our un-graded Blue tilapia are 10 to 12 days old and between ¼ and ½ inches long. Because they have not been graded, they will result in approximately 30% food grade, 40% aquaponics grade, and 30% pond grade tilapia. Our un-graded tilapia are preferred for stocking ponds and lakes for sport fishing and may be used for algae eradication. They also provide a "full genetics package" for creating breeding colonies and an excellent way of introducing fresh genetic material to reduce inbreeding in existing ponds.

Un-graded Blue tilapia can also be used in aquaponics systems provided that a 1/16^th inch screening is provided to prevent them from schooling into pumps and outlets. A good strategy for using un-graded in aquaponics would be to purchase 30% more than you actually need. After three to four weeks dispose of the smallest 30%, essentially removing the pond grade. This results in a mix that is 57% aquaponics grade and 43% food grade.

When it comes to un-graded tilapia, don't put any value in size. Without knowing the age of the fish, a two inch fingerling might be a stunted five month old. If properly kept, our un-graded Blue tilapia will grow to a size of between ¾ and 2 inches within 28 days.

For fewer tilapia, use the drop down lists. Quantities may be multiplied in the cart.
If you need more than 1,000 Ungraded Blue tilapia, contact us to place your order over the phone.

Pure strain Blue tilapia breeding colonies

A blue tilapia breeding colony is more of a service than a product. After all, the fish themselves are only worth about $2 each. So what are you actually paying for? Well, you are paying for us to raise tilapia fingerlings for several weeks to juvenile size then sexing those fish and putting them together to form a breeding colony. But we don't stop there.

Our biologist carefully observes your colony for a few days to ensure that they all display the proper breeding behavior. We make sure that your male is aggressive and that your females aren't. An alpha female or wimpy male will ruin a colony so if necessary we will continue to swap out members of your colony until were absolutely satisfied that you have an actively breeding colony.

So there you have it. You're paying $12 for six tilapia and hiring an expert to ensure that they will actually breed for $187. Of course, all of our breeding colonies consist of one male and five females.

If you need more than one pure strain Blue breeding colony, contact us for pricing and to place your order.

Save big on DIY breeding colonies

If you've read our tilapia breeding guide and our page on how to sex tilapia, you might try your hand at creating your own breeding colonies. Consider buying 100 of our pure strain un-graded Blue tilapia for only $100. You'll save money and have enough fish to make up to five or six colonies. Combined with our lifetime technical support, your chances for success are about as good as they can get.

What is the difference between Value Tilapia and Graded or Un-graded tilapia?
When you buy Graded or Un-graded tilapia you are buying a specific growth rate or rates. Graded tilapia are selected to perform at an expected level. For example, our Food Grade is expected to reach 12" to 14" in only seven months. Our Un-graded is expected to consist of 30% Food Grade, 40% Aquaponics Grade and 30% Pond Grade. In contrast, Value Tilapia may be all Pond Grade, or a mix of Pond Grade and Un-graded, or even a mix of Food Grade and Aquaponics Grade of all different ages.

Nile tilapia have been farmed in ponds for at least three thousand four hundred years. We know this because of wall paintings found in the tomb of Nebamun, a wealthy Egyptian, dating back to 1350 BC. As the name suggests, Nile tilapia are native to the relatively warm and shallow waters of the Nile River and its tributaries. Tilapia are farmed more than any other fish in the southern hemisphere and the majority are Nile. However, this popularity has more to do with the conditions of the fish farms in these regions than any consumer choice. Due to the average temperatures in the United States, Nile tilapia are only suggested for indoor ponds or for tilapia farming along the gulf coast and the Florida peninsula.

Wild Nile tilapia have a more "earthy" flavor. This is due to how Nile tilapia store silt and other particles along the sides of their bodies, just under the skin. Some people call this a "sand vein". While all seafood from clams, oysters and shellfish, to mollusks and fish taste like the water they are living in. The sand vein in the Nile tilapia intensifies this flavor. Keeping your water clean is extremely important with Nile tilapia.

Educate Yourself: There is no such thing as a pure strain "White Nile" or a pure strain "Red Nile". These are both improperly named hybrid mixes of multiple species. Have a look at our tilapia farming myths page for more information and other fun facts. The Nile tilapia that we raise are the result of millions of years of evolution. They are pure strain and provide very predictable results.

Like most of the nearly 100 species of tilapia, Nile have an absolutely abysmal temperature range (read statistics above). They will die at 60º F and stop metabolizing food below 70º F, slowly starving to death. Nile fingerlings need to be kept at a minimum of 76º F to avoid stunting. This is why we recommend Blue tilapia for customers in the northern hemisphere.

Pure strain Nile tilapia fingerlings

Nile tilapia come in three grades: as food grade tilapia fingerlings, as aquaponics grade and as pond grade. All three grades leave our hatchery when they are between 30 and 40 days old. This prevents additional handling and overcrowding that leads to stunted growth.

Food Grade Tilapia

Our pure strain Nile food grade tilapia fingerlings weight about one gram on average. Like all of our food grade fingerlings, they will be ready for harvest in about seven months. These fingerlings are mostly male due to our proprietary grading methods. Food grade Nile fingerlings™ can also be used in an aquaponics system but the amount of wastes created by their faster growth will probably require additional filtration. Of course, this will depend entirely upon the design of your system.

For fewer tilapia, use the drop down lists. Quantities may be multiplied in the cart.
If you need more than 500 Food Grade Nile tilapia, contact us to place your order over the phone.

For fewer tilapia, use the drop down lists. Quantities may be multiplied in the cart.
If you need more than 500 Food Grade Nile tilapia, contact us to place your order over the phone.

Aquaponics Grade

If you're putting your tilapia into an aquaponics system, then our aquaponics grade is the best choice. Your nitrifying bacteria needs the ammonia produced by your fish. The trick is getting a steady supply of ammonia as the fish grow and then get removed. With our aquaponics grade your tilapia will grow to harvest size at different times, so you can take a few each week, without starving your nitrifying bacteria. Many people discover that filters and tanks handle fish wastes easier with aquaponics grade too. If you would like to propagate your tilapia for several generations, aquaponics grade provides a fairly even mixture of male and female tilapia for creating breeding colonies.

For fewer tilapia, use the drop down lists. Quantities may be multiplied in the cart.
If you need more than 500 Aquaponics Grade Nile tilapia, contact us to place your order over the phone.

Pond Grade

About a month after they are hatched, we grade our tilapia into three different growth rates. The smallest of which is the pond grade. While most of their siblings are in the ½ to 1¼ range, the pond grade are still growing to ½ of an inch. Genetically speaking, they are the slow growers. In the tilapia farming world, these little fish are usually discarded, but they make excellent pond cleaners. Of course in the open water of a pond or lake, with a virtually unlimited supply of algae, they will eventually grow into heavyweight fighters, but that could take a while. In the meantime, they will munch away on algae, watermeal and duckweed keeping the water clear for everyone to enjoy.

To determine the quantity of pond grade tilapia that you need to control algae, calculate the number of surface acres that are affected by algae, watermeal and/or duckweed and add 1000 fish per acre.

For fewer tilapia, use the drop down lists. Quantities may be multiplied in the cart.
If you need more than 500 Pond Grade Nile tilapia, contact us to place your order over the phone.

Un-graded pure strain Nile tilapia

Our un-graded Nile tilapia are between ¼ of an inch ½ of an inch long and 10 to 12 days old. They are too young to be graded. However, in about three weeks there will be a very apparent size difference between the largest fingerlings and the smallest. At this point you can remove the smallest ⅓ and you will have a nice mix of males and females for an aquaponics system or you can discard the smallest 70% and you will be left with mostly Food Grade tilapia fingerlings perfect for tilapia farming. This technique can also be used with our un-graded pure strain Blue tilapia.

For fewer tilapia, use the drop down lists. Quantities may be multiplied in the cart.
If you need more than 1,000 Ungraded Nile tilapia, contact us to place your order over the phone.

Pure strain Nile tilapia breeding colonies

If you've already read the description for our Blue tilapia breeding colonies, you can apply that information to our Nile colonies too.

Pure strain Nile tilapia breeding colonies

One breeding colony $199.00 USD

Pro tip: We do not recommend Nile tilapia for first-time breeders. While you don't have to be an expert to breed Nile, it is noticeably more difficult and can be discouraging for some.

Orange Mozambique have been around for a few decades but access to them has always been limited. The original Orange Mozambique was created by crossing an extremely rare albino Mozambique with a common natural colored Mozambique. The resulting orange color was a surprise but an even greater surprise was the fact that the orange color was exhibited in all of their offspring as well as subsequent generations with very little fallback to their natural colors.

For years, the Orange Mozambique tilapia has been crossed with other tilapia species to create many unique hybrids including the so-called "Red Nile" and the Hawaiian Gold.

The reason for their scarcity has to do with contractual agreements between the biologist who created the first Orange Mozambique and the farms that stocked their tilapia. A practice that doomed the hatchery as well as the farms when the original creator was no longer around to breed the fish. The Orange Mozambique was thought to be lost forever but in 2018 Lakeway Tilapia purchased the strain from the creator's family and re-introduce the Orange Mozambique to the world. The Orange Mozambique remains one of the rarest pure strain tilapia species.

So what are Orange Mozambique tilapia good for? Well, their unusual color is considered by some as "pretty". They give a decorative aquaponics system that "Koi pond" look. They can also be a unique starting point for crossing with other species to make new hybrids.

Important point: Contrary to Internet rumor, Orange Mozambique are not Hawaiian Golds. Hawaiian Golds are a hybrid created from Orange Mozambique and other species of tilapia.

Orange Mozambique tilapia fingerlings

We only offer the Orange Mozambique tilapia as fingerlings. Your order will be carefully selected from several non-related broods. They will be a mix of ages and sexes. We do this because the primary buyer for Orange Mozambique are breeders looking for a high level of genetic diversity.

Please note that Orange Mozambique tilapia are a specialty item, they are not shipped immediately. Please communicate with us before placing your order.

Orange Mozambique tilapia fingerlings

Orange Mozambique are not graded but are at least 30 days old. Expect fish sizes around one inch.

50 Orange Mozambique ($5.00 ea) $250.00 USD 40 Orange Mozambique ($5.00 ea) $200.00 USD 30 Orange Mozambique ($5.00 ea) $150.00 USD 20 Orange Mozambique ($5.00 ea) $100.00 USD $5.00 each

Wami tilapia are arguably the most elusive of the tilapia species in the US. This is because it is a relatively poor performer for farming purposes. Wami males are primarily used in hybrid breeding programs to unlock "hybrid vigor" when crossed with female Nile or Orange Mozambique tilapia. Additionally, when Wami males are crossed with Nile or Orange Mozambique females 89% of the offspring normally develop as male. Other combinations such as female Wami with Nile or Orange Mozambique male will not result in 89% male offspring. Also any gender combination of Blue and Wami will not bring about any beneficial result or hybrid vigor.

Wami tilapia fingerlings

Our Wami tilapia have been improved with persistent culling and breeding for positive traits such as wider bodies. Let's say that again for emphasis. These are an IMPROVED Wami. They are not "straight from the African continent" specimens. Wild caught Wami are black in color, very aggressive and nearly impossible to breed in captivity, let alone hybridize. Your order will be a mix of ages and sexes selected from multiple broods to ensure a full genetics package.

Please note that Wami tilapia are a specialty item, they are not shipped immediately. Please communicate with us before placing your order.

Wami tilapia fingerlings and fry

Wami tilapia fingerlings are between 30 and 40 days old and un-graded. Expect fish sizes around one inch.

50 Wami Tilapia ($5.00 ea) $250.00 USD 40 Wami Tilapia ($5.00 ea) $200.00 USD 30 Wami Tilapia ($5.00 ea) $150.00 USD 20 Wami Tilapia ($5.00 ea) $100.00 USD $5.00 each

This tilapia hybrid is the result of crossing an Orange Mozambique (Oreochromis mossambicus) with a Wami (Oreochromis urolepis hornorum) tilapia, both of which have been selectively bred. Due to the genetics of the Wami father, which affects their natural levels of testosterone, these hybrids develop naturally as 89% male tilapia.

Please note that the picture below is just one example of what a Wami hybrid looks like. Other color combinations can range from orange to a combination of orange, black, white and gold. It all depends on the genes passed along by their parents.

Wami hybrid tilapia fingerlings and fry

Our Wami hybrid tilapia can range in sizes from a ½ inch fry to an 1½ inch long fingerling. In commercial aquaculture systems where oxygen levels and other environmental parameters are constantly monitored and controlled, Wami hybrids can grow to 20 ounces in as little as 120 days or up to 32 ounces in 34 weeks. Our Wami hybrid tilapia fingerlings are about 89% male. While there is a growing interest in small numbers of Wami hybrid fingerlings by home tilapia farmers and aquaponic growers, they are primarily produced for our commercial customers.

Please note that due to the advanced equipment and techniques required to take advantage of this hybrid we are no longer accepting online orders for them. Please email us if you would like more information.

About 15 years ago, there were no fewer than 18 websites selling tilapia fingerlings. Each with its own "facts" or no facts at all. Buyer confusion was at an all time high. As you read through our pages, you can still find remnants of a time when we were forced to push back against all of the misinformation surrounding tilapia farming. Just to give you an idea of what it was like back then; one site claimed that you could go to jail if you didn't buy from them and another site blamed an ebola outbreak on tilapia. By sticking to the facts, coupled with the lowest prices and shipping costs, we slowly ground many of them out of existence. Of course there were a handful of honest dealers too, so we joined hands with them so that their hard work wouldn't go to waste in the wake of our "war on nonsense".

In 2013 our friend Greg, the owner of Mineral Springs Tilapia, joined Lakeway Tilapia in what was supposed to be a "brutally honest" educational campaign. The video that you see below was the first of what was intended to be many designed to educate customers who preferred getting their information using that format. But Greg really loved making videos and was committed to showing everything, even his mistakes, so others could learn. We let Greg take the lead and focused our efforts on the written words instead. By 2018, Lakeway Tilapia tilapia had expanded into four hatcheries across three states. A year later, Greg fell into some health issues and decided to retire. We purchased Mineral Springs in march of 2019 and have since expanded into another state-of-the-art facility in Alabama.

The video that you see below has been resting on the bottom of this page for about 12 years. We made it after transferring a colony from our hatchery outside of Tampa (ultimately destroyed by Hurricane Irma) to show customers how to acclimate their new tilapia. We have since updated our shipping methods but keep the video up because the process is still the same. We hope that you appreciate this short trip back in time with us.

Video note: Specific instructions for acclimating your tilapia are included inside of the box with your live tilapia.