Posted by Henri Pereira on 6th Aug 2014
AQUAPONICS MIRACLE FISH ? TILAPIA RENDALLI
We believe it is, and in Southern Africa we can count ourselves very fortunate to be able to farm with these beauties.. read more below...
For our friends in USA, Europe, Asia and Australia, eat your hearts out :)
Red Breast Tilapia (Tilapia Rendalli) is arguably the most beautiful of the Tilapia species. It has 5 to 6 vertical stripes and a red throat and belly. The upper surface is olive with light brown edges to the scales. The dorsal fin has a red margin. The lower half of the tail is red or yellow below, and green on top. Young are silver.
Tilapia Rendalli Fingerlings
Some Juvenile Rendalli from our DIY system
A Magnificent Male (notice the bright red belly)
Unlike the
Tilapia Rendalli occur throughout most of tropical
Africa, including
They thrive in water temperatures between 28⁰C and 32⁰C.
Anglers love it for its fighting spirit.
They are voracious weed eaters, and are often introduced into dams to clean up the excess vegetation and are also used as a mosquito controller.
Studies have shown that where Tilapia farming is introduced, there was a 94% reduction in 2 types of Anopheles mosquito, the common malaria vector species.
Its meat is white and
firm, without the “fishy” taste of other fish. Its considered a delicacy in most of Asia & tropical Africa, as well as the
| Size | Average 1Kg, Max 2.6 Kg |
| Diet | Omnivorous, leaning to herbivorous. Their main diet in an Aquaponics setup is lettuce, grass, duckweed and even banana leaves |
| FCR (Food Conversion Ratio) | Average food conversions of 1.4 Kg of feed for 1Kg fish |
| Harvest Size | 400 grams (6-8 months) 1 Kg (12-18 months) |
| Fillet | 42%-46% of total Fish |
| Other | Hardy & resistant to disease - Prefers water temperature above 22 degrees centigrade |
From the characteristics above, one can see why the Red Breast Tilapia is the ideal fish to use in an Aquaponics system. Fast growing, and they do not need specialized commercial feed (commercial feed can cost up to US$2 per Kg).
Mr Barry Enslin, a commercial farmer in Johannesburg for the past 20 years has proven that his Tilapia Rendalli thrive and grow solely on lettuce. Most fish experts would say that is impossible, but Barry does it every year on a consistent basis. I have personally witnessed his 10 000 plus fish devour several crates of lettuce in a matter of hours. This happens on a daily basis, so Barry has to ensure a constant supply, and that is achieved thanks to friendly vegetable farmers in his area who give him all the off cuts.
When it comes to harvesting your fish In an aquaponics setup, there is no need to wait for them to get to 1Kg. You can harvest them at around 260 grams to 300 grams which is considered a plate size fish.
Tilapia Rendalli fillet - Firm white flesh
Make sure however not to harvest all your fish, or your nitrification cycle goes out of balance.. Keep a few big ones in your system to ensure a constant ammonia supply for the bacteria in your system.
The only challenge in having Rendalli in your aquaponics system is maintaining the water temperature above 20 degrees centigrade, at the lowest possible cost. If you are based in Kwazulu Natal or parts of Mpumalanga and Limpopo provinces, then no need to worry. If in Gauteng, get ready to invest in insulation, tunnels, greenhouses and solar heating.