Tilapia Farming

Tilapia is a freshwater fish species are frequently and widely cultivated by community.Besides Hoby and business, tilapia is much preferred because it tastes good and has a very beneficial nutrient for the growth and health, and even a lot of improving intelligence.Tilapia in the flesh also contained source of animal protein in the nutrition community.

Tilapia or Oreochromis niloticus in Latin is one of the freshwater fish of the most widely cultivated. Tilapia was introduced from Africa, eastern Africa to be exact, in 1969, and has now become a popular pet fish in freshwater ponds in Indonesia as well as pests in every river and lake in Indonesia.It is true that China is the largest tilapia producer in the world, followed by Egypt. Because thereTilapia are grown commercially mostly done monosex culture (male). Farmers use hormones, such as testosterone to reverse the sex of tilapia seed in female tilapia.But  Tilapia can be cultured in a variety of habitats (in freshwater, brackish, and marine) because tilapia is tolerant of wide salinity (euryhaline). Now, tilapia can also be cultivated in ponds tarpaulin which is one of the innovation development of rain-fed pools, as well as critical land use and other sempit.Metode that can be done to control the population is farming tilapia in polyculture, by mixing fish that are predators at aquaculture ponds tilapia. Or also other methods such as hybridization with other species of tilapia.

A tilapia fish are omnivores (eating everything), but tend to be herbivorous, because tilapia prefer to eat different kinds of phytoplankton and aquatic plants, therefore tilapia are often used to control aquatic weeds.Tilapia are also included in the five most important fish in fish farming, with production reaching 1,505,804 metric tons in 2000. Because it can reach a large size, rapid growth, and want to eat artificial feed, tilapia fish belonging to the main focus of the cultivation of fish. As with any other type of large fish, tilapia is a good source of protein and popular among traditional and commercial fisheries.

Tilapia can not survive in cold climates, because they prefer warmer waters. Pure strains of blue tilapia, Oreochromis aureus, can tolerate the lowest temperatures up to 7 ° C, while the other species of tilapia will die at a temperature range of 11-17 ° C. Therefore tilapia can not spread and become a problem in cold climates habitat. So it is very suitable tilapia cultivated in Indonesia.