Scout

Well, my dad seems to have MTS even worse than me now. He wanted to keep a little tilapia in my community tank, but I know that probably wouldn't work out too well. Lol.

I showed him some smaller tilapia species more commonly kept as pets, and now he wants to get another aquarium and put some clown tilapia (Tilapia joka) in it. "It's like keeping pet food!"

But I'm completely clueless on tilapia. I've got plenty of time to do some research (or force my dad to do some research ), but I as wondering if anyone here has any experience with them.

Amanda

The ONLY thing I know...it comes shrink wrapped in the fish dept.

Scout

I think the main reason he wants tilapia is because it would just be so cool to keep the same kind of fish we eat regularly. And besides that, they're one of those "tough" fish. You know, manly fish. My dad might not want to tell his friends if he has a pet angelfish, but they'd all love him if he told them that he has a pet tilapia.

haedra

I feel horrible for saying this, but...I think I'm drooling (dinner was early).

Uhh but I wouldn't know how to take care of them either, lol.

Amanda

Rofl.
I didn't even know what it was before my mom became manager of the fish dept. at Wal-Mart. Then I was on aquabid, and I was like "Tilapia?! Isn't that the filets my mom sells??"
They sell them whole too...ugh. Nasty nasty.
I feel bad for the fish!

Angela_96

I love to eat tilapia, its my fav food fish. They are low in mercury as well.
The tilapia that we eat most likely comes from the asian area. However if you read up on some tialpia in history its a biblical fish, it was the fish that Jesus caught, etc.
I can't feel guilty for eating that fish for that reason.

Of coarse as a cichlid lover I would hate to read their minds if they knew what we were eatting at the dinner table lol
Show him cichlid-forums profiles, he will love the different species of cichlids

aquarist48

I love tilapia!!! (eating it that is) I don't think I've ever seen a live one.