Tilapia

Tilapia is a fish that can be caught in the ocean at The Beach or on the Beach Farm during Summer and Fall, between 6:00 AM and 2:00 PM. It can also be caught during any season on Ginger Island West in freshwater or in the area north of the island. Like other fish, it may also appear in the Traveling Cart, and it can sometimes be sold by Krobus on Wednesdays. Magic Bait allows Tilapia to be caught regardless of season or time of day.

Tilapia can be used in the Sewing Machine spool to create the dyeable Sailor Shirt. It can also be placed in a Fish Pond, where the fish reproduce every 2 days. A new pond starts with a capacity of 3 fish, and the capacity can be raised to 10 by completing the pond quests. The pond’s only possible output is dark gray Tilapia Roe.

The Fish Pond quests for Tilapia ask for the following items as the pond expands:

• From 3 to 5 capacity: 3 Driftwood, 1 Frozen Geode, or 1–2 Seaweed
• From 5 to 7 capacity: 2 Clams or 2 Coral
• From 7 to 10 capacity: 2 Aquamarine, 1 Mussel, or 2 Sea Urchins

Each quest grants 30 Fishing XP. At low population, the pond produces roe less consistently, but at population 5 or higher it produces roe much more reliably.

Tilapia is also used in the Special Order “Aquatic Overpopulation,” where Demetrius may request 10 Tilapia caught in Summer from the Special Orders board outside the Mayor’s Manor. The reward is gold equal to the fish’s sell value and the Farm Computer recipe.

In practice, Tilapia is a straightforward warm-season ocean fish, but Ginger Island makes it available year-round for players who have access to it. Magic Bait is especially useful if you want to catch it outside its normal schedule, and Fish Pond owners may want it for steady roe production or for the pond progression quests.