feeding catfish

[fenceman]

My tank is full for the first time in years. Its about a acre. 2 years ago after it recovered somewhat from the drought, that pulled it down to just a pothole. I put in 200 channel cat fingerlings. Didn't feed them at all the first year(probably a mistake). Feed them almost daily last year. Started feeding them again about a month ago. I guess they are probably about 2 1/2 pounds more or less. I'm. Kinda starting to really take a interest into getting them to grow into something that will really make the kids squeal. . anybody got advice on estimating best feeding amount. Im also considering stocking again to have another generation coming up. There is a volunteer population of green sunfish in there. Im sure they probably keep the catfish from successfully spawning. They eat their share of the 4 pounds im feeding everyday. Although I've observed the catfish feeding on the sunfish as well. Fair trade?? Any input appreciated.

 

[Jogeephus]

Seems like it takes about two pounds of feed to put one pound of weight on the catfish population.

 

[Deepsouth]

Feed them enough for it to take 10 minutes to eat it all. At 2 1/2 pounds they're just right for eating. Much bigger eating catfish food and they get pretty strong tasting.

 

[Muddy]

Catfish loves to eating green sunfish. I hate green sunfish, they took over few farm ponds and stunting themselves.

 

[greybeard]

My tank is full for the first time in years. Its about a acre. 2 years ago after it recovered somewhat from the drought, that pulled it down to just a pothole. I put in 200 channel cat fingerlings. Didn't feed them at all the first year(probably a mistake). Feed them almost daily last year. Started feeding them again about a month ago. I guess they are probably about 2 1/2 pounds more or less. I'm. Kinda starting to really take a interest into getting them to grow into something that will really make the kids squeal. . anybody got advice on estimating best feeding amount. Im also considering stocking again to have another generation coming up. There is a volunteer population of green sunfish in there. Im sure they probably keep the catfish from successfully spawning. They eat their share of the 4 pounds im feeding everyday. Although I've observed the catfish feeding on the sunfish as well. Fair trade?? Any input appreciated.

If you grow the original ones to real big sizes, they will eat all the fingerlings you are considering stocking as a next generation thing. BTDT.

 

[fenceman]

My tank is full for the first time in years. Its about a acre. 2 years ago after it recovered somewhat from the drought, that pulled it down to just a pothole. I put in 200 channel cat fingerlings. Didn't feed them at all the first year(probably a mistake). Feed them almost daily last year. Started feeding them again about a month ago. I guess they are probably about 2 1/2 pounds more or less. I'm. Kinda starting to really take a interest into getting them to grow into something that will really make the kids squeal. . anybody got advice on estimating best feeding amount. Im also considering stocking again to have another generation coming up. There is a volunteer population of green sunfish in there. Im sure they probably keep the catfish from successfully spawning. They eat their share of the 4 pounds im feeding everyday. Although I've observed the catfish feeding on the sunfish as well. Fair trade?? Any input appreciated.

If you grow the original ones to real big sizes, they will eat all the fingerlings you are considering stocking as a next generation thing. BTDT.

Fish guy comes to local feed store in 2 weeks . they sell a larger size 6 to 8 inches . thats what im planning to restock with. You think that with the fish being well feed that size would be fairly safe.

 

[BobbyLummus1]

Should be fine , I put 250 catfish in 2011 and 250 more in 2013 . As far I know they are still there . I bass fish the farm ponds some but don't ever take time to catfish . The guys that bream fish our farm ponds say they are there . The otters wiped them out about ten years ago . As a kid I remember cane pole fishing from the banks and catching 10-15 a day in no time

 

[Caustic Burno]

My tank is full for the first time in years. Its about a acre. 2 years ago after it recovered somewhat from the drought, that pulled it down to just a pothole. I put in 200 channel cat fingerlings. Didn't feed them at all the first year(probably a mistake). Feed them almost daily last year. Started feeding them again about a month ago. I guess they are probably about 2 1/2 pounds more or less. I'm. Kinda starting to really take a interest into getting them to grow into something that will really make the kids squeal. . anybody got advice on estimating best feeding amount. Im also considering stocking again to have another generation coming up. There is a volunteer population of green sunfish in there. Im sure they probably keep the catfish from successfully spawning. They eat their share of the 4 pounds im feeding everyday. Although I've observed the catfish feeding on the sunfish as well. Fair trade?? Any input appreciated.

I have a deer feeder over the pond throwing catfish food once a day.
Have some big boys in there go 10 to 12 pounds. Catfish are weight gaining machines
if fed everyday. Pond is full of perch, has to be an ecosystem and it will find balance if you
don't feed.
I left out they make fine otter fodder as well the demons have wiped one pond out.
Some idiot built it in the forks of two creeks set up a Mickey D's swim through for them.

 

[greybeard]

Mine got overfed by a bunch last week. The 35 gal plastic drum I keep floating fish food in floated off the dock Thursday when the water got up 2' over the dock, and I managed to dig it out of the pond yesterday--empty. I had just poured 50lbs of fish feed in it a week before.
I haven't found the lid yet.

 

[lavacarancher]

Fence, I have two feeders on my ponds that put out about 7 pounds a day. I feed about 50 pounds a week out of each one. One pond has hybrid cats that will go in the 20 to 30 pound range and eat a lot of feed. The other pond I just restocked (200 cats and a 100 bass along with 5000 minnows). That pond is nearly twice the size of pond one and has more diversity of fish including crappy and a few large large mouth bass that will go over 5 lbs.

I use the 5 gal bucket feeders with an automatic whirly spinner mounted to the bottom of the bucket. Then I hang the bucket on a swiveling arm that gets pushed out over the pond to help keep the coons out of the feed. Seems to work pretty good until I forget to change the battery.

Seems like one of the professors at A&M told me to feed enough until they stopped coming up to eat. Also, use cotton seed meal to fertilize the pond and put an aerator in the pond. My aerator is a bubbler type. I have two bubblers in the big pond and one in the small pond. They will turn the water over in my size ponds about twice a day.

 

[greybeard]

Fence, I have two feeders on my ponds that put out about 7 pounds a day. I feed about 50 pounds a week out of each one. One pond has hybrid cats that will go in the 20 to 30 pound range and eat a lot of feed. The other pond I just restocked (200 cats and a 100 bass along with 5000 minnows). That pond is nearly twice the size of pond one and has more diversity of fish including crappy and a few large large mouth bass that will go over 5 lbs.

I use the 5 gal bucket feeders with an automatic whirly spinner mounted to the bottom of the bucket. Then I hang the bucket on a swiveling arm that gets pushed out over the pond to help keep the coons out of the feed. Seems to work pretty good until I forget to change the battery.

Seems like one of the professors at A&M told me to feed enough until they stopped coming up to eat. Also, use cotton seed meal to fertilize the pond and put an aerator in the pond. My aerator is a bubbler type. I have two bubblers in the big pond and one in the small pond. They will turn the water over in my size ponds about twice a day.

1. when ya gonna invite us down to fish and eat?
2. You have a picture or source of those 5 gal feeders--a website I could look at? Or did you make them yourself from deerfeeder parts??

 

[Deepsouth]

Lavcarancher, how much cottonseed meal do you put in your pond per surface acre?

 

[fenceman]

Fence, I have two feeders on my ponds that put out about 7 pounds a day. I feed about 50 pounds a week out of each one. One pond has hybrid cats that will go in the 20 to 30 pound range and eat a lot of feed. The other pond I just restocked (200 cats and a 100 bass along with 5000 minnows). That pond is nearly twice the size of pond one and has more diversity of fish including crappy and a few large large mouth bass that will go over 5 lbs.

I use the 5 gal bucket feeders with an automatic whirly spinner mounted to the bottom of the bucket. Then I hang the bucket on a swiveling arm that gets pushed out over the pond to help keep the coons out of the feed. Seems to work pretty good until I forget to change the battery.

Seems like one of the professors at A&M told me to feed enough until they stopped coming up to eat. Also, use cotton seed meal to fertilize the pond and put an aerator in the pond. My aerator is a bubbler type. I have two bubblers in the big pond and one in the small pond. They will turn the water over in my size ponds about twice a day.

Thanks to everyone. LAVACA tell me about those hybrids, im not familiar with them . and you've really got my attention.

 

[plumber_greg]

We can't have fish in our ponds in Missouri anymore. The Dept. of Conservation took care of that when they released river otters.
Ponds, or tanks, I fished all my life have nothing in them. Just frogs.
Bought and fed catfish, bass and bluegill the last time I tried. Was fun to watch them eat. The next spring after the otters killed them all, nothing. Thanks MDC, now we'll all go to your managed areas to justify your salaries. gs

 

[Red Bull Breeder]

Kill the dam otters.

 

[lavacarancher]

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This one weighed in at around 30 lbs. It is a "hybrid" blue. Not sure what the "hybrid" means but that's what the hatchery called them. They grow much faster than the ordinary cats. This one is around three YO. They convert food much better than the blues or yellows. The recent cost of the fingerlings was $1.00 each and they were around 5" long. By the way, we ate this one and it was delicious, no strong or muddy taste at all.

As far as fertilizing your ponds I put about 10 pounds of cotton seed meal in a two surface acre pond and did not get the desired results so I added another ten pounds and it came around. You want the water to be slightly green with algae. I'm not talking about the pond weed algae but microscopic, floating algae.

I'll post another picture of a smaller one my grandson caught.

 

[lavacarancher]

And a smaller one my grandson caught. I should have my butt kicked for not staying on top of the feed. This one was hungry (and skinny).

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