How Much to Feed Catfish

Catfish in noncommercial ponds can be housed at 1,500 fish per surface acre. A high quality and nutritionally-balanced diet is required to both maintain and grow catfish stocked at this population density. The best catfish diets contain grain or grain byproducts. These feeds are rich in starch and supply an inexpensive energy source. Starch also increases the expansion of the other ingredients and allows the food to float. Catfish should be fed more than once per day during warm weather, and feeding should continue throughout winter but at a reduced rate.

  1. Feed Conversion

    • A catfish will typically grow by 1 lb. for every 2 lbs. of commercial food it consumes. Catfish should be fed at least twice a day and must be offered only as much as they will eat within a half hour period. A floating catfish diet is best because uneaten sinking pellets will decompose in the mud substrate and deplete oxygen levels in the pond. Offer the first meal of the day at approximately 8 a.m. and the last at approximately 3 p.m. as oxygen levels will be highest during these periods. The bacteria, which break down uneaten food in the mud, require huge amounts of oxygen and compete with your fish for it. Aquatic plants produce oxygen in the presence of sunlight, and for this reason fish are best fed during the day.

    Temperatures

    • The amount of food that a catfish will consume is directly dependant on water temperature. Food consumption drops proportionally as temperatures fall, with food consumption being inconsistent below 70 degrees F. Catfish will not accept sufficient quantities of food once the water temperature falls below 50 degrees F. Much of the food will go to waste at these low temperatures and will pollute the pond water.

    Feeding Rings

    • Floating catfish food should be placed into a feeding ring. These rings contain the food and prevent it from being blown into reeds by the wind. Feeding rings can be homemade from wood, pieces of small diameter PVC piping or any other lightweight material that floats. Catfish become accustomed to feeding in a specific place and do not expend unnecessary energy swimming across the entire pond in search of food. Feeding rings reduce the amount of food required because very little, if any, is lost. These rings must be placed in areas of the pond that are at least 3-feet deep.

    Winter Rations

    • Catfish should be fed during winter, but the quantities of food offered must be drastically reduced. Well fed-catfish are more resistant to cold weather, and their immune systems are better equipped to fight disease organisms. Catfish only require feeding every 10 days when the water temperature has dropped to below 45 degrees F. Feed these fish every seven days when the water temperature is between 45 and 50 degrees F. Catfish will appreciate two feeding sessions a week as temperatures climb to between 51 and 55 degrees F and will accept a feed every other day in water of 56 to 60 degrees F. These fish will readily feed every day as soon as the water reaches 66 degrees F.