How to Breed Sun Catfish

Sun catfish originate from India. This species does not spawn spontaneously in the confines of tanks, and are bred under controlled conditions through hormonal manipulation. Gravid or ripe females have a noticeably swollen abdomen and a red vent. Male sun catfish are typically smaller than females and exhibit a streamlined look. Both male and female fish must receive hormone injections, after which they spawn in the following 14 hours.

Things You'll Need

  • 250-gallon fiber reinforced plastic tank
  • Aquarium heater
  • Two PVC pipes, 12- to 16--inch diameter
  • Wet towel
  • Carp pituitary extract
  • Syringe and needle
  • Powdered commercial fish food
  • Earth pond, filled with natural plankton
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Instructions

    • 1

      Remove an adult male and female sun catfish from the holding ponds and place them into a 250-gallon, fiber reinforced plastic tank. Use shallow tanks approximately 12 inches high.

    • 2

      Set your heater to 77 degrees Fahrenheit.

    • 3

      Place a 12- to 16-inch diameter PVC pipe into the tank for each fish. The catfish will rest and hide in the pipes, which are easy to remove and clean, when necessary.

    • 4

      Induce egg and milt, or sperm production in the mature catfish during May to September, which coincides with the protracted breeding period of this species.

    • 5

      Remove the female catfish from her tank and place the fish on a wet towel on a work surface. Request that an assistant restrain the fish if necessary.

    • 6

      Inject carp pituitary extract, or CPE, at a dose of 2 fluid oz. per 2.2 pounds of fish, into the fish's abdominal cavity. Return the fish to its tank.

    • 7

      Remove the male fish from the tank and place the fish on a wet towel on a work surface. Request that an assistant restrain the fish if necessary.

    • 8

      Inject CPE at a dose of 1 fluid oz. per 2.2 pounds of fish into the fish's abdominal cavity. Return the fish to its tank.

    • 9

      Observe the male catfish three to four hours after you have injected him. Males should begin to chase the females at this point.

    • 10

      Look out for actual spawning, which will occur between eight and 14 1/2 hours after the fish were injected.

    • 11

      Remove the adult fish after they have spawned.

    • 12

      Monitor the eggs, which will hatch 22 to 29 hours after being laid. The newly hatched catfish will feed on their stored yolk for four days after hatching and do not require feeding during this period.

    • 13

      Feed the developing fry a commercial powdered fish food from the fifth day after hatching.

    • 14

      Catch up and transfer the young fish to plankton-rich outdoor ponds after they are seven days old. The young catfish develop better in these earth-lined ponds than in indoor aquariums.