GUIDELINES FOR PRODUCING FOOD-SIZE CHANNEL CATFISH

William A. Wurts, State Specialist for Aquaculture

Kentucky State University Cooperative Extension Program
www.ca.uky.edu/wkrec/Wurtspage.htm

Aquaculture is practiced at many different for several days in late summer. Daily feeding is
levels. Fish are farmed for recreation and profit. required for good growth.
The difference depends on the number or density Cage Culture
of fish raised per surface acre (one acre, four feet
deep -- 4 acre-feet) of water. Management skills 1,500 lb/acre without aeration and 2,500
and equipment needs become more technical as lb/acre with aeration. Cages are made with 1/2- to
the number of fish produced increases. It is 3/4-inch mesh netting or black polyethylene
important to decide at the outset what level of screen and stocked with 6-14 fish/cubic foot
production or management is most practical for (approximately 1 fish/gallon) of cage volume.
you. Cages are used in ponds that can not be seined or
drained easily. Ponds must be two feet deeper
For intensive, extensive and cage production; than the bottom of the cage. The minimum
it is assumed that a 6-8 inch catfish fingerling distance between cages should be 15-20 feet.
stocked at the beginning of April will reach a size Daily feeding is required.
of 1 to 1-1/4 lb by mid- to late October.
Fingerlings are traditionally stocked in spring Recreational Fishing
when water temperatures have become stable 100 catfish fingerlings and 1,000 fathead
between 65-68o F and are rising. However, minnows stocked per acre. The number of catfish
fingerlings could be stocked during the preceding stocked can be doubled if an annual pond
October when water temperatures have dropped to fertilization program is followed. Catfish
65-68o F. Channel catfish grow best when water spawning containers should not be placed in these
temperatures are between 83-86o F. The ponds. Feeding is not required.
following recommendations are for ponds that
have no existing fish populations. The Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Department
recommends stocking 120 bass, 400 bluegill, and
Intensive or Commercial Production 50-100 catfish fingerlings per acre. For more
1,500 to 5,000 lb/acre. Densities between information, contact your local Fish and Wildlife
1,500-2,000 lb/acre represent a gray zone where official.
supplemental aeration is not necessary but
emergency aeration may be. Daily feeding is Water Needs
required. Intensive aquaculture requires 25-40
gallons/minute of good quality water, on demand,
Extensive Production -- Recreational or for each surface acre of production pond. Water
Small-Scale Commercial should have a pH of 6.5-9.0 and no less than 20
mg/l (ppm) alkalinity or hardness. Agricultural
200 to 1500 lb/acre. Densities between
limestone can be used to raise pH, alkalinity and
1,000-1,500 lb/acre may experience low oxygen
hardness to the minimum required levels.

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 Watershed ponds can be used for aquaculture management efficiency, it takes 1-1/2 to 2 lb of
if the recommendations for extensive or cage catfish feed to produce 1 lb of fish (FCR = 1.5 to
production are not exceeded. Watershed ponds 2.0).
should have an average depth of 6 feet to
compensate for evaporation during hot, dry Feed Storage
summers. As much as 24 inches of water may be
lost. Catfish feed should be stored in a cool, dry
place. Heat, moisture and long term storage
(greater than 3 months) may produce rancid oils
Pond Size
and can destroy vitamins. Feeds should not be
Commercial ponds should be no less than 1/2 stored or used more than 90 days past the date of
acre. However, to get the "feel" of intensive fish manufacture. Before purchase, make sure feed
production, no less than 3 acres -- as one pond -- bags clearly indicate the date of manufacture.
but no more than 10 acres should be farmed. Fish Feeds with inadequate vitamins, rancid oils or
farms larger than 10 acres are clearly commercial mold may stress fish and can cause poor growth,
size operations. An average Mississippi producer disease and bone abnormalities, or deaths. If
farms 250 acres with individual ponds as large as possible, it is safest to store no more feed than can
20 acres. While larger ponds are cheaper to build, be used within 60 days of the date of manufacture.
they are more difficult to manage and harvest.
General Rules for Feeding
Feeding Channel Catfish
The simplest rule for feeding catfish is to feed
Feeding can account for as much as 50% of once daily, offering all the fish will eat within
the cost of commercial fish production. Offering 20-25 minutes. This is called satiation feeding.
too little feed at the beginning of the production When feeding fish stocked at high densities in
season (April to June) can result in fish not commercial ponds, it is best to feed after
reaching market size by autumn. However, dissolved oxygen levels have increased above 3.0
feeding too much towards the end of summer can mg/l, between 10:00 AM and 1:00 PM. Feed
cause poor water quality, which can reduce should be distributed evenly over the entire
growth and increase expense because of poor food surface of the pond. The wind should be behind
conversion ratios. Following guidelines for good you when spreading feed.
feeding practices can improve catfish performance
and increase profits. Fish can also be fed as a percent of body
weight if the producer has a reliable estimate of
Catfish Feeds the total poundage of fish in a pond. What the fish
will eat in 20-25 minutes (once daily) is the
Always feed a nutritionally (100%) complete correct percent of body weight for any given
or balanced catfish feed containing vitamins, temperature. When water temperature is between
minerals and 32% protein. Pellet size should be 70 and 90o F, feed at 3% of total fish weight daily
between 5/32 and 3/16 of an inch in diameter. (e.g. for every 100 lb of fish, feed 3 lb of feed
Catfish fingerlings may grow a little faster if fed daily). However, fish raised at intensive levels,
a complete diet containing 36% protein for the 4,000-5,000 lb of fish/acre, should not be given
first month after stocking. Floating feed is the more than 75-100 lb feed/acre daily. Without
most effective during the traditional aeration, daily feeding should not exceed 30-35 lb
spring/summer production season. The number of of feed/acre.
pounds of feed fed divided by the number of
pounds of fish growth/gain is known as the Food
Conversion Ratio (FCR). Depending on
 When water temperature is between 60 and highest. For timed feeding, a single daily feeding
70o F, feed at 2% of total fish weight daily (2 lb of will be twice as long as one of two daily feedings.
feed for 100 lb of fish); or feed what the fish will For example at the 3% of body weight level, two
eat in 20-25 minutes, once daily. At temperatures 10-15 minute feedings become one 20-30 minute
of 65o F or lower, it would be wise to begin feeding.
offering a feed that sinks slowly to prepare fish for
winter-feeding. Timed feeding is not a reliable The use of floating feed when temperatures
method when using sinking feeds. are greater than 65o F allows the farmer to observe
feeding. Poor feeding activity is usually a sign of
When water temperature is above 90o F, feed low oxygen, disease or poor water quality. If
between 1/2 to 1% of total fish weight daily (1/2 oxygen levels are low (3.0 mg/l or less) or fish
to 1 lb of feed for 100 lb of fish). Above 95o F, will not accept feed, discontinue feeding for 48
feed no more than 1/2 % of body weight once hours or until oxygen has returned to safe levels
every 3 days. and fish are eating aggressively.

When water temperature is between 50 and Aeration

60o F (winter-feeding) feed at 1/2 to 1% of total
fish weight daily (1/2 to1 lb of feed for 100 lb of Emergency -- aerators are operated
fish). This would be approximately 1/3 of the temporarily when oxygen falls to or below 3 mg/l,
spring/summer rate and 1/2 of the amount offered during a crisis. Tractor powered paddle wheels or
when temperatures are between 60 and 70o F. A irrigation pumps are typically used. Aeration is
common practice is to feed 1/2 to 1 lb of feed per continued until oxygen levels have stabilized at 5
100 lb fish every other day or 1 lb of feed per 100 mg/l or higher.
lb fish every third day. Timed feeding is not
recommended because catfish are reluctant to Supplemental -- aerators are operated
surface feed at these temperatures. A sinking feed whenever conditions leading to oxygen depletion
will likely be necessary. Feed fish in a large area have developed, or nightly during the last 2-3
of the pond that receives direct sunlight. Try to months of the season. Aerators are turned on
offer food in the same place and as a single between 10:00 pm-midnight and left running until
feeding. When ice has begun to form on pond 10:00 am the next morning or until oxygen levels
surfaces, water temperatures are below 39o F and have stabilized at 5 mg/l or higher. Supplemental
catfish will not consume feed. aeration is recommended for intensive production
densities above 2,000 lb/acre.
Except for winter-feeding, feed should be
broadcast evenly over the entire pond. Continuous -- aeration equipment is operated
Experienced producers offer food to fish in equal continuously (24 hours daily). Some producers
portions twice a day -- in the morning when manage highly intensive fish farms (greater than
dissolved oxygen has risen above 3.0 mg/l and 5,000 lb/acre) and run electric aerators
again in the afternoon. Weight gains can be more continuously from July to the end of September or
than 10% higher for fish fed twice daily. until water temperatures have dropped to 65-68o
However, deteriorating water quality can become F and are falling. The economics of that practice
a problem with this practice. Inexperienced should be carefully examined.
producers stocking at low densities, 1,500 fish/ac
or less, may have better success feeding once daily Electric equipment is the only practical and
between 3:00-5:00 PM when oxygen levels are economical way to aerate supplementally or
continuously for prolonged periods of time. As a

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general rule, 1 hp of electric aeration is used for causes the fish to stop biting. Keeping the
each surface acre of water. customer satisfied is critical. However, feeding at
maintenance levels (1/2 to 1% of total fish weight
stocked, or 1/2 to 1 lb of feed daily for each 100 lb
of fish) keeps fish healthy and feeding
Pay Lake Operation aggressively.

Pay lakes represent a large industry in People -- pay lake operation requires public
Kentucky. The recommendations discussed above relations skills in addition to aquaculture
for food fish production are similar for pay lake management. If you do not enjoy working with
operation with a few distinct differences: people, the pay lake business is not for you. Pay
lakes are open seven days a week. Business is
Fees -- fishermen pay to fish; either an typically best on weekends.
hourly/daily rate, by the pound of fish caught or a
combination of both. Profit from food, bait and Kentucky's licensed pay lakes stock
tackle concessions often equals income from fish approximately one to two million pounds of fish
sales. annually. Most of these fish, channel catfish, are
imported from other states. The pay lake industry
Stocking -- catfish are stocked at either represents a sizeable market that could be
intensive or extensive densities. However, 1-3 lb supplied with channel catfish produced in-state.
fish are stocked rather than fingerlings. Fish are However, farm raised fish are harvested about the
replaced regularly as they are removed by beginning of October when pay lakes are usually
fishermen. Therefore, stocking densities are closing up shop. Therefore, farmers would have
determined by the number of pounds to hold their fish until the following season if they
(recommendations above) added per surface acre wanted to sell to pay lakes.
of water. A pay lake is managed as if it were a
production pond ready for harvest, throughout the
season. Pay lakes are normally operated from
early spring to the beginning of autumn.

Feeding -- many pay lake operators do not

feed their fish because their patrons believe it