can I ???

[joejoe123]

put a small catfish in my pond with goldies and plants ???? I thought since they were bottom feeders they would help eat some dying algea

Joey

[tranquility]

O.K. here is the down and dirty of catfish..Yes you can put them in your pond....but, they don't really eat alot of stuff from the bottom-- and they learn really fast that you feed pellets and are the first ones to surface and start eating....sometime in their second year they need lots of protein in their diet---so they will eat anything that they MAYBE able to fit in their mouth...I say MAYBE because sometimes they will try to eat a fish way to big and it kills them...I was told this by a game warden--he says they stock ponds with all other fish first-wait a couple years and then stock small catfish so that the other fish will be too big for them to try and eat--He said that he has found dead catfish with other fish stuck in their mouth....they will eat  your babies--but, again during feeding season they had much rather eat pellets---mine usually eat some of the babies during the winter time or early spring---before I start feeding again...we have a channel cat in one pond and an albino in the other....I keep them with very large koi...and they do add to the fish load of your pond....Oh and they all grow up---both of mine were only about 4" long when I got them...
Lawanna

our albino cat in the middle of the koi---


our channel cat

[joejoe123]

I got a channel catfish he is small areound 4 inches tops I do have about 11  half inch fantail goldies in there with him. Im not for sure if I can catch him now    mabye he will behave this year . I have a really big natural pond that ill stick him in next year .  I knew I should have asked here before I got it but they were free and the man was only there today with them so I went for it .

[SueAndHerZoo]

Maybe I'm strange (OK, no maybe about it!) but I think my three channel cats are probably my favorite fish and (I've got some gorgeous butterfly koi).  I bought three channel cats at the pet store about 3 years ago (probably 3"-4" long) and the guy said they would never make it over winter in a Connecticut pond but I couldn't resist trying anyway.  Not only did they make it, they are HUGE now . . . 14" - 16" long each!   When we sprung a leak in our pond last winter and had to catch all the fish to overwinter them in a holding tank till we could rebuild the pond I was more worried about the catfish surviving than I was my koi.  I just LOVE the catfish with the big wide mouths and the LOOOOONG whiskers.  And the fact that they come swimming right up when they see me coming with pellets is great - I love seeing them.  If they can catch and eat some of the goldfish babies more power to them - otherwise I would be totally over run with fish.    I guess it's a personal preference thing but I just love my huge catfish.   

Sue