Whenever you feed catfish, you must observe their feeding status and regularly monitor the catfish’s weight to see if they are nutritionally deficient. Fish that are not appropriately fed will never grow well, and fish that are underfed show weakness, lethargy, and even surface decay on the skin.
Catfish farmers need to feed a nutritionally complete diet that provides the necessary amount of nutrients and energy in an easily digestible form. Because catfish in heavily stocked ponds receive only a fraction of their overall nutritional needs from natural food sources, it is critical to provide complete dietary nutrition except during early developmental stages. The expected growth and metabolic processes of catfish require 40 nutrients.
Since protein is the most expensive nutrient in catfish feed, much research has been done over the past 20 years on the cost-effective production of the protein and essential amino acid levels required for catfish. Data from these studies suggest that catfish need approximately 25 to 50 percent of their protein at different life stages and that 28 percent is sufficient for fish growth.
Water temperature: Fish are cold-blooded animals, and their body temperature directly depends on the water temperature. Fish feeding rates and digestibility are naturally higher when the water temperature is warmer.
Age or growth stage of the fish: Fish in the early stages have a higher metabolic rate, so they grow quickly during this stage. They are fed 12 to 24 times daily and can be fed 1 to 3 times daily. Feed the juveniles less than the amount fed to larger adults or adults.
Water quality: The better the water quality, the greater the feed consumption. Water quality is related to water pH and dissolved nutrients
Feed Quality: Everyone loves a good meal; the same goes for fish. The higher the quality and nutrient richness of the feed, the higher its acceptability and the amount of feed ingested.
Fish weight: The higher the fish weight (stocking density) in the pond, the higher the feed consumption. Studies have shown that farmers can feed fish around 2.5% of their body weight in ponds each day, depending on the age of the fish. For example, a fish pond containing 1000 kg of fish will eat about 25 kilograms of feed per day.
Feeding rates should not exceed the needs of the fish in the pond. The average daily feed for a fish farmer should not exceed 120 to 150 pounds per acre, although sometimes more feed is fine. According to research, feeding fish as much as possible per day increases yield and weight gain, and improves feed conversion compared to a restricted feed of no more than 80 pounds per acre per day. Restricted feeds have lower feed conversion ratios, mainly because the fish are fed less feed. When fish are fed as much as they eat or at a “critical” rate of no more than 120 lb/acre per acre, total feed input, net yield, weight gain and feed conversion ratio are about the same.
Please do not overfeed catfish. If the fish eat too much feed, it will lead to a series of problems, such as indigestion, fatty liver and fin rot, and even death. Indigestion can make fish sick and even transmit it to other fish. Fatty liver is a hepatitis-like disease that mainly affects other well-fed fish. Therefore, it is best for fish farmers to give the fish an appropriate amount of feed. In addition, water contamination is also a common problem with overfeeding, as excess feed results in excess waste production that can affect the health of the fish.