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Fingerling feeding habits

I added 3-5 inch fingerlings to my fish tank 2 days ago. I have not seen a single catfish since, alive or dead.

When I feed, the minnows are actively eating. My question is this...do young catfish tend to be shy and stay towards the bottom waiting for the food to fall, or are they likely still stressed?

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Permalink Reply by Scott Mooney on April 7, 2013 at 4:59pm

Both. Depending on how much cover there is for them to hide, they will be skittish and stressed, especially during light hours and when they are new to the tank. They are also bottom feeders, so they will wait for the food to fall.

I just dropped a half-dozen worms into the tank, and they made it all the way to the bottom. When my fish feel the coast is clear, or the worms venture too close to the cat's hiding spot, they're history. I wouldn't be concerned yet. Give them a few more days.

Also, try checking on them in the dark. Use a flashlight with some kind of red filter, you will probably catch them swimming around.

Permalink Reply by TCLynx on April 7, 2013 at 6:44pm

Yes definitely all plumbing should be protected from the fish (or vice versa) My first fish death was a small catfish that managed to swim too close to a pump intake. Second fish death was one that jumped out of the tank.

Catfish are especially sensitive to handling stress so it can take them days to decide they are hungry enough to come up to the top to eat. Though they are "bottom feeders" they will happily take floating food off the top if they are hungry. Just let them get used to their new home. Also, if it is too cool or if there is too much feed on the bottom, you may not see them come up. Dark tanks make it hard to see dark fish down in the depths. I often keep a dark cover over half the tank so I can go peak under that half and sometimes if the light is angling in right from the other side, I can see the fish down in the tank.

Permalink Reply by Pat James on April 7, 2013 at 8:18pm

My water is opaque with infusoria./algae..no filamentous algae. You can;t see more than 6 to 8 inches down. I know they are not in the pipe system because with the water flow I have they would get sucked immediately into the pre-pump strainer.

From your comments, i figure they are sitting on the bottom eating the scraps of whatever falls if they are eating yet at all.The minnows would not be as lively as they are if water quality had gone south. And no dead floaters is a good thing... i was concerned though..

Permalink Reply by TCLynx on April 8, 2013 at 6:39am

Keep light out of the tank to get rid of the algae, Make sure you have ample aeration to make sure the algae doesn't use up all the dissolved oxygen over night and kill fish.

Permalink Reply by The Piercer "Bob" on August 14, 2013 at 11:52am

Hi Pat, I have 18 Gold fish & 2-Koi fish and 100 silver channel catfish, at first they stayed on the bottom and they will slowly come to to the top to feed. There are a very stressed fish,and I haved lost 30 out of the 100. But there are getting larger and feeding now. You have to stand back from the tank to watch. I haved the fish for about 3-mo. now. hope this will help you.