cat fish in ponds

[lindat]

can anyone tell me if you can get cat fish that live in garden ponds thanks

[nightshade]

Why a catfish, what size pond?
Is this a huge existing pond? because catfish will eat almost anything with a pulse! ; fish, birds, reptiles, amphibians, it will clear a pond of wildlife

[lindat]

i was told it would help to keep pond clean

[nightshade]

Hi lindat,I think you will find that they meant Tench for the pond
Catfish are used in aquaria where they graze algae off the glass

[TORTUGA]

Different types of Catfish do different jobs.

You will have to research what Catfish will do what and if they can survive our climate. I know North American/Canadian Catfish can be kept in ponds here, and have a feeling they could be bad news. European Catfish should be OK also, but again I don't know off hand what this would mean for your other pond residents.

Always best to do your homework before buying something that could eat everything in sight. Its the same rules that apply to tropical fish tanks. If it fits in its mouth, it will most likely eat it!

[TORTUGA]

OK I just Googled both North American and European Catfish.

They will both clean your pond, or rather clean it out of all life. It basically said that they eat anything dead or alive, and if it fits in the mouth it will be eaten.

They grow to over 60 Kilos and live for over 100 years, the European variant is the largest catfish in the world.

[Kayleigh]

Hope you have a big pond.

[Lincs Yellowbelly]

Wels catfish grow to well over 300lb in Russia and will eat ANYTHING. No need for a catfish to clean any pond, thats what they used to recommend for indoor tanks.

[Meta menardi]

Isn't there a little loach native to the UK? Not really a catfish, I know, but catfishish.

I am going to do my own dictionary, there's a new word there.

[TORTUGA]

Might be weather loach, I used to have one years ago in a tank. It has the face like a Catfish.

[coasty]

I wouldnt suggest that any catfish be introduced into a pond, The european (wels ) catfish is I beleive the only one climate suitable. But that will eat anything that breathes , NO fish will really keep a pond clean tench will bottom feed but will stir up any debris and keep the pond murky.

[marktench]

I got catfish in my indoor tank.Never heard of them in ponds

[Stewy]

Originally Posted by Meta menardi

Isn't there a little loach native to the UK? Not really a catfish, I know, but catfishish.

I am going to do my own dictionary, there's a new word there.

Stone Loach? We used to catch loads of 'em when I was a young 'un aswell as loads of Bullheads.

[Cheryl]

Originally Posted by lindat

can anyone tell me if you can get cat fish that live in garden ponds thanks

I wonder whether you are thinking of Stertlets - they are a bottom dweller and are a member of the sturgeon family.

I've seen them in a couple of aquatic centres and they do look a little like cat fish but I don't think they grow really big.

You can get stertlet food too so don't expect them to just live on whatever is in your pond

[m1.carson]

Hi cheryl,

yep, I've seen and wanted a stertlet, they look so prehistoric, but they don't look too much like a wels catfish, they're ugly buggers, worse than the mother-in-law,.

The only problem is as well, that they are bottom feeders and dark greyish, once we'd put them in the pond we'd never see them again.

Max.

[Ukwildlifeo]

Originally Posted by Cheryl

I've seen them in a couple of aquatic centres and they do look a little like cat fish but I don't think they grow really big.

They don't grow as vih as sturgeon but they can still rach 1m! (Ive seen 2 that big in an aquatic shop) I remember on one of these garden makeovers soem on put one in a 1m x 2m pond! They need lots of open water to swim in and can drown when caught up in blanket weed. Basically there only suited for large lakes and koi ponds

As for catfish, you can keep a few species in coldwater aquariums indoors but I dont know of any other than the wels and a couple of the american species, all that grow big and eat anything (Wels have been know to grow 3-4m long and eat a small dog!). shame as the catfish I have in my tropical aquarium are rather interesting

[RogerTheCat]

The Wells Catfish has been introduced to a few lakes in the UK and they grow very big. I have seen photos of ones caught by anglers and it takes two men to hold it due to the weight. In indoor aquariums there are various catfish you can use to keep the tank clean but these do not grow more than a few cms in length. They would not survive in an outdoor pond as they need warm water all year round. Tench are a native bottom feeding fish that I have seen introduced to ponds and can be bought from pet shops. They are also one of my fravourite fish due to thier colour and tiny tiny scales

[PsychicLord]

I have three interconnected ponds (around 80,000ltr) which contain over 100 fish of various types. One of these fish is indeed a Catfish, actually a Channel Catfish.

He has lived in my pond set up for over 10 years and has slowly grown during that time to around 15". I am aware he has the potential to eat anything that fits in his mouth, he actually gets along with the other fish very well. He is almost always first to get stuck in at feeding time, but being albino his sight is not the best. His favourite food are those pink rectangle biscuits (sized about 2.5" x 1") for which he generally takes them whole.

The pond layout means that he cannot be in all places at one time, and there is plenty of room for other fish to run and hide if they need to....... however, I have not seen him eat or even chase another fish.

He over winters in the same pond each year (6' depth) with no problems. He does not stick to the bottom, and can be seen (he is abino) most of the time. So I can only conclude that my Catfish (called Rufus - on account of his whiskers) is an exception to the rule.

[Meta menardi]

Originally Posted by Stewy

Stone Loach? We used to catch loads of 'em when I was a young 'un aswell as loads of Bullheads.

That's the fellow! The name had retreated into the interstices of my brain, I was thinking Loach. We rarely saw them and then only when we were on holiday in Cumbria.

[Bouncytigger]

You know i read the title of this thread a bit quick and i thought it said....

CAT in FISH POND!!!!!!!!

YOINKS

[JAYS]

Originally Posted by Stewy

Stone Loach? We used to catch loads of 'em when I was a young 'un aswell as loads of Bullheads.

I still occasionally go out to catch both in the local rivers. ( Mersey, Goyt, Tame) Good fun, but I put them back. Be aware that stone loach are river fish. They live in and around the gravel in fairly clean streams. They are small, up to say 4 inches maximum and unlikely to be very happy in a still water. Astonishing little creatures, they can actually dig themselves head first into a bed of inch diameter gravel. Seem to like the same areas that bullheads prefer...although bullheads also seem a little more amenable to still waters. Not sure how much pond "cleaning" either species would do. Probably very little.

[RobinP]

Back to the subject of Catfish, I see the largest ever has been caught in the River Ebro, Spain, weighing in at 100 kg (16 stone) by a British angler. Story in The Times.

[RobinP]

Back to the subject of Catfish, I see the largest ever has been caught in the River Ebro, Spain, weighing in at 100 kg (16 stone) by a British angler. Story in The Times.

[Stewy]

Originally Posted by JAYS

I still occasionally go out to catch both in the local rivers. ( Mersey, Goyt, Tame) Good fun, but I put them back. Be aware that stone loach are river fish. They live in and around the gravel in fairly clean streams. They are small, up to say 4 inches maximum and unlikely to be very happy in a still water. Astonishing little creatures, they can actually dig themselves head first into a bed of inch diameter gravel. Seem to like the same areas that bullheads prefer...although bullheads also seem a little more amenable to still waters. Not sure how much pond "cleaning" either species would do. Probably very little.

Very little indeed, they would most probably die within day's of being put in a pond.

[epops]

We used to have some in a garden pond dunno what sort they were though my mate has a couple in his and also he's got a sturlett