Having your own fishing pond with catfish is a great and attractive addition to your garden. However, you have to be wary when mixing in other fish together, especially if they are of different sizes. When keeping catfish, there are some fish species that tend to consume them for their diet.
But what eats catfish in a pond and how can you stop it from being eaten? Read on as I show you what eats catfish in a pond to know what fish species to watch out for when keeping them in your garden.
What Eats Catfish In a Pond?
A lot of us anglers catch catfish for the sake of our dinners with family members. Other times, we construct farm ponds for design and as a hobby, keeping this particular fish species! This is because catfish aren’t just easy to catch, but they make low-maintenance pets.
While it’s easy to care for catfish (just give them a good environment and food!), it’s difficult when you mix in different fish species. Not only is there a chance of attacks, but a chance that other species would eat your catfish as their diet!
So what eats catfish in a pond and what species should you look out for?
You should always watch out for predatory fish like the largemouth bass. They are natural hunters that stalk and catch their meals, also being bigger than the catfish. Because catfish are usually scavengers, the young ones don’t attack and prey on other similar-sized fish species, making them more vulnerable to others.
The catfish would usually consume worm and small invertebrates, then as they mature, they begin consuming live fish. When in a pond, they can consume consuming food pellets, like other fish kept in a farm or garden pond.
With that in mind, it IS possible for catfish to eat other types of catfish, depending on the species. Blue catfish would grow bigger than channel catfish, who can consume their smaller “cousins” if not properly fed and cared for.
With that said, it’s still possible for catfish and other hunting fish species to co-exist. You just need to make sure that you keep the right species and practice better pond management. As long as they are well-fed, there are fewer chances of them going after one another.
Read More: How To Tell If A Catfish Is Pregnant – 5 Quick Signs
Do you want to learn more about keeping catfish in a pond? Check out this interesting video on caring for catfish properly:
Wrapping It Up
Keeping catfish in a pond is possible, which is why many anglers aim to catch them from their natural habitat! But there is more to caring for catfish when keeping them in a garden pond. You also have to be wary about what can possibly eat them, as they can be food to bigger fish species like the bass!
I hope that this article on what eats catfish in a pond answered your question properly. So make sure to keep the right type of fish in your pond to prevent them from attacking or consuming one another!
Bass could only eat a catfish if it was a wee little baby. I’ve witnessed them try, get those sword-like fins the catfish use as a natural defense mechanism become lodged in the bass’ throat to where it could neither swallow it or spit it out. In the end they both became turtle food. Those fins are nothing to play around with.
In my experience, turtles are the predator in ponds that will eat all your catfish as well as any food you attempt to feed them.
Catfish will eat themselves from very young age like three weeks, before they turn fingerlings. Before fingerlings, larva of Dragon flies predate on catfish fry. The fry eats the larva and the larva grows inside the fry and kill it. Others that I have found in my pond and not fully confirmed as predators are earthworms and frogs in catfish fry ponds.