One of the common questions I have been asked is whether catfish will eat dead fish. There are many reasons for this question, and most times the people mean well. Here’s a situation, maybe your fish pond has hit a snag and many fish died, this could have happened due to the temperature of the water or weather. However, there is the question about what should be done with the dead fish. It is at this time some people consider feeding them to their catfish, knowing this fish species is known to eat other fish.
Will Catfish Eat Dead Fish and Other Fish?
Here’s my answer to that; it really depends on certain circumstances. For instance, if you have not fed your catfish in a while, in other words, if the fish are hungry, they can pick on the dead fish among them.
Also, you may have noticed that it is a common behavior among fish, it happens in aquariums so we can expect that fish pick on the dead among them in the rivers and lakes too. The bigger catfish species such as the flatheads are known to launch attacks at other fish with the aim of eating them. So, depending on the situation, catfish can eat dead fish.
Is there a health risk?
I will say no, it is not healthy for catfish to eat other dead fish in its environment. Think about it; no one knows why the fish died if the fish died because of a disease, the catfish that eats it is exposed to the deadly disease.
In aquariums, the smaller catfish called Cory catfish which is a favorite for owners of aquariums because it keeps the tank clean is known to pick on dead fish in the tank. To stop this from happening you can quickly remove dead fish before others start picking on it.
Luring catfish with bait
Shads are commonly used by anglers to lure catfish. This is done by cutting up the shads and attaching the pieces to hooks. This hook is set in the river to attract catfish which take bites. Technically, the Shad is dead, and catfish are interested in eating the pieces. However, the circumstances in which catfish eat dead fish is different in this case.
Will catfish eat other fish?
Generally, catfish are scavengers; they roam around the river beds looking for food. What we know is that catfish can be invasive; they will eat up smaller fish species in the river. So, yes, your catfish can eat up other fish in the tank if they are smaller in size. What happens is that the catfish population will seemingly increase while other smaller fish species in the same river tend to diminish in their numbers.
To be on the safe side, if you plan to raise other fish with the catfish, ensure they are not very small fish species to guarantee their survival and the safety of their young after hatching.
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