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Fish in a barrel... Literally

Wannabewoodsman

Wannabewoodsman

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So I keep a couple aquariums of tropical fish and while I've been getting worried about the economy I recalled reading an article about raising catfish in a barrel years ago.

I know cats (fish) are amazing survivors: able to breathe surface air in dead waters, incredible predators (especially the south American species such as red tails) and just overall perfect survivors.

So it doesn't really surprise me that people talk about raising them in poor conditions for food but I'm curious to know if any of you have raised cats (again the fish) in a 55 gallon barrel? The article I read stated 40 fish for about 60 lbs of meat which is no small number.

What are your experiences? What do you know now that you wish you knew when you started? What species of cat did you use? What did you feed them?
 
One of my Mom's brothers, who lived to be 97, fished in the creek on their homestead and always caught more catfish than he could eat. They were bullheads and channel cats. He would put them in the livestock water tank to keep them alive until he was ready for them. Now and then he would drop in a handful of feed pellets. He would have about a dozen or so catfish in there at one time. An added benefit was that they ate the algae that grew in the water tank, and the cows did not seem to mind the fish.
 
HayesGreener said:
One of my Mom's brothers, who lived to be 97, fished in the creek on their homestead and always caught more catfish than he could eat. They were bullheads and channel cats. He would put them in the livestock water tank to keep them alive until he was ready for them. Now and then he would drop in a handful of feed pellets. He would have about a dozen or so catfish in there at one time. An added benefit was that they ate the algae that grew in the water tank, and the cows did not seem to mind the fish.
Click to expand...

Dad and I did that on the farm (I went there during some summers as a kid) but that was for the short term, a few days at the most.

The article I read talks about raising them like you would feed cattle: buy them as babies and raise them until they were ready for slaughter.

The article I read talks about raising channel cats in a 55 gallon barrel. To me, an aquaponics system would be ideal but I don't have the place to build one, but I have room for a barrel or two.

I'll post the article, it's a great read if you like the sustainability kind of thing.
 
40 catfish in a 55 gal drum? Do you plan on changing 90% of the water daily?

7yrs ago I had to break down my fish room when I needed to move into my mother's house to take care of her so not to go to the nursing home. 25 tanks from 125gal down to 10gal. I've raised cold water natives to wild Heckle discus that had to have 86°+ water with a ph of 4, and needed a 100% water change daily in their 90gal tank.
The Red tailed catfish while respectable in size is in all honesty tiny in the grand scheme of catfish in the Amazon and it tributaries. There are GIANT catfish down there here's a link. FWIW the 295# has been eclipsed to well over 300# now.

My favorite of all is the Dovii. It knows its owner and will try to get at any one else who isn't. Very much a wet pet like a dog, very intelligent! Ive had several.



Giant Amazon Catfish Guide to Species & Resources

No other river system is as rich in catfish species as the Amazon. Here is a guide to the giant catfish species we encounter in our Amazon fishing trips.
www.acuteangling.com
 
Pitdogg2 said:
40 catfish in a 55 gal drum? Do you plan on changing 90% of the water daily?

7yrs ago I had to break down my fish room when I needed to move into my mother's house to take care of her so not to go to the nursing home. 25 tanks from 125gal down to 10gal. I've raised cold water natives to wild Heckle discus that had to have 86°+ water with a ph of 4, and needed a 100% water change daily in their 90gal tank.
The Red tailed catfish while respectable in size is in all honesty tiny in the grand scheme of catfish in the Amazon and it tributaries. There are GIANT catfish down there here's a link. FWIW the 295# has been eclipsed to well over 300# now.

My favorite of all is the Dovii. It knows its owner and will try to get at any one else who isn't. Very much a wet pet like a dog, very intelligent! Ive had several.



Giant Amazon Catfish Guide to Species & Resources

No other river system is as rich in catfish species as the Amazon. Here is a guide to the giant catfish species we encounter in our Amazon fishing trips.
www.acuteangling.com
Click to expand...
The article mentions the water changing as well as aeration and I'm only contemplating the idea as well as rabbits. It's planning season right now so I'm looking at options
 
Wannabewoodsman said:
So I keep a couple aquariums of tropical fish and while I've been getting worried about the economy I recalled reading an article about raising catfish in a barrel years ago.

I know cats (fish) are amazing survivors: able to breathe surface air in dead waters, incredible predators (especially the south American species such as red tails) and just overall perfect survivors.

So it doesn't really surprise me that people talk about raising them in poor conditions for food but I'm curious to know if any of you have raised cats (again the fish) in a 55 gallon barrel? The article I read stated 40 fish for about 60 lbs of meat which is no small number.

What are your experiences? What do you know now that you wish you knew when you started? What species of cat did you use? What did you feed them?
Click to expand...
i have tropical fish as well...someone in my family had a "brilliant idea(sic)", that i needed a hobby when i had retired.

i have a "cory" fish, a sorta catfish.....he/she must be about 3 years old now.

i had a lot of fish at one time, maybe up to 30..??? in a 30 gallon tank.

slowly they are dying...VERY SLOWLY DYING....

i cannot wait for them all to die, cuz I HATE THAT AS A HOBBY.....

no way, no how, no way in hell, would i wanna raise anymore frigging fish.

that's what a fish store is for, go in, buy dead fish, take home, bake, eat, done deal.
 
Pitdogg2 said:
40 catfish in a 55 gal drum? Do you plan on changing 90% of the water daily?

7yrs ago I had to break down my fish room when I needed to move into my mother's house to take care of her so not to go to the nursing home. 25 tanks from 125gal down to 10gal. I've raised cold water natives to wild Heckle discus that had to have 86°+ water with a ph of 4, and needed a 100% water change daily in their 90gal tank.
The Red tailed catfish while respectable in size is in all honesty tiny in the grand scheme of catfish in the Amazon and it tributaries. There are GIANT catfish down there here's a link. FWIW the 295# has been eclipsed to well over 300# now.

My favorite of all is the Dovii. It knows its owner and will try to get at any one else who isn't. Very much a wet pet like a dog, very intelligent! Ive had several.



Giant Amazon Catfish Guide to Species & Resources

No other river system is as rich in catfish species as the Amazon. Here is a guide to the giant catfish species we encounter in our Amazon fishing trips.
www.acuteangling.com
Click to expand...
One fish I don't EVER plan on raising is a candiru.. they've been documented going in men's urethras while the men urinate in the rivers...
 

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