Channel catfish at Fish Story

[thebiggerthebetter]

We have had about half a dozen through the years prior, some grew to 3 feet:



Pics of the same original channel pair as above, in 4000 gal pond, 40'x6'x3', the years were 2010-2011:



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A poor channel rescued from Dayton Ohio Gerber's that was housed with a bunch of large pacu, who bit off its fins:



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Two of our 3-footers, albino, who pacu did the same thing to, before we knew better. When I figured out who the offenders were, it was too late.



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A pair of 18" channels just recently donated to our rescue:

 

[Iamfish]

You ever think about getting some blues or flatheads to go in with your other monster cats?

 

[thebiggerthebetter]

You ever think about getting some blues or flatheads to go in with your other monster cats?

Of course. If they were sold in the trade (apart from extremely rare occasions I have come upon), they'd be swimming in our tanks.

As it stands, I will have to catch me some big ones but one needs a collection permit to go catch and keep a native species, plus perhaps a permit to cross the state lines with it, not to mention blues are illegal in Florida, so a possession permit would be needed too.

Florida sucks. For example, the Florida Wildlife Commission doesn't let anyone to keep an alligator gar, which is a (barely) native, not educators, nor researchers.

 

[thebiggerthebetter]

Here is a case of our very first pair of channel catfish from the year 2010, which my wife and I caught at a fish farm, looks like both are males from the large broad head. Also highlights how hard it is sometimes for a community as a whole to come to an agreement on a rather obvious ID. These guys lived for a year in our outdoor 12,000 gal koi pond in Rochester, NY, and against our "stupid" in hindsight expectation partook of the smaller koi populace, and hence were transferred to a 4000 gal pond in the basement of the house. https://www.planetcatfish.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=29628

NEVER house channels with pacu, who bite off their fins and barbels at will to supplement their diet, just because they can (same goes for other timid fish, like iridescent sharks, Doradids, etc.).

NEVER house channels with large aggressive Labeo, such as purple Labeo aka Labeo congoro, Harlequin shark, or calico shark. The round sores on the albino channels in the above photos are made by the Labeo sucking mouth.

Don't house iridescent shark catfish or channel catfish with a Harlequin shark

Images are copyright and may not be reproduced without permission of the copyright holder.

www.planetcatfish.com

Jan 2010, our third channel catfish - a rescue from a local LFS at 1 foot, named Kanalia:

 

[thebiggerthebetter]

One channel was adopted out about a year ago. The remaining one has been doing well in the 4500 gal, feeding too much, it's a feeding machine that actively seeks out food during feedings. Not in this video though. It slows down a lot in winter time. Or maybe it is the age / size thing now. We'll see when the seasonal heat returns.

 

[jjohnwm]

I love these fish! A small Channel Cat is the fish that "hooked" me, so to speak, when I caught it on my first fishing trip...58 years ago! It's one of my most vivid childhood memories; sitting on the dock squealing with delight, my father leaning over me with both his hands on the rod...yeah, yeah, I know, he did all the work but I really did hook the fish...and then taking the triumphant trophy pic when it was landed.

Today I live not far from the Red River, probably the #1 Channel Catfishery in North America, and we regularly catch Channels that could swallow that long-ago "trophy" without even pausing. Beautiful and vastly underrated trophy fish; catching them is very reminiscent of sturgeon fishing, just smaller fish and lighter tackle but very similar in many ways.

I've never kept one, and it's odd for me to even think of them as aquarium fish; but I'm glad I'm wrong. If I ever dig a deep enough outdoor pond to keep it from freezing solid in winter, an albino Channel Cat will be a no-brainer for me.

 

[thebiggerthebetter]

 

[thebiggerthebetter]

Apr 2016, 5:05-6:54 min - albino had been housed with pacu at the store that bit off al his fins: