Do catfish float when dead

[Bailey]

8 yrs. ago I stocked my 3 fourth acre pond with catfish. All sizes would come up by the hundreds when feeding. I stopped feeding them for about a year. Now they do not come up nor I cannot catch them. I occasionally see a large one. The question I am asking is what happened to all my fish? No garments around. If the fish died, would they float rather than sink? Many thanks,. Warm regards, Ron

 

[Bailey]

8 yrs. ago I stocked my 3 fourth acre pond with catfish. All sizes would come up by the hundreds when feeding. I stopped feeding them for about a year. Now they do not come up nor I cannot catch them. I occasionally see a large one. The question I am asking is what happened to all my fish? No garments around. If the fish died, would they float rather than sink? Many thanks,. Warm regards, Ron

Meant varments around or birds

 

[Bailey]

Meant varments around or birds

 

[j.w]

@Bailey
I would think they would float if dead as they have a swim bladder and it would fill w/gas when dead. Maybe they are all still there just not showing? Maybe you could have some sneaky creatures getting some also. Only way to find out is to either get an underwater camera or swim down there like the scuba guy above

 

[brokensword]

View attachment 144369@Bailey
I would think they would float if dead as they have a swim bladder and it would fill w/gas when dead. Maybe they are all still there just not showing? Maybe you could have some sneaky creatures getting some also. Only way to find out is to either get an underwater camera or swim down there like the scuba guy above

not necessarily true, j.w; I"ve had fish die and found them on the bottom of my aquarium. The pond too has had a couple lifeless bodies.

Catfish are voracious feeders; my thought is that when you stopped feeding, the smaller ones became dinner for the larger ones. It's the way nature works.

 

[j.w]

But wouldn't you think that if dead at least some would be floaters? Poster says there is a lot of fish in there.

 

[brokensword]

But wouldn't you think that if dead at least some would be floaters? Poster says there is a lot of fish in there.

View attachment 144374

oh sure, some dead fish DO float. The fact he/she doesn't see any bodies makes me believe they probably have been eaten by something. A year is a long time to not feed such fish. And that many fish dying would be noticeable and/or alarming re water quality etc.

 

[Mmathis]

Hello and welcome. There is a period during the decomposition process where things would float, but they would then probably sink back down and be consumed by the pond critters.

 

[Mmathis]

Actually, here is an article that might help: https://www.sciencefocus.com/nature/why-do-fish-float-when-they-die/

 

[Bailey]

View attachment 144369@Bailey
I would think they would float if dead as they have a swim bladder and it would fill w/gas when dead. Maybe they are all still there just not showing? Maybe you could have some sneaky creatures getting some also. Only way to find out is to either get an underwater camera or swim down there like the scuba guy above

View attachment 144371

 

[Bailey]

I live on the property and there are no creatures at all to consume them.

 

[Mmathis]

I live on the property and there are no creatures at all to consume them.

There are things that live in the water….. The catfish will likely feed off any deceased comrade.

 

[Bailey]

But wouldn't you think that if dead at least some would be floaters? Poster says there is a lot of fish in there.

View attachment 144374

I totally agree. That is the problem. No floaters whatsoever. I daily observed the pond.

 

[Bailey]

not necessarily true, j.w; I"ve had fish die and found them on the bottom of my aquarium. The pond too has had a couple lifeless bodies.

Catfish are voracious feeders; my thought is that when you stopped feeding, the smaller ones became dinner for the larger ones. It's the way nature works.



View attachment 144372

But there were so many different sizes, 6 inch, 1 lb. 2,3,4,5 & 6 lb. In the hundreds. Now they will not even come up for food. Assuming they are not there.

 

[brokensword]

But there were so many different sizes, 6 inch, 1 lb. 2,3,4,5 & 6 lb. In the hundreds. Now they will not even come up for food. Assuming they are not there.

it's been a year, they've been predated either by herons etc or their own kind. As long as they were getting fed regularly and/or you were attentive to them, there was some sort of balance. Could be they're still there but a lot more wary. There's catfish in the large natural pond down my street but I've never seen them, except when I was photographing herons and egrets and they snagged them.

Also, if you have enough cover for them, no doubt they're safer down below.

And correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't most catfish nocturnal?

Sorry if you lost any but seems nature has taken over.