Catfish & Goldfish

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Hi everyone, I would like to know if catfish will eat goldfish. I can't seem to be able to get a source for catfish yet so I would like to put goldfish in the pond, I need to know if the catfish will clean out the goldfish later when I get them. Also does anyone know if tilapia and catfish will grow together? Thanks!

-- Lawannea S. Stum (Whitedov1@citlink.net), August 16, 2000

Answers

The answer to both of your questions is yes. Catfish are both predators and scavangers. My understanding is tilapia are raised in cages not only so they can be fed, but they won't ordinary take a baited line. That is why they are usually netted. When Jesus went out fishing with his aposles, most scholars think they were netting tilapia.

-- Ken S. in TN (scharabo@aol.com), August 16, 2000.

Goldfish are just carp. The catfish will eat them when they're small but when the goldfish get big they will overpopulate the pond. That's my experience, anyway.

-- Joe Cole (jcole@apha.com), August 16, 2000.

Thank you for your answers! I am so glad that I have a place to share and increase knowledge! Happy life!

-- Lawannea S. Stum (Whitedov1@citlink.net), August 16, 2000.

Carp is tasty. An oilier, fishier tasting kind of fish. I like 'em.

-- snoozy (allen@oz.net), August 17, 2000.

Carp are generally bottom-feeders. They reprocess EVERYTHING that falls to the bottom, and they taste of it. That also means, given the chance, they'll eat every other fish egg. In Australia, they've gone feral (has anyone noticed, I use that word A LOT?). They've muddied up the water (suck, spit, suck, spit incessantly as they feed) and cleaned up on native fish eggs so that they're wiping out the native fish. If you're going to have them, cleanliness is necessary or they'll taste like they've been eating __it, or mud at best. Carp have many small bones - difficult to eat around, and no good for young children. They are one of the few fish that will hold together as an entire fish when steamed, so popular for Asian banquets.

-- Don Armstrong (darmst@yahoo.com.au), August 17, 2000.


My dad always said the best way to eat carp was to stuff it with horse manure and cook it for 30 minutes at 400 degrees. Then, throw away the carp and eat the horse manure.

-- Joe Cole (jcole@apha.com), August 17, 2000.

Oh Joe that is too funny!!!

-- Misha (MishaaE@aol.com), August 17, 2000.

My Grandfather had a good-sized farm pond with both goldfish (carp) and catfish (up here in Maine, we're talking bullheads or horned pout, generally not much bigger than about a foot to 16"). They got along fine. Big fish (either) ate small fish (either). Go for it, and GL!

-- Brad (Homefixer@SacoRiver.net), August 17, 2000.

Don:

My family hails from Central Florida. Some years ago the DNR decided to try stocking one large lake with Nile Perch to see how they might turn out as a sports fish. Didn't, and what they didn't realize is most of the lakes in Central FL are connected by underwater streams, so they spread. Unlike local fish which may spawn one or twice a year, Nile Perch spawn year-around and they favorite nesting spot is to hollow out holes under seawalls. Favorite food is other species. Has really made a huge dent in sports fishing in the area. I don't know of a single introduced species which hasn't turned out to have problems of its own.

On carp, some folks do stock their ponds with Amurs (grass carp). If you can catch them, they are edible. General jokes about carp is an elaborate preparation process on a board, with the final instructions being to throw out the carp and eat the board.

-- Ken S. in TN (scharabo@aol.com), August 17, 2000.


Ken S in Tn has the best recipe for carp.Best is a soft wood easy to chew spiced and peppered.Only one other recipe I like as good is a opossum plater made on a plywood sandwich. Joe

-- Mary Welshko (marwel@microserve.net), August 17, 2000.


Y'all'r just prejudiced. I've got an amazingly delicious Malaysian recipe which I am happy to send to anyone who e-mails me (it's quite long). I first tried it in Sumatra. My travelling companion kept koi at home, and we saw some flashy foot-long goldfish in the local market, but he said he couldn't consider eating it oh no. That evening I saw ikan(fish)mas(gold) on the menu and ordered it for myself. It was very good, and my friend tried it, not knowing what it was, and he liked it, too. It's not my fault he didn't bother to learn a few useful words in Malay. Are not prawns and crabs bottom feeders? and eel (which makes a wonderful broiled sushi called unagi?)

-- snoozy (allen@oz.net), August 18, 2000.

If you insist on eating carp, try putting them in a barrel of fresh water for a week. It'll clean up/out some of the nasty flavor. Personally I haven't got hungry enough to eat carp. Or, to put it better, I have been very hungry a few times, but there weren't any carp to be found.

-- phil briggs (phillipbriggs@thenett.com), August 21, 2000.

My grandfather always said carp was for trading to the fella (preferably a possum eater) along with some of the good fish for cleaning em all for your fish fry. He always called em water possums.

-- Jay Blair (jayblair678@yahoo.com), August 22, 2000.

In spite of all of the above, I do find carp/goldfish to be tasty. It all depends upon your particular hang-ups and taste buds. I also find that, properly prepared, bear, woodchuck, raccoon, and any other omnivore is pretty tasty. If you get into strict carnivores, such as cougar, hawk, eagle, or wolverine, then you are on your own! GL!

-- Brad (Homefixer@SacoRiver.net), August 22, 2000.

hello ashlee i am bored right now!

-- Ashlee (shleeshr8er@hotmail.com), February 04, 2002.


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