Why I am so Attached to the Catfish in Our Pond

Posted by L. Marie Dubuque Sep 10, 2008

In my previous post, I told you about our three hour trip to buy albino catfish. We loved those four fish. We fed them bratwurst, freeze dried crickets and even started a little worm farm, so they would have fresh, tasty treats all the time. And the best part about these beauties? Other than their cute little eyes and stealthy spirit, was the fact that these cats were almost two feet long, too big to be within reach of a predator. If only that were all we had to worry about.

After we had the fish for two weeks, we noticed slightly unusual behavior...jerky movements and a limited appetite...something was wrong, and we didn't know what, until they started dropping like flies. Within 24 hours all the fish were dead. My husband and I were devasted, to say the least. (I'm really not over-reacting. I like those fish more than I like most people.) Their bodies had pink splotches all over them. I did a lot of research on catfish diseases, and came to the conclusion (with the help of the fish person at Petsmart) that the three hour car trip stressed them completely, lowered their immune system and made them susceptible to disease.

My hubby and I mourn in different ways. I wanted to get right out there and buy more fish. But he didn't want to deal with another drive, and another disappointment. I happened to run across Osage Catfisheries on the web. It was again, a three hour drive from our house. But they said they deliver in St. Louis. So I called down there and later that day, a nice man sent an e-mail saying he would be at the St. Louis airport the next morning at 6 a.m. and could bring along four or five small catfish. I told my husband about "a deal I had going down at the airport at six in the morning." He wasn't fooled. He knew it had to do with fish.

I met the man in the dark at the cargo terminal as promised. I was so happy to have my fish, I didn't worry about how these 8 inch fish would survive a bird attack. He wouldn't take any money, and he didn't even know what we had been through.

It was still dark when we released the little guys into our pond. As I watched them swim away, my only hope was that they grow...and fast. Raccoons and Heron are relentless around here.

In the meantime, we have a net over the little ones, and are practically standing guard, so they don't become bird food....and so far, they are very healthy!