Home > Crops & Livestock > Aquaculture > Catfish > Feeding > Channel Catfish Production: Impacts of Diet Composition and Feeding Practices [Image: Impacts of Diet Composition and Feeding Practices] Channel catfish require adequate protein in their diet for good growth and weight gain. Within certain limits, catfish grow faster as the protein content of their diet is increased. But when more protein is provided by the diet than fish can use for growth, the excess is used inefficiently as a source of energy or is lost through excretion. Restricted Feeding Regimes Increase Production Efficiency in Channel Catfish [Image: Restricted Feeding Regimes] The success of channel catfish culture depends on maximizing production in a cost-effective manner.The greatest costs are those associated with feed and feeding. Producers and researchers are constantly seeking new ways of lowering these costs. One way of reducing feed costs is to take advantage of the phenomenon of compensatory growth. Feeding Catfish in Commercial Ponds [Image: Feeding Catfish in Commercial Ponds] Feeding is the most important task in the intensive pond production of catfish, and the person responsible for feeding should be an experienced fish culturist. Refinement of Vitamin Supplementation in Diets for Pond-raised Channel Catfish [Image: Refinement of Vitamin Supplementation in Catfish Diets] Channel catfish, like all other animals, require a supply of vitamins for normal growth and health. By definition, vitamins are nutrients required to support growth and other bodily functions.  more articles... Brown Blood Nitrates Heavy rainfall and winter feeding tend to add up to conditions that can lead to brown blood disease in the spring. Brown blood is caused by the buildup of nitrates in ponds, which produces a result similar to carbon monoxide poisoning.