Home > Crops & Livestock > Aquaculture > Catfish > Brown Blood And Nitrites 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. 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. Channel Catfish: Life History and Biology [Image: Channel Catfish: Life History and Biology] Channel cattish, Ictalurus punctatus (Rafinesque), is the most important species of aquatic animal commercially cultured in the United States. Processed Catfish: Quality Control and Processing Trends [Image: Processed Catfish] Unlike the red meat and poultry processing industries, catfish processing does not fall under the regulations of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Before a catfish processor begins operation, however, he must contact local county health officials to comply with county health regulations and to obtain a health permit.  more articles... Processed Catfish: Product Forms, Packaging, Yields and Product Mix [Image: Processed Catfish Products] Catfish is now the fourth most popular seafood product in the U.S. The catfish processing industry has grown dramatically to keep up with the increasing demand. Design and Construction of Degassing Units for Catfish Hatcheries [Image: Design and Construction of Degassing Units] In some catfish or baitfish hatcheries, water in egg-hatching or fry-rearing tanks may have a condition called “gas supersaturation” that is harmful to fish. Gas supersaturation means that the water contains more gas at a certain air (barometric) pressure and water temperature than would normally occur if the water was allowed to come to equilibrium with the atmosphere. Responding to Fish Kills During the summer and early fall, it is not unusual for fish kills to occur in commercial ponds under uncertain circumstances. Catfish Production Economics [Image: Crawfish Production Economics] The commercial production of catfish in the United States has increased at a phenomenal rate in the last three decades. By 1997, channel catfish culture was the largest aquaculture industry in the United States, with catfish production representing 72 percent (by weight) and 55 percent (by value) of the entire industry (U.S. Joint Subcommittee on Aquaculture 1999). Production of Hybrid Catfish [Image: Production of Hybrid Catfish] The mating or crossing of two different species is a process called hybridization, with the offspring known as hybrids. Breeding hybrids with selected or favored characteristics of each parent is one of the goals of animal husbandry. Of all these interspecific catfish hybrids, only one hybrid has characteristics that would favor commercial application. That hybrid is the channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) x blue catfish (I. furcatus) hybrid (denoted as the CxB hybrid). 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. 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. 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. Purchasing Channel Catfish Fingerlings [Image: Purchasing Catfish Fingerlings] It is important to purchase the best available catfish fingerlings when stocking commercial production ponds. Poor quality can result in delayed harvesting, underestimated stocking weights and disease transmission to fish already present in the pond. Fingerling quality is judged on grading, strain, health, and the supplier's reliability. LSU Catfish Research and Extension Contacts This list is comprised of contact information for catfish experts within the LSU Agricultural Center and the LSU - Baton Rouge campus. Click for more information...