# Acclimating Cold water Species raised in Tropical



## Victor Creed (Aug 25, 2010)

Ok, so I bought a Channel Catfish raised to a few inches in a cold-water tank w/ Goldfish, took it home and raised it to 13 inches in Tropical conditions w/ Cichlids. My plan is to put it in my friend's pond and re-acclimate it to cold-water . I will be waiting until Spring of course so it has the seasons to get used to fluctuating temperatures, however, I was wondering if I could get some input for doing this withOUT gradually dropping the temperature in my tank.


Channel Catfish are one of our native species all over America. They live in the warm-water of the South and the icy cold-water of the North......and even in the Ocean and brackish waters. They are everywhere, I am just wondering when would be the right time of year, or more appropriately, when his pond reaches WHAT temperature. Will the fish be affected by this despite it being a cold-water species or will it acclimate like nature intended for it to do?


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## Ash1988 (Nov 9, 2010)

I have little knowledge on these but have done a bit of reading, so for the temperature range they can tolerate most water temperatures from 10C up to 32C, putting the cat from tropical to cold water may be a bit too much for it to handle, even tho its a big fish.
What is your spring weather like, if it cant make the pond sub-tropicalish then id wait till summer.


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## Victor Creed (Aug 25, 2010)

Ash1988 said:


> I have little knowledge on these but have done a bit of reading, so for the temperature range they can tolerate most water temperatures from 10C up to 32C, putting the cat from tropical to cold water may be a bit too much for it to handle, even tho its a big fish.
> What is your spring weather like, if it cant make the pond sub-tropicalish then id wait till summer.



I live in temperate North America. Our summer can reach over 100 degrees F and our winters go below -20 degrees F at worst, but average is about 85-95 F in summer and 32-10 F in winter. Either way, our Native Channel Cats don't seem to have a problem with it. Typically Spring takes a bit to warm the water temperature depending on depth. I will assume if the rivers and creeks hit 60-70 F by May at the latest, his pond will be a good bit warmer before schedule. Correct me if I am wrong, but if I am seeing frogs in pairs and prepping for amplexus, even in early March is that still to cold for seasonal fish? I know it won't be suitable for MY situation, but it would mean similar biological stimuli from local fish , if i'm not mistaken, yes?....so perhaps around late April or early May when temperatures reach high 60's???


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## Ash1988 (Nov 9, 2010)

Late April, early May sounds good  reason i said wait til water warms up is because im struggling to think of a way to acclimatise a 13inch fish from tropical to cold  as this is a massive change in temp.


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## Victor Creed (Aug 25, 2010)

Ash1988 said:


> Late April, early May sounds good  reason i said wait til water warms up is because im struggling to think of a way to acclimatise a 13inch fish from tropical to cold  as this is a massive change in temp.




Yes indeed...very true, but remember it IS a cold-water fish and I bought it from a cold-water tank w/ Goldfish, so It's body HAS been acclimated to it before. Im just trying to take extra-caution not to put it in shock. The pond is only about 3 feet deep and about 8 feet wide so it will warm up much quicker than our native rivers and lakes, of course. Idk, i never done this before, so I'd like to get as much useful input as possible, preferably from some of the other pros as well like Mynki and Captian BJ.


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## hippyhaplos (Jan 12, 2010)

If you waited until the pond warmed up, could you not put the cat in the largest container you can find, put it outside and fill with water from the tank. If you do this early on in the day, the water should drop in temperature relatively slowly, and should be matched in temperature to the pond by night.


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## Ash1988 (Nov 9, 2010)

Sorry my last post was all over the place, hadnt had my morning coffee then 

Yes it is a coldwater fish and will live in warm water, very tolerant fish. *EDITED*

Haps idea looks good if you can get hold of a container.


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## Victor Creed (Aug 25, 2010)

Great responses and thanks for the advice. I think my main concern is "will 3 feet deep be enough to protect them from the ice?" I mean I understand fish aestivate during cold-winter months, but but if the entire pond just becomes a huge block of ice? I mean they have half a dozen goldfish and a Butterfly Koi they have had for years, but this catfish is considerably bigger.

Does anyone think a 13 inch and still-growing Channel catfish will need much deeper water to survive harsh winters?


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## goldie1212 (Mar 5, 2010)

i think if the entire pond became a block of ice, everything in there would die. i feel it would be ok, personally, i would do the big container thing, and let it live out there when it warms up a little. if the koi and goldfish have been in there for years, it obviously doesnt completely freeze solid.


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## Victor Creed (Aug 25, 2010)

Ok, so It's approaching that time of year and I will be preparing to transport this Channel Catfish almost an hour away. My only real option is a 5 U.S. gallon bucket, which I fear will not sustain enough oxygen for this catfish which has attained nearly 18" in length. Are there any suggestions for keeping the water oxygenated enough for the trip....oxygen tablets, or something similar? I'd also assume some type of water treatment to relieve stress and slow metabolism would be ideal as well....what do the experts recommend?


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## hippyhaplos (Jan 12, 2010)

A bike pump attached to an airstone, or even a battery operated air pump?


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## caribe (Mar 21, 2010)

hippyhaplos said:


> A bike pump attached to an airstone, or even a battery operated air pump?


I used to do that when moving my big cats.

Never had a battery operated one but had the bike pump and that worked well.

Just stopped every so often and sat for a few minutes with that.


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## AshMashMash (Oct 28, 2007)

hippyhaplos said:


> A bike pump attached to an airstone, or even a battery operated air pump?


Agreed, if not then a cigarette-lighter to mains voltage convertor to plug any old air pump in. Can get converters from Ebay and the like 










Car Power Converter Inverter Adapter Charger With USB - eBay (item 230594378282 end time Mar-09-11 16:13:39 PST)

$8.00, no shipping costs.

Don't say I don't help :Na_Na_Na_Na:


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