Implications of Moving Our Catfish Fingerlings Into a New Tank

Hello Hive

Good day, @homesteading family. How are we all doing today? Welcome to my blog.

My day started quite early because we had to move our catfish fingerlings into a new tank. Although this can be done at any time of day, early morning is generally preferable. Just like humans, the hot afternoon sun can be stressful for the fish, so morning movement helps reduce that stress.

Our fingerlings are now almost five weeks old, and at this stage, all their organs have fully developed. They have also begun developing their darker pigmentation.

As expected in fish breeding, we now have three size categories in the tank: the small ones, the medium ones (which form the majority), the target size, and the bigger ones known as shooters. At this point, their growth rate becomes very rapid, and so does their metabolism.

In my last post, https://ecency.com/hive-114308/@wewarriors-28/why-ammonia-builds-up-in I explained how their metabolic activities and leftover feed contribute to ammonia build-up in the tank.

Ammonia, if not properly managed, can be deadly. With their growth accelerating, metabolism has increased, and so has the level of ammonia. Yes, a flow-through system is in place, which helps reduce ammonia, but the concentration has become too thick, and we do not want to take any chances.

This is why we decided to move them into a new, clean tank.

So, what is the importance of moving them?

First, they are at a very critical and sensitive stage of growth. Excess ammonia can easily block and burn their gills, making it difficult for them to breathe and eventually causing stress. Stress is something we want to avoid at this stage altogether.

Even with flow-through, excessive ammonia can still cause ammonia poisoning, which may lead to infections, disease outbreaks, and increased mortality.

Staying too long in such water is dangerous because ammonia has a strong, offensive smell. The water becomes contaminated quickly. That means their feed can mix with decaying particles, causing them to eat contaminated food, something that affects their health and growth.

Moving them into a new, clean tank immediately improves the water quality before ammonia begins to build up again from their normal metabolic activities.

A clean tank doesn’t just provide better water; it helps the fish feed properly, breathe better, grow uniformly, and stay less stressed. In the new tank, we increased the water level to give them more room for movement and overall activity.

Because of the stress from moving, they will only be fed in the evening. Movement naturally disrupts their routine, and eating immediately after can be harmful since feeding on its own also stresses them. I’ll share more soon about the various causes of stress in fishes.

We also took the chance to pick out new shooters, and shockingly we picked 48, unbelievable. Lol we had more bigger boys, and for some of them, they still had smaller fishes they had swallowed.

Thank you for stopping by. Wishing you a blissful week ahead. Cheers