Red tail catfish are big, meat-eating predators, so they do best on a diet of whole fish, shrimp and earthworms plus a good sinking carnivore pellet. They also grow very large, often well over two feet in a home aquarium and much larger in the wild, so make sure you can house one for life before you buy.
What red tail catfish eat
- Sinking carnivore pellets or sticks: a good staple that gives balanced nutrition.
- Frozen or fresh seafood: shrimp, krill, silversides and chunks of white fish.
- Earthworms: a safe live food and a good trainer for juveniles.
- Feeder fish: best avoided or used rarely, because feeders can carry parasites and disease. Quarantine them if you use them.
Avoid feeding mammal or poultry meat, such as beef heart or chicken. Those fats are hard for fish to digest and can lead to fatty liver disease.
How often to feed
- Juveniles: once a day, as much as they eat in a few minutes.
- Adults: a few feedings a week is plenty. Because red tails eat a lot of food at once, overfeeding quickly pollutes the water.
Tank size and tank mates
A baby red tail looks manageable, but adults need a very large tank or pond, usually well over a thousand gallons. If you cannot offer that, choose a smaller species. Keep them only with fish too large to be eaten, and avoid fin-nippers.
Medications and health
Many fish medicines contain copper or other ingredients that harm catfish, which have few scales. Do not self-medicate. Ask an aquatic vet or experienced fish store before treating.
Bottom Line
Feed varied, high-quality meaty foods in sensible amounts and plan for a huge tank. For more catfish feeding ideas, see the best food for red tail catfish, cheap catfish food and alternative foods for catfish.
