Catfish will learn your feeding patterns, so occasionally reverse or alter your pattern, to provide an opportunity for all fish to obtain feed. Feed input is the primary pond control mechanism a catfish producer has once the pond is stocked. Catfish need adequate food for growth and health. However, fat, overfed catfish are not more healthy than catfish fed in efficiently managed systems. In most ponds with ESC outbreaks, the largest fish are infected initially.
Uneaten feed collecting on the pond edge is a sure sign of overfeeding.
Also, even if all the feed is eaten promptly, the fish may be overfed. When consumed feed isn't efficiently converted into tissue, the fish are overfed. Waste products from catfish which are efficiently converting feed to tissue will enrich the pond with nutrients, resulting in plankton blooms. Food conversion efficiency in catfish goes down when they eat more than necessary for optimal growth. When the catfish are overfed, these additional waste products stimulate the development of large, unmanageable plankton populations.