What does a sturgeon eat? What you need to know in a few points!

What food do sturgeons need? These fish, which bear a striking resemblance to sharks, are predators that feed on the products of their hunt. In the wild, this generally consists of small fish, small mollusks, insect larvae, or crustaceans.

In captivity, they are usually fed sinking pellets, which consist mainly of marine-derived animal proteins, minerals, plant proteins, and vitamins.

Sturgeon were once found in almost every river in Europe, but they have gradually disappeared. They are now threatened with extinction in many regions, mainly due to overfishing.

That said, a few species of sturgeon can still be found living in the wild, notably in the Gironde estuary in France.

Sturgeon: a highly sought-after species

Belonging to the subclass Chondrostei, sturgeon is a fish highly prized for its meat, but especially for its eggs, which produce the valuable caviar. They are recognizable by their large size and cartilaginous skeleton.

Lacking scales, these fish are benthic organisms: they live close to the bottom of the water. Instead, they have what are called scutes: bony plates that cover their bodies in several layers. They need large spaces, with greater depths than koi ponds.

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In the wild, a sturgeon can grow up to 6 meters long and weigh nearly 400 kg. It has a very long lifespan, which can reach up to 100 years. Furthermore, it is a hardy fish that does not easily fall ill.

What does a sturgeon eat in captivity?

Sturgeon is a fish that does not hibernate and, by extension, feeds throughout the year. Its diet must therefore be adapted to its environment and habitat.

In addition, it is important to remember that a sturgeon's mouth is located on the lower part of its head. It will therefore need suitable food so that it can feed properly and in sufficient quantities. 

Feeding a sturgeon in a pond

When in a pond, a sturgeon will hunt for its own food. It will normally not need any human intervention to find its food. As it will be surrounded by wildlife and a relatively wild environment, it will simply choose what suits it from the bottom of the mud.

It is in the wild and in a sufficiently large pond that sturgeons have the best chance of reaching truly substantial sizes. 

Feeding a sturgeon in a pond

In a pond, the sturgeon will retain its natural instincts and tend to root around in the mud. Its choices will, of course, be more limited, considering that this is not the same ecosystem as a pond or river. In this case, you will need to consider feeding it.

Many foods suitable for sturgeons can be found on the market. These foods are most often available in the form of sinking or "sinking" pellets, and therefore have the particularity of settling at the bottom of the pond instead of floating on the surface.

Our food recommendation for sturgeons

Aquifood Sturgeon food consists of a mixture of sinking pellets, rich in protein and fat. Designed to be particularly digestible, these pellets represent a choice food for sturgeons in captivity.

Aquifood pellets for sturgeons have a very strong odor, just like that found in the wild. Of course, this is a "sinking" food, which quickly sinks to the bottom of the pond. 

How often should a sturgeon be fed?

As a general rule, it is preferable to feed sturgeons more frequently and with a quantity they can consume in a few minutes. Indeed, we will avoid as much as possible having the pellets linger at the bottom of the water and become an additional source of pollution.

Using an automatic food dispenser will be very practical for raising sturgeons.

Sturgeons under 20 cm in size must be fed at least every three hours, otherwise they will have difficulty surviving. Indeed, it is a fish that swims a lot, and therefore needs a lot of protein and fat to develop properly.

Feeding sturgeons cohabiting with koi

In some ponds, it is not uncommon to find sturgeons cohabiting with the famous koi carp. In this case, you will need to be careful because the koi will be attracted by the sturgeon's food and, above all, they will be faster at grabbing it!

So that the sturgeons (and especially the younger ones) do not starve, you will need to feed all species of fish at the same time, but in two different places in the pond. This allows them to distract each other, and prevent them from stealing each other's food.

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Unlike koi, sturgeons feed even during the cooler periods of the year. Even when the water temperature drops below 8°C, they will still need to feed. Of course, sturgeon-specific pellets have a different composition than those for koi, and they are generally fattier for winter feeding.

At the time of year when carp cannot be distracted by their feeding, you can use PVC pipes to send the pellets directly to the bottom of the pond. This will help prevent sturgeon food from being consumed by other species present in the pond.

Errors to avoid when feeding a sturgeon

• Giving floating food: the sturgeon feeds at the bottom, its mouth is located under its head. Floating food is not accessible to it.
• Using non-specialized food: prefer sinking pellets designed for sturgeon, rich in protein and fat, rather than a carbohydrate-rich food.
• Overfeeding: give what can be consumed in about 5 minutes. The surplus settles at the bottom, forms sludge, and consumes oxygen in the layer of water where the sturgeon lives.
• Constantly changing the location: distribute the food in the same place and at the same times, so that the sturgeon learns where to find it.

How to arrange a sturgeon pond?

In the wild, the sturgeon lives in the depths of lakes and rivers. They live in cold water with a strong current, and therefore very rich in oxygen. As it is not equipped to pump water using its gills, the sturgeon will swim constantly to get enough oxygen.

Furthermore, the sturgeon will need space to grow properly: you will need to take into account that each one will need at least 10 times its length at adult size, and 1000 liters of water. Be careful, it is a fish that can grow enormously! Let's note that it is essential to have sufficient filtration to ensure that the pond has good aeration.

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The pond must therefore have a minimum depth of 1.20 meters, and not be overrun by plants. Indeed, the sturgeon does not know how to swim backward, and in a pond overrun with filamentous algae, it could quickly become trapped and drown. We will make sure to lay a layer of mud without gravel or sand at the bottom of the pond: the sturgeon does not like these structures.

Good to know about the sturgeon

Although it lives at the bottom of the water, the sturgeon is far from being one of the so-called cleaning fish. Quite the contrary, it is a species that is a major potential source of pollution: it constantly releases waste from the food it consumes.

As it is forced to root around the bottom of the pond to feed, it must remain clean. The pond must therefore be large enough, and cleaned very regularly to prevent the accumulation of waste and the formation of harmful gases.

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Although it is a hardy species, the sturgeon still requires vigilance when in captivity. It is a particular type of farming, where a specific environment and food will be needed. Finally, cohabitation with other species must also be carefully considered so that each species can feed without difficulty.