keeping minnows @ Home

[eyecrosser]

I just got a 100lb. stainless steel tank that I would like to keep minnows in. I need some advise. Can I use tap water? If so, do I need to treat it with anything? Any certain temp. range better than another? Any tips on airation would also be very helpful. Thanks.

[Peanut]

If you use tap water, boil it first to get rid of the chlorine and other chemicals that are added to the water. This is your best bet. Distilled or bottled water is not a great option as the oxygen content can be low.

You may wish to look at some sort of aquarium supplies for aerators and filters. If you don't have any filtration system, you'll be changing the water more often than you'd like.

derrek.

CANADIAN WALLEYE OPEN UP AND SAY "EH"!

[Xplorer]

Eyecrosser,
Only use tap water if you have a well. Otherwise you will need to treat it. I'm guessing you meant a 100 gallon tank, if so just call a pet store and ask what the appropriate size pump is for the amount of water you will keep in it. If not, try to guesstimate the number of gallons based on dumping in one 5-gallon bucket full. We have a 25 Gallon tank and the pump/filter system was about $25-30 I think. Wallmart also carries the smaller pumps.
Xplorer

[Erie Angler]

I keep minnows in the spring. I have a 55 gallon plastic drum that I fill with tap water. I use a chemical(sold at aquarium stores) to get rid of the chlorine( 1 drop to a gallon). I run 2 aerators to add dissolved oxygen. The colder the temperature the better. Once the warmer temperatures sets in early May It gets very difficult to keep them alive because you are pumping in warmer air.

[rick]

the colder the water the better,
i can keep 3 dozen fathead minnows alive in a 2 quart buckett in the fridge for 7 to 10 days with no areation. the temp is around 38 to 42
the minnows stay alive because they are so dorment, i think thats the word. anyway you keep them cold and they last longer.

[s.f.]

i've stored and transported big amounts of minnows for years. first, i would only, as the above stated, use tap water from a well unless it is treated ahead of the tank. two, i don't think you need to use any kind of detergent etc. to keep clean unless there is an oil film originally on the tank. then i would only use soap and hot water. the main think is that you "spray" the water into the tank. eventually, if you use any source of spraying other than from your electrical pump (not any 12volt etc.), you will lose the minnows. you need constant fresh water for round the clock storage. fresh well water, sprayed and no chemicals if possible. cover so they can't jump out. never let water sit stagnant.

[perchjerker]

You got some very good advice on this board. I have both fresh and saltwater aquariums and will only add that you can get a additive that removes chlorine from tap water at a pet store, other than aereating the water and changing at least 1/4 of it on a regular basis, thats all I can say. You can call my local minnow guy, Mr. Minnow in South Rockwood, Mi. He is the distributor in this area. Maybe he can give you some insight.
The advice about the colder the better is right on. Since fish are cold blooded critters. it slows down their metabolisim.

[Juls_WI]

I work at a baitshop where we have several tanks connected to a well. The COLD water is run constantly and drained through small pipes that stand up in the tanks, and have a mesh net over the top of each pipe to keep them from getting clogged up with any minnows that do end up floating. These drain pipes were set up so the water level is always the same. There are two 9 inch "air stones" in each tank to help keep them oxygenated. The stones are connected to a piping system that flows oxygen thru it. They can be shut off or turned on as needed. These tanks are 3'X 6', and there are 7 of them in a row... so what your talking about is going to be a minimal cost adventure. At night and in the morning we put a purple substance in the tanks that we call "jungle". It puts a slime coat on the minnows to help keep them healthy. I wouldn't advise using this stuff if your not going to be replenishing the water on a constant basis though. That would be a mess, and would probably end up killing your little friends.

If I were you I would spend the few bucks it would take to get an air system set up. If you can drain it somehow and keep a constant flow of water going to them your minnows will last much much longer, and it would be less work for you.

Like the other poster said, "do not let them stay in stagnant water", because they will die.

Make sure to check often for any floaters, and remove them. They will poison your tank faster than anything else can.

Good luck! I hope you get it to work for you!

Juls

[Gilligan]

Rick.. the fatheads keep real good in the cold. I've kept them for over 6 weeks in my garage from November till I finally gave them to a friend for ice fishing in January. It got cold enough where I had to take ice off the top of the bucket.

[CKRanger]

This time of the year it really is not too hard to keep minnows alive. I just returned from a trip this past weekend and I have 3 dozen 4-6 inch suckers in my livewell that we had left over. I run a small aquarium aerator and remove some water each day and replace it with tap water that I let sit in an open bucket for two days to let the chlorine disapate. I have not lost any this week. Check the minnows on a daily basis and remove any that do die as soon as possible. If the air temp happens to rise it is not a bad idea to add some good clean ice to keep them cool.

[CJHughes@Norstan.com]

I have a plastic storage bin that is made to fit in the back of a pickup truck. It is as wide as the truck bed and as tall . I painted it white to match my truck and also to retain less heat . I have a small bilge pump connected to a piece of 1/2 inch plastic pipe with 1/8 inch holes drilled about every inch .I run the bilge off of a 12 volt battery to provide air . I fill this plastic storage bin with well water, this time of year here in Ohio I can keep bait for weeks at a time, due to the cold nights . I catch all of my minnows myself in creeks around my house . I fish for sauger and flathead cats this time of year on the Ohio River , you can't beat a 4 to 6 inch creek chub for flatheads . I use shad that I catch on the river for saugers .

[rick]

you might try www.keepalive.net,..for their oxygen infuser. it lets a lot more useable bubbles in your tank without too much water flow that can tire out your bait...