best way to keep leeches alive

[pa/jerry]

i need some help in trying to keep my leeches alive without having them in a refigerator....does anybody have any good ideas they could share....
thanks to all that help............jerry

[T-Mac]

Can't be done for any length of time without refrigeration and clean (from well, lake or river ...untreated)water. As far as I know.
I keep leeches for up to 7 months by keeping them very cold and changing the water every other day.

[Stezostedion vitreum man]

Pa/Jerry

I guess the first question to be answered is how long do you want to keep them alive - days, weeks, months? As T-Mac mentioned, if you plan on keeping them for a long time (weeks to months) the best method is very cold refrigeration. This causes them to become dormant. Even at that, the water should be changed periodically and the leeches feed (fish heads, liver, or the like), otherwise you may start out with jumbo leeches and end up with medium sized leeches after a few months. You can use tap water, as long as you let it sit out for at least 24 hours. This will allow the chlorine to dissipate out of the water, which can kill leeches.

If you are asking how to keep them alive for a few days to week on a fishing trip, this may be accomplished by keeping the water fresh and cold. By putting chunks of ice into the water of a larger styrofoam (styrofoam is the best, since it "breathes") bucket, the leeches will stay relatively healthy. When going fishing, just transfer the amount that you think that you'll be needing for the day and leave the rest in the shade of your cabin, or whatever else your staying in. The secret to success is to keep them cool. Hope this helps.

Remember to keep your eyes open and your feet dry.

S.v.m

[DIMI]

I was at a sport show and a Rep. from Leech Tamer was there and he had a half pound of leeches in a Tamer bag in a (running) aquarium at room temp. and said they had been in there almost a year. I don't know if he was being truthful or not. He said the most important element in keeping leeches is to keep the slime they produce off of the leeches themselves. And that is what the Leech Tamer is supposed to do by virture of its mildly abrassive interior surface. Can anyone verify this or was the guy just pitching a line?

[Joe]

I'd like to say ditto about the first couple of posts regarding keeping the leeches cool and in fresh water. They need to have their water changed a couple of times a week to stay healthy, otherwise the ammonia they develop (as their natural defense) will turn toxic and kill them. The white slime that you see is a sign that they're starting to spawn. They need fresh water and cold temps. quick-like, to stop that.
I do want to clarify in the previous post in that there may be confusion about the leeches in the fish tank. The leeches have been in the Leech Tamer for 11 1/2 months, but not the tank. I only use the tank for sport shows. They only get to come out of the frig. for a sport show or seminar. Sorry if there's any mix-up about this.
Joe
JNB Originals

[Walleye Herbie]

I fished with Mark Martin in a PWT Tourney at Ft.Peck last August. He was using the leech tamer bag. He told me he leaves the leeches in the bag in his live well all summer and they live just fine. It seems unheard of but he swears by it. He explained to me that the thing that kills leeches is the Amonia that they produce and that the bag helps scrub this away. I would think the best sinerio would be to use this bag in a large refridgerated container? Of course changing water can't hurt. Just grab the bag out of the container when your ready to fish.

walleyeherbie

[Lundy]

Man..ya gotta love those Lund Pro-Long Livewells.
heheheh. I think Mark meant just while he was fishing.. not all the time.

[BobEaton1]

Last April I bought 5 lbs of leeches to fish Walleye tournaments for the year. I put them in leech tamer bags and thats where the have been ever since. I used 3 lbs of them and have 2 lbs alive right now. They been in 3 sports shows in the Omaha,NE area and they are in perfect health. I have changed water on them and kept them cold. In the summer months I had to change water once a week till after the time that they start to die off in the fall. After about September I have only had to change water once every 3 weeks. I have never put anything in there for them to eat. They were large to jumbos at first and now they are mediums but great Walleye size. The trick, keep water clean (not tap water), keep them cold, and most important GET LEECH TAMER BAGS. Thats a must! I keep them, about a pound per bag, in a 2 gallon ice cream plastic pail, with about 2 inches of water. When it's time to cleam them just pick up the bag, shake it, put it back in the pail, and 2 inches of water. That's it. Leeches forever! Hope this answers your questions and I promise you there are guys that keep leeches all year cuz I'm one of those guys.
Get The Leech Tamers.
Bob Eaton NPAA #292
Omaha,NE

[Roger Mayer]

This might sound crude but saves a bit of work.

First off I have a well that is my water supply.

I have a leech tamer bag. I put that in the toilet tank at the back. Voila! Fresh water all the time!

Roger Mayer.

[Juls_WI]

Hey Joe,
I can't remember your site addy. I want to order a couple of the leech tamer bags.

Juls

[Juls]

no message..

[Chad]

That actually sounds like a good idea. Not in the bowl but in the tank. Only problem would be on extended weekends when nobody is there to use the biffy. No flusho means no fresh water.

[Hans]

Key point here, before everyone does it..... his water supply is a well.... city water would kill them.

Hans

[Pitts]

Hans Iv'e kept leeches in city water right out of the tap without letting it sit to get rid of the chlorine, for months and as long as it's changed regularily and real cold I had no problems. Our city water is just chemically injected there is not a treatment plant which could be the difference.

Pitts

[Great Post]

Skeedidilly- i feel better now about picking up another L.Tamer leech bagat the Walleye Expo(the 3rd) and from a previous post, better about the second drift bag,the Wave Tamer. i put a stickspreader in the Leech bag, makes a handy minnow bucket in the live well

[Sandman]

Is there an ideal temperature we should try to keep the refrigerator. Thinking about putting a thermometer in my small basement refrigerator. Is one pound of leeches per bag about the limit and during the hot days of summer is it better to put them in warm livewell(in a tamer bag) water or keep them in a cooler as I do while fishing? When leaving for a tournament how are you transporting large quantities of leeches(large container with a bag in it or what)?

[Kelly]

I seen a guy in the Gander Mountain booth at the Mpls Sportshow demonstrating leech bedding(looked very similar to crawler bedding)and claimed the leechs in the container had been there since last september.Whats up with that.Needless to say I was sceptical and did'nt buy any.Has anyone else seen or heard of this.Doe's it work?How can it!

[Eyecon]

I seen the same thing with the leech bedding and could'nt believe it.This would be to good to be true.Has anyone in the real world tried this??????

[Smitty]

And don't forget to let the wife know they are there !! Could get ugly if she just finds them :)

I would also guess they wouldn't be real happy about the auto dispensing bowl cleaners if the use them (the leeches that is)..
Hmmmm,, blue leeches. Might be onto something there.

[fish]

Some wholesalers have been using the leech bedding for a couple years. Works as promoted, hard to believe but it is true. The company also makes the best worm bedding around. check out their website at www.fatnsassy.com

[Eyecon]

Thanks for the leech bedding website.They only showed there worm bedding,I left a e-mail for them to contact me.I will post an update when I get one.Thanks again.