2007 / 2008 Bait Tank

[Mainehazmt]

Well it is time to really kick up the bait tanks for this coming Ice season.   Walmart has dropped their prices on the pond materials too so it is a good place to start.  Ive made some major improvements this year to make mine better   and also have a few more to do  This first picture is of some of my major supplies. The pond water treatment is 1/2 price at walmart now granted I don't really need it  but have been using it anyway for the help with the slime coating ( I have well water)
2nd photo is of some of the major change I made   I bought a watercooler (for 5 gallon jugs)at a garage sale for 20 bucks) took it apart and carefully bent the cooling coil and placed it below the water line in the tank   (photo 3)

 
you can also see the bottom of my home made filter.  the filter is 2 water pond flower baskets  (.75 at Wallyworld) bottom one contains activated charcol and bio balls (photo 4)
 
then I added another basket and put in filter floss
 
this is pumped up to the filter / drain system by a 400 gph pump  also at wallyworld  (25.00) it also has a prefilter
 
that pumps it up to the filter  and with a few valves I can do water changes directly into a laundry tub I installed  for sorting the minnows from the pond prior to putting them into the tank ( keeps it cleaner)
 
   this set up so far keeps the water at 52 degrees    Now to insulate the tank   thinking of that foil covered bubble wrap    any suggestions?   Presently only have about 450 minnows so far     planning on 1000

[penna]

I can not think of anything except styrofoam and possibly a small fan to cool outside. I really like the idea of the cooler coils great job.I would like to suggest one other thing don't feed them much this will create more fish waste and will elevate the nutrients in the water and cause extra unwanted slime and algae. I feed my minnows and suckers about 1 time every 3 weeks. best wishes and fishing  Jim Spielvogel  Ellwood city PA

[Mainehazmt]

oh I feed them daily  have been the past few years   only feed em enough that it is all gone in 5 min  Ive done this for the past few years  and they are super strong that way   takes alot to kill em. Once a week I do a 1/2 water change anyway plus I monitor my readings for nitrates, Ph ect..... ( must be the hazmat side of me) gotta feed em   they are trained already!   long time till Jan 1st the big secret is to get the tank started and get the good bacteria up in the tank .   We are limited up here as we can only really catch our minnows during fishing season so by the end of the month  I plan on 1000 total   and prob by march 15th Ill still have a bunch left over

[billditrite]

wow you are eally on it MHM...nice job and thx for the ideas...its almost time here too!

[dabber-doo]

If your tgoing to insulate, go to Home Depot or Lowes or whatever big chaimn you have out there and buy some foam insulation in a spay can. There is quiet abit in a can and it works great. Just spray on to the depth you want it on the outside walls and outside botton of your tanks. let dry for a few hours and your ready to go.

[penna]

 MAINHAZMAT  you were speaking of nitrates ,ph, and bacteria . I was wondering if you work at a waste water treatment plant? If so I also work at a waste water treatment plant .

[Mainehazmt]

MAINHAZMAT  you were speaking of nitrates ,ph, and bacteria . I was wondering if you work at a waste water treatment plant? If so I also work at a waste water treatment plant .

lol    nooooo not me   have a hard time going there   poop is one of my major weakness    I taught  people how to wear chemical protective clothing    and how to work on hazmat sites   confined spaces  chemical compatability ect....

[penna]

OK I see .....I actually just compleated a confined space course manditory thru work it was intresting wastewater treatment is a great job everyone ,boro manigers boss"s ect leave you alone

[jayswimmer09]

wow now that is one heck of a set up

[Mainehazmt]

wow now that is one heck of a set up

3 years in the making

[jayswimmer09]

i think im going to be starting my own little 3 year project on one this year

[penna]

jayswimmer09  go for it its alot of fun my wife don"t like it every year I turn her laundry room into a boiler room two 300 gallon bulk drum tanks boiling with bait. 

[Mainehazmt]

My wife thinks the bait tanks are the expensive part of this sport      lol   so she doesnt say anything about it   a fairly cheap  hobby I made the bait into       she never noticed all the packages that have been arriving all summer long   now to sneak in the new vex I just ordered....

[billditrite]

   hehe...i hear ya there.... i wish i could use my garage for a shipping adress so she wouldnt see it 

[Mainedog]

Hazmat -

I think you have as much fun building your bait tank as most of us have building our next shack!

[Mainehazmt]

Hazmat -

I think you have as much fun building your bait tank as most of us have building our next shack!

well have given up on building shacks after last years fiasco

[Mainehazmt]

850 minnows already for winter!

[SwedishPimple]

oh I feed them daily  have been the past few years   only feed em enough that it is all gone in 5 min  Ive done this for the past few years  and they are super strong that way   takes alot to kill em. Once a week I do a 1/2 water change anyway plus I monitor my readings for nitrates, Ph ect..... ( must be the hazmat side of me) gotta feed em   they are trained already!   long time till Jan 1st the big secret is to get the tank started and get the good bacteria up in the tank .   We are limited up here as we can only really catch our minnows during fishing season so by the end of the month  I plan on 1000 total   and prob by march 15th Ill still have a bunch left over

What do you feed them?

[Mainehazmt]

What do you feed them?

Pond fish flakes or goldfish flakes  give them some variety I have also ground up some pond fish pellets

[rvz]

850 minnows already for winter!

Wish we could do that in New York State but thanks to VHS we now have to buy our bait on a weekly basis and carry the receipt to prove that they were purchased from a supplier whose bait supply has been certified to be free of any infections.

I used to stock up every two to three weeks and keep my bait in a 35 gallon fish tank set up with filtration and a bubbler.

[Mainehazmt]

guess your bait dealers have a better lobby! we dont care for state agencys to totally take over our lifes lol

[Mainehazmt]

Well got my 1000 minnows for the year...    come on ICE!       and sooo much more time to collect em.    guess Ill continue to see how many I can keep going   lol.... 
Well update:     got a roll of the foil covered bubble wrap from Lowe's yesterday   and covered as much of the tank as I could with it   sprayed the tank with the 3m super 77 adhesive (best spray adhesive Ive found ) the foil taped the seams  I did a 3/4 + water change  so I could move the tank    lets see how cold I can get the water now!  has been staying at 53   maybe it will skim over and I can use my NEW Icegator and NEWvexilar and Jig a few of them big ones!

[Mainehazmt]

well  it is staying at 43 degrees      Guess Im happy with that!

[Mainehazmt]

Well they are still going strong gonna go out grab a few hundred more  "just in case"  but I did find a better filter floss     at walmart they sell big bags of pillow stuffing    same stuff  but one bag was about 3 bucks  and pretty sure I got 2 years worth in one bag!

[skully]

oh I feed them daily  have been the past few years   only feed em enough that it is all gone in 5 min  Ive done this for the past few years  and they are super strong that way   takes alot to kill em. Once a week I do a 1/2 water change anyway plus I monitor my readings for nitrates, Ph ect..... ( must be the hazmat side of me) gotta feed em   they are trained already!   long time till Jan 1st the big secret is to get the tank started and get the good bacteria up in the tank .   We are limited up here as we can only really catch our minnows during fishing season so by the end of the month  I plan on 1000 total   and prob by march 15th Ill still have a bunch left over

im new here  ido alot of hard water fishing just curious of how you catch your bait and what you use for bait to catcth them im in west paris maine

[Mainehazmt]

im new here  ido alot of hard water fishing just curious of how you catch your bait and what you use for bait to catcth them im in west paris maine

Just plain ol minnow traps  and ol roy dog food!

[comp]

i was wondering if the tank could stay out in the garage?  Does the water circulate enough to keep it from freezing?  I generally put a small aquarium aerator in my foam minnow bucket, works o.k.But I also want to keep mine in large quantities.  I have to cut the pond open to get my live well out each time I go to get my minnows out.Pain in the arss! 

[tilted]

What kind and size of an aerator are you using? Also where do you get the water to fill the tank? Pond water or tap? I assume tap would be harmful or do you treat it? I plan on starting a tank this winter as most of the bait shops dowm my way are either closed or a pain in the ass to get to. Thanks

[Mainehazmt]

I use a 600 GPH pond pump on it  and as it flows thru the filter it drops on the water  thus adding air  but also have a aquarium bubbler in there  with a long strip air stone    I use well water   but still add a cap of conditioner to water  to help with the slime coat. (note: the do  (dissolved oxygen) is low in well water I also run it in fast to help with it    As far as not freezing    that I cant say Ive seen too many thing freeze up  up here that you wouldnt expect too   Mine is in the basement   maybe if in a garage  no breezes ect it might work

[dadstacklebox]

850 minnows already for winter!

So how are those minnows holding up Mainehazmt? Are they still fresh? I never could hold my bait through the Spring and fall. Maybe you got something there I should be doing.