Dying Minnows

[acrawfor]

I try to keep my extra minnows alive by putting them in the bath tub (wife loves that  ) and dripping cold water into them. . I transfer them between the tub at night and a 5 gal pail during the day. It works for a couple days, but after that they slowly start to die. Two or three a day will die and their under side around their mouth and gills mostly is a blood red color, almost looks like blown blood vessels. Any ideas on what this is and how to keep or at least prolong it from happening. Thanks.

[flytyr]

Most of the smelt I have die have red under their gills. Sounds like you are changing the water too much and causing the minnows stress. Also you proably need to treat your water with chlor out if you have town water then I add ick away and stress coat.

[BiG ARN]

the best results i can get keeping minnows alive....keep them as cold as possible without freezing them...  drain half of the water and refill daily   only add water thats good and clean (no city water) and make sure the temperature of the new water is very close to the same when adding.       i put my minnows outside in the corner where my porch connects to my house on the down wind side  if it starts freezing up to bad ill bring them in for a while and freshin up the water and back out they go   i just changed my minnows water  ive got suckers  shiners and medium minnows ive had for a week  and ive only had 2 shiners die in the last week

[Wiener]

When I need to add water, I try to do it out on the lake.

If I can't then I use the water filter that I have in my Kitchen.

I keep the aerator going, and keep the bucket out in the garage.
Try to get rid of the dead ones as quickly as you can.

I also add a some stuff that turns the water blue.  It gets rid of the waste products in the water.

I think it is called better-bait.




Hope this helps,

Wiener