First bait tank build (Pics Added 12/21/12)

[FRESHBAIT]

Looking good so far,  I always noticed that I need to go bigger pipe on outlet side b/c it's not being pumped out and must. Flow out on its own.  So the.larger pipe flows better,  I also din,t use a spray bar goin into the tank as it seems to restrict flow .  I also don't use valves, but I like the idea of it as it can be used to adjust flow.  Crank it open to see what she can do.     How did the cracks in your tank get fixed?   Start getting some bait in there!

[jethro]

Yeah, I got the leaks in the tank taken care of. Two part plastic epoxy, alcohol rub on the tank then a heat gun for a few minutes to get the crack to open and soften up good then I painted over the epoxy with the aquarium sealant. $11 a small tube... guess I'll go easy with that stuff. The fitting on the pump is 1" but with the fittings at the top it reduces to 3/4 with the ball valve and 3/4" spray bar in the filter, the output is a 1" ball valve with 1" tubing and spray bar.

So with no valves you just open it up and it self regulates at the top of the out tube on the gravity filter? I was planning on using the ball valves to keep the level just below the output fitting. That way it would spray on the top filter pad just right and I'd have less risk of that lower fitting leaking. But I've been out there for an hour adjusting the two ball valves trying to keep that level right. Im thinking with a small overflow tube at the exact level I want the water might be ok, but I' worried that will detract from it sucking water from the bottom exclusively.

[Dispy]

The license for NH is only $26 isnt it? Its only a few bucks here in Iowa, but we do not need one unless we are actually selling or giving away bait. If you are worried, I'd say just buy it just in case. You don't need to open up a shop to have a bait dealers license, and you don't have to advertise it. If asked, just say you sell to a few buddies here and there... that is what the residential license is for. You can mark to not have it shown on the DNR's site on the application form. And, once you have the license you can legally sell to other guys when they ask where you get your bait from!

Correct, however there is still monthly paperwork involved http://www.wildlife.state.nh.us/Licensing/license_forms/APP_Bait_Dealer.pdf

[Dispy]

Looking good DR.Gee

[jethro]

Correct, however there is still monthly paperwork involved http://www.wildlife.state.nh.us/Licensing/license_forms/APP_Bait_Dealer.pdf

Ah, niether of the monthly forms concerns me really, as I am not planning on trapping my own bait at all, and I will buy my bait at a licensed deale exclusively.

Might be worth me doing it just to be safe, but I really can't imagine having more than 4 qts liquid measure baits in there. That has got to be 20 dozen medium shiners at a minimum. The only thing that get's tricky is if Iget into doing some more laker fishing and keep suckers in there. But how many of those do I need in there to be honest. 

I'd love to add some fish in there, but I neglected the overflow circuit in my design, and now see I have to do that before I am comfortable with this thing running unattended.

I am thinking of taking some rigid insulation and making a small enclosure for the 1" clear plastic pipe that is on the left, then using a drop light for heat and a vent at the top of the enclosure to regulate. Maybe I am overthinking that, but it's supposed to get stupid cold here in the next few days (a very good thing... I can go fishing instead of futzing around with this thing!)

[Kevin23]

Looking great!

I personally HATE that clear plastic tubing. It gets way hard in the winter and is just a pain in the rump. I only use the black flexible stuff.

If your garage (I think that's where you put it?) gets below 32º that tank will freeze. You do not have enough movement on the surface. An aerator will help some, as will a heater.

Good choice on the valves! I tell everyone to use them, they are cheap and work great. Only I do not use the elbow and all that stuff that is in the filter thread here. I just glue in the exit pipe at the bottom 1" of the bucket and use the valve to control how much water leaves so I get about 2/3 the filter full of water at all times. 3/4" in, 1" out is all you need. Or 1" in and 1.5" out. Use the valve to regulate it.

Make sure you always have an overflow. 2" pipe coming out of the top and going towards your tank.

[jethro]

Yeah, I learned that about the clear stuff. Horrible. Had to spend an hour in front of my Buddy heater warming and reshaping it as it came in a tight wound roll. Lesson learned.

I have removed the spray bar at the bottom and really opened up the valves. Need to make the overflow BAD. Can't leave unattended an running yet. Off the store...

[FRESHBAIT]

Even with bottom outlet valve all the way open and spray bar off the outlet.  It still wants to overflow?  1000gph pump is what u used right?   I think it is just that your outlet pipe can't handle the flow.  You've adjusted the inlet valve? To reduce flow?  My big tank I had last year I think it had a 2-1/2" outlet pipe on it with a 1" inlet on the 1100gph pump.   What if you kept the current outlet pipe for your emergency over flow and put in a new 2" to 2-1/2" outlet farther down in your filter it would lower your water which is what it sounds like you want to do. 

[pdolewa]

The tank looks great! Nice work

[jethro]

Even with bottom outlet valve all the way open and spray bar off the outlet.  It still wants to overflow?  1000gph pump is what u used right?   I think it is just that your outlet pipe can't handle the flow.  You've adjusted the inlet valve? To reduce flow?  My big tank I had last year I think it had a 2-1/2" outlet pipe on it with a 1" inlet on the 1100gph pump.   What if you kept the current outlet pipe for your emergency over flow and put in a new 2" to 2-1/2" outlet farther down in your filter it would lower your water which is what it sounds like you want to do. 

I'f I open both valves all the way, the lower valve, bing larger flows too much and the bucket doesn't fill up much at all. I figured I wanted some water in there, but maybe it's not nessecary? I can just restrict the top valve, and it does keep the water low, but pretty low.

[Kevin23]

You want about 2/3 of your filter full of water at all times.

[FRESHBAIT]

Looking at your picture it looked about right on the money for water levelw

[jethro]

I think I got it on the money. Was able to fool with it a little between holiday obligations today. Took the stupid spray bar off the return to the tank, opened top valve all the way and can adjust the bottom one to the right level. Seems to be holding, but taking it offline tonight to cure sealant from an overflow circuit I made. Should be good. Next weekend I'll be adding some shiners. See what happens. Still need to make a cage around the pump and put something in there for the fish to hide against the current. Without the spray bar, there is a lot of current.

[Dispy]

I think I got it on the money. Was able to fool with it a little between holiday obligations today. Took the stupid spray bar off the return to the tank, opened top valve all the way and can adjust the bottom one to the right level. Seems to be holding, but taking it offline tonight to cure sealant from an overflow circuit I made. Should be good. Next weekend I'll be adding some shiners. See what happens. Still need to make a cage around the pump and put something in there for the fish to hide against the current. Without the spray bar, there is a lot of current.

DR. Gee, considering your storage conditions, it will, in fact aid in the non-formation of ice in your baittank. Especially as you do not have room for a light.

[Kevin23]

I think I got it on the money. Was able to fool with it a little between holiday obligations today. Took the stupid spray bar off the return to the tank, opened top valve all the way and can adjust the bottom one to the right level. Seems to be holding, but taking it offline tonight to cure sealant from an overflow circuit I made. Should be good. Next weekend I'll be adding some shiners. See what happens. Still need to make a cage around the pump and put something in there for the fish to hide against the current. Without the spray bar, there is a lot of current.

Aluminum cans glued together with aquarium sealant works great for hiding places.

If you adjust your return so it shoots the water straight down instead of out at an angle the current will be way less.

[jethro]

So this thing has been running straight for about 5 days, I went to the pet store and got some kind of test strips for the chemicals and a conditioner. They said to wait 2 weeks before putting fish in there, but I don't think the teenage girl understood I'm putting shiners in there, not expensive fish. Can I start putting fish in there to seed the tank? Even if they don't last, I don't really care. And how about the test strips... what am I looking for? Everything read pretty normal, worst thing was the water was on the soft side. No chlorine, nitrates were what the container deemed "normal", PH might have been a bit low... just don't know what I am looking for.

[Chris Raymond]

I started my 50 gal tank with a dozen or so minnows to get the cycling process started.  Alternatively, I thought I saw that somebody took a leek in their tank to kick it off without minnows.  Whatever works.  I'm probably up to 7 - 8 doz right now and chems look to still be in line.   

[FRESHBAIT]

Toss a few in and get it going,  I always call them the sacrificial ones anyways.  Some times they make it.  If some die make sure to get the dead ones out as soon as you see them, they will cause disease to spread through the tank, fungus too.

[Kevin23]

3 options.

1. add fish
2. add pure ammonia (no other chemicals)
3. pee in it

If you do #3 then you need to be sure to watch the PH level also, it will raise it quite a bit... but the ammonia in urine gets the job done.

Option #1 is the one I suggest.

[jethro]

I am not peeing in my bait tank... that is right out. I'll add some baits today.

[1MOFISH]

3 options.

1. add fish
2. add pure ammonia (no other chemicals)
3. pee in it

If you do #3 then you need to be sure to watch the PH level also, it will raise it quite a bit... but the ammonia in urine gets the job done.

Option #1 is the one I suggest.

thought? isnt bacteria the cycling agent? does bacteria grow when water is in the 30's? or is the filter just filtering particulates/not bio. i understand the principle as i have multiple aquariums and a water garden which if i understand correctly is "asleep" due to the loss of bacteria due to the water being 34 degrees  just sayin
GOD BLESS YOU
mo

[FRESHBAIT]

I'm sure it slows some, but i don't think it stops.  I know this bc over the years of running tanks and testing my water I can see my ammonia levels spike and then decline and my nitrate and nitrites raise and then decline to acceptable levels this tells me my biological filtration cycle is working. 

[fiddlehead322]

I got a 70 gal set up just like that. It will be perfect for you. I use a submersible pump to aerate the water. No feeding, no filter. Also I put a piece of white rfp in bottom to be able to see bait easier when dipping some out. Hope this helps.

[Kevin23]

Bacteria stops when frozen. Otherwise just like almost any other organism it just slows down when cold.

Ammonia is the cycling agent, bacteria is a result of the ammonia added (eats the ammonia, produces nitrite and nitrate as a result). You need ammonia to have bacteria, without the ammonia there is no food an the bacteria dies in a matter of hours. Without bacteria the ammonia slowly poisons the fish. If you take it to slush water, you have pretty much halted your bacteria. It won't die right away, but just goes dormant until it thaws. But when the water is that cold your fish are nearly dormant also, and not producing hardly any ammonia. Minnows will live a long time in slush water.

I accidentally froze a filter about a couple weeks ago. My father stopped by and said "your tank in the garage is humming but has a sheet of ice on it, nothing is coming out" So I said to just unplug it and I'll get it later (evidently my heater failed). Well I forgot about it and the next day my filter was a big block of ice. After a day of thawing in the basement, I hooked everything back up and never saw an ammonia spike with about 18 doz large fatheads.

[1MOFISH]

thanks bbk i never heated my tank tried to K.i,s.s. so many variables,so just let tank get down to freezin to get minnows to "suspend"and after a day on the ice just dumped bait back in tank no shock due to temperature spikes. tried to take the work otta fishin also trap all year so minnows come otta cold creeks right into tank
GOD BLESS YOU
mo

[jethro]

Tank temp is 38F, put a dozen in on Friday and they are all still happy and swimming. Probably gonna wait until this weekend and put some more baits in there.

[jethro]

Well, yesterday I was unable to find safe ice, so the 5 dozen I had planned to put on hooks that day had to go in the tank. I've only been up and running for a couple weeks and there is 7 dozen in there! Haven't lost one yet!

[FRESHBAIT]

Sounds like you got it dialed in.

[jethro]

Well, I did, but I'm losing at least one or 2 baits a day now. Also, is there a chance the water can be too cold? It's not freezing, but it's 30 degrees. Must be enough movement to keep the water liquid. Could 30F water be causing my baits to die?

[bait trap]

Have you done any water changes since the initial setup?  I know you had a Dzn in it to begin with then dumped in an extra 5dzn.  Sounds like its a ammonia problem,  make sure to get the dead ones out asap b/c it can cause some water quality issues as well as cause more bait to die.