Bait Tank Care

[chief613]

last year my bait held well till the end of the season, then i think i picked up a bait disease. I didn't buy bait till the end of the season when i wanted some larger bait. After several weekend of bait at a particular shop my bait started to get white fuzzy spots and dying. This past week my tank wen all to hell, the water had a light greenish tinge to it(which i thought was a good thing) last weekend. I didn't check it till Friday, i couldn't see the bottom and had numerous dead bait. Are you using anything for tank additives. Ive heard salt to toughen bait up, but ha vent tried. I also have a few crayfish in the tank, not sure if they are eating dead bait or killin some of the bait.

[Imissedem]

Not to sure because i am new at it myself.But i have been told that yoou really could get away with just an airator as long as the water temp is below 50 /the fish do not need to eat below 50 degrees also.Bateria will grow above that temp.Would love to here more on this /because i am new at it.Already got a couple dozen giants.

[pegasus]

I know they used to salt down the salmon out in the pens when they got sea lice. Adding salt to the water will help the alge problem, but that is a sign of warm water also. Adding to much strange stuff to the water could make them not so attractive to what your fishing for.

[nbourque]

Chief,

Maybe your water has been too warm?

[Oldbear]

It seems for me that circulation and cleaning the tank once a week are more important than temperature with mine being in the basement.  I use one of these outdoor garden pool pumps to blow the water back across the top.  New minnows I bring in or take out for use I  let acclimate to the temperature before putting them back.  I've tried chemicals but pretty much quit.

[chief613]

Adding to much strange stuff to the water could make them not so attractive to what your fishing for.

i was thinking that

[chief613]

Chief,

Maybe your water has been too warm?

in an unheated separate shed, never seems to feels much different temp than outside

[LINGUINI]

they  do make an additive to put in your tank  they have  one called better bait another call  finer shinner and also a thing call slimaway 
i clean my tank once every 2 weeks i take all of the bait out of it  drain all of the water and wipedown  everything with a clean cloth  then rinse it out and refill it with no trouble also  when i first start up my tank i half fill it and then put one ounce of bleach in it wash down everything  drain it and then flush it out about 3 times  wipe it out with a dry clean cloth  then fill it  once that is done i will put just a couple of shinner(no goldfish ) in it  if they live it is ok  if not  then you have to flush it out more

[jrelaxin]

never had any problems till it gets warm in the spring........bait never last that long either.........