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Author Topic: Bait tank filters  (Read 2822 times)

Offline Brookieslayer20

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Bait tank filters
« on: Nov 21, 2013, 07:52 PM »
Just wanted to see what some of you guys are using for filters on your bait tanks, I've got a big horse water tub that I'm using this year, suggestions for filters?

Offline COLD-AS-ICE

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Re: Bait tank filters
« Reply #1 on: Nov 21, 2013, 08:10 PM »
Do a search on here. There are plenty of threads on bait tanks

Offline chillywillie

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Re: Bait tank filters
« Reply #2 on: Nov 22, 2013, 05:10 AM »
I just use a carbon aquarium filter.

Offline APJ

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Re: Bait tank filters
« Reply #3 on: Nov 22, 2013, 05:56 AM »
If your looking for cheap but effective  buy a whisper filter from Walmart and the carbon refills.
Here is a picture.
[img       Former-( Air Plane Jigger)

Offline moosehunter

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Re: Bait tank filters
« Reply #4 on: Nov 22, 2013, 07:37 AM »
i have 2 of the whisper ones. seem to do a good job.always alot crap in the cartridge.

Offline The Rusty Crab

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Re: Bait tank filters
« Reply #5 on: Nov 22, 2013, 10:12 AM »
If your looking for cheap but effective  buy a whisper filter from Walmart and the carbon refills.
Here is a picture.
(Image removed from quote.)

Is your wooden frame secured or just a tight fit

Offline LINGUINI

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Re: Bait tank filters
« Reply #6 on: Nov 22, 2013, 12:05 PM »
PILLOW STUFFING  WORK GREAT

Offline GasBlaster

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Re: Bait tank filters
« Reply #7 on: Nov 23, 2013, 10:20 AM »

Offline Dags Bait Maine

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Re: Bait tank filters
« Reply #8 on: Nov 23, 2013, 01:44 PM »


Small magnetic drive pump in the bottom of the tank, fed to the top of a gravity filter built out of 5gal buckets, stuffed with whatever media and stuff I want at the time.

-Dylan
Marcel & Dylan Larose
559 minot ave (207) 783-0388

Offline jacksmelt71

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Re: Bait tank filters
« Reply #9 on: Nov 23, 2013, 04:02 PM »
thats the same set up i have. only problem is getting the right ratio of media, stone and bioballs in the pail so the water goes thru smoothly without clogging up every few days. what do you guys use and in what order? how do you keep them separated? pm me if you want.

Offline GasBlaster

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Re: Bait tank filters
« Reply #10 on: Nov 23, 2013, 07:08 PM »
this one has been working for me . I needed a compact deal so i could close the top some and keep the heat in .  This is what I came up with and it works well

http://www.iceshanty.com/ice_fishing/index.php?topic=89456.msg878590#msg878590






Offline blacktrap

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Re: Bait tank filters
« Reply #11 on: Nov 23, 2013, 07:15 PM »
thats the same set up i have. only problem is getting the right ratio of media, stone and bioballs in the pail so the water goes thru smoothly without clogging up every few days. what do you guys use and in what order? how do you keep them separated? pm me if you want.
I use 3/4 of a 5 gal bucket of bio balls with cut up floor buffer pad on top to fill it out.  Once it get started that keeps my 150 gallon tank crystal clear with no water changes all winter

Offline APJ

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Re: Bait tank filters
« Reply #12 on: Nov 24, 2013, 06:13 AM »
Is your wooden frame secured or just a tight fit
Its just a tight fit   wood will swell to make it tight.
[img       Former-( Air Plane Jigger)

Offline Dags Bait Maine

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Re: Bait tank filters
« Reply #13 on: Nov 24, 2013, 12:26 PM »
thats the same set up i have. only problem is getting the right ratio of media, stone and bioballs in the pail so the water goes thru smoothly without clogging up every few days. what do you guys use and in what order? how do you keep them separated? pm me if you want.

I use screens cut into circles to keep things at different levels. Womans nylon stockings to hold carbon in. Drill lots of holes and the filters wont overflow. If it overflows drill more holes. Can't have too many holes unless the bottom falls out of your bucket.

-Dylan
Marcel & Dylan Larose
559 minot ave (207) 783-0388

Offline jacksmelt71

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Re: Bait tank filters
« Reply #14 on: Nov 24, 2013, 07:25 PM »
my problem is getting enough fine filtration without the media on top plugging up. no problems w/lower drainage. I've used the cheap scotchbrite pads but still had real stained water. have carbon mixed in my river gravel. tried fiberglass insulation but plugs up quick. does catch a lot of gunk tho. no problems w/ fish losses just w/ stained water. did a half water change last month and helped some but still really stained. could be caused by bacteria built up in the gravel i have in the bottom of the tank. guess ill just deal with it. this tanks been running non stop for 2 years now and i can count on 2 hands the loss of bait in the last year and i keep mainly smelts that i catch. thanks for the info.

Offline jethro

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Re: Bait tank filters
« Reply #15 on: Nov 25, 2013, 08:30 AM »
This is my setup, 100 gallon stock tank with a 13 gallon kitchen trash bin gravity filter:


The filter is a simple spraybar onto the media which is dollar store kitchen scrubbies at the bottom, a thick layer of polyfill in the middle, then a 1" thick pad of aquarium filter media:


Seems to work great, never clogged all last winter. There is probably 20 or 30 of those dollar store scrubbies in the bottom. A good 8" worth of them.
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Offline lobsterman

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Re: Bait tank filters
« Reply #16 on: Nov 25, 2013, 08:30 AM »
i find the a good activated (rinsed) carbon layered in with the stuff that they make blankets with works great

Offline jp

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Re: Bait tank filters
« Reply #17 on: Nov 25, 2013, 08:45 AM »
this is what i use. 



Offline BrownTroutBoy

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Re: Bait tank filters
« Reply #18 on: Nov 25, 2013, 09:54 PM »
What did you guys use for a pump, looking to make a set up like this.

Offline The Rusty Crab

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Re: Bait tank filters
« Reply #19 on: Nov 25, 2013, 10:07 PM »
pond pumps or a submersible subpump would be my guess

Offline lobsterman

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Re: Bait tank filters
« Reply #20 on: Nov 26, 2013, 05:48 AM »
you can get a decent pond/fountain pump at lowes for about 35-45 bucks they last along time and will pump anywhere from 200 GPH to 600 GPH

Offline Mainesalmonslayer

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Re: Bait tank filters
« Reply #21 on: Nov 26, 2013, 06:42 AM »
I run a 5 gallon bucket full off poly fill and some.bio balls.works well in a 100 gallon tank.i change poly fill 3 times a season.once your bait stops eating they will stop producing waste and should be real clear.

Offline jacksmelt71

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Re: Bait tank filters
« Reply #22 on: Nov 26, 2013, 08:46 AM »
yeah i feed my bait very couple days as I've had them since oct. probably why i can't get clear water

Offline jp

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Re: Bait tank filters
« Reply #23 on: Nov 26, 2013, 11:10 AM »
What did you guys use for a pump, looking to make a set up like this.


i started out useing a pond pump but now use a submersable pump.  the pond pump worked good but it was hard to connect different size tube to it. i am in the process of getting it set up this week so i will take a pic of it when i get it all up and going.

Offline jacksmelt71

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Re: Bait tank filters
« Reply #24 on: Nov 26, 2013, 11:44 AM »
i too have a pond pump. its 10yrs. old and still kicking'. it is a pain to connect it to anything. had to jerry rig mine w/ garden hose and pipe clamps.

Offline jp

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Re: Bait tank filters
« Reply #25 on: Nov 26, 2013, 11:52 AM »
the submersable is nice because it is threaded for a garden hose. I am redoing it to be rigid with some pex pipe and valves to make it easier to drain and add water.

Offline Dags Bait Maine

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Re: Bait tank filters
« Reply #26 on: Nov 27, 2013, 10:07 AM »
my problem is getting enough fine filtration without the media on top plugging up. no problems w/lower drainage. I've used the cheap scotchbrite pads but still had real stained water. have carbon mixed in my river gravel. tried fiberglass insulation but plugs up quick. does catch a lot of gunk tho. no problems w/ fish losses just w/ stained water. did a half water change last month and helped some but still really stained. could be caused by bacteria built up in the gravel i have in the bottom of the tank. guess ill just deal with it. this tanks been running non stop for 2 years now and i can count on 2 hands the loss of bait in the last year and i keep mainly smelts that i catch. thanks for the info.

More scotchbrite pads or more GPH would be my suggestion. scotchbrite type materials are adequate to do fine filtration.
The first month bait is in captivity they produce a lot of waste. There is a real turning point 3-4 weeks in where I can stop doing water changes and have crystal clear water. I don't think your media is wrong I just think your bio load is over-running your filter.

-Dylan
Marcel & Dylan Larose
559 minot ave (207) 783-0388

Offline troutaddict

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Re: Bait tank filters
« Reply #27 on: Nov 27, 2013, 04:28 PM »
I keep a separate tank that I purge my bait in for a few days before putting them in my other tanks it cuts down on a good amount of waste
Always catching

 



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