storage for minnows now confirmed!

[djkruszewski]

well i did a experiment with my minnows.  bought a dozen or so sunday and had many left.  my fishing partner also had many left.  so i put half of them in a plain styrofoam minnow bucket and the other half in a minnow bucket that has an aerator in it.  well the plain styrofoam wins big time.  i have lost zero since sunday and have lost almost all of the others in the minnow bucket with the aerator.  i have a minnow bucket with an aerator for sale.  i have done everything the same with both buckets.  changed the water at the same time and also kept them both in the same room and same temps.   

[flagup#1]

how much for the bucket?

[djkruszewski]

how much for the bucket?

just sent you a pm.

[pooley]

i keep minnows from weekend to weekend. i use an aerator or mino-miser. never tried without some kind of aerator. good to know.

[JimQ]

I've got a flip top Igloo cooler I use.  I change out most of the water 2 times a week.  I keep them in the "mud room" It stays cool out there but does not freeze.  Maybe 40F.  I've had 1 minnow die. No aeration. My biggest loss occurs during a water changes when they jump out and go down the drain!  I think the trick is, Keep em Cool!

Q

[djkruszewski]

yeah my basement isn't that cold, but like i said earlier both water was changed at the sametime and both buckets are still in the same room/temp.  so obviously the plain styrofoam works better.

[Quack_Attack]

Well, I've had good luck with styrofoam lined buckets keepin' minnows alive for awhile in the past, but recently bought a styrofoam lined bucket with an aerator and this seems to work even better. Try putting the aerator in your styrofoam bucket and see how that works.

[bus33]

With the exception of a dead one here and there, I use an old cooler and change the water every few days.  My minnows stay alive all winter.  I don't know what to feed them but if one dies they seem to nibble on it a bit. 

[PhatboyC]

Well last winter I had a very hard time keeping the minnows alive. They where in a plastic minnow bucket in my unheated garage. I also used a aquarium aerator and some king of metal tube to keep the air hose in the bottom. Changed some of the water 3 times in a week. By next Saturday they where almost all dead. Oh and I tried feeding them fish flakes I have for my aquarium fishes but they didn't touch it.

Hum... The simpler the better for these creatures?

[Scientist]

i have lost zero since sunday and have lost almost all of the others in the minnow bucket with the aerator.  i have done everything the same with both buckets.  changed the water at the same time and also kept them both in the same room and same temps.   

Was the water cloudy in the bucket that had the aerator?  If so, then the minnows died from bacterial or fungal infection due to the constant water movement due to the bubbles. Disinfect the bucket by submersing it totally in hot water and bleach at a ratio of 2 Tablespoons of bleach per gallon of water. Soak for 30 minutes, drain and allow to air dry.
Hint: DO NOT increase the amount of bleach!!!!! Adding more will not work better but leave a residue and be harmful

[djkruszewski]

Was the water cloudy in the bucket that had the aerator?  If so, then the minnows died from bacterial or fungal infection due to the constant water movement due to the bubbles. Disinfect the bucket by submersing it totally in hot water and bleach at a ratio of 2 Tablespoons of bleach per gallon of water. Soak for 30 minutes, drain and allow to air dry.
Hint: DO NOT increase the amount of bleach!!!!! Adding more will not work better but leave a residue and be harmful

yes the water in the bucket that had the aerator seems like it gets dirty quicker than the styrofoam one.  the sytrofoam bucket never gets cloudy.  so that's why those damn things are dying.  i used the minnows in the styrofoam today and used them all up.  they probably would have lasted until sunday if i didn't use them up.  i'll just stick with the styrofoam minnow bucket.  but thanks to all for your info.

[djkruszewski]

i used to put the fish i catch in that bucket, would that have anything to do with the bacteria in the bucket?  or are you supposed to wash those buckets every now and then?