Author Topic: My bait tank (Read 9982 times)

gruntngrin · « **on:** Oct 30, 2008, 06:53 PM »

After reading about the bait tanks here last year I figured it was time to make my own. Heck last year chubs where hard to come by at bait stores around here and they cost a buck. I figured it would be a lot cheaper since there is a creek in my back yard.So here is my bait tank. 35 gallon barrel with a pond pump,pumping into a bucket with gravel in the bottom then carbon fiber then pillow fiber on top. The bucket has holes in the bottom and up the side.What do you all think? Do I need to do anything else to this? Im hoping to get and keep 100 creek chubs for hard water. Already have 12 from one day of trapping.My concern is freezing in my garage,its not insulated and gets cold.Do you think it will freeze up?

mud_n_fun · « **Reply #1 on:** Oct 30, 2008, 07:27 PM »

looks nice. Don't know about the freezing though.

FISHFORPIKE · « **Reply #2 on:** Oct 30, 2008, 07:32 PM »

Hey gruntngrin - that looks pretty simple and "sweet". If your days (outside) are mostly above 0 deg. F. I don't think you'll have many freeze-up problems. How far away is the creek? Is it "uphill"? If you could get to the creek at an elevation above your tank you could always run a piece of plastic pipe 1/2 or 3/4", start a siphon and circulate the water from the creek like that. No freeze-ups then.

gruntngrin · « **Reply #3 on:** Oct 30, 2008, 07:44 PM »

Quote from: FISHFORPIKE on Oct 30, 2008, 07:32 PM

Hey grutngrin - that looks pretty simple and "sweet". If your days (outside) are mostly above 0 deg. F. I don't think you'll have many freeze-up problems. How far away is the creek? Is it "uphill"? If you could get to the creek at an elevation above your tank you could always run a piece of plastic pipe 1/2 or 3/4", start a siphon and circulate the water from the creek like that. No freeze-ups then.

Most of the time we dont get below that. The creek is about 1/2 acre away and way down hill. Im thinking of just running a light like they use for chickens after hatching ,if need be.

seabee · « **Reply #4 on:** Oct 30, 2008, 08:12 PM »

I like it!..Bring on the ice...

gruntngrin · « **Reply #5 on:** Oct 30, 2008, 08:37 PM »

Are you seabee from timmys?

seabee · « **Reply #6 on:** Nov 01, 2008, 07:32 PM »

That would be me...nice job on the tank, i was very impressed with the filter....I can NOT wait for hardwater!!!!!!!!!!

pikeking · « **Reply #7 on:** Nov 01, 2008, 10:37 PM »

Looks like it will work. How about wrapping it with insulation if you are worried about freezing.

gruntngrin · « **Reply #8 on:** Nov 03, 2008, 06:52 PM »

Quote from: pikeking on Nov 01, 2008, 10:37 PM

Looks like it will work. How about wrapping it with insulation if you are worried about freezing.

If I have to Ill run a chicken type light on it. Thia thing is working great. I have 51 creek chubs in it know and 4 shiners and 4 crayfish. Figured I may as well keep the crayfish and try something new on the tipup this year,Ya never know.

gruntngrin · « **Reply #9 on:** Nov 04, 2008, 05:21 PM »

Update.65 in tank.Thinking I may as well go for 150

jabers69 · « **Reply #10 on:** Nov 04, 2008, 07:17 PM »

Cool looking tank

duck doctor · « **Reply #11 on:** Nov 04, 2008, 07:18 PM »

seperate the crayfish from the shiners!!!!! or you will be

gruntngrin · « **Reply #12 on:** Nov 04, 2008, 07:30 PM »

Quote from: duck doctor on Nov 04, 2008, 07:18 PM

seperate the crayfish from the shiners!!!!! or you will be

Why? First time trying this,please explain

jayswimmer09 · « **Reply #13 on:** Nov 04, 2008, 08:54 PM »

haha let them go and youl see, litterally youl see heads floating around with the bodies laying on the bottom of the tank

gruntngrin · « **Reply #14 on:** Nov 05, 2008, 06:27 PM »

Got rid of them last night.What about cutting the pinchers off? Im having a little problem keeping the water clear. Doesnt seem to matter what I do the water has a light brown stain to it.Any ideas anyone?

pikeking · « **Reply #15 on:** Nov 05, 2008, 09:34 PM »

Do you have a filter on the tank? If so check the filter and you need to change the water once a week. Make sure they are getting enough oxygen too. Drain half out and refill. Don't drain it all because the fish will not get aclimated to the new water and die on you. Also, what are you feeding them? If you keep the water cold you won't have to feed them, and the water will be clearer, and you won't have to change the water as much.

pooley · « **Reply #16 on:** Nov 05, 2008, 09:38 PM »

i used to have a very similar setup. nice job!

ALASKANSS · « **Reply #17 on:** Nov 06, 2008, 09:21 AM »

rig a mesh divider to separate the cray fish and the shiners

gruntngrin · « **Reply #18 on:** Nov 06, 2008, 05:56 PM »

Quote from: pikeking on Nov 05, 2008, 09:34 PM

Do you have a filter on the tank? If so check the filter and you need to change the water once a week. Make sure they are getting enough oxygen too. Drain half out and refill. Don't drain it all because the fish will not get aclimated to the new water and die on you. Also, what are you feeding them? If you keep the water cold you won't have to feed them, and the water will be clearer, and you won't have to change the water as much.

The bucket is my filter.It has holes all around it that drips water back into the tank. The bucket has rock in the bottom then carbon fiber then pillow mess for the filter part. They should be getting enough oxygen from the streaming water coming from the bucket. I take a minnow bucket full out everyday and then fill once a week. I dont feed them at all. I put a bag of ice in it tonight. I also added a fish tank filter last night to try to help out.

nbourque · « **Reply #19 on:** Nov 07, 2008, 10:38 AM »

Nice lookin bait. How big are those chubs?

gruntngrin · « **Reply #20 on:** Nov 09, 2008, 05:14 PM »

I would guess 3 inch to 7 inch

rich81 · « **Reply #21 on:** Nov 09, 2008, 05:46 PM »

nice looking set up. simple and effective. what kind of pond pump did you buy?

gruntngrin · « **Reply #22 on:** Nov 09, 2008, 07:14 PM »

Just a cheap one,cant remember I bought it in the spring.
Was hoping to have 100 in there this weekend but they slowed down a little.I have 93 minnows at this time.Another good thing is Ill be putting all my left over crappie minnows in there. That way I wont have to buy so many of those either.

pikeking · « **Reply #23 on:** Nov 13, 2008, 09:37 PM »

Got our tank done and the bait is starting to add up.

This is what most of our bait looks like.

gruntngrin · « **Reply #24 on:** Nov 18, 2008, 08:02 PM »

I seem to be loose some now.Any ideas? I changed about 1/3 of the water a week. Changed the carbon filter twice and even added a bubbler. Been loosing about 4 in a three day span now for week and a half

beeverfishing · « **Reply #25 on:** Nov 18, 2008, 09:32 PM »

Really hard to say.. Could be the pump isn't large enough to circulate / filter enough water. I'm leaning towards ammonia build up and / or the water being too warm.

river_scum · « **Reply #26 on:** Nov 19, 2008, 10:01 PM »

use a fish tank water tester to keep up on conditions. i keep 30-50 gills on hand in my tank all summer for flathead fishing. they seam to do fine if you dont clean the filter too much. ill only replace one filter screen at a time. it needs that gunk to eliminate the ammonia! dont feed them and dont change anymore than 1/3 of the water at a time. i let water stand in a bucket over night with city water.

good luck and very nice tank!

jackpine · « **Reply #27 on:** Nov 22, 2008, 10:12 PM »

I have a friend that uses a cooler. I think its a 50 or 80gal. Has all the aqarium stuff installed. With the built in insulation it works great. You could use any size cooler you wanted.

just my $.02

Fran 8)

GRIZZZ · « **Reply #28 on:** Nov 25, 2008, 03:22 PM »

gruntngrin are those crawfish or lobsters?

Nice tank

tarbot · « **Reply #29 on:** Nov 25, 2008, 03:32 PM »

Have you put anything in to keep the slime coat up? I've see other guys on this site throw an additive in to take care of that. Also make sure you have enough flow going on in the tank... it looks like there is not much coming out of the bucket. Change the filter floss every other day until the water clears up. Keep the temp as low as it can go without freezing. Do not feed.

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Author Topic: My bait tank (Read 9982 times)

FISHFORPIKE