Help with a homemade bait tank!!!

[dadiddy2304]

so i've got my idea for a homemade bait tank, i'll post pictures of the process but while i'm getting the materials together i need your help building/buying a piece that i want to incorporate into the system. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cbh_qCcSQ3U&feature=player_embedded#!  I wanted to add the device after the filter, it adds air into the water flow back into the tank so there is no need for an airerator.  any suggestions/tips/info is greatly appreciated because im racking my brain here.

Thanks Guys

[TightLines]

They have this kit at wallyworld. All you need to do is upgrade the tubing and add the two canister filters and your done.

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Tsunami-500-Recirq-Livewell-Aerator-Kit/11071184?sourceid=1500000000000003260410&ci_src=14110944&ci_sku=11071184

[mainedukblaster]

my old tank I sold before I left Portland...





 good luck

[FishingNewEngland]

The return should add enough air.

[dadiddy2304]

so now that I've seen your old setup mainedukblaster, I would like to ask you for your advice...  My idea was to set up the 55 gallon drum standing up for the smelts, so they can swim around not bumping into the walls...  but looking at your setup i obviously noticed there is more ground area when the tank is laying down.

now to everyone, here's what I'm gonna set up tomorrow.  please feel free to give criticism on my idea so i don't learn the hard way.  55 gallon drum, 1000 g.p.h. pool pump without the filter in it sucking out of the drum, into a 5 gallon bucked acting as my filter, a layer of cotton then a layer of activated charcoal with a layer of cotton on top.  out of the top of the 5 gallon bucket a hose going into the top of the 55 gallon drum for the water return.  what do you guys think??

[fishalot]

so now that I've seen your old setup mainedukblaster, I would like to ask you for your advice...  My idea was to set up the 55 gallon drum standing up for the smelts, so they can swim around not bumping into the walls...  but looking at your setup i obviously noticed there is more ground area when the tank is laying down.

now to everyone, here's what I'm gonna set up tomorrow.  please feel free to give criticism on my idea so i don't learn the hard way.  55 gallon drum, 1000 g.p.h. pool pump without the filter in it sucking out of the drum, into a 5 gallon bucked acting as my filter, a layer of cotton then a layer of activated charcoal with a layer of cotton on top.  out of the top of the 5 gallon bucket a hose going into the top of the 55 gallon drum for the water return.  what do you guys think??

With a 1000 gph pump you've got some serious sucking going on. You'll be sucking the smelts right to your outlet and they will clog it up.Sounds like over kill to me. This is what I used for years and was cheap and did a good job of holding many smelts. The small pump still got clogged with smelts on the intake.

 This is my up grade, it's a chest freezer with two pumps and two air stones. When the weather gets to warm I can turn the freezer on for a few hours and it with start to freeze up,then turn it off.

[mainedukblaster]

so now that I've seen your old setup mainedukblaster, I would like to ask you for your advice...  My idea was to set up the 55 gallon drum standing up for the smelts, so they can swim around not bumping into the walls...  but looking at your setup i obviously noticed there is more ground area when the tank is laying down.

now to everyone, here's what I'm gonna set up tomorrow.  please feel free to give criticism on my idea so i don't learn the hard way.  55 gallon drum, 1000 g.p.h. pool pump without the filter in it sucking out of the drum, into a 5 gallon bucked acting as my filter, a layer of cotton then a layer of activated charcoal with a layer of cotton on top.  out of the top of the 5 gallon bucket a hose going into the top of the 55 gallon drum for the water return.  what do you guys think??

  yeah my pump was a 550 GPH submersible pump and it did fine.. if u used that big make sure you use some sore a screen to protect the fish from getting sucked in!

[WildOutdoorAddict]

I used a chest freezer in the past and worked great. I had an appliance repairman put a refrigerator thermostat in it for $25-30 dollars so it wouldn't get cold enough to freeze but got way cold enough to keep bait for long periods of time. I actually need to get a new one for next year. Put a filtration system and circulater pump and your god to go. Just don't shut the lid completely, it will build gases and kill the bait after extended periods being closed

[dadiddy2304]

Thanks for all the input guys.... I picked up the drum today, and I opted to go for a 530 gph instead of the 1000 gph.  Figured if I let it run and fill the drum to 50 gallons that is still changing the water 20 times in one hour.  Even with the 530 it will change the water less than every 6 minutes.  add 2 large airerator stones I imagine i should be pretty set.  to be a pain in the ass again for you guys....  the intake and outtake hose is 1.25" in diameter, what can i use on the intake hose to protect the minnows from being sucked up.  do you guys think that a 1.25" p.v.c. pipe layed across the bottom of the tank with holes drilled in it will work or do you think it would burn out the pool filter becuase it's not sucking in enough water??

[weavs150]

put a stocking or some sort of filter along those lines something cheap you can change

[mainedukblaster]

i glued a PVC cap on the end of my intake (right where it comes out, ) and drilled a bunch of holes in it.. worked great, you could use steel/ copper wool. stuffed in a intake pipe too.

[dadiddy2304]

Got my filter today!!!  have to go to home depot and get a few connectors, make sure the tank is waterproof.  and then i'm ready to go!  thanks for all the help guys, I'll post pics of what I got when it's all set up!!

[FishingNewEngland]

i glued a PVC cap on the end of my intake (right where it comes out, ) and drilled a bunch of holes in it.. worked great, you could use steel/ copper wool. stuffed in a intake pipe too.

Do not use steel or copper, it will rust. Rust will kill the fish.

[dadiddy2304]

Thanks for the info.  I'll keep that in mind.  All plastic and p.v.c. for me though.

[mainedukblaster]

Do not use steel or copper, it will rust. Rust will kill the fish.

really?  so the copper pipes in your house have rusted and you have rusty water coming out?  I am talking about the thick steel/ cooper mesh stuff.  It wont rust, I have some blocking the weep holes in my brick faced house, in order to keep scorpions out, and it has rained and rained here and the steel is a little oxidized but not rusted...  the small amount of mesh needed to block the intake will not harm fish