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Author Topic: all winter w/no minnows so gona try a tank in the basement this summer  (Read 9788 times)

charlys1954

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Hope the input all others are putting in will help others who are thinking about doing this, its helped me tks guys.

I have to use city water. Before starting I called the city treatment plant, he said they add chlorine, no Chloramine. And he said they use well water not river water. The water sat for 2-3 days so all the chlorine dissipated plus Better Bait said it is supposed to remove chlorine.

As for bacteria growth the filter says, black bio-sponge and ceramic rings with gravel provides biochemical filtration and support the colonization of bacteria. Its a 15gl tank so I don't need a oversized filter. For winter I'm not planning of keeping much more than 5-6 doz at a time. If I do go to a big tub I'll be making a DIY filter, have watched many videos on how to make one.

Not saying this is part of it but it could be. The baitshop also is a Taxidermy shop and the air is filled with a strong chemical smell, I know that smell cause I was a Taxidermist for 20 yrs. So those air particles may work their way into the tank water. Plus I'm sure residue was on his hands, he was mounting a head and went directly to the tank for minnows. From now on I'll get minnows from Chucks, these was from out of town.

Maybe in a few more days bacteria growth will setting down the tank but I don't know I'm just newbee at this, check today and no dead ones yet.

tks again for the help.
I'm a "Born in Ind" Redneck and proud of it

charlys1954

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yup.
Gets the good bacteria going and growing
The cycle starts in just a few days to a week.
But we used to use 3-4 weeks of only a handful of fish before adding more fish.
Then we added and grew the amount slowly, weekly, to allow the bacteria to adjust and grow as the ammonia levels increased.

the bacteria first turns the ammonia to nitrites.
Then turns nitrites to nitrates.
Nitrates are safe for fishies.




Great info, tks Mac. After looking at the photo it says when high content of Nitrite fish will gasp at surface. All my minnows stay on the bottom, have yet to see one come to the surface. Does this mean its not full of nitrite.
I'm a "Born in Ind" Redneck and proud of it

Mac Attack

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Great info, tks Mac. After looking at the photo it says when high content of Nitrite fish will gasp at surface. All my minnows stay on the bottom, have yet to see one come to the surface. Does this mean its not full of nitrite.

It means they are not starving for air.
they are getting enough through their gill plates.

15 gallon tank is too small for 5-6 doz minnows IMHO.
It won't support that many.
Maybe 2-3 at best.
Your die off will be high.

If you do constant 5-10% water changes every day or two you could get by.
I know that's not what you want to hear, but...…….

Again, keep the water COLD.
35-40 degrees if you can.
It lower their metabolism.
They then create far less ammonia.
Colder water will support more minnows.
And don't feed them!!!
Cold water = low metabolism = less food required = less poop = less ammonia

Here is what I was going to do.
I was going to convert a chest freezer into a bait tank.
An old chest freezer, which I did have, and some silicone sealer to make it water tight.
And this conversion -

https://johnlvs2run.wordpress.com/2009/10/08/chest-fridge-conversion/#more-1061

I know guys that have done this and it works phenomenal and uses very little electric.

Have fun.

charlys1954

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It means they are not starving for air.
they are getting enough through their gill plates.

That's good news


15 gallon tank is too small for 5-6 doz minnows IMHO.
It won't support that many.
Maybe 2-3 at best.
Your die off will be high.
I was just going by the 40gl tub  you was using, couldn't see the bottom for the minnows. Ill see if I can find a bigger fish tank, probably have to use the big tub I have thinks its about 30 gl.

Again, keep the water COLD.
35-40 degrees if you can.
It lower their metabolism.
They then create far less ammonia.
Colder water will support more minnows.
And don't feed them!!!
I got an ice machine I can add ice daily, all last summer I added ice to the bucket w/air stone I was using. Didn't work very good cause no filter but the ice did keep temps 40-50

Here is what I was going to do.
I was going to convert a chest freezer into a bait tank.
An old chest freezer, which I did have, and some silicone sealer to make it water tight.

I watched several videos on using a chest freezer, wished I had a small one great idea for keeping water temps low.

Time to head out, pool trny every Tues at 630, 1st last week won $40.
I'm a "Born in Ind" Redneck and proud of it

Mac Attack

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Those Rubbermaid totes are cheap at Home depot and value.
Cheaper than a fish tank.
And they come with a cover!!!!
Cover keeps the water from evaporating.


Ice will shock them.
Need to be very careful using ice.

Craigslist on the small chest freezer.
You would be surprised.
I tried to give mine away for free to anyone who would take it from my garage.
Not even in the basement inside!!!!!!!!!

taxid

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It's amazing how many fish you can hold in a tank if you have enough mechanical and bio-fitration. This 250 gallon cut down water tank has over 2000 3 to 4 inch brook, brown, tiger, and rainbow/steeelhead in it right now. (The water is not yellow but the camera flash makes it look that way. I have to use flash as the room the tank is in has to be fairly dark.)

I hatched the fish in the same tank with eggs from an egg suppler in Utah.



I will be moving them outside into the floating net pen below once I get it done. I have to put them in the cage until fall to protect them from the larger trout in the pond. This because I only have one pond to produce an annual crop of trout. Will probably have to move them to a larger net pen with larger mesh as they grow. Will release them after we harvest has many of the larger trout as possible in the fall to prevent catching them. They will however be large enough to escape predation at about 11 to 12 inches for the few remaining larger trout.



 
I have two 55 gallon drums of moving plastic media, sieve screen. in a tote, two sock filters, and an up flow sand and gravel filter on this system all DIY. And of course a chiller to keep the water temp cold enough for the trout. My other systems are much simpler but trout need extra clean water and aren't very tolerant of ammonia and nitrites. And unlike other fish they have issues with nitrates too.


 
“The trouble with quotes on the Internet is you never know if they are genuine.” —Abraham Lincoln

Mac Attack

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It's amazing how many fish you can hold in a tank if you have enough mechanical and bio-filtration.

Boom!!

Exactly.
Great advice.

Want to put a lot of fish in a small tank, that's the key.
Fresh water.
Either a constant or frequent fresh supply of water or plenty of filtration.
Or both.

taxid

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Boom!!

Exactly.
Great advice.

Want to put a lot of fish in a small tank, that's the key.
Fresh water.
Either a constant or frequent fresh supply of water or plenty of filtration.
Or both.

Exactly and it's amazing how many people don't understand the need for biofiltation. In the pet trade it's know as new tank syndrome where people throw fish in an aquarium and kill them from ammonia poisoning. I even had a ag teacher I set up a system with, that didn't understand the concept. It was taking forever to get the tank cycled and I finally figured out the problem: the teacher was using chlorinated water!

I have also found if you can keep the biofilters going from year to year, even if there are no fish temporarily, the bacteria matures and is more reliable. Once I plant my tilapia, hybrid crappie, and trout into the outdoor ponds in the spring I keep feeding the biofilters ammonia. 
“The trouble with quotes on the Internet is you never know if they are genuine.” —Abraham Lincoln

Mac Attack

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I have also found if you can keep the biofilters going from year to year, even if there are no fish temporarily, the bacteria matures and is more reliable. Once I plant my tilapia, hybrid crappie, and trout into the outdoor ponds in the spring I keep feeding the biofilters ammonia.



Yup!
At one point, about 20 yrs back, I had over 1000 gallons of saltwater tanks going in my basement.
A lot on one huge filtration system.
I would routinely take a handful of bioballs or gravel from established tanks and put it into a new tank to give the bacteria a jumpstart.

Start your minnow tank slow!!!
Add a dozen minnows and get an ammonia test kit and test the water daily in the first 2-4 weeks.
Watch for an ammonia spike.
Do frequent water changes.
It typically take about 4 weeks to get the bacteria that eats ammonia going.
And another 2-4 to grow the bacteria that consumes the nitrites.
In 6-8 weeks add another dozen.
Then add a dozen each week till you get to where you want to be.
Otherwise you will have them dying on you.
And once you establish the system, keep it running.
If you don't want minnows in it over the summer for fishing, just keep a dozen or so in there to keep the biology running.
Then, in the Fall, start adding them right away, but slowly.
As you add more fish, you will add more ammonia load and the bacteria will multiply accordingly.
But it all takes time.

Have fun.

taxid

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Here's all I use to test water even in large systems. Only cost about 20 to 22 dollars. I've had various meters but hate constantly calibrating meters.


“The trouble with quotes on the Internet is you never know if they are genuine.” —Abraham Lincoln

charlys1954

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Start your minnow tank slow!!!
Add a dozen minnows and get an ammonia test kit and test the water daily in the first 2-4 weeks.
Watch for an ammonia spike.
Do frequent water changes.
It typically take about 4 weeks to get the bacteria that eats ammonia going.
And another 2-4 to grow the bacteria that consumes the nitrites.
In 6-8 weeks add another dozen.
Then add a dozen each week till you get to where you want to be.
Otherwise you will have them dying on you.
And once you establish the system, keep it running.
If you don't want minnows in it over the summer for fishing, just keep a dozen or so in there to keep the biology running.
Then, in the Fall, start adding them right away, but slowly.
As you add more fish, you will add more ammonia load and the bacteria will multiply accordingly.
But it all takes time.



Its been about 3 wks and I've kept track, 7 still alive, used 20 fishing, and 48 died. Didn't think I had that many but looks like 6 dozen. So your info was on point, to many to fast equals allot of dead minnows. So from this point on I just keep a few in there until the death rate slows or stops.

As for keeping the water cold at 35-40 degrees. Its just a small project not gona put allot of $ into it so adding ice is the only method I will have in summer time. When winter gets back the basement temp will drop which will cool the water.
I'm a "Born in Ind" Redneck and proud of it

Mac Attack

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Ice doesn’t work.
Shocks them

Mac Attack

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Ice doesn’t work.
Shocks them
Sorry

taxid

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My trout fingerlings are now out in one of the ponds here until I get the trout pond filled back up after draining. 



The pen out of the water:

“The trouble with quotes on the Internet is you never know if they are genuine.” —Abraham Lincoln

charlys1954

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Updating my minnow bait tank progress. A month ago I bought 2-55gal blue drums for $5 at an auction. I been using minnow traps and put the minnows I catch in the barrels.

At first I only used one but could not see the minnows in the bottom so I cleaned/scrubed the other and painted it white inside, filled it and put the bigger minnows in it and smaller ones in the other(it was not painted). I am thinking I made a mistake painting it, some of the white paint is flaking off. Looks like when I try to catch them I scrap the bottom/sides and it scratches the paint. At first I was not loosing any but here lately I've started loosing a few.  When using the net to catch them I do notice tiny white paint flakes. I've also lost some in the unpainted tank.
I'm a "Born in Ind" Redneck and proud of it

 



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