Need ideas for a minnow cooler

[Iowabucks]

Hey everyone, I have experimented in the past making minnow holding tanks and building pump/filter setups.

But now i'm looking to make one from a large size cooler that will hold about 5 lbs of minnows. My friends and i have been making a yearly crappie fishing trip and have been using an Omaha Steak foam cooler and just been running an aerator and stone. I'm looking to make something from a cooler that runs a pump with some kind of filtration (easily changed) and aeriation.

We usually have good luck keeping the minnows for the 5 days we are fishing. Just the water starts looking like crap even after many water changes. We want something more durable (cooler compared to foam cooler) with filtration and air.

I have seen Bass Pro Shops sell a kit to turn a cooler into a livewell or bait tank. I can't seem to find it right now, but thats the idea i'm getting at. I want to build this myself to keep costs down.

For those of you that have done a project like this, what kind of pump/filtration/tube routing, did you use? Pictures would be great.

[Iowabucks]

I guess i would need a pump inside the cooler that i would run pvc pipe up above the water level, then a 90 degree and extra tubing that would have holes in it for a spraybar.

I am wanting some kind of filtration in this also if possible. I wonder if i could make some replaceable cartridges to go inline before the sprayer bar? I do know from experience if your running some kind of filtration, all is good until you add minnows. After that it doesn't take long at all for the filter media to get plugged up. Thus the reason for me wanting some type of replaceable filter.

Anyone have any ideas on a compact (hopefully inline) filter that is easily replaceable. If nothing else i'm sure i could fill a section of tubing with charcoal, and screens, to help with ammonia.

[river slabs are better]

to hold 5 lbs of minnows effectively, it would need to be huge, in my opinion. especially for 5 days. the biggest you can get the better.

[NeonMoon]

IB, look on the Live Bait Board, down towards the bottom of the 1st page. There's a post called "What's the Best Minnow Bucket" (or something close to that), and on the 3rd or 4th page I posted a pic of my cooler. I used a 12v Bilge Pump and made a PVC Spray Bar. No filtration other than the sponge one on the pump. I've kept minnows in it for up to 5 days, but not the amount you are wanting. You might get by if you changed water daily (use Lake Water, and cool it before adding it to the cooler), but I don't know what else you cold do for filtration.

[Iowabucks]

Thanks for the pics NeonMoon.

Thats pretty much what i want to do other than add some kind of filtration to it. But i'm not sure if a slightly plugged filter will impede the flow of water enough to scrap the idea. I guess i'll just have to give it a try and find out.

[feelay]

I have an igloo "cube" cooler with a pump and spray bar. I keep several #'s in it and dip them out into a bucket as needed. Filtration would be nice but haven't tried that so far. I don't travel far to fish, so I just transfer minnows into a holding tank in my garage at the end of the day.

[NeonMoon]

You're welcome! Changing the water will do the same as a filtration system, only much cheaper (maybe easier?). You could always try it that way, see how you like it, and work on filtration later, if you still feel the need.

[Iowabucks]

In our 5 day trip last week we purchased 4lbs of fatheads (3lbs black, 1lb rosey red) and even after making multiple water changes (30%), and keeping the temps around 60 degrees, the water looked very bad. But we still had minnows after 6 days. Quite a few did die off, but we picked those out every chance we got. It was funny watching the local birds find them and haul them off.

But the thing was after many partial water changes the water still looked terrible. Very cloudy and slimey looking. We have been doing it this way for the last couple years with similar results, so i guess i'm looking to go the beverage cooler route with aeriation, (spray bar) and i would like to try some filtration to get the water looking better. I'm sure it would help with the survival rates too.

[Bluebuster6912]

Spray part of your water into a furnas filter it will collect all the fish poop u will be amazed at how good this works

[NeonMoon]

When I add ice to minnows, it's not in any sort of container (like frozen water bottles), since the melting ice will help add oxygen as it melts/dissolves. You might look at a large aquarium filter. Is this something you're hauling with you, or leaving at home and transporting bait to a local lake? Is power consumption an issue (12v/120v)?

Maybe something like this? I just pulled them from a quick Google search:

Buy.com - Whisper EX45 Aquarium Filter (30-45 Gal)

Eheim Classic Canister Aquarium Filters, Eheim Classic Canister Filter 2213