Which is best idea for keeping minnows

[Buffresmgnt]

Trying to develop a cheap way to keep minnows in my garage so here are the two ideas for keeping about a phone of minnows:
1) use a 35 gallon plastic barrel with a pump inserted in the side. This would circulate the water through an under the sink water filter system back into the barrel. Would probably need bubble box for oxygen? as well. Change 10-20 % of water every week.

Or 2) I have access to a 55 gal aquarium with pump and filter.

The temp in my inground garage runs about 60-70 degrees in the summer.
Any thoughts on which system might be best?

The local bait shop has weird hours and by the time I get there, buy bait and get to the fishing spot its' always at least 10-10:30 am too hot in Missouri summer.

Thanks

[DockShootinJack]

Sounds like either would work fine. In my experience temp is the killer of minnows. As long as you can keep the temps down you should be fine. I can keep them in winter but it gets to hot for them to survive much past late spring.

[Sovran]

The aquarium will be easier to use and oxygenate but either is fine. You can skip the bubbler. Just drop the return water from above so it splashes a bit. Almost all gas exchange is done at the surface, bubbles dont have enough contact time to oxygenate the water. Disturbing the water water surface does 2 things. Increases surface area for greater gas exchange, and circulates the O2 saturated surface layer allowing depleted water to the surface.

[wicklundrh]

Just a thought, but a couple guys have converted an older freezer (thread is someplace on here).

I would think that I good old fashioned heavy duty "Igloo" style cooler might work good. They are insulated so might be a little better at keeping the water a little cooler and holding that temperature.

["D"]

Looks like you could combine some of the ideas. I like the cooler or aquarium better than the plastic barrel. Good luck and do you want me to change the word phone to pound? "D"

[schambachjohn]

I have a old deep freeze that I use in my garage. I have a bilge pump, pumping from the bottom and splash it back in, also have 2 bubblers. No filter. I drilled a hole through the bottom corner and put a 1/2 ball valve in so I can keep changing water once a week. Usually drain 20% then fill it back up. I'm also on a well so I don't have to add chemicals and such.

[schambachjohn]

I would like to find a deep freeze that the pump is good on still so I can wire a thermostat in and keep my water cool even through the hot summer days.

[hawgdog]

http://cgproducts.johnsoncontrols.co...PDF/125188.PDF

I would like to find a deep freeze that the pump is good on still so I can wire a thermostat in and keep my water cool even through the hot summer days.

[predator_caller]

I have used an old refrigerator and it worked amazing. Took the racks out and drilled a couple small holes in the sidewall. Found a plastic barrel that fit inside it and cut it down so it held about 20 gallons of water. Ran an intake hose ( 1/4" plastic tubing ) in one hole, that was up toward the top of the fridge. this one would stream water from the outside spicket at a slow rate. a simple inline valve was no problem. This i attached to the inside top of the fridge and let the water fall into the barrel. Which drove small bubbles into the water as it did. The second line was just a drain line coming out of the barrel. This one was a bit bigger and had a screen at the waterline inside the barrel. It ran outside the garage and out onto the ground. Fiddled around with it for about a day and made sure it cycled good and then plugged the fridge back in and turned it onto the colder setting. If it turned the water off it would actually freeze the water at the top.
Now i had to test it. biggest thing to remember is to acclimate the minnows from the water they are in to the cold water. If i knew it would be a week or two before i was gonna fish again, i would just unplug the fridge before i put minnows in the water. Basically going from room temp. Put my minnows in and plug it back in and let it get cold. Within a day and a half the water was cycling and about 36-42 degrees. When i needed some for bait, i would just get a pail of that water and put the bait i needed for the day, right in it and head to the lake. It worked great. i had the same minnows in there for almost two months at one time. all alive and healthy.
The very cold water slows down their metabolism so they don't excrete as much acid into the water. which is what kills them the most. that and they use a lot less oxygen.
try taking a bucket of minnows and a bunch of water... bury it in a snow drift with the lid on. It can be -10 outside for a long time. go out and break the ice off the top. your minnows will be fine. swimming slow but good and healthy.

I hope this helps.

[cwright]

I am picking up 4 lbs of shiners today. I took an old 125 gallon aquarium I had in the basement with a few cichlids in it and am going to use it. I am getting large and crappie size for striper and crappie fishing. I got tired of paying $6.50 a dozen for the large and throwing them out at the end of the trip. I have a hob filter that drops water into the tank and turned off the heater so it should stay about 65 degrees. Any tips on how much to feed and change water etc. I have a bunch of flake fish food and guess that will be fine.