my minnow tank

[turkeyfootnc]

I just finished my minnow tank project. I have an aerator I have used for a couple of years to transfer fish from one pond to another that runs off a 12V battery. This thing will really pump water and does a good job of keeping fish alive. I finally realized this would work for my tank but I wanted the power source to be AC instead of a battery. I talked to the electrician at work about converting the power source and he suggested a battery charger and it works. So now I have a pump, tank, and a power source now all I need is springtime to come so I can get to a fish hatchery and buy a pound or 2 of fathead minnows and no more stopping at a bait shop and spending all that time and money and risk being shorted on minnows.

[IMG][/IMG]
[IMG][/IMG]
[IMG][/IMG]

[CrappiePappy]

I hope you aren't going to use a 5gal bucket to "store" your 1-2lbs of minnows in ... well, not unless you plan on changing their water every day. The cool/oxygenated water that your pumping device will provide, will probably be enough to keep them alive, temporarily ... but, their waste deposits will foul the water up, real quick ... and they'll start to die off. You might be better off with a 25gal (or larger) "tank" ... and using the suction cups to hold the pump onto the sides, and making a L joint in the T bar sprayer (so the spray bar will be out of the water).

I had one of those same pumps in my last boat ... I used it as an aerator. It was a strong circulator of water, and the spray pressure was strong enough to nearly beat minnows/shad/fish to death, in the shallow water of my livewell. I see by your picture, that it looks as though the extra height the water travels, is enough to diminish that force somewhat. I don't know what effect another couple of feet of height, of your T bar, would have on the spray/flow of water. That's why I suggested attaching the pump to the side of the larger tank, and use a pvc elbow to bring the T bar above the surface (of the deeper water level). You might get away with transporting a pound or two of minnows, in a 5gal bucket, with an air pump attached ... but, I wouldn't want to transport them far, or for very long. Nor would I want to try and keep them in one, for very long, either.
It may be just me, but IMHO ... 4gal of water just doesn't seem enough for several hundred minnows.
Have you thought about how you're going to "refrigerate" them, during the warmer days of the year ?? ... cp

[Moonshine]

That doesn't look like a 5 gallon bucket he is using as a container. Looks more like a food grade 15 or 30 gallon container like liquid malt extract is sold in. Easy way for water changes would be to add a $2 yard faucett (like on a water heater) to the side of the container in the lowest 3 or 4 inches. Place screen over the portion of the valve inside the tank. Screw on a garden hose to the valve and drain to wherever needed then refill. Occasionally vaccuum the bottom of the tank with a syphon hose.

[turkeyfootnc]

I hope you aren't going to use a 5gal bucket to "store" your 1-2lbs of minnows in ... well, not unless you plan on changing their water every day. The cool/oxygenated water that your pumping device will provide, will probably be enough to keep them alive, temporarily ... but, their waste deposits will foul the water up, real quick ... and they'll start to die off. You might be better off with a 25gal (or larger) "tank" ... and using the suction cups to hold the pump onto the sides, and making a L joint in the T bar sprayer (so the spray bar will be out of the water).

I had one of those same pumps in my last boat ... I used it as an aerator. It was a strong circulator of water, and the spray pressure was strong enough to nearly beat minnows/shad/fish to death, in the shallow water of my livewell. I see by your picture, that it looks as though the extra height the water travels, is enough to diminish that force somewhat. I don't know what effect another couple of feet of height, of your T bar, would have on the spray/flow of water. That's why I suggested attaching the pump to the side of the larger tank, and use a pvc elbow to bring the T bar above the surface (of the deeper water level). You might get away with transporting a pound or two of minnows, in a 5gal bucket, with an air pump attached ... but, I wouldn't want to transport them far, or for very long. Nor would I want to try and keep them in one, for very long, either.
It may be just me, but IMHO ... 4gal of water just doesn't seem enough for several hundred minnows.
Have you thought about how you're going to "refrigerate" them, during the warmer days of the year ?? ... cp

This is a 30 gallon drum. I plan on using a frozen 2 liter bottles of water to cool the water. What I plan to do is just before we leave for the pond/lake, I'll scoop up a couple dozen minnows into a small container. When I took this picture I was testing the unit. I will add lots of water when I'm ready.

[CrappieHound]

Where is it you get your minnows. I must not be in the know about other sources on minnows. I just figured you either bought them at the local bait store or netted them yourself.

Tank looks good by the way...gives me all kinds of ideas.

[tnjeff]

Where is it you get your minnows. I must not be in the know about other sources on minnows. I just figured you either bought them at the local bait store or netted them yourself.

Tank looks good by the way...gives me all kinds of ideas.

Hey crappiehound,
Over here which is wayne county,There are fish stocking trucks that come to our local co-op about once a month,I buy fathead minnows by the pound from them,can't remeber the price from last year,but I belive i pay about 16.00 for 5 pounds.I know feb 15 that's went they will be here agian.

[tnjeff]

I had a tank like that last year,work fine for me,never had no trouble keeping minnows alive,but I only keep minnow's in my from feb. till about june,never have try keeping them in the summer went it real hot.This year I'm trying something new,and a little bigger:D



It's an old chest type deep-freeze,with one of those pump's you use in a yard pond.

[DENNIS BOWERS]

Good Lookin Tank!!

[E fan]

Okay I'm new to this keeping minnows alive but just what do you feed them while in captivity? I can get as many fat head minnows as I need for $2 a poundhere in White County Arkansas:D

[turkeyfootnc]

Where is it you get your minnows. I must not be in the know about other sources on minnows. I just figured you either bought them at the local bait store or netted them yourself.

Tank looks good by the way...gives me all kinds of ideas.

Check with a local agriculture cooperative agent or someone along that line for fish hatcheries in your area. Fathead minnows are just food fish for bass, crappie, and/or catfish. These minnows are the same ones you buy at a bait shop. Generally, when you build a new pond, you stock bream with the minnows and a year or so later stock bass/catfish. The fatheads simply take the pressure off the desired bream, bass, etc. From time to time, I will buy a couple of pounds of minnows for my pond. On the average, you can buy fatheads for around $10 per pound and you get around 300 minnows per pound. You can buy 8-10 dozen minnows at a bait shop depending where you go for around $10.