Looking for large minnow storage

[Buckrub]

This has been in the back of my mind for some time. I am finally back in the 'fishing business' on weekends. I spend 2/3 of the year fishing on Saturdays for crappie. I have tried my dangdest and can't get the hang of catching them on jigs, so I admit I'm a minner drowner. Besides, there is something therapeutic about watching and reading a slip cork.

The sources for minnows are drying up. Plus, they're getting awfully expensive. Plus, it's a pain to have to add 3/4 of an hour to an early morning trip just to stop and get in line to get minnows.

So, I'd like to get a large, commercial sized (but small) minnow storage system for my garage. It would have to keep minnows alive and healthy for at least a week, hopefully longer. The garage is not cooled. I have the floor space about equivalent to an old office desk that I'm going to get rid of.

I can imagine bringing in a water hose to fill it up, but my main concern is drainage. Not sure what a full tank would weigh, or if it would be feasible to put it on some kind of rolling device so I could get it to the driveway to drain it.........

I've found the ones at Cabela's, but the descriptions leave much to the imagination.

Does anyone know of other sources? Or have any ideas for me? Is this even feasible???

[ShilohRed]

I have a Rubber stock tank. 100+ gallons. Sitting out side the basement here.
If you do not feel the minnows I do not have to change out the water. And use a pond pump from Wal-mart hooked to a home made spray bar. Bar is 1/2" PVC with slits cut into it with a band saw.
Works great and can keep a few pound in it without any problems. Also replace the drain plug with a valve. Just open it and let the water drain out.
Keep a 55 gallon barrel of water that has been sitting for a day or so to refill it with. The minnows do not like city water.
PEte

[SteveJ]

How about an old chest type freezer, most have a bottom drain. I have a minnow fishing friend that has a camp on the river and that's what he uses.

[Buckrub]

Good ideas.

My preferred place for storage is in middle of garage, not near an outside door. I can't just open a drain and let 30-100 gallons of water out in the middle of the garage. That's my main issue.

[fishfinder8]

Put some type of hose barb or a hose bib on you tank. Then hook up your hose when it's time to drain it.

[beagle man]

55 gallon barrels work great. you can put a drain plug in the bottom couple inches up from the bottom. or a small bilge pump in the tank then just hook up the battery charger and boom tank pump... I keep minnows for my fishing partner,and they last for weeks. and they are in the garage. If you go with the bilge pump get some screen wire so the minnows wont get sucked into the bilge pump... or aireator pump.. both work well. good luck

[tnhooker]

I use a large cooler, the type you see in marine catalogs. I have an air pump for an aquarium bought at Wally World. The pump has two outlets and I run two air stones. Coolers are good because of the insulation and the one I use has handles as well as a drain. Currently I have about 20 gal. of water in there.

[gabowman]

Whatever tank you go with replace the drain (or make one) using a water faucet. All you'll have to do is attach a water hose when you drain some water.

[Jerry Blake]

A large ice chest is probably the easiest way to go (like already mentioned). Keeping the water temperature between 60 and 65, providing aeration, changing out part of the water (without Chlorine) as needed and not feeding them (also already mentioned) are the keys to keeping minnows alive and healthy.

Keeping the minnows at a consistent, cool temperature is probably the highest priority. You can keep several hundred minnows in 10-gallons of water if you keep them happy. Cooler water holds more oxygen and the minnows need less oxygen when they are cooler. You can keep the water cool by freezing water in drink bottles - the heavier ones like Gatorade comes in - and then put a bottle or two in with the minnows every day or two as needed to maintain the water temp. The water in the bottles will slowly thaw out as it keeps the water in the ice chest cool. You don't want to dump a bunch of ice in all at once that cools the water down too fast, which will shock and stress the minnows (and puts Chlorine in the water if you're on municipal water).

An outdoor, aquarium or pool thermometer is a must to check the water temp. You can't go by feel, which is always relative to the air temperature your hands have been in. The trick on freezing the bottles is to not fill them all the way full and then squeeze the air out as you tighten the lid. That will give the water room to expand when it freezes without rupturing your bottles. You also don't want to use too large of bottles. Several 16 to 20-ounce bottles are better so you can add just what is needed.

After a few days of regular monitoring you'll know how much you need to add and how often. You'll need several bottles so you can have some in your freezer and some in your minnow tank. You can use the same system on a smaller scale to keep your minnows cool while you're fishing with an insulated minnow bucket, a bubbler that runs on batteries and small bottles of ice or a few ice cubes at a time. Then the minnows you have left over from your trip will be in good shape and can go back in your minnow holding tank.

You don't really need a drain. Just dip out about half the water with a bucket and replace it with fresh water. As was already mentioned, if you're on city water, have a supply of water sitting out in an open container for about 24-hours so the Chlorine can dissipate before you use it. Of course you'll want to cool the water you are going to add before dumping it in.

A big aquarium air pump with air stones will do the job of aeration unless you plan on keeping several pounds of minnows. If you use a circulating pump like a fountain pump with a spray system you'll want a small one. Too much agitation can wear the minnows out and cause them to use more oxygen fighting the current and too big of a motor can heat your water up.

[BamaMan]

Jerry Blake

good post I may just give minnows a try now.

Thanks
BamaMan