My New Minnow Tank

[big minnow]

We are fortunate that He only works about 20 minutes away from Anderson's Minnow Farm in Lonoke AR. We have to buy the minimum 6 lb order but we can go by and pick them up directly and they will let you mix them up. Example, 2 lbs Rosey Reds, 2 lbs #6's, and 2 lbs of #8's (my favorite). The great part is that these minnows are right out of the ponds and on 100% oxygen and only cost about 4 bucks a pound!

4 bucks a pound I pay $3.99 for a dozen small minnows. And the bait shops here count every minnow they put in your bucket! So i have a old 30 gal. fish tank in the garage so at least i can save what i don't use.

[Andy1270]

Update on progress....

The latest revision for the intake has been working very well for a couple of weeks now. This is the best working design of everything I've tried. It's simply a 3 ft 1inch PVC pipe that is capped on the end. I drilled several holes for the water to come in all around (and to prevent poor minnows from getting sucked to the pipe). I'd highly recommend this strategy for the intake. See picture below.



Very important....I do water changes of about 15 gallons every week. (3 - five-gallon buckets) I also frequently check for any dead minnows and remove them promptly to keep the water clear and healthy.

Here's a picture of a nice crappie I recently caught using my own minnows kept at home:


I'm now going to move on the collecting and keeping nightcrawlers. My son caught 50+ last night and we are keeping them in worm bedding in a fridge. Who knows, maybe I'll even try keeping crickets over the summer too! There's nothing like having your own bait available.

[slabbandit]

What type of aerator are you using with the stone? We we're thinking of trying pure oxygen. Initial set-up is fairly expensive but your bait will act like they are on steroids! We plan on using several pounds a week.
Thanks,
Dave

[kbaker]

Man that's real cool.Nice job.

[Andy1270]

What type of aerator are you using with the stone? We we're thinking of trying pure oxygen. Initial set-up is fairly expensive but your bait will act like they are on steroids! We plan on using several pounds a week.
Thanks,
Dave

I use just a simple aquarium aerator rated for 55 gallons and a flexible line to a weighted air stone. To get it into the tank (freezer), I carefully drilled a small hole and connected a miniature bulkhead fitting with barb connectors on both sides for the air line.

I'd be interested to learn more about your pure oxygen idea. Let me know what you are looking into for products, etc.

I hope this helps!

[Stark]

I hope this helps!

Can you give us an update? Did you stop keeping minnows or is this tank still working good?

[Andy1270]

I kept minnows successfully all the way up through late Fall when I used the last of them. The tank worked great and maintained perfect temperature. I will be starting it up again in early March for the Spring crappie season.

I am planning on 2 slight improvements to the system:

• Replace the filter hoses with ones that won't kink at all.
• I'd also like to install 2 shutoff valves for ease of periodic changing of the filter/carbon.

I'll be sure to post pictures when I get these improvements in place and share how it works.

[bassgas]

Looks great good luck with it

[Bytizawn]

Saw this post about making a minnow tank. That is a great way to keep minnows and a good way to recycle old freezers too!
I used to have a sporting goods store and sold minnows,,..years ago, and used two freezers. different size of minnows, needed more room, so two freezers.
The one thing was oxygen, and the others were water temp, and food, and the cleaning, once a week of both of my tanks. It worked, it was inside, and temp controlled, and it served it's purpose for the few years I had a store. I have since had, many years now, of keeping minnows, for it was cheaper on me if bought by the pound instead of by the dozen. I don't keep them now, nor do I still have them. I don't want to mess with the cleaning of the big tanks, because I can't do it now, too crippled up and lazy, and anyway, I like to talk about the bite when I'm buying them nowadays,,... but,,.. for the last few years, when I did keep them, I used two old "mineral tubs", like they put out in the fields for cattle. They are about 25 gallons, and plastic, and these are blue. Sorry no pics!
I like this set up, for me anyway, better than a freezer only because I am old and stove up, and it was easier to drain the 25 gallons of water out to clean them once a week or so.
I came down from the top of the rim about 2 inches and drilled three small holes, one inch apart, to act as a drain out of the top as I kept a continuing small amount of running water on them especially when it began to get hot. I used the smallest air pump, that is used in a small aquarium, wlmrt had, and put one in each tub attached to bubble stones, and kept them on 24/7. I found that when the temps got hot, about the 15th of June or so, that it just wasn't feasible to keep it going for the temps made the water too hot for the minnows to stay alive.
I fed them, daily, small amount, of regular gold fish flakes from wlmrt, just the cheap stuff was OK, but if they don't eat it all, it begins to dirty up the water and that means it has to be cleaned or they will begin to die. Don't know why, just do. Had to put water in a bucket, for the minnows from the tank, while keeping air on. Pretty simple for me after the many years of keeping them, air,water temp, food, and cleanliness. I kept them in the basement for a few years for it helps to have it air conditioned temps so they stay cool enough. Yeah city water takes an additive to deal with the chlorine.
I live out in the country and have my own private well water. Oh well,,... had time to give so,,...
If you could rig it like Andy did to help control the water temp, then you got allot of the battle won. His is a great idea!
Too hot, they die for sure. Great reading about this minnow tank. Thanks for the information about it! One must have several dozen good minnows to use,,... when the "bite is on", at least for me.
Have a great day!

[kyjohn]

That is too cool Andy! Great idea and great job!