# Shrimp dying in the live well



## Brian214 (May 16, 2007)

Recently when it has warmed up I have noticed that many of my live shrimp are dying quickly in my live well. I am guessing this is because the water in my live well is heating up and can't hold enough oxygen. My live well circulates fine and has consistent flow but I wonder if the shrimp are shocked from the time I buy them and put then in my well to the time I get my boat in the water. This can be up to 30 mins without circulation.

How do you keep yours alive? Do you ice them down? If so, how?

Help is appreciated

Bent Poles
Brian


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## Texxan1 (Dec 31, 2004)

Ice will work, or another means of aeration... Oxygen works quite well, but heat is still an issue from time to time..

Non circulation for 30 minutes in this heat will definately kill a major portion of your bait

Thomas


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## Texxan1 (Dec 31, 2004)

The best way to ice them, is to fill a 2liter bottle full of water and freeze it.. Carry it with you in your cooler and just drop it in the livewell.. The main issue you have with icing bait, is that once you hook it and throw it in the water to fish with, alot of times this will shock them as well .


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## SP (Sep 28, 2006)

I keep them alive all day in a cool bubbles (insulated)bucket w/ D cell aerator on a kayak. They need insulation from the heat. You can get one at academy for $40. I would try the ice first, and maybe clean out your live well and give it a try.

SP


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## haparks (Apr 12, 2006)

u need o2 also and what texan said--


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## triple f (Aug 23, 2005)

Texxan makes a good point about the 2 liter bottle. You don't wanna just throw a handful of ice in the livewell because of the chemicals that the water is treated with before freezing. It may not be as much of an issue with a raw-water recirculating system, but then you wouldn't be able to haul enough ice with you to keep a constant supply of raw water cooled down. With a non-recirculating system, the pump will eventually heat the water up a little, and when coupled with the already rather steamy conditions that we have right now, enclosed ice containers will help you out.


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## tec (Jul 20, 2007)

*Me too*

I had a lot of my shrimp die last Friday in a bait well that seldom has much die off even in hot weather. I assumed it was low salt content around the Eagle Point area due to fresh water from rain up north. The bait croaker did not die.


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## windjammer (May 22, 2004)

I rigged a traveling aerator system for my livewell. I had a little Rule 450 GPH bilge pump that I hooked a short piece of tubing and a short section of 3/4 pvc pipe to. I made the pump leads long enough to go to my battery compartment and put alligator clips on the wire ends. I toss it in the livewell when I get my bait and then take it out once I get in the water. The tip about the ice in the livewell helps keep the heat from the pump from killing your bait. windjammer


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## Captain Dave (Jul 19, 2006)

3rd this option. After a day on the water of 87 plus degrees the shrimp start to cook. I add the 2 lt ice bottle after a few hours in the am if I use em shrimp.. They will look they they were cooked if you dont..



Texxan1 said:


> The best way to ice them, is to fill a 2liter bottle full of water and freeze it.. Carry it with you in your cooler and just drop it in the livewell.. The main issue you have with icing bait, is that once you hook it and throw it in the water to fish with, alot of times this will shock them as well .


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## wading_fool (May 3, 2005)

Give them something to cling to, I use a piece of net in my livewell that I keep shrimp in, had a old man tell me about it last year shrimp stay alive alot longer now. Also use the ice to keep the water temps down


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## boashna (May 28, 2004)

heat is an issue ,most of mine died in b4 8am


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## DannyMac (May 22, 2004)

I glue'd some indoor/outdoor carpet to the bottom and sides of an ice chest, we freeze up some 20oz. bottles of water and use them one at a time. We cool the water asap and change the bait well water after leaving the bait camp and cool it down again asap. 20oz. bottles get the water cool but not cold, stick them back in the ice chest and drink them later. Also, we use small nets to remove the shrimp, never sticking our hands in the water. Sun screen residue in the bait well water is the kiss of death for shrimpi's.


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## Terry G. (Jul 17, 2006)

the kling thing and the sunscreen are things to take care of "also" washing your hand with soap or cleaner is a nother killer.
had an old shrimper tell me about it, use burlap, cool water, small hand dip net for retriving shrimps.

some thing else ya can do is take some alumin foil so when the shrimp die lay them out and let the sun cook em and have some dipping sauce handy, heheh


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## Hullahopper (May 24, 2004)

*Maintaining The Aquarium*

I use an old standard size ice chest with a plug on the bottom as my primary live bait bucket filled about 1/2 to 2/3rds full of water. What works for me is freezing 4 16 oz plastic soda bottles and using them one at a time, alternating them about every couple of hours depending on the temperature. The oxygen content in 80 degree water is substantly better and if you cool them down too much they go into shock when they hit the 90 degree bay or surf water. I also cut a small plastic screen and put it in my live well which gives the shrimp a place to grab ahold of and rest. Also helps alot if you replace the water every 3 or 4 hours.


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## Redfishon (Nov 10, 2005)

Put a green plastic 1/4 inch mess screen in the live well.. The bait might be swimming itself to death.. Shrimp hang on to grass and stuff the have nothing in the live well to hold on too..


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## jabx1962 (Nov 9, 2004)

For Shrimp..

Get some sawdust, and newspaper. Cover the shrimp in sawdust and fold the shrimp in the newspaper. Store the paper in a cool place.

Otherwise...anything other that Pure 02 is Zippedydoodah...


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## Brian214 (May 16, 2007)

*Shrimp abuse - Croaker and shrimp together in the live well?*

You guys are awesome, what a great response to this thread.

I never thought the little shrimps were getting a work out swimming in my live well. They probably died from little shrimp attacks. I feel horrible =(

Ok, I have my ice bottles for cooling and the screen for resting. Now another question:

Do you or can you keep croaker in the same live well as live shrimp?


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## DannyMac (May 22, 2004)

We have used the same bait well, but don't mix shrimp and croaker in the same well. I really prefer to put the croaker into a round insultated garbage can type container that a buddy of mine gave me. I don't use the sprayer type aerator with croaker but a bubble type. We do cool the water down somewhat and change it 3-4 times during a trip. Same situation, use a small dip net rather than sticking our hands in the tank.


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## rf1970 (Jun 6, 2006)

The net trick works and if it is a small live well, freeze a small water bottle and put that in there. If one is to keep them over night, the water needs to be changed out at least twice unless you want to fish with a bunch of dead the next day.


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## trout250 (Aug 24, 2005)

If you don't want to freeze bottles get yourself some balloons and freeze them on a flat pan, screen or burlap on sides, watch about buying your bait and then going into an area that water is fresh on top especially if you use a recirculating pump on your boat, most bait dealers will pump thier baitwell water of the bottom and it is saltier. an oxygen system helps but keeping the water cool is the main object just cool down gradually once the water gets cool, the shrimp shells will get harder if left in the cooler water. If you use a submerssible pump they will cause the water to heat up.


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## 1hunglower (Sep 2, 2004)

Here lately with the freshwater on top may have been a problem. The bait docks suck water off the bottom which has a higher salt content than the lighter fresh water, we bought shrimp and crokers the last couple of weekends and did not circulate, we just filled up at the livewells from the dock just aereated the water, lost 3-4 shrimp each time. We fished for 7-8 hours each time.


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## Hotrod (Oct 11, 2006)

What about those Shrinp buddy tabs, do those work. Everytime I mix croakers and shrimp, the croakers kill the shrimp.


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## budda (Jan 15, 2006)

you got plenty good advice ,net in well, ice in bottle ,but the biggest problem is fresh water,that has killed a lot of shrimp for me.


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## TxHook'Em (May 22, 2006)

Question, I have read where you can use "burlap" or a "piece of net", for the shrimp to cling on, how do you place them inside your well. Do you place it on the bottom of the well or side of the well? I too thank you for this great piece of info, I would have never known about the klinging thing but it makes since now. I have noticed when I have put my aereator in my cooler that lots of shrimp get tangled in the pump and die. But now I see that placing the material will help them cling.........great idea........but where? Thank you in advance!!!


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## TxHook'Em (May 22, 2006)

Can someone please tell me where the piece of net or burlap is placed in their wells. I am assuming that hey are placed on the floor of the wells. Your help and advice will be appreciated.


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## pescador1 (Aug 12, 2005)

*Ice and O2*

The ability of water to hold oxygen is directly related to temperature. Have you tried the wet sawdust system?


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## fish_eater (Jul 11, 2007)

This is my 2 cents. I learn from others. 1. Carry a bucket with a battery operated bubbles before you reach the ramp. Always remove the dead shrimp and leave the fresh shrimp in the live well. I purchase a battery operated bubbles and run it for 8 hours. Some water is muddy and the oxygen level is low. Good luck


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## selder (May 3, 2007)

i agree with wadin fool. also if you change their water temp by more than 10 degrees in less than an hour they'll die. if the water you got from the bait stand was in poor condition but heavily aerated, once you put them in your live well without aeration, they were kind of bound to die. i carry a thermometer to check the baitstand's water temp and the surface water temp i will be exchanging the baitcamp's water with. i've had very good luck with the burgess aerator $40 academy.good luck


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