# Minnow Saver Money Saver



## tbone2374 (Feb 27, 2010)

*So, how many times have you been fishing, and had a dozen or so minnows, leftover. This requires excellent aeriation and water flow, as well as a small filter. I've kept dozens of minnows alive for weeks, with this. In fact, some of you may remember that huge perch, I caught a while back. He's in there, and munching a few of those minnows!. I buy an additive, @ BPS, that helps handle the ammonia, as well as feeds. This is a temporary tank(cooler) as I have a 175 gal. livestock water tank, for a permanent system. *`


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## wshniwasfshn (Oct 14, 2010)

Thats a heck of a setup there tbone. I imagine the goal is to stock up on bait and keep alive for those days when the bait seems to be impossible to find...?


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## tbone2374 (Feb 27, 2010)

*Really just more for convenience ... Like most bait shops around Conroe don't open 'til 6:00 am. Even worse on North side Livingston (Kickapoo) those rascals, don't open 'til 9:00. I've done a half a days fishing, by then!*


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## Lonestar Proud (Oct 26, 2010)

I was gonna ask you to post up some pictures of your minner tank......guess you were reading my mind tbone!

-LP


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## megafish (Mar 5, 2007)

My oxygen response system will keep them alive for a couple of weeks at a one time fee of 1 hundred dollars, with the benefit of making live shrimp and croakers act like they been hit with steroids!


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## Sunbeam (Feb 24, 2009)

BBJim & I have two chest type freezers that we use. They are about 14 Cu Ft.
Easy enough to block any drain hole so they hold water. They keep minnows at a constant night time temperature when the lids are closed during the day.
We use 110 vac aquarium bubbler that seem to do find. 
Each freezer will hold about two pounds of minnows all winter. 
We get the blue water treatment from Oakhurst Bait when we buy minnows.
It is easy to change water by draining them down with a siphon hose even with minnows inside.
We got ours from the county dump by just asking the fellow there to save them for us.
One mess of catfish got us about a dozen before we got him stopped.
Most used appliance dealers have old ones that they will part with very cheap if not free.


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## FISHROADIE (Apr 2, 2010)

tbone2374 said:


> *Really just more for convenience ... Like most bait shops around Conroe don't open 'til 6:00 am. Even worse on North side Livingston (Kickapoo) those rascals, don't open 'til 9:00. I've done a half a days fishing, by then!*


Hey T bone thats one nice bait bucket. The Valero station on 105 is open 24 hours they sell minnows, and they sell large and small, the large ones work good on the hybrids.


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## Jeff G (May 18, 2010)

Nice set up tbone . What sort of aeration pump are using ? Is it a bilge pump type ? Do you have pics of your 175 gallon set up here on the site? I have been trying to figure out something to rig up over at my place for bream and then also rigging up a cooler with an o 2 tank or aeration system to transport them .


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## Lonestar Proud (Oct 26, 2010)

Sunbeam's set up sounds like a dandy one too!


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## Meadowlark (Jul 19, 2008)

******** points*



Sunbeam said:


> BBJim & I have two chest type freezers that we use. They are about 14 Cu Ft.
> ....


Good system Sunbeam....and deserving of ******* points but check out my ******* system.

Its an old hot tub. I use it primarily for overwintering Tilapia and carry about 30 to 35 pounds of fish over each winter to be released in spring into the ponds to make tons of forage for LMB. I use the features of the hot tub to manage the system including a 15% water change every week . It has been successful for me for several years now, saving me a lot of money and providing a very interesting hobby.

Keeps the Tilapia cozy in winter. In summer sometimes I use the same system with some small tubing running through an old small refrig. to provide a little cooling for shiners. Doesn't take much.

A lot of hot tubs are available...sometimes you can get them free just to haul them off. By the way, I'm told Tilapia make great catfish cut bait also.


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## tbone2374 (Feb 27, 2010)

Jeff G said:


> Nice set up tbone . What sort of aeration pump are using ? Is it a bilge pump type ? Do you have pics of your 175 gallon set up here on the site? I have been trying to figure out something to rig up over at my place for bream and then also rigging up a cooler with an o 2 tank or aeration system to transport them .


 ******* Yeah, it's a 750 GPM bilge, with a filter so the minnow don't get sucked in. Haven't finished the other one yet! Also another pump just for aeriation and water flow. It's a pond pump. tb


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## Whitebassfisher (May 4, 2007)

Admit it guys, isn't part of the reason for it just to be able to look at them swim around? LOL


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## slabnabbin (May 25, 2010)

i'm gonna have to give this a try.


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## tbone2374 (Feb 27, 2010)

*Thanks Sunbeam!*



Sunbeam said:


> BBJim & I have two chest type freezers that we use. They are about 14 Cu Ft.
> Easy enough to block any drain hole so they hold water. They keep minnows at a constant night time temperature when the lids are closed during the day.
> We use 110 vac aquarium bubbler that seem to do find.
> Each freezer will hold about two pounds of minnows all winter.
> ...


 ************* Thanks Sunbeam, you gave me a great idea ! Redid my Minnow tank, and am putting a 30 gallon biofilter on it tommorrow, so I don't have to change water at all! I'll just clean the filter. Found a place in Magnolia, where I can buy the minnows by the pound ... makes a big difference in price!


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## Meadowlark (Jul 19, 2008)

tbone2374 said:


> ************* ..., so I don't have to change water at all!


Depending on how long at a time you keep minnows, without some % water change, you may want to check for nitrites and nitrates (amonia build-up).


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## tbone2374 (Feb 27, 2010)

Well, didn't really mean at all ... how about minimal change of water?


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## Meadowlark (Jul 19, 2008)

It depends on the loading, of course, but to be safe, you need at least 15% per week. If in doubt, do more...water is much cheaper than dead fish.


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