Bait tank modifications and issues.

[blanx]

I recently purchased a bakers bank tank system. I know they are no longer sold. The thing is solid. I put well water in it last night and it's just as cold today as it was last night 16 hours later.

The thank has 1 500gph rule pump mounted halfway up the back wall. It's connected to a tube that goes to a filter box. It tees off to 2 elbows. Then drains back into the tank thru several small holes in the bottom of the filter box.

The tubing was the old corrugated bilge pipe it was cracked. I tried to replace it but found the the location of the pump was off set by several inches compared to the filter box. The clear tubing from lowes kinked. Originally the pumps output was sideways. I tried vertical and it still kinks. I ended up having to hang the pump to eliminate the kink.

There is not a seperate area for the pumps and bait. I also added a 400gph livewell pump from an old cooler system to try to get circulation at the bottom and get the current to swirl the water around.

I purchased aquarium filter fiber and sponges and activated charcoal and filter socks. It fills the filter box up. I washed the inside out will well water.

I had better bait and g-juice and salt. I purchased 1/2 jumbo and 2 dozen extra large minnows. And a cup of salt. After getting the tank running I added 25 gallons of water. Better bait and g-juice. After 5 hours half of the bait was dead. Again the water was cold. I don't know if the previous owner used chemicals and I didn't rinse it good enough. I thought I did.

The filter collected a good bit of junk from the tank.


So my question is what did I do wrong?

Should I not use salt with minnows? My plan is to net bluebacks so I know I need salt for them.

I found the dead fish would get sucked up to the pumps baskets.

I feel like a second compartment would prevent this. I'm sure sucking a fish up like that ruins the water faster. Could I get plexy cut the edges on a 45 then heat it and bend it to a curve? Silicon it to seperate the pumps? If I do this should I cut groves into the bottom of the plexi to slow the water to flow between the 2 chambers?

I feel like the filter pump should be on the bottom to better suck up any debri. I also think adding a venturi would help. The 2nd pump didn't not create the flow I thought.

Any ideas on this modification?

Thanks in advance.

[herringbone]

Last paragraph nailed it, yes, Venturi is a must when circulating water. Also, check/clean filters often. The dead bait you mention will create bad bacteria that you are just recirculating back into the system.

[johnr]

Salting minnow tank water kills them. Have made this mistake a couple times.

[johnr]

Also, don’t use silicone in the tank. That will kill all bait forever.

[blanx]

May 28, 2023 11:27:23 GMT -5 johnr said:

Also, don’t use silicone in the tank. That will kill all bait forever.

Really it's in aquariums so I figured it was safe

[blanx]

So it was the salt after a 50% water change I had minnows for 3 days. Anyone else have experience with silicon?

[mississipi]

I have used silicon numerous times in homemade bait tanks without issue. Silicon does give off a nasty smell for a while so it might be good to let it cure for while. Don't think you need that swirling motion you mentioned, especially for shiners. Shiners need cool water more than anything else and more or bigger pumps add heat. I think the swirling or circurler motion even on shad is overrated. Too much, I think stresses the shad. I have an older Super Bait Tank, 30 gal with the spray down system, 0 circurler motion. I have a fairly new Creek Bank that has an oxygen diffuser with some circurler motion. Both tanks have a single 360 rule pump. Both tanks do a good job but overall I think the Super Bait tank does the best. On the salt issue, I don't think I would use any salt on shiners, although I don't think a little salt hurts. Salt is a must on shad though. Just my thoughts, Good Luck