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Posts: 34
| Hey guys. I've ordered some bigger size suckers in a local bait shop, normally they don't sell them. Unfortunately I wasn't able to make it today so I had to pick them up without hitting the water, since they guy is not willing to keep them in his tank, mainly because he's not sure if they would stay alive til next weekend or would be able to sell them. So since they're almost 10 bucks each I decided to make my own tank to try to keep them alive til at least next weekend. I've done some research on the forum. So basically I had a 20 gallon rubermaid laying around and got the aerator for 20 to 50 gallons with 2 rock stone nozzels. After researching this site they main issue seems to be their excrement creating high levels of ammonia (that's what I was told by the bait shop guy) and keeping the water clean(my house has a well so not worried about the chlore). Was thinking about getting the aquarium filters but after reading some of the post's that doesn't do the trick. Working 12 hour shifts and being lazy, changing the water every day or two strikes out. So I was thinking on how to replanish the dirty water. What I came up with is to get one of the timer valves for your garden hose and install a hose controlled by timer (say set for once a day for say 15 minutes, long enough to replace the water) and drill a hole of the same size on top (since most of the dirty stuff collects on top). Just wondering if any of you guys have done anything simillar or have better ideas on how to keep the water fresh in the tank that you're using. Thx |
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Posts: 4269
Location: Ashland WI | My best luck has been to change the water ever day. |
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Posts: 668
Location: mercer wi | It takes 5 min to swap water. I have a 100 something quart cooler the I swap water all fall when I get home from work. I also work 12 hour days. It sucks sometimes but worth the investment. This isn't a lazy man's sport |
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Posts: 34
| Come on guys. Wisconsin being the most educated state in us per capita, there is got to be better solutions.The perfect solution would be the same as the the guy in The musky hunter episode had water continuously flowing from the lake, since I don't live by the lake... |
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Posts: 67
| Get some Tetra water treatment at your pet store or walmart. It will instantly treat your hose or tap water. I keep two bins and change water everyday when I need to, rotating bait back and forth. Water will get cloudy and stinky when it needs changing. Avoid temperature shock and run a couple areators and they'll keep a long time. |
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Posts: 34
| Will try as a next project and will keep u guys updated. Will definetaly try the Tetra treatment. But my concern is the physical sediment that's being left over. Just trying to see if possible to create something least invasive as some of u guys mentioned, even the water temperature difference might have an effect on suckers mortality. Again tryin to improve on an idea to change the water every or other day day without getting up 5 minutes erliear. Yeah I'm that lazy. Plus those timers range from 15 to 30 bucks digital so it wouldn't be like it would bankrupt me.Plus it would avoid feeding ice since the well is about 85' deep. |
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Posts: 79
| City or well water? I would treat the city water if thats what you have before you change it. At least thats what I recall what you are supposed to do. Cold is your friend, keep em in the basement. If you have a drain and well water maybe leave the valve cracked open? Dad and grandpa used to keep em in a cow trough in the basement with a faucety slowly running. |
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Posts: 705
Location: Alex or Alek? | Unionski - 3/26/2017 9:17 PM
Come on guys. Wisconsin being the most educated state in us per capita, there is got to be better solutions.The perfect solution would be the same as the the guy in The musky hunter episode had water continuously flowing from the lake, since I don't live by the lake...
The guy on musky hunter also completely drained his water every couple days. Like the other guy said it doesn't take very ling to change the water out especially if you have well water. |
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Posts: 668
Location: mercer wi | Usually the best solution in the simplest solution |
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Posts: 815
Location: Waukee, IA | How dedicated are you? When we raised tilapia we used bio filters to clean the water. Essentially just use an inert substrate with high surface area to allow bacterial growth as the water flows through it. |
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Posts: 246
| One thing I do that has helped me in the past is I keep gravel in the bottom of the tank. I based this on the idea that aquarium fish tanks also use gravel in the bottom and the excrement settles down in the tank. I know this works as I keep suckers alive in a 100 gallon horse trough and change the water once a week. It helps maintain the water clarity quite nice. When I didn't do this, the suckers would stir up the water and all the particles would be suspended in the water making it really hard to even see the suckers to take them fishing.
Steve |
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Posts: 523
| Last year I did almost exactly the same as Muskie Junkie does. My dad ran a bait business for several years and the best way to keep any minnows or leeches alive was constant running water with an overflow to allow the water to circulate/ refresh itself. Last year I just ran a stock tank that was about a foot deep with an overflow and sand/gravel from a lake on the bottom of the tank. I used the garden hose from my house to run water sporadically and also have an aerator to keep oxygen in the water. I had the same batch of about a dozen suckers that were 12-15 inches for well over a month. The few that were left were still swimming until the water in the tank froze. |
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Posts: 983
| upnortdave - 3/27/2017 8:05 AM
Usually the best solution in the simplest solution
I have this tank in basement it's 100 gallon keep about 150 creek chubs and suckers in it...they from 4inch to 10-12 inch...I have water filter system for fish tank treats 40-60 gallon I believe and keep 3-4 aerators in it as well....I treat my water due to city but I add smart start and ick treatment they live in there for months water stays clean for about 6-8 weeks if you change filters reg pic attached
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 20170114_174245-1328x747.jpg (190KB - 389 downloads)
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Posts: 983
| mine has all the foam on the top in the Pic because I just added chems to the water to help with Ick and keep slime coat on them normally its crystal clear can see right to bottom have about 8 rocks in it |
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Posts: 2687
Location: Hayward, WI | I have not done it myself but am always tempted to do basically what tkuntz mentioned. Basically get a tank aerator/pump that circulates water and use a filter to filter out the "junk" as well as something with high surface area like gravel or cut up drinking straws. They grow "good" bacteria that will keep the water clean and supposedly reduce the water change frequency quite a bit.
I've been tempted to get an old working freezer and replace the thermostat to a warmer one that would keep water cool (not freezing) during the summer to keep suckers as well.
I don't fish suckers too much but I think I would do it more if I had a good way to keep them alive for an extended period of time. |
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Posts: 34
| Bummer. 2 of the 3 died on Thursday. Changed the water 3 times since Sunday. Everyday picked up the slime that collected on top. Temps in between 55 and 35 at night, so I doubt the temp was the issue. It was especially surprising because night before when I changed the water all were doing very well. Do u guys think that the water softener might hAve influence on them? Another thing that comes to mind is the breed (only noticed when throwING out the dead ones and not sure if they all had the same color) so not sure for 100% but the one that stayed alive is very much spotted (brownish color with black spots) vs the ones that died, silver. Also I did not feed them besides small minow that accidentally got ino the mix when sold. Maybe the one that's still alive got a snack. Thanks for all the replies and some interesting stuff for sure and would love to be able to achive weeks, atleast two, not months like some of you guys do. |
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Posts: 983
| your water treatments gotta be right or they will die..When I treat water I will treat the water in seperate container and let treated water sit atleast 24 hours before changing the water...So main tank holds fish then I have 2 huge trash cans I line with contractor bags rinse out real good then fill with water and treatment let that sit for 24 hours then swap out water this has gave me great success...change about every 6-8 weeks and I have no issue |
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Posts: 34
| Wow. I guess I'll just let people that know what they're doing do what they do. By this point kinda bonded with the only guy left and thinking of keeping it as my best friend. |
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