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Posts: 194
| I have had a hard time keeping suckers alive after a trip. I've been using a 10 gallon fish tank with some airation. I kept one for a week once, but they rarely make it to my next outing, usually dieng in a day or two. I have a 55 gallon barrel I thought might work a bit better. Any thoughts on how I might rig this thing up to keep suckers for up to a couple weeks or longer? Thanks. |
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Location: The Yahara Chain | I keep them in my livewell and use a pump that I got at a pet store. If they are in there for an extended time (5-7 days), I will change the water...taking about 5 gallons out every day and putting 5 frsh gallons in. I have been able to keep them alive this way for up to three weeks. Make sure you get a pump that will produce enough oxygen for however many gallons of water they are in. |
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Posts: 2091
Location: Stevens Point, WI | If you are using a municipal water source make sure you treat the water with additive to remove the chlorine and other chemicals that are use. This will greatly increase you survival rate for suckers as well as regular aquarium fish. A small bottle goes a long way and is around five dollars. |
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Posts: 2865
Location: Brookfield, WI | If you're going to keep them for an extended period of time, don't forget to feed them. A couple musky fry every week or so should do it.
Kevin
Warm clothes. |
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Posts: 399
Location: Burton, Ohio | MuskyHopeful - 10/13/2006 11:32 PM
If you're going to keep them for an extended period of time, don't forget to feed them. A couple musky fry every week or so should do it.
Kevin
Warm clothes.
Thats a good one!  |
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Posts: 2894
Location: Yahara River Chain | Yeah, musky fry that should do it. lol
If you really want to up the odds of them living, keep them cool and change the water. Like it was mentioned, nearly all municipal water supplies now are chlorined and that needs to be remove. It would be best if you could stop by a lake or pond and grab fresh water there.
Remember that cold water retains more oxygen and that aids you in keep those fish alive longer (which is why they perish in the summer month so quickly). I kept mine in the garage (unheated) in the fall. |
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Posts: 561
Location: Monee, Illinois | Another tip is add Ice and keep the water cold very cold...
pga |
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Posts: 2894
Location: Yahara River Chain | Make sure no chlorine is in the ice. |
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Posts: 469
Location: Downers Grove, IL | Fill a couple five gallon buckets and let them sit for a night or two outside. Add a a shot of stress coat. This will help disapate the chemicals and adjusts the water temp. I keep them in a round rubber maid bin with a large black contractor bag in it. The key is to keep their stress levels down and have plenty of fresh water and Oxygen. Keep them in a dark quiet spot. Watch out for raccoons if you keep them outside.
thedude |
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Posts: 561
Location: Monee, Illinois | The clorine in the ice will not effect as much, I have 5 fish tanks at my house and 1 has musky and walleye in it, I add Ice in the summer just to keep the temp down, I have had suckers in my 75 gallon that have lasted 3 months (winter months) in the garage. I agree with the chem stuff, but water filteration is the number one key....
pga |
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Posts: 1106
Location: Muskegon Michigan | I guess I go to the extremes. I bought a 100 gallon cow tank(rubbermaid) . I put it in my basement. I have it set up so I can refreash the tank with well water from my underground sprinklers. I have a dual air stone airater and a filter system from a 100 gallon aquarium. I buy my suckers 20 at a time from a fish farm. They eat trout pellets . I keep the water at ground water temp about 56 degrees simply by refreshing the tank every 4 days. They will keep in this tank as long as I keep the filter clean and keep them fed. Kingfisher |
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Posts: 253
| I too like Kingfisher went to the extreme. Lost too many suckers before I did this. I have a 100 gallon horse trough, (2) large aeration stones and one of those filters you see on the " Blue Pools". I also added gravel to the bottom to keep the dirt from being stirred up by the suckers. Just like the gravel in an aquarium. We have labeled my tank the sucka' palace because the suckers have never had it so good. I do have a question, where does one get the trout pellets ? I have used goldfish flakes but I can not tell if the suckers eat it or even if it is enough to keep them alive. I also by mine at 15 - 20 at a time. Saves time waiting for bait shops to open and the cost is less. Besides, you never know if the bait shops will even have enough or even the right size.
Steve Ruhmann |
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Posts: 194
| Thanks for the suggestions. I guess I'm sorta lucky. I don't have to worry about the chlorine in my water. I have well water at my house. I also have a small airstone. I think I'll try hooking up a pump I have with a jet nosel for air.
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Posts: 101
| I've never kept suckers at home, but I would assume they would eat the same as a "pleco" or any other bottom feeders. We feed all of our "alage tablets". You can find them at any fish store. They are cheap, and all the fish on the bottom of our tanks have fat stomachs.
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Posts: 1462
Location: Davenport, IA | I've kept them in the livewell for 2 months successfully (even after having hooks in them multiple times) I make sure to change about 5 gallons (1/2 the livewell) everyday. |
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Posts: 20248
Location: oswego, il | I made a sucker tank out of a a big washtub sink and used an areator with a filter. I was lucky to have one sucker by the end of the week. Using well water too. The suckers really dirtied up the water bad in a day the water would be dingy brown. You really need a tank with alot of water like those 100 gallon tanks mentioned above. |
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Posts: 1106
Location: Muskegon Michigan | I get my fish food from the trout farm where I buy my suckers. He has 50 lb bags of it. I get a coffe can with each batch of fish for a dollar. These fish are used the pellets and take them right off the top. Suckers feeding top water its pretty neat. The biggest must have is the filter system. I use the carbon filter(canister) with the big blue foam jacket that catches all the fish crap. My water stays clear for 6 to 8 days with out a refresh if I need to be gone for a while. Ill post a picture of the setup in a day or so. Its pretty cool. Kingfisher |
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