Best way to Keep Minnows Alive

[Blackhawkxp]

New to the site and have a small problem. I do not have a local bait shop in my area and have to drive 40 miles round trip to get live bait. What is the best way to keep minnows alive for an extended period of time so that i can spend more time on the ice and not in the truck? I am currently trying a fish tank aeroator but i am not sure if that will help. Would like atleast a week or so out of a couple scoops of minnows. Mostly use fatheads if that matters.

Thanks for any input!

[Esox_Magnum]

I keep mine in the fridge in the bait bucket, fresh water before coming home and they are good for the week or 3

[Blackhawkxp]

Is water temperature more important than oxygen level?

[ddsbyday]

Just keep them from freezing. Fatheads are tough. You can add water once a week if you want. If it is city water let it sit for at least a day before you add it.

[hunt3r]

i keep mine in a 5 g bucket in the garage with a aerator hooked up. also change the water every or ever other day. i think it being cool helps it alot. when i kept them inside with the aerator they died easier. i think you need cool temp, oxygen, and clean water for the best bet.

[bobbymalone]

they are sort of related... the colder the water, the more O2 that can be dissolved in it. So generally the colder the water, the longer you can go before you need to bubble them some O2. it's sort of a sliding scale.

I have a little cooler in the basement where I keep minnows. My garage is uninsulated and it will freeze out there. I drilled a couple holes in cooler for air in/out aquarium tubing. I run a little aerator with a valve so it just bubbles a little bit. Change the water every day or two with cold tap water treated with a chlorine remover and pick out any dead ones.

crappie minnows seem to do better than fatheads. If I'm responsible about changing the water about 80% of them will survive a week. Usually, ha!

[hunt3r]

i use city water. i used to think it mattered and i used those drops for gold fish water. but this year i just use strait water and iv had maybe 3 crappie minnows die and 0 shinners die and i dont let it sit before i add it.

[bobbymalone]

those drops are about 4 dollars for a decade supply.

I had a couple batches of minnows die before I started treating the water. Might depend on your city's water.

[Rick G]

I find that a good foam cooler kept at 38-50 degrees will keep minnows alive for a very long time as long as you change the water out as needed.

[Esox_Magnum]

I must be lucky,I only give them fresh water on the weekends and keep them up to a month in the insulated bucket in the bait fridge at 40 degrees...I dont use an areatore either

[TRDtom69]

I believe you can not put "fresh water" from the lake in your minnow bucket before you head home. That would be transporting lake water. Treat your city water, keep them cool and they will last for a long time.

[ddsbyday]

Keep the water close to freezing and no aeration will be needed. Shiners or fatheads.

[Esox_Magnum]

I live in Iowa I can use lake water....

[bobbymalone]

I must be lucky,I only give them fresh water on the weekends and keep them up to a month in the insulated bucket in the bait fridge at 40 degrees...I dont use an areatore either

Mine don't do very well without some help at 60 degrees.

[walleyeking19]

I keep them in a bucket in my garage and replace the water whenever I go out fishing. Occasionally I'll run an aerator for them, but they will last a long time

[PurpleFloyd]

They die from poor water quality just as fast as lack of oxygen. As they swim around they are also creating waste that spikes the nitrates and nitrites in the water and when that gets to the toxic point they die no matter what the water temp and o2 level are.

Cold water does slow their metabolism and decreases the amount of waste produced.

If you want a good solution for long term get as big of a container as you can and get a decent aquarium filter for it. I personally have a 125 gallon aquarium with a high quality filter and can keep large amounts of minnows alive at room temps and as long as I don't overdue it I don't need to change water all that often.

[Pooh]

Mine have been outside in an uninsulated garage, aerator on for almost a week. When the aerator stop bubbling I take warm water out to free it and melt some of the ice, our take it in the house over night, and back to the garage it goes. Not a dead one yet, shiners and fatheads on city water

[Vlasin]

I've upgraded to a 29 gallon tank in the basement with a bubbler and small filter. Change 1/4 of the water weekly/bi-weekly and good to go. -- Very little loss of bait.

Just looked at an online sales site and should be able to find a small tank and everything you'd need used for under $30-40.

I use to swap 5 gallon buckets every few days - seemed to work alright. But, you can find small aquariums for pretty cheap and as long as you have the space or a spot out of the way, I would suggest that. Small heater on low plus a bubbler should keep the water from freezing in a garage even on the coldest of days, i would think.

[mainbutter]

I'll tell you what doesn't work: throwing them into my aquarium with a pair of bullheads. I thought it'd work once and my bullheads might eat a few and get some better nutrition than commercial fish food.

Never again will I try it.

You wind up with no minnows, bullheads who overeat until they puke, and then you have chewed up minnow carcasses all over your aquarium.

[MN BassFisher]

I use an old 48 Quart cooler and leave it in my garage. I punched a small hole in the top where I fed an oxygen bubbler and some tubing through, I then plug that in to the nearest electrical outlet. Super low maintenance and keeps bait (crappie minnows, fatheads, suckers, and for a small amount of time shiners) alive for weeks. If it's cold, I just skim the thin layer of ice off the surface and add some more water a few times a week. I've had suckers and fatheads live for more than a month before I used them. Cheap and easy!

[EBass]

I use the frabill 6 gal bucket that has the foam bucket inside and keep that in the garage with a bubbler. Change the water every couple of days. If I have a lot of minnows need to change the water every day. When it ices I bring it in overnight. Works fine for me.

[fishersofmen]

Is water temperature more important than oxygen level?

Water temp definetely more important in my opinion. They will live for weeks in near freezing water with no aeration. If I bring them in the house for 1 night half will be dead by morning. Put an aerated bucket in the house and they may live longer but will still die off much quicker. I've personally never had the need to aerate but if your garage is too cold I can see why.

[Blackhawkxp]

I dindn't think of the cooler. I have an insulated Frabil bucket with an aerator attached. I think i might try this though. I really appreciate all of the input and like others wasn't sure if tap water would kill minnows since you are not suppose to transport lake water in MN.

[lawnbuilder]

I have three crappie minnows that the kids won't let me use because I threw them in the fish tank last winter. I stick an aerator in an leave them outside as much as possible so it stays cold. During the summer switch the water out every three four days with well water. Sometimes I will freeze containers to keep it cool when it is really warm. I have the frabil cooler with an aerator when I go out.

[Ballyhoo]

when in the fish house we always put snow or slush in the pail and it livened them up so that goes along with everyone elses colder water the better. Shiners do live better in styrofoam than in anything else. Fatheads are tough.