Best way to Keep Minnows Alive

[tsande00]

I tried for two years to keep mine alive with no luck. My house is to warm. Even with an aerator they die within 2 or 3 days. Outside they live fine but my garage isn't insulated and they freeze when the temp drops below 20...even with the aerator going they would freeze.

Last year I finally found a solution. I bought a tall Styrofoam container that is big enough to fit a 5 gallon bucket. I set my 5 gallon pail of minnows into the styrofoam container and then I hang a low wattage light bulb over the bucket and cover with a junky blanket. This keeps the water just warm enough not to freeze and with the aerator running they'll live a very long time.

My city water kills the minnows right away unless I let it sit out for a day or two. I assume that is the chlorine evaporating but not exactly sure. Rather than exchanging water in my 5 gallon pail, I just keep adding to it.

[AlligatorDundee]

I use an Oxygenater I custom mounted in the lid of my Frabill cooler.

The Oxygenator saturates the water with 100% oxygen made from splitting the water molecule and turning it back into hydrogen and oxygen gas.

I also use an areator these break the surface tension of the water and help release the ammonium nitrates and co2 the fish excrete.

I Change half the water atleast once a day.

The Oxygenator keeps fish alive even in the warmest water.

[amateurfishing]

i have read a lot on this topic from this site in last couple of years, had some trials and erros with erators, other equip, etc.

this is what i have found out personally works best for me

buy minnows & leave in plastic bag, put plastic bag in garage frig and keep as cold as possible without freezing. if water needs to be changed first i add little amounts of snow if possible, if not available use tap water that sat in garage for 24 hours. dump out dirty water and add fresh (rinse, repeat, rinse repeat) 2 or 3 times till water is cleaner as desired. put back in fridge. i have had minnows stay well over a month this way with only changing water or adding snow 2-3 times.

i always bring unused minnows back home after fishing trips & store this way

[schweady]

I run city water until it's very cold, straight into the insulated minnow bucket, changed once a day.

[Sam Smith]

I change the water (from well) daily and run a fish tank aerator. I don't lose to many shiners but fatheads are much harder to keep alive. I also keep them in a 60 degree basement.

[gonehunting]

This might sound like a dumb question but if you keep the minnows for 3-4 weeks do you have to feed them anything? I can keep them cold, oxygenated, etc but do they need anything to eat?

[PurpleFloyd]

This might sound like a dumb question but if you keep the minnows for 3-4 weeks do you have to feed them anything? I can keep them cold, oxygenated, etc but do they need anything to eat?

Like any living thing they need to eat to live. You can lower their metabolism by dropping the temperature and they will burn less energy and produce less waste by doing that but at some point if you keep them long enough they will need to eat or they will die. I feed mine flake food and also I have some freeze dried shrimp that they get fed every few days.

Some of you question can only be answered by the condition they were in when you got them. If they have been at the bait shop for a while and they didn't feed them they will need food faster than if you just pulled them from the creek with full bellies.

look at them and see if their bellies look like they are fairly full. If so they are doing well. If they are thin, the bellies are shrunk and are not even swimming well any more then they either need to eat or they will be dead.

[MN BassFisher]

This might sound like a dumb question but if you keep the minnows for 3-4 weeks do you have to feed them anything? I can keep them cold, oxygenated, etc but do they need anything to eat?

In my instances of keeping bait in my garage I've never fed them. I tried once and I was finding myself having to change the water more frequently because it would cloud up. Since I kept mine in the garage during the winter, it would keep the temps near freezing so their metabolism would stay pretty low. You'll get the occasional dead minnow that you should remove when you find and you should be good to go!

[jusufo]

Just in case anyone is looking for a new portable refrigerator, try looking here:

(Note from admin: Please read forum policy before posting links, thanks)

[BobT]

Cold water slows their metabolism meaning they demand less food so feeding becomes less of an issue. With a lower megabolism also comes lower activity, which in turn reduces the need for oxygen and food. Another thing that can help is keeping them in the dark....literally. Dark and cold will put them in an even lower activity state which reduces the need for food or oxygen.

Also, remember the rule about bringing minnows home in lake water still applies during the winter as it does in the summer. The hard part is keeping fresh water back on shore all day so you can change the water when you leave the lake. Legally, you can't use water you've kept inside your truck if your truck was with you out on the lake. Sucks, I know, but it is what it is.

[minnbowhunter]

I have an old laundry tub in the basement just to keep bait. Well water, never feed 'em, no airator. I freeze water in ice cream pails outside and the tub gets a pail of ice everyday. Works good for crappie minnows and fatheads. I can kill shiners by looking at them.

[scott b]

Looks like the dude from Bosnia didn't read the forum policy. SCUM.

[IamZombie]

I've got an insulated minnow bucket and a bubbler I plug into the wall. I just keep them out in the garage and I'll add some water and dump some out every day or so. I make sure to leave the tap water out for a few hours to let the chlorine evaporate out.

[otterman91105]

I also use a old laundry tub in my garage and plug in a 12 volt bubbler. It works great.

[highlife4me]

I have (2) 1/2 gallon styrofoam minnow buckets. While I only keep minnows in one at a time. After switching minnows into bucket with fresh water I refill the other and let it sit in the fridge. I keep both buckets in the fridge and change the buckets every 3 days, and remove any dead ones daily, and feed a pinch of fish food every week. I have kept minnows for months this way.

[NKLCOLT1911]

i just keep mine in my bait bucket and run my bubbler from my summer bait tank and i can keep them as long as i want with regular water changes.

[OnAFly]

1 gal icecream bucket in the fridge and change the water 1-2 times per week. I keep shiners for weeks doing this.

[pathogen]

Styrofosm container, cool/cold temperatures, change water every other day, aerator. Temperature is important, cold water has the capacity to hold more oxygen than warm water and cold water slows the minnow metabolism.

[Tom7227]

Buy a 10 gallon aquarium and set it up. Get it going for a few days before you put any fish in it. Then feed them with just the plain fish food you can get at a pet store. You can keep fatheads and crappie minnows alive for a long time. Just don't over feed them and change the water every 4-6 weeks. Of course you have to have an aerator in the setup. Probably can find a rig at garage sale or such for not much money at all.

[arcticpond]

The best way is to keep them in the lake. My angling house is set up on the same lake as my spear house.

[Eric_Kruger]

I use one of the in bucket HT styrofoam containters, slide it in a 5 gallon pail, run a aerator for a fish tank in it and change the water 75% at a time straight from the tap.....let her run in the garage all winter.

[danj22]

If you've got a permanent house check out the Bottom Bucket

A weighted bucket that floats below the house.

You just have to auger open the holes pull up the bucket and you're fishing.

Also great for summer fishing if you're heading somewhere remote for a longer period of time to keep your extra bait fresh til you're ready to use it.

[arcticpond]

Thanks danj22 that is a great idea.

[danj22]

We used to just drop a bucket down the hole with a rock in the bottom.

And a rope tied to the hole cover in the house.

After chipping the hole open again and trying very carefully to not hit the rope. This contraption was the best thing since a cold activated beer can.