Live Bait Question

[Hillbilly Rockstar]

I have (2) 250 gallon Piedmont Bait tanks in the little bait shop that we bought in December. For about a month now, I have had an extremely hard time keeping fish (minnows, perch and goldfish) alive in either tank. I've lost roughly 5,000 - 6,000 fish in the last month. Everything will be fine all throughout the day, they will look fine and act fine when we shut down for the evening. I go out in the morning and they will all be dead.

We have cleaned and bleached the tanks twice. Both tanks have the factory charcoal filter system on them, spray bars and aerators and I have a bag of Zeeolite (sp?) in each tank. The minnow tank has the factory chiller system on it.

We test the water a few times a day for Chlorine, Chloramine, Nitrates, Nitrites, Ammonia and Ph. High Ammonia has been a problem for us, but doesn't always seem to be the culprit. We have tested after losing an entire tank and the Ammonia was only at a 1 - 2 ppm. Sometimes though, I test the water as soon as I do a 90% changeout and the Ammonia will still be high.

In my tanks I have been putting some "quick start" in during each water changeout (we do a 90% water changeout everyday), trying to get the good bacteria built back up. Along with that, I am putting de-chlorinator and Better Bait (the blue stuff).

With all of this being said, I bought (2) trash cans from Tractor Supply, filled them with water, put some de-chlorinator and an aerator in them and the minnows live their best life. No issues at all. They will live for days in the trash can. The Ammonia will get high in the trash can, we squirt a little Ammo - Lock in it and it takes care of itself.

In the 250 gallon minnow tank, I never have more than 20#'s of minnows at one time. In the 32 gallon trash can, I'll put 10#'s and never have a problem.

Any ideas as to why they won't live in the bait tanks? This all started about a month ago, when there was a flood in our area that broke a water line and drained our water tower. Ever since then, we've played heck keeping fish alive in those tanks.

[Fishndude]

Ask your fish hauler. Probably Matt McBride

[Hillbilly Rockstar]

Ask your fish hauler. Probably Matt McBride

Roger that. We use some guys out of Haskell, Oklahoma. I have tried all of the advice that they had to offer. They are at a loss as to why we keep losing fish. Sometimes I wonder if we are trying to keep the tanks too clean.

[Tubby]

I'm guessing you have all 3 different baits stored separately? Minnows will be the first to die, followed by perch and goldfish last.

If the tanks are overloaded, they produce ammonia every time they relieve themselves, therefore contaminating the tanks. With a fresh water mix and not hardly any "good" bacteria, they are killing themselves every time they pee/poop.

The spray bars, how much pressure is coming out of them and are they spraying directly into the water or where the water meets the wall of the tanks? Too high of a pressure directly into the water tank can be harmful to the bait.

How does the bait look when it's dead? Flared gills? Tail rot? Missing scales? Bulging eyes? With finding them dead the next morning, they more than likely won't have much decomposition visible other than what made them die and that could aid you into what the issue is.



I'm not very knowledgeable about this stuff but running perch for throwlines, a few things helped us out.

1 - Temperature. Match the temperature of your tanks to what the temperature is in the tank they are already in. Maintain that temperature or a range that they are healthy at. If you need to adjust the temperature, do so slowly and gradually.
2 - Bluewater treatment. Allow it to circulate for 30 minutes to an hour before adding fish
3 - A pinch of salt per 25 gallons of water. An old timer told us it helps harden their scales as well as aids the bluewater treatment in preventing tail-rot. Allow to circulate 30-60 minutes before adding bait.


With all that being said, what gets me is the goldfish. They are very hardy and can live for more than a day with a hook in their back and are usually the last to die in the tanks. We never stored our goldfish with other bait though.

The trash cans you put the minnows in and they were living their best life, it makes me wonder if your tanks themselves are contaminated. I know you said you bleached them but could leftover bleach residue be leeching into the water and killing the fish I wonder?


You could call Boatcycle out of Henderson, TX. 903-657-3791. They specialize in aeration and pond management. They may give you some information based upon your setup, chemicals and test results.

[Hillbilly Rockstar]

Thanks man. The minnows are in one tank and the perch and goldfish in the other. We typically start losing minnows first, then goldfish, then perch. I'm like you, I thought that goldfish and perch could live in toilet water for days nad be ok. The only thing on the minnows that I have seen are the bleeding gills as evidence of ammonia poisoning (or that's what I have been told it is from). The perch have developed a "fuzz" for lack of a better term, from time to time. We do use a bit of salt in all of the tanks and it seems to help out for a couple of hours, but after that, right back to where it started.

On the residual chlorine, I have thought about that as well. But we flush the tanks out over and over again until there are no more chlorine bubbles then we test it, then introduce the fish a dozen or so at a time to see how they are living.

I appreciate the insight man, I may give those guys a call and see what they have to say.

[Tubby]

Are your tanks producing any foam with the aeration? Foam can coat the gills and cause the fish to not absorb any oxygen.

[Killer]

Sounds like something is wrong with the big tanks?

[Hillbilly Rockstar]

Are your tanks producing any foam with the aeration? Foam can coat the gills and cause the fish to not absorb any oxygen.

The minnow tank does, but we usually stay on top of it, either by scooping the foam off or using Foam Away when it shows up.

[Hillbilly Rockstar]

Sounds like something is wrong with the big tanks?

Yes sir. I just don't know what it could be.

[Texas Grown]

I'm wondering if the chlorine is interacting with the tank material. You do know bleach is chlorine, right?

I'm not sure I'd be flushing the tanks daily either. To much chance for cross contamination, like your experiencing. I had minners and goldfish in a tank in my garage last year. Granted, it was just a 70 gallon water trough. But didn't change the water starting in June as an experiment to test my filtering system. The minners passed in July, mostly from the water not being cooled. But the goldfish lasted until Nov. Had some almost as big as my hand. They were 2" - 2.5" goldfish when I started with them Easter weekend.

I did treat the water regularly with anti ammonia. And also watched for fin fungus. Treated as needed.

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[Texas Grown]

I also let my water sit for about an hour or two after dechlorinizing before adding bait back into tank. And allowing bait to adjust to temperature from holding water for 15-20 minutes before being released into new water.

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[MadHatter]

How does a 90% change out, help build good bacteria?
Do you mean you recycle 90% & 10% goes to waste and gets exchanged?
Is equipment failure for a short time a possibility, like a power outages or something?
I would think you notice that with your meter though.

[TeamAmerica]

In my tanks I have been putting some "quick start" in during each water changeout (we do a 90% water changeout everyday)

I have been around fresh water aquariums for many years (no bait experience). This seems extreme to be changing 90% of your water daily. WAY too many variables to be able to opine. But if treated AND filtered, why do you consider this is necessary? I would try to isolate the variables on your tanks. Lowering the water turnover would be my first thought. Good luck!

[Kingfisher789]

Have you tested the water that’s going in? Well or city water?

[Hillbilly Rockstar]

I'm wondering if the chlorine is interacting with the tank material. You do know bleach is chlorine, right?

I'm not sure I'd be flushing the tanks daily either. To much chance for cross contamination, like your experiencing. I had minners and goldfish in a tank in my garage last year. Granted, it was just a 70 gallon water trough. But didn't change the water starting in June as an experiment to test my filtering system. The minners passed in July, mostly from the water not being cooled. But the goldfish lasted until Nov. Had some almost as big as my hand. They were 2" - 2.5" goldfish when I started with them Easter weekend.

I did treat the water regularly with anti ammonia. And also watched for fin fungus. Treated as needed.

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Yes sir, we realize it and we flush numerous times and test the water afterwards to make sure we have flushed all of the chlorine out after we bleach. I am roughly in the same boat as you mentioned above. I have 10 pounds of minnows living (thriving) in a 32 gallon trash can. They have been in there since Saturday morning and I haven't lost a single one. It just isn't making since why they won't live in the tanks, unless there is a something in there that I am not killing.