Live Bait Question

[muzzlebrake]

You have some sort of contamination in those tanks and pumping system.
Replacement might be the only solution.

[Hillbilly Rockstar]

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.

To answer your first question (which is something I have asked myself numerous times)...I don't know. From what people are telling me, the good bacteria is on / in the filter. So, I feel like changing out the water (not cleaning or shocking or anything like that) is just putting good water back in but also letting the "good" bacteria continue to build up in the filter system. Am I thinking about that wrong? When the ammonia starts spiking, I don't really know what to do other than change the water. I use a liquid ammonia blocker and it will help for a couple of hours, but then it spikes again.

No, I just pump out 90% and refill with fresh water. When we bought the shop in December, we only had to do this about every 3 days or so.

No sir, I don't believe there is any equipment failure that I can tell.

[Hillbilly Rockstar]

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!

I agree, it does seem extreme to us as well, but we really don't know what else to do. Everything will be fine one minute, then I open at 0530 and everything in the tank is dead. When we first bought the shop, we were only having to change the water out every 3 - 4 days. Like I said, we have been fighting this since a water line broke in our district and drained our tower. Did the county put ALOT of chlorine in the water and that killed the "good" bacteria that we had built up? I don't know. But it sometimes feels that way.

[Hillbilly Rockstar]

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

City water. With our test kits, everything appears fine.

[bowhntrmatt]

My guess would be chlorine if you are using municipal water to refill. No experience with the matter, though.

[Hillbilly Rockstar]

You have some sort of contamination in those tanks and pumping system.
Replacement might be the only solution.

I've thought about that and actually lost sleep over it. We are hoping it doesn't come to that.

[doright]

I would take a water sample to somewhere else and let them test it and see if their results match yours. There may be something that your test kit is not catching.

[LeanMachine]

If reasonably doable, I would want to run and experiment in one of the death trap tanks with new well water. What stood out to me was that you had no issues prior to the city water break. It would at least eliminate a variable.

[Hillbilly Rockstar]

I would take a water sample to somewhere else and let them test it and see if their results match yours. There may be something that your test kit is not catching.

The thought has crossed my mind.

[Hillbilly Rockstar]

If reasonably doable, I would want to run and experiment in one of the death trap tanks with new well water. What stood out to me was that you had no issues prior to the city water break. It would at least eliminate a variable.

Well water would be kind of tricky for me, but I have thought about doing this with pond water.