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Crappie.com 1K Star General
I keep 4 or 5 lbs of minnows in a 275 gallon tote in my basement. I usually feed them, but very small amount only once or twice a week. As soon as you start feeding them much, they begin to make waste which makes nitrates, nitrites, and ammonium and they will begin to die without water changes. In an aquarium you have a biological filter that helps remove these. It takes 3 or 4 months to build up enough bacteria in the filter to do any good, so we depend on water changes to remove these. I have gone for three weeks or more without feeding. The cooler you keep them and less you feed them, the better success you will have especially over a weeks time.
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Guppy
We have kept alot of minnows like that. We use a smaller cooler or med. size cooler. Fill 3/4 of way with water and put a capful of the liquid they use in aqariums to get colorine out (really cheap) and keep the minnows in that with the air pump on. Works great. I even feed them a little fish food like you use in aquarium (really cheap) and last a long long time. Good luck. We have kept minnows up to 2 or 3 weeks
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Crappie.com 1K Star General
really good info.
Crappie Wall Hanger II
if you setup a fresh water fish tank just like you would for pet fish your minnows can be kept for a very long time with minimal losses. I kept mine for several months, however, I also monitored the water chemistry, temp, and kept it filtered regularly.
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Slabmaster II
I recently purchased the portable pump that runs on 2 AA batteries. So far , I'm pleased , I keep the minnows in one of the yellow trolling buckets , and have had the same minnows since October 4th. So far , the pump appears to be capable of sustaining a dozen medium 2 inch minnows along with a dozen 1 inch. As far as time , IDK yet. I ha a few die when I let the batteries die by accident at work. I need to get rechargeable batteries for the long run , I take a lot of spur of the moment trips , and sometimes keep them in the car for brief outings before work.
Slabmaster
I have struggled keeping minnows for any amount of time but I think I have finely found a way that works for me. I have been keeping them in my refrigerator. I keep a bucket of clean and treated water in there and change the water once a week. I have lost two minnows this week. Seems to work for me real well.
Refrigerator works for me...
Crappie.com Legend
you can use aquarium pump at home it will keep dozens of minnows for weeks .you can buy a 12 volt pump to use on boat battery works great.
Crappie.com 1K Star General
I use the engel cooler with aerator, keep minnows plugged in tye truck all weekend and use 12v in the boat. Never a dead minnow.
Keeper
I put mine in the garage fridge . Works great . I have had them last up to 3 weeks . Learned this from an Ole timer over on Lake Istapoka .
Crappie Wall Hanger II
You add chlorine TO the water? Most additives or water treatments are made to take the chlorine OUT of the water...Originally Posted by laddybug3
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