Minnow tank advice?

This spring I will be vacationing for a week on a lake with no bait shop, so I need to find a way to keep minnows for that time frame. I am guessing about 200 minnows (fathead or similar). Expecting air temps to be 60-70f. I will have access to 110v at the destination and have an assortment of air pumps and water pumps from when I had aquariums. I was thinking to modify a cooler.
1) do I need to run an aerator during the 2 hour trip?
2) how many gallons for that qty minnows?
3) do the air pump/stone combo introduce enough new oxygen to be able to leave the cooler closed and locked?

I would say at least 10 gal. Yes the bubbler and stones will work. For transport freeze you a couple of 2 liter bottles of water and put them in to keep water cold,slows them down. I would get a small bottle of the bait treatment from bass pro or some where and use it. Plan to change water every day or so.

Run a converter to power the 110 air pump on the trip to the cabin, something like this. Have one like this and it comes in handy a lot in the vehicle.
Power Bright PW200-12 Direct PlugIn Inverter 200 Watt

I use this ...
BETTER-BAIT™ Minnow Holding Formula

I still change the water every 2-3 days ...

Rickie

Any suggestions on gph or lpm rating for the air pump?

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Originally Posted by maker of things

This spring I will be vacationing for a week on a lake with no bait shop, so I need to find a way to keep minnows for that time frame. I am guessing about 200 minnows (fathead or similar). Expecting air temps to be 60-70f. I will have access to 110v at the destination and have an assortment of air pumps and water pumps from when I had aquariums. I was thinking to modify a cooler.
1) do I need to run an aerator during the 2 hour trip?
2) how many gallons for that qty minnows?
3) do the air pump/stone combo introduce enough new oxygen to be able to leave the cooler closed and locked?

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Think of it as an aquarium, especially if you are keeping them a week or better! The air temps are Perfect for a cooler water minnow.

Aquariums go by 1inch of fish per gallon...you overcome that by pumping in more oxygen and filtration...just because they are minnows doesn't mean the won't need food or a clean tank...you can use long small bubble diffusers during travel and cheap foam box filters, etc, while there....or partial water changes, etc, just like the aquarium...some chemicals will cause more harm, but the Minnow Holding is good. They will also eat small goldfish flakes.
You can also get a larger minnow diffuser like they use in holding tanks at bait shops that run on 110.

I run 2 cheap single output aquarium pumps from Walmart on a 100 gallon tank with 2/3 lbs of minnows with no problem. One thing I would advise is venting what ever you decide to keep them in. You were talking about sealing and locking. That's ok but you need a vent hole some where when running the air pumps so the air can circulate and let the Amonia evaporate.

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Originally Posted by cray

...you need a vent hole some where when running the air pumps so the air can circulate and let the Amonia evaporate.

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That's a good point I hadn't considered. I have an older igloo 52 quart cooler that I plan to convert. I don't need the thing air tight just so that it isn't open to slosh and have critters eat my minners.

Vent shouldn't be too problematic. I was just thinking to put holes in the lid to run the air lines through, the vent could be a nice easy "conduit" to run those through too.

I initially wanted to do the spray bar like the bait shops, but with the lid closed there would be no new oxygen. I figured the air pumps would bring new air into the cooler.

I'm excited to make this thing now. Add some ice, and a little fish food and water changes from the lake, sounds like the kind of party that I would go to. :)

I wouldn't think 200 minnows would be enough for a week (even for only one person).

If it's possible ... you could have the minnows bagged & oxygen pumped into the bag (then sealed). I've done this with 1/2lb minnows per bag, and traveled up to 4hrs without problems.

I also don't think the minnows would really need to be fed, over the weeks time period. Feeding them will require more frequent water changes or filtering the waste.

If possible, putting them in a floating minnow bucket (or two) & leaving them in the lake (after tempering the transport water to match the lake water's temp) would remove the need for aeration & feeding, once you arrive at the lake.

Just my :twocents opinion ....

... cp :kewl

2nd what crappie pappy said
bag your bait with pure oxygen no more than 1lb per bag.
keep them outta the sun and on ice.
use aerator on the ones you open that day
open a new bag only when needed and bait should be good for a week