Posted3/29/2020
A 5 gallon plastic pickle bucket with the lid from Berger King makes a great bait tank and the price is right. Most fast food Berger joints will usually give to these buckets, some might charge you $0.50 or so.

Actually water quality IS a real big deal when it comes to keeping bait healthy and alive in all summer bait tanks and livewells. The magic inside the best bait tank IS the water quality inside the bait tank.

I think the best bait tank is the bait box that will keep shiners, shad and other baits healthy and alive all day every summer when environmental water gets into the 80’s and 90’s F.

We all know that most live bait fishermen may say they never have any bait problems in the summer, they can manage their water quality and never overstock their bait tanks. Some do have serious problems every summer because they cannot maintain minimal safe water quality and overstock their bait tanks depleting the dissolve oxygen quickly. Their bait catches the red-nose, gets sloppy and dies in short order.

About Livewells, bait tanks and water qualityhttp://oxyedge-chum.com/livewells-bait-tanks-and-water-quality/

How does anyfisherman make great bait tank water quality?

  1. Always have plenty dissolved oxygen
  2. Add a little salt to aid osmoregulationand electrolyte balance
  3. Change the bait tank water a few timedaily to control dissolved CO2, acid water, excess ammonia and nitrites and thebig chunks of feces, scales and urine
  4. And don’t overcrowd the bait tank with bait.

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Plenty oxygen does not mean plenty air or plenty water pumped through bait tanks/livewells with high volume water pumps. Don’t be confused between air and oxygen. Insuring minimal safe dissolved oxygen saturation is absolutely vital.

That’s about all there to insuring great water quality in any brand bait tank, ice chest or 5 gallon plastic bucket.