Keeping live bait in fishtank

[haddles]

I regularly go cast netting for baby mullet and herring to use as live baits. I was wondering whether I could keep them alive at home in a fishtank until I need them. Is it just a matter of filling it with sea water and sticking them in. I have an aerator and filter. Would they eat fish food? Could I also throw pipi's (a type of cockle) in as well?

 

[noelm]

Re: Keeping live bait in fishtank

yep no problem to keep mullet alive, but just be sure you do not overload the tank, if it is a large one you can keep quite a few and they will live and feed happily 'till you need them. pippis can be kept the same way in water and some sand but not too much,they will also stay alive for days in a wet bag in a cool place. i guess you are from Queensland?

 

[jay gravely]

Re: Keeping live bait in fishtank

Keeping mullet and herring alive is a little trickier than that. First you will need a large tank, a large round container so baits don't crowd into the corners and use all the oxygen.Which brings me to aeration.You will need massive amounts of aeration even for a couple dozen baits, you will need to change water very often and remove all foam from the waters surface,all aeration pumps will need to be cleaned of scales and dirt every few hours.This is all important if you want strong fresh baits not tired and weak ones.Another important factor will be water temps you can not let water get to warm. If you have access to a dock or boat slip You would be better off keeping them in a holding pen or large plastic bucket drilled with many, many small holes

 

[haddles]

Re: Keeping live bait in fishtank

Yes i'm a Queenslander but I don't know what gave it away. Mullet seem to live for a day or so just in a bucket so they might be the better option. I have trouble trying to keep herring alive for 5 minutes as they tend to like to die straight away. I live about 60km from the nearest surf beach so I like to stock up on pipi's while i'm there and use them in the rivers. Same with yabbies. I thought I could just chuck them all in a tank together and they'd live happily for a week until I can get some more.<br />Sea temps around here are arounf 27 C at the moment (not sure what that is in F) which is pretty warm. The shallows where the baby mullet hang around seem even warmer.

 

[noelm]

Re: Keeping live bait in fishtank

not too sure about hering but no problems with the mullet, just take the advice as jay stated and try to not keep too many, I have kept about 20 or so in a standard 3 foot fish tank, but remember not to try to keep huge ones, I guess these are for Flathead fishing? I try to keep them for a while in a bucket where I catch them and change water just before leaving (though I live right on a small river and can catch them from my back yard)also you have to transport them somehow, so I guess some portable aerator will be needed

 

[noelm]

Re: Keeping live bait in fishtank

I guessed you were from queensland because you used a cast net, illegal down here, I also think maybe the net may stress them a tad when caught, try a trap maybe!

 

[haddles]

Re: Keeping live bait in fishtank

You don't know what you're missing not being able to cast net. I have seen people overdo it, especially kids, but I only take what I need. It's a great pastime. It's amazing what you can get off a pier or a shoreline. All types of fish, prawns and crabs. Some of them quite decent. We aren't allowed to keep female crabs though up here. I use the bigger mullet as crab bait. With the cost of bait they soon pay for themselves. There is a tidal creek behind my work which is a haven for baby mullet so that's why I wanted to be able to keep them fresh until I need them. They are quite hardy in a bucket with an aerator but I might have to give my goldfish their marching orders and keep mullet instead. I'll just have to refrain from giving them names otherwise I might feel guilty when I stick a hook through their dorsal fin.

 

[noelm]

Re: Keeping live bait in fishtank

I have used a cast net a bit when I visit my mate in Caloundra, good fun and very productive, dunno about big crabs in a cast net though, not much fun to remove I guess, and mullet are very hardy in a bucket, just before you leave renew the water and they will be fine for the trip home!what sort of fishing do you do? going out on Thursday to "the shelf" as the marlin are thick now, dolphin fish as well, can hardly wait.

 

[haddles]

Re: Keeping live bait in fishtank

Usually estuary stuff due to my small boat although I have a bigger boat owned with 2 other mates for day outings but it's easier just to take my 12ft one out. blue swimmer (sand) crabs in the net sometimes, they all get removed one way or another...I Just chase the usual bream, whiting, flathead, crabs etc. but also take my 4wd onto the beach at Noosa north shore or Bribie Is. (girlfriends mum has a holiday house on the beach there complete with boat so going up this weekend) for some surf fishing. To be honest I think I enjoy casting the net just as much as anything. Bit of a second childhood thing maybe??

 

[noelm]

Re: Keeping live bait in fishtank

yep good fun for sure, we get a lot of blue swimmers here in the summer (not too many this year though) but rivers and a tinny seem to be such easy relaxed fishing huh! got a Quintrex Explorer myself, as well as a 6 metre sharkcat so I cover lots of types of fishing when I can get the time.

 

[AJ168]

Re: Keeping live bait in fishtank

I have a buddy that keeps mullet and killies in his outdoor fish pond. They seem to get along just fine with the carp-like things he has in there. They stay for weeks.

 

[haddles]

Re: Keeping live bait in fishtank

That's a great idea. Mullet seem to tolerate a bit of fresh water. A pond mould be easy to make too. Just off to do some night (boat) fishing now. Try my hand at jigging for squid which i'm new at...

 

[deeep water]

Re: Keeping live bait in fishtank

check with your local tropical fish store ,, they may have some info on a product called ,fish saver or bait saver they use it to ship tropicals long distances , i had some many years ago,i kept 12doz 2" minnows in a 100 gal aquarium for weeks for bass season ,, it calms the fish and removes all the amonias and nitrites/nitriates pee and poo from the water ,,safaryland,or jungle products comes to mind ,but that was 20 years ago

 

[eastshores]

Re: Keeping live bait in fishtank

I kept a reef tank for a few years, and if you want a healthy tank for keeping bait, you are going to have to do 1 of 2 things.<br /><br />1. you can have a large number of fish in a relatively small tank, but you would need a protein skimmer to remove nutrients and if you were able to add live rock and a bio-wheel filter that wouldn't hurt for the nitrate removal.<br /><br />2. you can get an adequate amount of water to sustain the amount of fish you want to keep.. think about 500g rubbermaid containers etc. still need aeration, etc. but you can adjust these two points to meet your needs.<br /><br />Hope this helped some.

 

[DangerDan]

Re: Keeping live bait in fishtank

If kept in a cool place a No.12 wash tub works real well as a bait keeper. If you understand the principals of under gravel filtration you can keep a great amount of shiners and such for your bait. Amo Carb granuals burried in the gravel can reduce nitrates and if enough air is used in the filtration your baitfish will stay as lively as can be.