Livewell Aerator question please help

[AnthonyN]

I never really used a live well before to try to keep fish alive besides freshwater. If the bait was there and i could catch or snag them then i was all set. I decided to make a livewell this year and i picked up a Fish Saver Aerator. It says it runs off 12 volts and comes with 2 clips now i just have a few questions about it.



1.) What do i use for a power source?? Can i use a regular 12V car battery?? I was gonna buy a small car battery for it and stick the car battery in the back of my truck to power it.

2.) I plan on using a 50QT cooler how many herring can i safely keep alive??

3.) Have any of you used this product for your aerator and if so whats your thoughts on it?

Thanks for your help

Here is the picture of the aerator

[JohnR]

Dunno about that one - never used that one before... Some of us use "Keep Alive" tanks with various aeration systems. The fellow that develops them has twaeked and tweaked for the best bait keeping solutions...

Herring pose a couple problems. They build ammonia quick and they lose their scales quick. Many pickup filters screen out the scales but get clogged quickly and fail that way. Some allow too many scales to pass the pump screen and this wears away the motor/pump fins. Any wear of pump or loss in effective airation will most likely cause your herring to go quickly.

Keep alives also have several different airation systems. Some normal water/air pushers and some are better just air pushers. They also come in different styles (I'll let Saltheart comment on those because he knows them better)...

As far as power, I went to Benny's picked up a cheap, $6 10ft - 12V auto extension cord cut the end furthest from the cig adapter and spliced them into the power source for the motor. I have a couple outlets in my truck and I can run it no problem. Just make sure you have a good battery charge before going to bed at nite (I once woke up late and didn't check til late morning - had to jumpstart truck).

Keeping herring is by far better with a tank with rounded edges. Sharp 90deg edges like a cooler will cause this fish to swim into and hang in the cooler which kills them a lot quicker - not sure why. 50Qts is also pretty small only 12.5Gal and figure about 8 because you can't possibly fill it up. I use a 35Gal (140QT) rounded Keep alive tank. I've used coolers before and they just don't last as long.

"Keep Alives" are not cheap but the Sportsman's Den usually has them at a good price at the MSBA show in March and M&D's carries them too. It is tough to drop this kinda coin on a herring tank - about $150 http://www.capecodtackle.com/Merchan...8_00_MISC+MISC

Anyone know of any good sources for the rounded tank itself?

[TheSpecialist]

Basspro has rounded ones. A regular car battery should be ok for that aerator. Check and see how many amps it draws. Like John I use a cord to the cigarette lighter. I don't know what kind of vehicle you have, but if it is possible, the barrels they use for detergents at the car wash work well. You can lie them down or stand them up. They are 55 gals. I believe. I use one and so do many other people. The scales are a big problem, I made a cover that goes over the inlet tube on my pump. I use a bilge pump. A guy I met at the herring run also used a bilge pump, but his was similar to your pump. He place it in netting or panthose, and used a rope to hang it a few inches off of the bottom of his tank. It seemed to work well. I also use ammo carb, it can be purchased at many pet stores. It comes in a mesh bag, just rinse it under cool running water for a couple of seconds, then drop it in with the fish.

[bloocrab]

...Anthony, I think the price difference in the pump you have pictured isn't really that much less than the next one up....you may want to get a larger aerator before you open the package...IT'S DEFINATELY WORTH IT!!..you can't pump too much water...just too little...and the container your using, your definately better off using something round, like John said " Corners Kill ".....try one of those places that sell grapes to the wine makers.....they usually have some old barrels hanging around......

[Salty]

I would use a deep cell battery, they are designed to be charged, over and over again, a car battery isn't.

[Fishpart]

Deep cycle battery definitely. I did testing on small automotive DC motors in a past life and if I ever completely drained a standard battery it was dead for good. Deep cycle batteries lasted for several tests.

[Tattoo]

Rather than spend the money on a deep cycle battery, buy a battery charger. Hook up the pump to the charger overnight, and run it off the lighter in the car while traveling.

.........Never mind if you already have a deep cycle battery

[JohnR]

Definitely jump up a couple models on the aerator. If you can find a round container (with tighter lid), you can also just pick up the keep alive aerator pump & infusor for 40-60 bucks. The 25 dollar one they sell at Sport's Authority and places like that is no where as nice and the herring will die off quickly.

I was told to worry about 3 things with herring:

Good aeration

Fresh water

Big Round Container - so they could make laps without haning in one area - (allows better flow to the gills or something like that)

He also showed me to use ice as necessary when it's hot to maintain a coller temp and to bring the temp in the container to what it will be in the water (as long as ocean water is cooler)

One other thing I picked up was the use of ammo carb pellets to reduce the ammonia buildup in the tank - like Specialists said, you can pick them up at pet stores

[AnthonyN]

I didn't get a battery since i wanted to get some advice first. I haven't opened the package yet so I can still return it. Where can I pick up a big round container?? I have limited space since i own an older Chevy Blazer S10. I may have room for a round 50 gal bucket in the back. If i purchase a new aerator what model or specs should i look for??? I picked up the one i got for like 27 bucks. I am willing to spend up to $50. I will pick up a cig lighter adapter so i can run it through the cab to the back. Unless it would be better to buy a deep cycle but i know deep cycles can be $$$ since it is a marine battery.

Thanks for the advice its really appreciated

[AnthonyN]

Also the pump I have now is 2.5 amps and is a 360GPH Rule pump.

[jettyjockey18]

i use a rule 700 gph thru hull bilge pump attached on the outside of a plastic 55-gal drum...i like to keep the pump outside of the tank to keep from heating up the water and to provide easy access to the pump for maintenance...the pump inlet tube runs through the side of the drum and connects to a short (6") length of perforated hose that extends along the bottom end of the tank...this length of hose prevents a dead fish from completely clogging up the inlet during travel (don't ask how i know )... the pump outlet tube enters near the top of the tank and sprays water back into the tank, providing aeration...

i've kept 12-15 herring in a 20gal tank for 12 hours but thats maxed out...30's good, 50's better (and then some guys have portable tanker trucks )

keep the water cool and clean and you'll increase your survival rate...i don't do overnight storage in my tank anymore but even with the 55 gal drum i probable had 25% mortality overnight...

[TheSpecialist]

JJ I have the same pump and had the same problem, not just with dead ones, but live ones as well. I made a plastic diffuser from some stuff we use at work. The holes are on the bottom, and only about 1" of space between the bottom of the diffuser and the tack bottom. I very rarely suck up scales now or the fish themselves.

Anthony try a car wash for the 55 gal ones, or try a produce company that sells to pizza places. You might be able to get like a 30gal olive barrel. I got mine at a car wash. I have seen 25 gal ones at car washes before.

Here is a pictur of the ammo carb:

[TheSpecialist]

Here is my tank:
You don't have to lie your tank down, you can stand it up also

[TheSpecialist]

Here is the pump:

[TheSpecialist]

Here is the diffuser:

[JohnR]

This is the one I have - with a floating infusor

[jettyjockey18]

specialist...it looks like we have basically the same setup...one thing i would recommend against is using a 55-gal barrel standing up instead of lying on its side...i tried it standing up and found that the water column was too deep for the pump to effectively aerate thw whole barrel...lots-o-dead bait on the bottom...by having the barrel on its side your increasing the amount of surface area to aerate and gives the fish more room too...plus it makes the water column shallower and allows for more thorough aeration...

[JohnR]

But the most efficient shape is a low round or oval tank, plenty of areated surface and no corners to get stuck in....

[TheSpecialist]

Thats why I always kept long aquariums rather than tall. If he is pressed for space he may have no choice. Did you silicone rounded corners into yours? I was gonna get some thin plexi or plastic and try rounding the corners

[AnthonyN]

Thanks for the help. I returned the cooler and am in search of a round container. But i need it to be sealed so water doesnt splash out. If anyone knows where i can get a round container say 100 qts or so please let me know i pay cash I don't want to spend more than 50 though. Don't mind paying for the whole setup of 110 bucks or so. As for powering it i think i will pick up a deep cycle anyone know where i can get one cheap?

Thanks again for the advice.

[jettyjockey18]

Originally posted by specialist
Thats why I always kept long aquariums rather than tall. If he is pressed for space he may have no choice. Did you silicone rounded corners into yours? I was gonna get some thin plexi or plastic and try rounding the corners

i never really needed to...i mainly due transport now from the run straight to where i'm fishing...if i'm gonna soak overnight i transport to a holding pen i've got at a local lake where my fishing buddy lives...i would prefer a round tank in the 50 gal size (about 90 bucks at one of the well known retailers) but i got my 55-gal drum for free so i went with that...works fine for me...

i used to have a round 20 gal tank that i used to keep in the trunk of my montecarlo...that was a sight...

[bassmaster]

evil......

[JohnR]

Looks like you're not using Ammo Carb BM

[TheSpecialist]

I got your number.

[redcrbbr]

anthony, i may have a battery for you, used truck battery,
you will have to charge it. 625CCA, just let me know if you want stud type posts or the clamp on type. fully charged i'm certain it would last a couple of days

[Saltheart]

Anthony , even if you can't buy the whole Keep Alive system , you can buy the pump/airater seperately. Mike T at CCT sells the motors alone. These things pump and circulate the water but also pump air in and mix it with the water. That way you get more air and you never pump the water up above the surface , you suck the air down. The battery lasts a lot longer if you don'y need to raise the water above the surface. The pump just circulated the water and mixes the air.

Anyway , in my opinion , it makes a lot of sense to pump more air and less water.

[AnthonyN]

You know what they say you get what you pay for. I am gonna go with the complete keep alive system no sense in cutting corners having to upgrade later. Just curious about how many herring it can keep alive looks small in the picture.

[JohnR]

I usually will keep my limit 2 dozen with a couple fallen by the next morning (with proper water & ammonia maintanence)

[mikecc]

The keep alive comes in 3 sizes the one that most use is the 30 gal. I have keep 2 doz in the tank for a few hours while transporting them. If I were to hold them over night I would use ammonia carb and bait saver & not go more than 18 fish.
make sure you mount the pump on a ceramic tile this will stop it from coming off the bottom.

This year the tanks will come in either light blue or white.

[mikecc]

Anthony can't send you a PM till you empty your messagesIt shows that it is to full.