Do you think this sounds like it will work…?
Ok well I’m kind of getting sick of paying for minnows all the time and they always seem to die in the minnow bucket. So I was thinking I would get a 10 gallon fish tank, put it some sand and plants, and try to keep and breed them. I know the tank isn’t big but they’re not going to overpopulate it right off the bat. I also have a few minnow traps I keep out and have good luck with so I could add some of them as well as bait shop bought ones. I thought I would get some fish food and an aerator for the aquarium to feed and help keep them alive. So what do you think? Will it work or am I a lost cause? I know this is in the fishing section but I’m more accustomed being here than somewhere else. Thanks and good luck fishin’ as always!
Also, I know minnows are kind of broad and can be really any small fish. The kind I’m talking about is fatheads or red rosies. Thanks.
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I have heard that the Wormist has a shop… is this true? If so, he should be able to give you better info. I have heard that minnows are VERY “emotional” and die extremely easily. If anything was going to work though, Cole… it would be what you have planned out there. The only thing I could suggest is maybe a bigger tank, 20-5 gal maybe. They won’t do well in that confined a space. Good luck to ya.
I’d up the tank size and make sure I had super filtration… water quality could be an issue…
I don’t think you’re a lost cause, just wanting to save some money, and nothing’s wrong with that. (one of the reasons my brackish water tank will always be home to a small population of finger mullet… just need a big enough tank first…)
no, wormist doesn’t have a shop any longer. but when he did, he didn’t sell any live bait anyway. just frozen S/W bait.
but anyone trying to raise bait minnows should have something of at least a few hundred gallons. a livestock watering tank would probably be big enough. but good filtration and aeration would be an absolute must.
if one had access to a small farm pond, one could possibly make a few bucks raising and selling the right kind, assuming it was legal. there are licenses needed for raising bait.
golden shiners would be “gold”.
ide look up further information on how minnows live but it sounds to me like that would work
My dad has a bait store in Navaro Texas? The baitstore was in a camping park and it was called Navarro Harbor? I think. It was a little Marina with a floating dock.
Anyway, he usually ordered minnows… But in slow weeks, he had food to feed them. It wasn’t hard to maintain them… But you do want the water to be filtered and pumped full of air. Many would die (4-10 a day), but take into consideration he had a few thousand at many points.
Minnows are dumb and will eat other minnows eggs.
I would get a bigger tank. Do you have a craiglist.org site for your area? I found my 90 gallon tank for like 20$… Someone sold it to me for like a 10th of the price they paid and it came with pumps, filters, rocks, everything except top lights.
I have a few different breeds of minnows (some are striped like tigers, wtf?), they probably can’t breed b/c I have koi fish to clean the bottom of my tank (and I’m positive the koi would find the eggs and eat them if they did manage to breed even though koi are related to many trash minnow breeds)
You can feed minnows flakes of any type. I currently feeding mine tropical (after I feed my koi pellets so the koi don’t eat all the flakes). But I usually feed them regular flakes. Tropical is all I have atm and I’m too lazy to buy more regular flakes. They still work just fine.
Definitely look into craigslist and find one in your area and try to find a tank – watch it for a few weeks… You might find a good deal eventually.
You might also consider having multiple tanks (in case some minnow start eating eggs). Also never take your whole population of fish out – so there will be always something to breed.
If you have a brother/sister or friend or anyone who wants to help… Look into getting a cheap seine net (or 2 and weave them together). Go drag the waters and you can pull in TONS of minnows.
http://www.planetcatfish.com/images/half/_misc/sw/mfct/4.jpg
Also, a side tip, make sure you minnow bucket isn’t getting too hot… and if it’s one that can sit in water, let it… That away water circulates. If they’re dying in the water, it could be b/c they’re hungry. After a night of fishing… Throw them in a fish tank for another day.
It usually takes most fish a good 5 to 45 minutes to forget they’re in captivity and to the point where they’ll start eating again… At least for everything I stick in my tanks.
Good luck man.