Need Advice In Making A Filter

[arkansasriverrat]

Hi, I've had tanks with different filters when i was younger. I need help making a filter to keep my bait fish alive longer for fishing. This what i have in my head after reading alot. I'll use a 500 gph pump . I'll use pvc pipe 3 to 4 in diameter about 10 in long  to make a filter canister consisting of a course mesh and then have charcoal and the zeolite and then another mesh filter before going into pump. After the pump i'll inject air into the water and then back into the bait container.Will this keep the fish happy  for a few days or even at all? 
The water gets really nasty foams and the bait won't last over night even with a water change. 

 

[TallTree01]

Hi, I think you're in the wrong forum. Try joining a fishing forum as this is one for keeping live fish in fish tanks.

 

[arkansasriverrat]

who better to ask than people that know tanks  and filters? 

 

[TallTree01]

Well most of us go out and buy a filter instead of making one from scratch. You could do that.

 

[DrRob]

It's not really what we usually do with filters, we tend to keep things over the longer more stable timings, but I can see what you're trying to achieve.
 
Questions that spring to mind,
 
Is this regularly stocked, or does it sit empty for periods and then restock again?
 
What is the quality of the fish that are coming in? Sounds like a very rapid death rate and I wonder about the health of them on arrival, rather than you tank causing the issue.
 
What sort of stocking density are we talking here? How big a tank with how many fish of what size (not knowing what you're fishing for)?

 

[arkansasriverrat]

Stocking a 10 gal bait bucket  heavy  but it does pretty good except over night  for the  next day of fishing.  Plus changing the water were I'm at  on the river scares the fish so I have to move. There was a rapid death rate last time I used it. I forgot to clean the filter on the pump from last year of fishing. I'm  wondering about zeolite and carbon mix if it will help with  the ammonia issue? I don't know anything besides what the label says. I'm starting to make a 300 gal tank with bio filter to keep my bait handy at home. I'm going to cycle the tank before putting fish in it. I'll use this tank for left over bait from fishing so they don't stay overnight in the 10 gal insulated bucket. The bait I use is a fathead minnow and they're pretty hardy of a bait.  Its alot cheaper to buy bait by the lb $13.00 than by the doz. $4.00 
 
I've made one filter , 1.5 in pcv 8 inches long. I'm going to make a filter 3 inches by 8 inches long for more area to keep media but i have not tried it . 

 

[DrRob]

I wouldn't bother at all with the carbon personally, the zeolite or similar will help with the ammonia if you make sure that it's kept fresh.
 
If you do have a tank running then you can pinch some of it's biofilter media and use that, so long as you're careful with what water you put it in (no tap water) and that can make a huge difference to a tank like this, although you may not have the option of enough bioload to make that worth doing.

 

[arkansasriverrat]

I was going to buy 3 to 5 lbs to put in the 300 gal tank. Bait shop is across town in the opposite direction of the river. Today I tried my small filter out it started clearing up the bait bucket before dumping them in 150 gal tank. With in a few minutes after getting them the water was dirty I couldn't hardly see the bait in the bucket. I'd say most of the media is zeolite with little carbon by how it looks. Marine makes the brand i'm using . Other brands looked almost all carbon with very little zeolite. I used filter pads after the intake and before the pump. Bait fish produce a lot more ammonia  than two oscars ( 12 inch long fish) i had when i was a teenager I think . I'll never forget when i woke up and thought someone was slapping me in the middle of the night. They got into a little fight broke the top of the aquarium and landed in bed with me.