filter help

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Bait Shop

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Apr 8, 2009
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Napa
Hello,
I have a bait shop in northern Ca. & have a minnow tank that can hold up-to 400 gal. I usually have only 100 gal in it with around 500 med-large minnows at times. I'd like to know if someone can tell me were to get a filter for my tank.

Heres my dilemma, The water available to me is extremely expensive in my area. I have no filter system at all now & never did. With up to 500 minnows I would be able to go around 2 weeks before having to drain the tank & put new water in. Since bait deliveries are every 2 weeks.

Now 5 of the 7 resorts are closed here at the lake & Im one of the only places to carry minnows. I have now 3,000 minnows & need a filter to make it so Im not going through 100gal water every 2-3 days now.

If I can get a filter that can do it I'll add 300 more gal to fill the tank. Just I don't want to be wasting water since the money made on minnows isn't much to begin with. The food, water, electricity & minnows lost each day out way the profits. Just trying to fill the void caused by the resort closings.

Thanks
Ron
 
For got to mention the tank is a brick tank sitting on the ground out side. So the filters I saw at the local Pet-Co all have to be under the tank. That's not an option since there is no "under tank"

Ron
 
you could buy a ''TETRA'' CLEARCHOICE GRAVITY FILTER'' & ''PONDMASTER ''12'' PUMP this is all used for ponds...$200+
 
Pond filter. Or sump of some kind. I cant quite get a mental image of what you are describing however. Pics would help.
 
the ''TETRA'' is a simple wet/dry with a pad & bio balls that is above the water fed by the pump an returns by gravity
 
With that many minnows in a 400 gallon tank you will need a pump that can cycle the water at a high rate. There are "pond" pumps for sale at pet supply places that cater to people who have outdoor fountains and ponds. You probably need a 2000 to 4000 pgh pump (higher rate is better) and they will cost maybe 200-300 bucks for a new one.

A cheap filter would be to place a 5 gallon bucket on the edge of your tank, punch some holes in the bottom, and pump water up into it so it drains back out into the tank. Put a layer of gravel in the bottom, then some other filtering material on top of that.

pump the water
 
I worked at a bait shop years ago and the filter system they had was 2 over the tank style drain thru bakki systems i guess you could say. The tank was about 10' long and 4' wide and maybe 3' deep. At each end of the tank they had a 5g bucket with a million holes drilled in it setting in the tank corners with the pump inside the bucket. The bucket was for a prefilter so that the dead minnows did not foul the pump propeller. Then the pump ran to a heavy duty plastic tub that stradled the tanks width 4'. And attached on the end with a spray bar running across the tub. The tub was filled with a bio bale looking bio media and a peice of filter floss on top. And the part that was hanging out over the actual minnow tank had holes drilled in the bottom so the water could flow back into the tank. --------------That filter system was purely to keep more minnows alive and handle there waste and not for clarity of the water. Which is of little concern to most bait shop owners. The pumps would turn the tank over around 7 times an hour. And made a small current in the tank.-------------------------This same system could be made out of 2 5g buckets and 2 plastic trash cans or plastic 55g drums. And the pumps and hose. And some media.--------------If you want I can draw you a picture and post it of what the system looked like to get a better idea.
 
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