Livebait well / tank / barrel

[Duncan F (bathclaret)]

Guys I'd really appreciate some advice on the best way of putting my livebait tank together. I can see all the answers were in a thread a few years back, but that was on the old forum and the explanatory photos weren't migrated.

 

I'm sure I've now collected all the bits I need - finally got a 45 litre (mango chutney) blue barrel from our local Indian yesterday :-) and I have the 1 1/2" flexi pipe for the drain, 850gph bilge pump, non-return valves, skin fittings etc.

 

I'm now at the dangerous stage - have a hole cutter ready in the drill and only ONE blue barrel !!

 

So the questions I have are...

 

1. Drain fixing near the top, but with a pipe running down the inside to draw from the bottom of the tank Yes/No?

2. Coarse mesh gauze on the drain to stop escapes?

3. Inlet height slightly below the drain height or above it, with a spray bar arrangement for oxygenation?

4. Clockwise inlet spray? Does it make any difference? (Assuming I probably won't be sailing in the Southern hemisphere!).

5. If the bilge pump seems too strong, is it possible to "turn it down" by fitting a rheostat on the power cable?

 

Any advice / a picture or two gratefully received

 

Duncan

[duncan]

there are a few things to consider....

 

1. are you swapping out water or are you oxygenating it - or both!  you would normally put the water in from the bottom and out via an overflow at the top for the former

2. the position of the overflow will dictate the working volume of your tank - which in turn dictates it's weight   options can be good here on a small boat!

3. yes to gauze - and on the inlet too (unless it's just a spray bar)

[Rob]

I have water in the top

Via a ring of flexy tube all the way around that is perforated and acts like a shower head on the top of the barrel.

 

I let the water out from the bottom, but a hole on the outside (as a pipe inside the barrel will hinder the maccy swimming round and round.

 

Filter in the bottom yes.

 

I have a T junction at the peak of the out let (position of outlet dictates water level in barrel), the T is open to stop the water siphoning out, until the end of the day when I plug it and the barrel self empties!

[Brian]

Here's the article that Adam posted with the photos.

Live Bait Tank.doc

[great white]

I have inlet at the top via a tube that runs around the inside of the rim and has 6mm holes facing downwards, the end of the tube is bunged up.

 

My outlet is just a 11/2 inch pipe as an overflow, from 3/4 the way up the barrel, fitted with a mesh to keep small fish from escaping.

 

I do not like anything in the barrel that stops the bait circulating.

 

I usually use a 360gph pump, which aerates the water and rotates it to keep it cold.

 

Hope that helps

Charlie

[Duncan F (bathclaret)]

Perfect, sincere thanks to all.That's cleared things up nicely.

So that's water in at the bottom, or the top; with the outlet at the bottom, or at the top, either above or below the inlet or at the same height 

Well at least we all agree on a lid and a gauze!

 

Weight-wise a 45 litre / 45kg tank should be ok I think, big enough for 10-12 macks, which is all I need on a Warrior. An early season Bass trip looks on the cards very soon!

 

Thanks again

Duncan