Live bait tank for a 4m tinny

[ajasnar]

:rolleyes: Hi there. I am wanting to find out some information about live bait tanks. I have a 4m tinny, so space is limited, but I am wanting a small tank to keep yakka (and perhaps squid) alive when I am out and about on the water.

Can anyone recommend a product or set up? Also, can anyone tell me what sort of battery I should use for this (I have a 12V but should I be looking to get a 6V as well to power the aerator?).

Alternatively, some things I have read say that it is possible to build these (DIY) on the cheap. Any information or suggestions on this front would be appreciatedl.

Thanks in advance.

[storms72]

Ajasnar, Welcome to SFF, follow this link and use an esky as the tank.....best way to get set-up and all you need is included in the kit and best of all its on special and you can order it online:ohhh yeah: (Iget no kickbacks from promoting this item for the retailer, its just the one place I remember seeing exactly what you are after)

http://www.fishouttawater.com.au/main_itemdetail.asp?cat=spec&item=15JO101

Good luck mate.....hey while you're here tell us a bit about yourself in the new members section and have a look around the site mate, plenty ofgood info here and a top bunch of helpful friendly guys on board.

Cheers
Jason:beerchug:

[xtosea]

Hi Ajasnar and welcome to the site.
What you need is a big bilge pump, what i mean by big is a big flow rate, say like 500gallons per hour minimum, you want it to pump alot of water! The fresher the better!
You will need some hoses etc and fittings, most of these can be bought from Boat accesory places like Whitworths or Bias Boating. The best tank is a beer brewing kit type of barrel, its circular and works unreal as the fish can swim in circles with ease.
You will need an inlet at the top of the barrel and an outlet somewhere at 90deg to that on the side of the barrel for excess water to flow out about 5cm below the inlet at least but no more than say 10cm.
You shouldn't have to change battery or get a new one as most marine stuff works on low amps and does not use much power.
Another thing you may need is a L-shape plastic bit that will be put on your pick up/bilge itself at the transom so that when under way you dont have to have it on all the time, rather it pushes the water up the pipes itself while you travel.
It is not hard to do, most shops have instructions that are easy to follow.
Silicone everything that you drill on the tank, to make it airtight.
Hope you succeed in it, its fairly easy if you are cley.
If you have anymore questions feel free to ask.

Kamil

[2Pipperty]

Hi Ajasnar,

welcome to the site, hope you enjoy it. Below is a link to Bias Boatings web site on their live bait tank options, I have bought some stuff from these guys and they are very well priced.
As you can see you can do this on the cheap and it can also get quite expsensive.
Best of luck with it all...

http://www.biasboating.com.au/bait_tanks.html

[ajasnar]

Thanks for all your help and advice.

It seems the bilge option (ie pumping water up into the boat) is better one but requires a bit more work. The aerator seems much cheaper, but from what I have read is a noisy option. But, then, I am not sure whehter the bilge pump would be any quieter.

Anyway, I will check the budget and get onto this on the weekend. Thanks again.

[mulloway mayhem]

man with the bilge pump you are only looking at around $35 plus a few hoses and clamps.....use an old esky or as Kman said a home brew tub....at most $80........good luck...also look long term not short term answer....do it right the first time AND YOU WILL BE BETTER OFF MATE..........

[beats]

Just a tip for using silicone on Tinnies, use roof & gutter or a specific non acidic silicone. most silicones can promote corosion on metals. roof & gutter silicone is fine as it's non acidic & designed for use with metals.

[Haji]

I have found Sikaflex to be the best marine sealant for all applications. It is not cheap but it works 100% every time. Good info re Silicone, didn't know that it affects ally.

Also, I have used commercial watering system fittings to plumb a DIY tank, worked a treat. Good water flow is a must but any system can be improved by fitting having the inlet water enter the tank via a spray bar over the top of the tank so as to aereate the water as much as possible.

[humesy]

Howdy,
I used the moulded plastic live bait tank that retails in the Bias catalogue for about $259. I am happy with it for the time being but it took a while to get it right. When the boat was planing and even when the pump was running, more water was being forced into thetank than could escape. You wouldn't think with a full package like this complete with pump, outlets, inlets, scoop, etc, would not function the way it should. In the end, I tried partially filling the scoop with silicone and finally, turning the whole tank around and drilling a new, much larger outlet. Far more dicking around than should have been necessary. It was funny as well. Whitworths, where I bought the tank said the problem was unheard of. Bias told me it was common. Anyway, it does work well now and I am happy with a good sized tank that can hold a good supply of livies and sits nicely out of the way behind the back seat of the boat.
Hope this helps.
Cheers