Keeping @#%%@!!!! shiners alive

Post by **Jabba** » Mon Feb 13, 2006 5:41 am

Has anyone out there had any luck keeping emerald shiners alive? I tried using dechlorinated water in a 5 gal. pail, in my unheated garage. next morning, they were all tits up. The I got an air pump and air stone from my aquarium, new batch of minnows. Same results. I thought maybe it was too cold in the garage, as there was significant ice buildup at top of water, so I took the pail inside, changed the water and put the pump back in. Let the minnows acclimatize to home temp before putting them in the pail. Same thing. Tried one of the 80-some liter plastic storage containers,same f&*^^%$#'n result.

WHAT AMI I DOING WRONG? By the way, I have one heck of a selection of frozen minnows to use on my jigs.

Post by **Gord** » Mon Feb 13, 2006 6:04 am

Did you check the ammonia level in the water? I was having the same problem a while ago and found out the level was WAY to high. You can get stuff to lower the level at aquarium supply stores(Big Al's, Pet Smart...etc) I think its called Prime. Other than that, it sounds as if you're doing everything right. Good luck!

Oh yeah............I have a freezer full of frozen minnows!

Post by **chief itchybum** » Mon Feb 13, 2006 6:25 am

if you have a local creek,pond or any other body of water....try using that instead of tap water...and keep you air pump going to it...little ice on top doesn't hurt anything.

hope this helps

Post by **Tip-up** » Mon Feb 13, 2006 9:12 am

I have had 2 dozen goldies in tap water in the fridge...They have been there since last thursday.

With the emeralds I find you can keep em' alive a day, maybe two.... Buy golden shiners, they last longer on the hook too!

Post by **Fishquest** » Mon Feb 13, 2006 10:01 am

Usually just tap water and into the firdge for mine and they do ok. But they are one of the toughest minnows to keep going. I find the they usually die at the site of a hook coming towards them.

Post by **Wallyboss** » Mon Feb 13, 2006 10:44 am

I've had emerald shiners in my 5 gallon pail for 3 weeks now, and they've been out with me ice fishing 4 or 5 times. I've been buying golden shiners lately and they survive good also. Where I live is city water but not under a lot of pressure just 8 psi and it fill a holding tank in my basement then my water pump takes the water from the tank and pressurizes it. It's called a trickle feed system. I use that de-chlorinator stuff but i have to use only half of what they say on the bottle. Probably because the water sits in the tank for a while and the chlorine evaporates and I don't know if ammonia also evaporates. I have a 110vlt air pump with the blue stone, and i change the water every 3 days or more often depending on the amount of minnows I have in it. So you might want to try letting your water sit for a day or so before putting the minnows in and the pump. My system minnows are in my basement but the night before I go ice fishing I change the water and i put them in my shed. and let the air pump go all night. some times I have to leave the air tube in because if it freezes to bottom and you try pulling it out you'll break that blue rock every time , I broke about 3 until I got the hint.

And when I come back from fishing on the Sunday night I bring them back in till next friday and start all over again.

But taking water from a stream or lake would be the best .

Post by **Scum Frog** » Mon Feb 13, 2006 10:54 am

Use mud minninows instead!

Post by **scttsmpsn** » Mon Feb 13, 2006 12:00 pm

Emerald shiners are common to early death before they are used. I avoid buying them at all costs. They have no durability; good for jigging with their heads. The most durable are golden shiners by far. Wallyboss; WOW! You must have the golden touch!

Cheers,

Scott

Post by **Relic** » Mon Feb 13, 2006 12:36 pm

Forget about it......they die when the see a hook

Go with goldens or chubs if you expect to keep them alive.

Post by **Wall-I-Guy** » Mon Feb 13, 2006 1:51 pm

Your city water is indeed chloraminated. So you need something to de-chloraminate it like Aqua Plus by Nutrafin to remove the chloramine!

We add Sodium Hypochlorite solution and ammonia which forms chloramines to water that is leaving the plants.

Science class over for the day...

Post by **Wallyboss** » Mon Feb 13, 2006 7:18 pm

I talked too fast i had a dead one tonight, but he had an excuse. one puncture hole in the back on both side. He was victim of a mr.Gamatszu
(spelling???) , But fought like a good soldier, he just didn't take any prisoners of war.

WB