# How many shrimp can you keep alive in a ...



## LawnStalker (Nov 5, 2010)

Let's say a 5 gallon bucket will have 4 gallons of water and a little air-stone areator running on 2 D batteries...

Anyone tried suspending a large cricket cage at the water's surface to keep just a handful (6-12) shrimp or mud minnows/fingerling mullet alive?


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## Altamaha Stalker (Nov 5, 2010)

My buddy kept 2 quarts of shrimp alive on a trip in September. Just pour out the old and add new water every so often. The shrimp stayed alive for an 8+ hour trip.

Never tried the cricket cage, but it should work.


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## Capt. TJ Cheek (Nov 5, 2010)

You shouldn't have any trouble with the air temperature being what it is right now. In the summertime it would be a different story. Like AS said, change the water out if the weather is hot and you'll be fine.


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## creekrocket (Nov 5, 2010)

I freeze Zip-Loc bags of salt water in order to keep the temp down during the hot months, and it works great. Just drop a bag in the water and froget about it for a while. Try it out next Spring-Summer


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## Robert 31320 (Nov 6, 2010)

Like the others said, CHANGE the water OFTEN.


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## MudDucker (Nov 6, 2010)

We used to keep them alive in sawdust covered by newspaper and ice all day during the cooler weather.


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## Bryannecker (Nov 6, 2010)

Mud minnows are a tough lot, and hard to harm.

But, shrimp are fragile and must have fresh water, salt water that is, or they will die from the build-up of uric acid, ammonia, and other excretions they emit.  Just like us they need clean water and air to breath and thrive.  Hot weather stresses them to a great degree.

Lower the heat on them, give them a drink of saltwater often and provide air and they will do much better in the hot weather.


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## bnz (Nov 8, 2010)

Being a bait chunker and fishing from a kayak I'm used to using a battery powered aerator.  Two things I've learned that helps you can see in my bait bucket (made from a kitty litter bucket):








1) I insulate my bucket with a sleeping bag pad from Wal Mart.  Even during the summer time this keeps the water temp down.

2) I use ½" nylon fencing to line my buckets to give the shrimp something to hang onto.  If they are constantly swimming in your bait bucket they will tire and die faster.

By doing these two things I keep my shrimp alive all day  most of the time(even without changing the water).


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## Smackover (Nov 8, 2010)

*Keeping shrimp*

Get a small bucket with lid.

Drill holes in sides and bottom......holes that shrimp and mud mins cant get thru

tie a rope on it and put in water

we do this with a 5 gal bucket all the time to keep bait alive.

The cooler the water the better they live... we also add ice an O2 to the water.

Regards

Smackover


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## LawnStalker (Nov 8, 2010)

Thanks for the advice. 

Buddy of mine is trying to pry me from the shore and piers on a kayak and I was trying to find a light system for us to use.

Something I noticed this past weekend on Amelia Island (besides 15+ mph wind and outgoing tide = the wrong time to learn to paddle a kayak) is both mullets and minnows with clump under cover... We had an enormous tidal pool we dropped our bait in after scrapping the kayak idea for the day and the bait would hide under the umbrella net's shadow. Might help out in a bucket system with O2 consumption and exhaustion. But, I guess if you keep the lid down they're pretty much shaded anyway.

Thanks again.


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## Capt. Richie Lott (Nov 9, 2010)

I have an 8-gallon cool bubbles bucket with a thru-lid shaft drive pump that comes wih that model. We have a cigarette lighter end spliced on to it with a LONG cord. That thing will keep 3-4 quarts alive in 1/2 bucket full of water for an entire day and then some...


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