i have acquired a 20 gallon poly washtub. i picked up an Aqua-Tech 10-20 gallon filter/aerator tonight at wally, and some water conditioner.
how many bullies can i realistically expect to keep in this thing, and them stay healthy?
i know i’ll have to change the water more frequently then a larger tank, but i’m ok with that.
my guess, one per gallon. i have a 100 gallon tank and if i keep it to 50 or less bullheads they will stay alive for a month. when i know i’ll be fishing a bunch i may put up to 100 in the tank.
the only reference point i have, is i have kept over 20 bullheads in a 50 quart cooler for many days with no aeration or filter, i just change the water every 2-3 days. 50 quarts is only 12.5 gallons.
so, i would think with the additional water, and filtration, i could keep more, longer.
if i have to change the water out once every week or two, i’m fine with that. i just don’t want a 50 or 100 gallon tank taking up room in my garage.
I’ll check what my on board cooler is this weekend Perch. I’m thinking it only holds 6 or so gallons.
I do know over crowding shortens the life of a bully.
I had 500 in my 250 gallon bait tank and I was losing 12 to 24 per day. Now with around 300 in there, I’ve held them for two weeks with around 12 going belly up total.
PS I use Lakeland tap water and never add any conditioner.
Do not feed your bait fish… If you give them food, they will crap, crap = polluted water = dead bait. Fish can go a long time without food and still be very lively.
Return the 10 to 20 filter and get the 20 to 40. Trust me 
A lot depends on the size of the bait. My rule of thumb has been 10” of fish/gallon.
So if I have a 50 gallon tank that would be 500”. 100 5”ers or about 70 7”ers.
Keep in mind that you can only legally possess 24 dozen (288). So I don’t know about tanks that can support 500. My rule of thumb might be out the window on those.
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Return the 10 to 20 filter and get the 20 to 40. Trust me
why is that? just more flow?
I would guess clogged filters Perch.
Yes, more flow=less stink in the garage. You won’t have to replace the filter as often either.
returned the filter for a 20-40 gallon one, much much better flow!
i’ll be christening it tomorrow with a cooler full of bullys! 
now i have a better place to keep my leeches too. i’ll just keep them in a leech tamer. or what does anyone else do to keep leeches and baitfish in the same tank?
Lennie Jamison taught me to keep them in the toilet tank. Fresh water after each flush.
Just make sure they don’t get out. Hearing has really never been the same.
I have a large cooler in an outside shaded area that I use, just a bubbler and no filter. I drain and replace the water via the plug on the cooler every couple of days, only stock what I need as the bully pond is casting distance away. The fisher twins put their leftover fatheads and a few suckers in there last weekend, as of last night there are no more fatheads and suckers and the bullies are a bit fatter. The disappearing fatheads really don’t surprise me, but the med suckers do! Moral of the story is seperate other bait from the bullies, also want to be careful you don’t comtaminate the whole tank, quarentine appropriately. CZ
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Lennie Jamison taught me to keep them in the toilet tank. Fresh water after each flush.
Just make sure they don’t get out. Hearing has really never been the same.
I don’t think it’d work in Mpls, seems clorine and leeches don’t get along, least last time I tried it they didn’t.
Al
Good point Al!
I would also discourage using those blue bleach pucks in the tank too if you are going to use the toilet technique for leeches.
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i’ll be christening it tomorrow with a cooler full of bullys!
Dude, I gave you 8 Bullheads…..I guess to some thats a cooler full…..just shows some people have low standards…. 
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i’ll be christening it tomorrow with a cooler full of bullys!
Dude, I gave you 8 Bullheads…..I guess to some thats a cooler full…..just shows some people have low standards….
i figured i was getting more, but someone doesn’t have the ability to keep anything alive for more then 8 hours… 
Even with that many, you’ll have to change water a lot to keep them alive for long.
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