DIY Garage Minnow Cooler

Hey folks, appreciate any tips. Tips gained from experience = extra points.

How do people keep minnows alive in an unheated, insulated garage that stays below freezing during the mid-winter nasties?

I’m looking to keep 4-6″ walleye suckers and soon-to-be-beheaded fatheads alive for longer than a week. Couple weeks would be great.

Last two winters been doing the plastic/styrofoam Frabill buckets with aquarium aerators and 1/8″ tubing. The aerator stones like to freeze up because the pump is pulling in that sub-32 degree air.

I’m going to end up heating the garage, but for now. . .

Thanks, Joe

How cold does it get in the garage?

I run a bait tank all winter. The easiest way is to heat the garage lol. I would think a stock tank heater would work well for that.

Do they need to stay in the garage? Keeping them in a cooler in your basement and adding a scoop or two of snow every 1 or 2 days might keep the water pretty cool and the minnows happy for much longer than a week.

If it’s normal winter temps I’d keep the cooler raised off the concrete floor and I bet you won’t have much for icing issues in an unheated insulated garage. If it’s 30 below for 2 weeks, you might have a hard time fighting ice up issues.

Pretty tough with freezing conditions. I have a wash tub converted into a bait tank . I glued Styrofoam to the sides and bottom. A aquarium tank heater and a covered insulated lid should work. You can get fountain or a pond pump to circulate the water, preferably though a filter and return to the tank.

Here is what mine looks like

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What about a standard light bulb or heat bulb above your tank? Or a fish tank heater?

(Not sure how low a tank heater goes?)

I would go with a aquarium tank heater. There is is one that is black and non adjustable. I’ve used it when it was very cold in my garage and I would get a little ice on the surface but it would keep it from freezing solid. I had it on a timer for maybe ten hours a night. I don’t think a heat bulb is going to put enough heat into the water.

B-man wrote:

What about a standard light bulb or heat bulb above your tank? Or a fish tank heater?

(Not sure how low a tank heater goes?)

I’d put the aerator pump in a box with the light bulb. Warm air being pumped into the minnow container will keep both the stone and the water from freezing.

how about a bird bath heater? runs on a thermostat that shuts off just above freezing.

Lots of good ideas here. A light in a box with the pump is very clever.

During those “Polar Vortex” stretches, it was about 15 in there and ice-up was a major issue. Otherwise it’s right around 30 during much of the winter and just circulating the water keeps it open and ice-free.

I thought about an aquarium thermometer, but their range is 60-80 or so. Putting in on a timer is a nice idea.

Gino wrote:

Here is what mine looks like

I like it! I like it a lot! I have a old laundry tub laying around I may just have to steal your idea I dump out way to many minnows every year. My garage is heated so I don’t have the freezing problem.

In the garage, a stock tank heater is probably the only real option. I have a similar garage situation and just keep them in an Engel with an aerator on them by the patio door. A handful of snow every couple of days and I can keep them for weeks. Good luck!

for those that use a fish tank heater how long do you keep your ‘on’ cycles on your timer?

Rob G wrote:

for those that use a fish tank heater how long do you keep your ‘on’ cycles on your timer?

you kinda just have to experiment with times , depending on how cold it gets. The tank is not going to freeze solid over night, check it in the morning if you need more heat add more time.

I don’t know how much room you have but I use an old horse water tank. I have an aquarium 110v double bubbler and I have it plumbed into my well. The water comes on twice a day for a couple minutes from a cheap sprinkler timer.
The tank is covered with an overflow drain to the outside. So the combination of covering the tank, fresh air, fresh water keeps it ice free for all but the -20 days. When I see it get some ice I put a small stock tank heater in it for a short time. If it gets ice on top I scoop it out. The larger the tank helps too.
I keep 4″ shiners and fatheads in it all winter here in Montana. Fresh lively minnows are hard to get here anytime of year so I baby them critters ……

bryan t wrote:

I don’t know how much room you have but I use an old horse water tank. I have an aquarium 110v double bubbler and I have it plumbed into my well. The water comes on twice a day for a couple minutes from a cheap sprinkler timer.
The tank is covered with an overflow drain to the outside. So the combination of covering the tank, fresh air, fresh water keeps it ice free for all but the -20 days. When I see it get some ice I put a small stock tank heater in it for a short time. If it gets ice on top I scoop it out. The larger the tank helps too.
I keep 4″ shiners and fatheads in it all winter here in Montana. Fresh lively minnows are hard to get here anytime of year so I baby them critters ……

Bryan I also have a large bait tank ( stock tank )in my yard in the summer . Would love to see some pictures of yours , specifically on your plumbing. I’ve been thinking of doing exactly what your doing with the well.

If you are going to keep creek chubs. You will need lid on your tank. They love to jump and end up dying on floor. Fathead minnows do not jump. So no lid needed for those who only want to keep them.

Biggest two enemies of keeping minnows/ chubs long term. Ammonia build up and heat. Winter eliminates the heat problem and now freezing becomes a problem.

I use a small external filter along with aerator. It keeps the water in my 110 gallon tank crystal clear. Have to clean filter apprx. 4 times a year.

I happened to luck out when I bought my house years ago. It had a concrete walled root cellar. By being underground it never gets above 54 or so. Winter temps at the coldest gets around 44 or so.
Works to store my bulk wax worms also.

No problem. I’ll get some pictures later this afternoon. My setup is in an unheated building so it takes some serious cold before I need to worry but nevertheless I check on them everyday anyhow. I need to check on them today as we have an Arctic cold front passing through this week probably headed your way. Was 5 degrees this morning. I noticed some smaller lakes ice capped and some guys already fishing here….

Ditto on the jumping chubs. Nothing more painful than seeing a nice 4″ chub lying on the ground. I bet the root cellar is awesome! You’re right about the ammonia problem too. Keep giving them fresh water and that should help. I even feed mine regular fish food. Not sure if they eat it but I’ve have kept them all winter.

My system is pretty basic but it works,

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I just keep minnows in an old cooler in the garage with a cheap aerator in it. Nothing fancy. Can keep minnows alive in the winter for up to 6 weeks. Sometimes the surface ices up but just bust that out. Helps to change out water at least once a week. Summertime changing the water a couple times a week is necessary and putting a frozen Gatorade bottle every day to keep the water cool. Summertime if I’m on top of it I can keep minnows alive for up to 2 weeks maybe longer if it’s not too hot.

P.S. I’m talking fat heads here. Shiners usually die somewhere between the parking lot of the bait shop and the lake

Whats the ideal water temperature?

papaperch wrote:

If you are going to keep creek chubs. You will need lid on your tank. They love to jump and end up dying on floor. Fathead minnows do not jump. So no lid needed for those who only want to keep them.

Biggest two enemies of keeping minnows/ chubs long term. Ammonia build up and heat. Winter eliminates the heat problem and now freezing becomes a problem.

I use a small external filter along with aerator. It keeps the water in my 110 gallon tank crystal clear. Have to clean filter apprx. 4 times a year.

I happened to luck out when I bought my house years ago. It had a concrete walled root cellar. By being underground it never gets above 54 or so. Winter temps at the coldest gets around 44 or so.
Works to store my bulk wax worms also.

Any info on the filter you use or recommendations? I have the same style basement and started keeping creek chubs down there but no filter yet, water changes every couple days is a little annoying. How many do you see die in a week, minimal?

I used a five gallon bucket propped up on another one. Inside the bottom one I had a 60 watt light. then used a thermocube outlet turns on when below freezing. The bulb would heat in the bottom bucket, the bottom bucket was upside down with a hole cut in the bottom. heat would rise and keep unfroozen. Not to hot to start a fire . Put a little Styrofoam over the top too. Here is the link. I also use one of these on the heater in my doghouse too. http://www.thermocube.com/

Anyone use one of these on a timer?

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traumatized wrote:

I used a five gallon bucket propped up on another one. Inside the bottom one I had a 60 watt light. then used a thermocube outlet turns on when below freezing. The bulb would heat in the bottom bucket, the bottom bucket was upside down with a hole cut in the bottom. heat would rise and keep unfroozen. Not to hot to start a fire . Put a little Styrofoam over the top too. Here is the link. I also use one of these on the heater in my doghouse too. http://www.thermocube.com/

Fantastic idea, traumatized!

I’m going to try a Thermocube TC-3 outlet ($12 Amazon) in an old cooler with a $10 aquarium heater and a small $10 aquarium pump the pulls in some outside air. The heater should turn on at 35 degrees and off at 45 degrees.

Hey Bass Thumb you’ve inspired me.

After taking the boys out today and getting skunked by a local boat landing with good ice, I decided to bump up my game saving bait.

Normally I just put a bubbler in my 5 gallon Gatorade minnow bucket and change the water as needed.

This year I want to keep more minnows alive and for longer, so I had the FW pick up a 10 gallon fish tank and fish tank filter.

It should do a better job, with twice the water and with less maintenance

It’s a $30 investment that should pay for itself in short order.

Any old container would work, but the boys love being able to see through the glass.

(I know that there’s a couple belly-up minnows……we’re trying to revive them, they’ve had a tough day )

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