KEEP YOUR BAIT ALIVE The Truth about water conditioners 

Crazy story: my brother bought minnows from a Scheels at the beginning of December, and we didn’t use them all, but left them in the minnow bucket in the garage in case our dad wanted to use them soon after. He saw the bucket in the garage a week or two later and they were still alive!

Long time fish keeper here, in a hobbyist and professional capacity. This stuff is the same thing as what we use in aquariums, just marketed different (and a lot more expensive). Generally speaking, a water conditioner is a water conditioner. They all do the same thing, but some have extra features like reinforcing slime coats or neutralizing ammonia, nitrite, and nitrates for short periods. Dosing can be different because manufacturers are ballparking their concentration based on average chlorine and chloramine dosing that municipals do. Not all tap water has the same concentrations in it, and not all conditioner brands have the same concentration of active products in them. So that's why dosing can differ. You don't really know unless you test your water for those things. Some can have concentrations low enough that you don't have to dose at all. Some it's through the roof. You can adjust your dosing of conditioner for these different water conditions. Neutralizing chlorine and chloramine is only half the battle for this kind of usage. Yes, those things (and heavy metals) can kill fish, but what will kill them in the longer term is biological waste buildup, specifically ammonia. If your conditioner can't bind ammonia, then you're still going to start losing fish after a day or so (highly dependent on amount of fish and amount of water). Some products have that additional function. The most popular one in the aquarium world is Seachem Prime (almost half the price of that G Juice stuff), it's the boss hog of water conditioners. With Prime, normal dosing is something like 2 drops per gallon (I usually just squirt it in the tank). Some of that stuff is pure marketing mumbo jumbo. Like that one that ways it's for shiners and "works on goldfish". Well, yeah, they all will. "Hardens the scales"? I'm going to call bull on that one. The coloration could be dye so you know there's something in the water, or it could be malachite green and methylene blue. But those would be a waste, as they wouldn't be effective in that kind of usage, concentration, or short term dosing.

so informative and entertaining as always! Nowhat I'm saying !!!

If you don't wish to tint your cooler blue, use API Pond Stress Coat. It does the same and treats way more gallons of water because it's made for ponds. Again no colors added just clear water. I use it for my 125 gallon fish tank and for live bait.

I don’t use anything but Sure life products. It’s proven it self for years and years. The place that you bought the minnows from uses Sure life to keep their inventory alive. That should speak volumes. I’ve personally tried Rejuvenade, G juice and one other I can’t recall and nothing is better than sure life. I don’t care what color the water is, it keeps my fish alive and healthy. As I said, the place where you got the minnows uses it to keep their inventory alive, that’s trust cause other wise they would use something else. Dead fish cost money.

Here's how I run my live well on my 1985 Lowe flat bottom. For the drain hole on the bottom of the well I have a long pvc pipe that screws into the bottom to get the maximum depth out of the tank. I have a pump on a timer that pumps fresh lake water into the well. It overflows into the pvc pipe when full and I can keep pumping fresh water. I only keep what we want to eat so this works perfectly.

Thank you, I always wondered about the water conditioning. Thanks for the video.

I have used the bait saver tabs for years. They make a huge difference, especially on hot days. I recently found a really simple way to power my aerator using a Ryobi tool battery. One of the 4 amp-hour, 18v batteries will run the aerator for about 24 hours. Pretty dang cool! :)

That's a pretty good experiment, Mr Stuff, Thanks for sharing, Can't wait for the next build

I gotta say: this is a very informative and great video to watch. Hoping to keep my bait fish alive longer with this soaked up knowledge...thnx FnS

Thanks for the very informative vid Keith! Keep 'em coming!!!

You are always full of good information & hacks please keep it up.

Yes as others have said great information and entertaining too! Thanks!

Great video, Keith! Good info. Thanks 🙂

Great test. Good work!

I have used the Finer Shiner a bunch with good results but your right about the color of the water that never bother me thanks enjoyed it

Hey man, try throwing one of your glow sticks in your bait tank to see your bait at night

Awesome video Keith.

All good info. I've wondered about the treatments we use in aquarium. Keith, really appreciate all the work you go through to give us this information. Keep up the great work. God bless you and your family and have a blessed day my friend.

Thank you

Thank you, Keith!

I found your channel looking for fishing ideas and I have to say “your awesome “, Not only do I enjoy the way you present your projects and compliment other DIY RU-vidrs, but your funny also. It’s just to bad I’m in Ontario Canada, where a lot of the items and materials you use are not available for reasonable prices.

Great test Keith

Just awesome 👍👍👍👍 good info and comparison .

Great info 👍🏾

I learned a lot from this video. I always wondered why the fish kept dying.

I own a bait shop in NJ and have been using the Better Bait for my live minnows for over 20 years. Thx for your video.

I found the video helpful even though I don't keep fish but I might want to sometime so works for me thanks

Very interesting Mr. Keith....good to know...

Thank you so much,, I've run into that to

Great video as always Keith.

The way I see it the video is shot and loaded and 3 doz of minnows living in the barn not paying rent its time for the one way ride down to the river or lake . When you see all of them in the corner like yours was doing that means they are doing well happy and healthy 👍

That’s some good stuff right there Keith.

I use a buck converter circuit to eliminate the batteries and run the bubbler with USB. Can be plugged in at home, or use a USB charging box on the go. Works awesome, and buck converters and cheap on Amazon. Like 1$ a piece.

Man now I really wanna go fishing! Gotta build me one of those live well coolers!👍 Thanks bro!

I love your videos great clean entertainment!

Great info!

Circulating fresh water is always the best , oxygen in that as well if you need to keep croaker Alive in saltwater . 🔥 video

Had no clue; that's why I watch you!

Excellent video

Great video, great info, thanks a lot. Totally enjoyed...

I used the please release me, in my live well never last a fish. My Only issue it would clog my pumps i would also use a filter before the pump. Keep up the awesome videos.

I just use Tetra Aqua Safe Plus, or Aqua Start in my livewells. I usually get them at Wallyworld in the pet section, or clearance aisle sometimes. They are tapwater conditioners that works great for me, and is quite a bit cheaper when you get the big bottles. I'd like to see you test those also, and see how they perform against these ones that you tested. Keep up the awesomeness Keith🤘🎣

I use the same API product that I use in my aquariums. It costs less and works.

Awesome video by my friend Keith

From an internet search: "Likely the best chemical to use for chemical neutralization is potassium metabisulfite, which comes in the form of small tablets. Once the tablet dissolves in the water, it will effectively neutralize the chlorine before evaporating"

Fantastic experiment Bro 🎣👍

This was a AWESOME video!!

You are one goofy, cool dude. Press On!!!

Great video. G juice works great. Been using a while.

Very interesting study.. always had my doubts about that stuff and bait. Show idea: I've gotten into surf fishing a little on the nc coast.. I know you dont surf fish but my idea is for bank fiahing in general. Been thinking of a better way to tote tackle and I've about decided on a bucket for tackle box and a seat, etc. How bout a video to give me some inspiration and ideas?! Love the channel

Awesome video!

AWESOME TESTS WITH OUTSTANDING RESULTS. THANKS FOR SHARING. I LIKED AND SUBBED

Ok so g juice sounds good. Have a good Weekend!💜😎

Well, that was about the funniest dang fish joke I heard from you yet! 😆😆🤣

Awesome!

When I lived in the mainland I remember seeing these products in Walmart and sporting goods stores but thought they were "snakeoil" glad to see they actually work. Although I always brought back my unused live bait back to the bait shop cause no pets were allowed in the barracks. Great video. Mahalo for sharing

Awsome

Great video

On Amazon you can buy Seachem Prime Fresh and Saltwater Conditioner - Chemical Remover and Detoxifier 250 ml. It's only 10$ and it treats 2500gal. And its clear. I have a 3yr old bass and blue gill in my aquarium.

I’ve used Sure Life for years. Fresh and Salt Water formulas. They have always worked great for me.

Just extra info, most bait store water is blue because the keep copper sulfate in the water - this is found in several products, commonly called Ick Out. This kills fungal diseases in the minnows.

There is a good hike to feed your fish at the same spot for weeks which is cut off the bottom of 2 l Coke bottle attached dead fish through the opening for the eyes and hang them on the branch of the bush that grows over the water and just leave it there what that will do in about 1 weeks you will have maggots dropping into the water at the same spot and they will keep on dropping for 2 to 3 weeks depending on temperatures outside and south is probably going to be the only one week. And the only thing to worry about with this feeder is that the high tide doesn't catch it and that it is far enough over the water so that the animals can get.

Good one. Thx. Wish you would have e touched on how often to feed them . If keeping them long term . ( Weeks ) thx .

!Awesome Video

Great video. I'll be using the powder since things freeze where I'm finishing.

Very interesting 👌 👍

Try using Tap Safe for aquariums. Which is what we us in the UK.

i only fish artificial bait, but if i were to get minnows, judging by this video id go with teh g-juice. it seems to work well enough, and is cheaper, but the thing that became apparent in teh video is that it was also MUCH clearer in the treated water. both of the other formulas looked like they really darkened the water up, but the g-jiuce you could hardly tell was there.

My local shop will fill a whole 5 gallon bucket of water for me if I need it. He also sells a little baggy of the crystal blue stuff (not sure what brand) for a couple of bucks. Shout out Jones bait and tackle, Midwest city Oklahoma.

I use g juice and get my water out of the the creek if it is not muddy but if it is I use tap water but I double the dose .if they are staying at the bottom that's because there calm and getting the fresh oxygen

The Lure is killin it again.

We run a bait shop and use Finer Shiner. We also have 2 live bait vending machines that are refrigerated to about 42 degrees. We use a product to remove the ammonia in the water, from the fish peeing, and another product that somewhat sedates the fish. Shiners are so finicky we can only put a half dozen in the bags for dispensing. The fathead minnows are tougher, and they are a dozen per bag. Both types of minnows are in a refrigerated lobster tank. We keep gallon jugs of water in the fridge at the same temp as the tank to avoid temperature shock. We use straight tap water, and after sitting a minimum of 24 hrs, the chlorine has dissipated. The additional water treatments take care of any residual chlorine. With everything done correctly the minnows will last in their little 2 cup bags for 36 hrs. After that the shiners will start struggling. The fatheads will last almost 48 hrs. There is no additional air being pumped into the bags. When the 100 degree heat this summer, we couldn't keep any of the minnows over 24 hrs. We haven't figured out the reason for that.

Great Video Keith. Please don’t fire the fish. Give him a paycheck and a medal 🥇.

Another great informative vid and that dang lure getting to big for his britches 🤣🤣🤣 keep up the great work and vids till next time god speed god bless tightlines and full stringers

I'd be interested in seeing a comparison vs non treated lake water. We've literally left minnows in the live well from one weekend to the next and still had live minnows left.

I have 2-200 gal tanks in my bait shop. I use better bait and 4 lbs of salt per tank and keep the water about 68 degrees. I have noticed if the minnow stay at the bottom of the tank they seem to be good and healthy. thats what works for me.know what Im sayin.

I've been wanting to do that cooler foam insulation for my lunch box. Tired of warm beer at work

I’m curious why there is live bait specific water conditioner. Couldn’t you just use aquarium water conditioner? I’ve used Seachem Safe for years with 0 issues for my aquarium. One $15 jar treats 60,000 gallons of water. My bottle is over 5 years old and will probably last another 5 years. If it’s good enough for fancy aquarium fish I’m sure it’s good enough for bait fish.

Rosy red tips 1) Look at the microfauna that they eat. Chances are they're in your local lakes & rivers & ponds. If you take a jar & fill it up with water, then look at it with a magnifying glass, you can culture them as natural feed for minnows & minnow fry, & tilapia fry. They love hiding places. You can grow even more minnows with hiding places. Fathead minnows are unique among American fish species in that the males guard the nests from predation - so giving them places to lay & protect their eggs work great. Even a plastic Tupperware container might work. If you're in the American Southeast, look for the invasive alligator weed. It will grow everywhere - and provide awesome habitat for your fish, not to mention starve algae of nutrients. And to protect locak wildlife esoecually for thise who plan to do this or keep any fishing catches as pets - feeder fish in general are notorious for catching parasites. When other animals eat them, the parasites can pass onto the creatures who ate the paraside-ridden minnow. So if your dog or a wild duck or your cat or your pet turtle or that cool perch you caught or even you ate them, theyll be at risk of internal parasites.

Hey Billy the answer is it makes your hair softer😂😂😂😂 No that’s why I like to use water conditioner

Would have been cool to see the PH of the water, before and after, using pool strips. Also the water treatment the store used, was very impressive in it's own right.

Great info. what about shelf life? Expiration date?

That's right there is good information, as usual, even if the jokes are corny.

You need to test Aquarium water treatment products. I looked one that does the same as your treatments you teste, except they leave the water clear, and it is only 8$ for 16 oz. Just a suggestion. In over 50+ years fo fishing I bought my first dozen minnow this last August to take my grandson fishing in Ohio. So I only watched this Video because your fun to watch

Could also try aquarium neutralizer witch shouldn't discolor the water

Concerning aeration, using plain ole hydrogen peroxide at 3% is great. Just a few drops in a couple of gallons will keep the oxygen levels way up for hours and will not hurt the minnows. I kept my large koi fish alive for two full days when the power went out. I had a 10,000 gal pond with sixty (60) medium to large koi and added six (6) ounces of hydrogen peroxide. It lasted at least six hours. I kept this up for two full days before power came back up with No losses!

If you want to keep your bait fish even longer , feed them gold fish , fish flake & put one of those reusable ice packs in the water once the temperature gos down . You want your water temperature to be within 65 to 75 degrees . I set up a 20 gallon aquarium in my basement like you would any regular fish aquarium hiding spots , fake trees or fake Hydrilla , small gravel , & a fish air raider & filter with a cooling pad so I can regulate the temperature of my water . I use it when I have extra bait fish left over. Just throw them in it & feed them once a day & your good to go & if you keep the water temp at just the right temperature they will even start to breed & you should feed the baby’s a different kind of food , it’s almost like krill but way way smaller & the big fish don’t tend to eat that .

Love the 2 minnows in a tank joke.

I use the cheapest stuff Walmart sells in the fish section for less than 5 bucks. I also used stress coat (the high-end version for aquariums which surprisingly is cheaper than this stuff per bottle) when I first started keeping my goldfish & betta tanks. These companies seem to be using the basic same chemicals just with good marketing and raising the price for a certain niche in the fishing market...

Love your channel buddy coming from another Gastonia boy! LOL

Copper sulfate is $9 for enough to do 3000 gallons. It makes a difference which copper sulfate you use to.

I wonder how aquarium and pond chlorine neutralizers would work for bait?

Hmmm🤔..... gave me something to think about

Just use api stress coat you can get a 16 oz bottle on Amazon for 8 dollars. 5 mil per 10 gallons cant beat that and it's cheap as heck

👍🏼

Please don't fire the green rattle trap.. we love his crazy dad jokes. Another great video man.

A elderly gentleman told me about 10 years ago to use purified drinking water that's all I use for my minnows my blue Gill now you don't have to put nothing in it and they stay alive for days.

You keep telling me to subscribe and get the Bail on, so far I haven't found it. 😉 cheers from Costa Rica

Don't use minnows. But got to keep the algorithms up. Hit the like button.