2024 DIY Bait Tank Tips & Tricks (Why This Setup Works Best)

If you've ever had an IBC Tote bait tank setup you know it can be frustrating at times but also rewarding when you get the levels right and the system finally stabilizes. I'm bringing some of the tips I've learned along the way in hopes that it will help you with your IBC Bait Tank build.
This setup was relatively simple, quite effective, requires minimal power usage, and was pretty cheap.
If you have any questions comment below and thanks for watching!
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Tools & Equipment:
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#diybaittank #ibcbaittank #catfishbait #catfishing

[@PopPopJoe]

For growing plants inside tank - Get 4" PVC pipe drill small holes in it, cap the bottom, drill holes in that also. Hang inside tank & place plants inside pipe.

[@CatfishKC]

That's a good idea. I'll try that on the side of my tank with some of the pothos I'm growing..

[@dzrrdz6834]

Thanks for sharing!

[@dickrose219]

just a fyi. the plants don't have to be in the tank itself, just within the water colony, the bio filter barrel would be an awesome place to put them in your setup.

[@CatfishKC]

Correct. That's a good point

[@raisinggoldfishonabudget7058]

😱 Now I know why I had so much trouble with the fish I tried to keep as "bait fish" Thank You for the info, I'll save your video for when I set up my tank for next year cause we do a lot of fishing so we can have fish for winter to eat, so this was a big help,.

[@CatfishKC]

Sorry for the late response!! I'm glad it helped and hopefully you got your tank setup ok. Thank for watching!!

[@raisinggoldfishonabudget7058]

@@CatfishKC No not yet but thank you for the info are you still using the same setup for the tank ? I'm using a 110 gal stock tank for goldfish for now that I've had for the past 2-3 years but fixing to get rid of them & just use the tank for aquatic plant's.

[@CatfishKC]

I know people to just get rid of their fish and go to plants. They can be fun too. Yes I still have the same 275 gallon IBC tote but I just changed the Substrate in the filter to about 5 inches of sand and it really seems to be doing good. Happy 2023!!

[@roy1m664]

Thanks for sharing! Just subbed!

[@CatfishKC]

We appreciate you and thanks for watching!!

[@tademonaco9396]

Awesome page.

[@CatfishKC]

Thanks!! We appreciate it

[@catfishsociety1151]

This is such an awesome set up man! Just built mine a week ago.

[@CatfishKC]

That's awesome man! Be sure you get the bio filter set up good and you shouldn't have too many issues! If you don't want to wait the 6 weeks for nitrogen cycle to take place you can always get some used filter media from a friend or even go down to the local pet store and they might give you a sponge filter or somethings that's used and so you can get a jumpstart on the beneficial bacteria. *Did you do anything different to your setup?*

[@catfishsociety1151]

@@CatfishKC yes, but we have primarily the same set up in ways. I built mine just before finding your video. If you have a few minutes, swing over to our channel and check it out. Let me know what you think and your opinions on what could be better etc. thanks man!

[@CatfishKC]

Niceeeee. It's looking good. Looks like you have plenty of aeration in there. You might even be good without that agitator because your 5 gal has a good distance to travel with the run off and that would aerate your tank just fine, depending on the amount of fish you keep in there at any given time. One thing I might consider would be to get an additional pump at the bottom, maybe a 220gph or something small, just so you can create some movement down there for the particulates to get sucked up the pond pump. But it looks nice! Good work on that!

[@badgthom]

Thanks for the Great videos! I finished mine a few weeks ago and it's going pretty good. One thing I'm working on is getting it to drain faster. I am using 1 1/2" pipe. I thought about putting a vent hole in the top of the drain line to help it drain faster, but I haven't quite yet. One thing I do is when I pull minnows to take to the lake I use my bottom drain hose to fill my minnow bucket. That way there's no temp changes and they have that bacteria.

[@420stonedkiller]

Awesome video, I’m about to build a bait tank also. All this hard work makes me think you would bond with the fish. Almost like eating Bambi 🦌

[@CatfishKC]

Thanks!! You are 100% correct. My entire family loves feeding the bait tank fish. Currently I have my son's first catfish ever caught in the bait tank and the fish have been in there so long that they allow me to actually pet them... including the catfish. When I go fishing now I still go try and catch bait to leave my pet fish in the tank as long as I can 😆

[@CATfishTONY]

You can also add duckweed to the top and it'll absolutely blow your mind how valuable it is and it's free

[@CatfishKC]

Oh good call. I need to get some of that giant duckweed and something to contain it in a fixed area. Thanks for the suggestion!

[@brandons9530]

plant in basket with pool noodle ziptide to it and put pea graval, floting planter will let the roots grow some before they get a chance to eat them. really nice build though i really like.

[@CatfishKC]

That's something I might try. To prevent them from getting to the roots. And thanks!!!

[@wayneeisenmann5568]

Very helpful video bro!!! I almost did a ditto of yours . I filled mine today but having a small problem regulating the water levels between the fish tank and bio filter?

[@CatfishKC]

Do you have water coming from the top of the tank (kind of like skimming the top) and also the gravity fed water coming through the bottom. I find it is hard to regulate the amount of water coming from the tank with only the gravity fed supply coming from the bottom of the tank. With the skimming hole at the top, you can fill the tank as much as you want and the water will drain down that top hole making it easy to fill the filter as much as you need.

[@calvinhelms4442]

PH . add PH level to the additions to the water . PH level needs to be 7.2 no more then 8 no less then 6 . i just use ph strips for testing .this will allow meds and other chems to stay in the water have you tried dry dog food . one thing i do is take a piece of 4 inch pipe a couple of ft long drill one inch holes all around it and cap one end . attach it to the inlet . this will allow the debrea to be removed without bothering the fish .

[@CatfishKC]

I appreciate the information and I will do a little more research on the dog food. it's very interesting and we appreciate you watching and I'll let you know how it goes

[@maynardopadua5661]

nice

[@jonoconnell6610]

About how many bluegills will tank like that support I also added a kind of like an overflow tank 14 gallon barrel and putting plants in that thanks good video

[@CatfishKC]

Oh nice! I've had over 100 in here and if you have enough biomedia and balanced correctly the filter can keep up for the most part. You would probably need to do more regular water changes. BUT, if you had enough plants in the ecosystem it would be pretty self sustaining assuming the plants could pull all the nitrates out. When you get into that many fish and have regular feeding you really need a good amount of plants to keep up.

[@alphapreacher3981]

Nice video man, what did you use for a water heater?

[@CatfishKC]

Amazon has some good choices for larger tanks like this. I would personally only use a heater if you have your tank in a room that stays very cold. Our water is usually around 65 or 70

[@kengravoisjr7728]

Nice build man! I used to be deep into the aquarium scene and i can tell you did all your homework instead of just having a holding tank🤙🏻 You can use your top that you cut to make a overflowing tank into your main tank, and use the shallow tank as your plant filtration and even grass shrimp if you wanted to

[@CatfishKC]

I really appreciate it man!! We thought when we started building these bait tanks that we'd be good just to get the chlorine and chloramine and watch the ammonia levels.... We were wrong Hahaha. We learned alot through trial and error. It's a little more complex like your saying. And thanks for the tip. That's a pretty good idea that I might play around with.!!!

[@kengravoisjr7728]

Yeah i know your deal! Trust me!🤣 i jumped into aquariums the same way. And lost alot of money due to me not researching. Once you actually research and learn about the whole water filtration deal it becomes quite simple and you can easily keep things in check and prevent tragic losses with simple extra steps. I miss it and your build may actually give me reason into doing something like yours! Good luck and keep up the good info🙌🏻

[@CatfishKC]

@@kengravoisjr7728 exactly. We jumped in and we didn't know what we were getting ourselves into. It kind of became an obsession for a little bit. And then more research and more research. But once we got it down, our fish started thriving and plants did good. It's not too difficult. But it does take some research. But at the end of the day it is really fun

[@kengravoisjr7728]

Exactly! Its an addiction for sure

[@allkindsofoutdooractivities]

Use pvc pipe, the roots grow down but the fish can’t reach it. You could also use a fish breed basket where fry would be placed. The fish can’t get in but you have water flow

[@CatfishKC]

Hey now that's a good idea! I like the fish breed basket idea. Might have to try that! Thanks!

[@allkindsofoutdooractivities]

@@CatfishKC awesome! Hope it works!

[@imamusman1]

That's what I was gonna say haha PVC pipe with holes drilled in it

[@compound63]

@CATFISH KC HOW DO YOU KEEP THE WATER COOL ENOUGH? Thank you

[@CatfishKC]

This is Matt and I keep my tank in my garage. It stays about around 70 in my garage and I'll actually have to put a heater in the water during the winter. Nick has his tank downstairs in his house and it stays around 65 to 70 year round and he still uses heaters most of the time. It just depends where you keep your tank. If it's outside I've seen people spraying the entire outside with spray insulation.

[@williampolk6696]

when you fill your tank with the rv filter do you run the water slow in the tank or just wide open so it wont take too long

[@CatfishKC]

I don't run the water slow. In between off and wide open is a good speed. The filters seem to be able to handle that.

[@keegancarpenter7551]

What kind of water conditioner do you use? My catfish are dropping like flies & I need help bad.

[@CatfishKC]

Sorry for the late response..Both me and Nick use the concentrated "Safe" and now that our heaters are on, I add about 10 gallons to the tank about every 10 days which helps and keeps new water coming in without having to do partial water changes.

[@ppe-dispatch5277]

You mention Salt. 5lbs per 200 gallons. but i wasn't sure if this was a saltwater tank setup or freshwater. Can you specify for me. looking at setting up a Bait tank gold fish, minnow, tilapia, etc. ... i have well water. is there a ph level specific you are trying to hit.?

[@CatfishKC]

Sorry for the late response. We only use salt every once in awhile. These are freshwater tanks and recently we haven't been adding sea salt. And with the ph level, that might be specific to what fish you have. We mainly pay attention to Ammonia/Nitrate levels to make sure the bio filter is working and also the tank isn't too crowded. Thanks for watching!!

[@PopPopJoe]

I made one and its working well! I have mine outside. Its starting to turn green. Any idea what to do to control think issue?? It is in the sun a bit.

[@CatfishKC]

It's going to be unavoidable for the most part if it's in direct sunlight. You can continually scrub the sides but a bit of algae isn't really going to hurt the fish. They might even feed on it if it gets aggressive... You could wrap the outside of the tote with black fabric and cover the top but if there's direct sunlight getting in it will promote algae growth.

[@PopPopJoe]

@@CatfishKC OK thanks!

[@tylerhamme1009]

Pro's!

[@CatfishKC]

Ohhhh you know how we do

[@PopPopJoe]

Can't you grow the plants in the filter instead of the tank?? That way roots can develop.

[@CatfishKC]

This is something that we have been trying to implement as our plants grow. with my setup, as opposed to Nick's, is in the garage and I am limited on light. so I might need to get a light setup in my actual filter. I might implement this and I appreciate you watching and the suggestion as well

[@CaptSaif]

How long does the water need to sit in the bio filter for the bacteria to grow and the water to be bacteria less again? Will continuous circulation make the water clean enough and give the water enough time to be clean? Do we need to use UV sterilizer in this setup? If not, Why not?

[@CatfishKC]

It might take 4-6 weeks before you get some beneficial bacteria growing on the substrates in the filter. At least enough where you won’t have to worry about the ammonia levels killing the fish. The UV light should be fine as long as you don’t put it in the filter where all the beneficial bacteria sits and grows on the substrate.

[@coreyfrasnelly7364]

Rock bass are toothless piranhas !!

[@CatfishKC]

Yeah they are ruthless!!

[@CATfishTONY]

Nitrates excellent setup. Add 40 lb of sand in the bottom of your tote and you'll increase your biofilter bacteria by a magnitude that's just unmeasurable

[@CatfishKC]

I was wondering about that recently! I actually will probably try that out here soon. But how much of the nitrates do you think it'll suck out?

[@raptorshawn]

@@CatfishKC only way to remove nitrates is to do water changes or have live plants that consume it. Biological filtration only converts ammonia to nitrite and nitrite to nitrate.

[@CatfishKC]

@@raptorshawn This is true!!! Either beef up your plants and your tank to equalize out how many fish you have or how often you feed. Or do water changes once or twice a week. I'd rather have a good amount of plants but that sometimes doesn't work for people as fast. I had to do a lot of water changes at first but, now my plants seem to take care of a lot of the issues.

[@robertpurvis9659]

Question: I have almost the same setup. How do you block off the 2" ball valve at the bottom. My fish keep getting stuck and messes up my flow.

[@CatfishKC]

I have a 2" net pot and cut out a few spokes in the bottom and insertit in there. Allows the debris to go through but the fish don't get stuck and not big enough for them to get through.

[@robertpurvis9659]

@@CatfishKC Thanks so much. Love your videos.

[@PopPopJoe]

How many bags of rocks are in bottom of filter?

[@CatfishKC]

I believe it was just one bag 20 or 25lbs

[@scottmctaggart7070]

HOW MANY FISH IN YOUR TANK AND HOW MANY 4 TO 6 INCH TROUT WOULD IT ALLOW ME WITH THIS SET UP

[@CatfishKC]

I've had up to 140 or so in that tank. It all depends on your water quality and if you have a good filtration and good bacteria set up. Sometimes it takes 6 months to get the water just right to were your nitrites and nitrates (ammonia) levels are stable. Alot of times having plants growing in the water will also help a lot with the ammonia levels. With a tank this size and good water quality, 4-6 inch trout, you could easily have 60 to 80. That's just a guess. I'm not familiar with keeping trout. I'd like to have some in there.

[@PopPopJoe]

Where did you get your pumas rock?

[@CatfishKC]

My local hardware store and I rinsed them off really good before I used them

[@notlilman542]

How often do u add water conditioner?

[@CatfishKC]

If you have your system set up correctly and have the good bacteria and t also some plants to help with the ammonia, usually a partial water change is all you might need.

[@notlilman542]

So what kind of plant did u use?

[@CatfishKC]

Pothos seem to be the most popular and what we use but, there are alot of good plants out there you can use. You will need some light or you can even use water plants.

[@mikelovesspeed1315]

How often do you feed your bait

[@CatfishKC]

Definitely try to feed them a couple times a week to keep the beneficial bacteria thriving.

[@billyorton1452]

Where can I get the parts you bought?. Thanks

[@CatfishKC]

Hey Billy. We went to Home Depot here in town and we were able to get these parts. If there is a specific one you're trying to find, I'll look back and see if we had to order anything special. I don't remember having to.

[@billyorton1452]

@@CatfishKC How do you set up the ventri tube and what pump was in the five gallon bucket. Thanks for all the help and advice.

[@CatfishKC]

If you watch Part 2 of the bait tank set up starting at 21:50 it should give a better explanation. If you want to make a venturi you'll need a good flow of water against a tube (the end of the tip cut at a 45° angle and the pointy end pointed against the flow of water) or something similar that will create suction to pull that air through and place that (however your setup is designed) near the end of the outflow or where there is the most water pressure. You will have to play with the placement of the air tube down in the water pipe. Just move it up and down in small increments until a good flow of air and bubbles start to enter in the water. The other alternative is to buy a irrigation venturi that will do all this for you and usually has flow adjustments.

[@billyorton1452]

What did you use to cover the drain hole on the inside, great video I got it now. Thanks for a awesome video!!!.

[@CatfishKC]

I actually did not use anything. I opened the valve halfway to allow water to flow in but no fish get caught even if they die. If your fish are much smaller you can use some small chicken wire or some small galvanized metal with 1/2 openings at least.

[@jonoconnell6610]

Is it ok to use water salt ? I could weigh out five pounds?

[@jonoconnell6610]

Water Softener salt

[@CatfishKC]

That's what I use sometimes but I did find out there's a chemical breakdown in water softener salt and it kind of dissipates after a period of time unlike sea salt which I recommend more. You can get sea salt cheap at Costco! It's about $2 for almost 2 lbs

[@dustinlandau3563]

@@CatfishKC I've only done basically temporary bait tanks using old plastic cooler, aerator, and small aquarium filter last summer just getting into this sort of thing. Keep them for a couple of weeks (bluegill), and it required a lot of changing water over. Definitely not a long-term set up. For the salt, I got a 40 lb bag of pool salt for $12 (I'm in KC area too (Gardner), but don't remember exact place). Last year was very rough season, so hopefully this one coming will be better.

[@licha5050]

put the plant in a filter sock and hang it in the corner of your tank. or use pantyhose

[@CatfishKC]

@licha5050 Nice!! I might clip a section off and try that to start another side of the tank!!

[@sherethel]

Put the plant in a mesh bag with some rocks so the fish can’t eat roots

[@CatfishKC]

Hey Sherry. We've thought about different solutions and the mesh bag with some rocks actually sounds like a great idea. The fish haven't been eating the roots as much but, your idea would help protect them and keep the plants growing. We'll consider this and we appreciate the feedback and you watching!!

[@antinwo8052]

The filtration system is to complicated. Just use some large sponge filters.

[@CatfishKC]

After running them for a couple years, Nick's filter and system are great and we are always open to simple it up. My system (Matt) I might try your suggestions and try something a little more simple and see if I'm over doing it. These tanks have kept almost a hundred fish alive for years. But, I am open to try something different and see if it's an easier solution. Thanks for watching and the suggestions

[@aznmien1871]

i didn't know people use Rock Bass as bait... lol

[@CatfishKC]

Hahaha. Ya we have had our own names for some of these fish since we were kids. I meant green sunfish haha

[@rickeyvance8919]

You have too many leaves on the plant. Strip them all off exect for a the top and submermerge the rest of it in the water to just below the leaves.. Roots will form where the leaves where

[@CatfishKC]

Sorry for the late response... But yes. I did take a lot of the leaves off to get some additional roots. Thanks!!

[@macmanpoo]

Use a 2 liter bottle as a root zone habitat drilled full of holes

[@CatfishKC]

Dude that's an awesome idea! I think that's the winner!