Livewell Recirculate or full plumb

[Didley]

I'm turning a 60l esky into a livewell. I don't know weather to set it up as a self contained system recirculating the same water or to plumb it in sucking water in from outside. I'd appreciate some ideas on the advantages of both to help make my decision.
The main advantage of recirculation as I see it is it will continue to work out of the water and while on the move and the lack of holes in the boat. If I went this way I think I'd need to be filtering out scales ect. somehow.
And the main advantage of plumbed is its got to generally be better quality, cleaner water.

Your thoughts please.

[Roughasguts]

The fish die pretty quickly with out fresh clean water, and lots of it. The Amonia build up seems to kill them fast. But how do you explain salt water fish tanks, charcoal filters might be the go then.

[fleety77]

mate if you just put a filter in the tank u just gotta change the water every couple of hours u can get the ones that blow bubbles down to the bottom instead od hust loosing the air to the top.....cheaper and easier to stick the pump inside totally up to u.

[trueblue]

plumb it up fully, circulating from outside with heaps of flow (500 + GPH). Also, I would recommend setting up 2 pumps in parallel as these pumps are notorious for breaking down while you need them.

cheers

Mick

[Didley]

Thanks guys, that's good advice.:-*

[SgBFish]

Didley

You have highlighted something I find very hard to do. I have been meaning to plumb my tank for some time but every time I get the drill out to put a 20mm hole in my transom for a through hull pump I just can’t do it!!!!!!!!!
I balk every time and persist with the system I have.
I’m certain continuous fresh water system would be better but the number of pumps that seem to fail concerns me.

Scott

[Didley]

Didley


I’m certain continuous fresh water system would be better but the number of pumps that seem to fail concerns me.

Scott

Scott, why does it matter if the pump fails? As long as the pipe coming from the transom has its outlet above water outside water level no water will enter the boat. Its no worse than a bung and we all have them. You might loose your fish, but that happens either way if a pump fails. What is your concern?

[SgBFish]

I know Spaniard King has gone through a heap of Rule pumps and I would hate to think I would hate to think I would have to change brands and go to different sized hole.

[Didley]

I know Spaniard King has gone through a heap of Rule pumps and I would hate to think I would hate to think I would have to change brands and go to different sized hole.

Scott If that is your concern, why not do something like the centre option here.
22970

[SgBFish]

That is one way around it alright.

How big does the outlet from the top of the live tank need to be if you are using a 500GPH to pump into it.

If it is say 20mm from the pump to the tank and rising say 700mm to the tank what diameter do you think an outflow would need to be to drain the tank overboard?
Scott

[Didley]

That is one way around it alright.

How big does the outlet from the top of the live tank need to be if you are using a 500GPH to pump into it.

If it is say 20mm from the pump to the tank and rising say 700mm to the tank what diameter do you think an outflow would need to be to drain the tank overboard?
Scott

This model claims it pumps 500gph open flow, 325gph with 3.3 foot head, with a max head of 10 feet. They say to use 19mm ID hose. I'm going to have 2 bars going the length of the tank, with lots of small holes along the length spraying the water in small jets, thereby aerating the water. As long as the area of the small holes is less than the area of the pump outlet I reckon it'll have good pressure.
As for out flow, I would be using something much bigger ie. 40mm and maybe even 2X 30mm, in case one blocks, as that is where the biggest danger of pumping water into the boat is I think.
What do U think?

[SgBFish]

I actually did an experiment with a 20L litre bucket a while back.
I installed the pump in the bottom of the bucket and to ensure it didn’t overflow I needed to have a 50mm hole in the top and it was only just big enough.
I think this is an extreme situation because as you have mentioned the head is only about 40cm. I suspect in your situation the required pumping height would be higher hence less flow and smaller outlet hole required.

Probably get away with 1 ¼ or 1 ½ skin fitting.

[trueblue]

I used a piece of pvc conduit in the bottom drain hole as a plug. I cut it off at the maximum water height and that provided an extra overflow in addition to the side overflow on the live well.

worked a treat, and also means that I never lose the bung for the bottom drain plug.

Cheers

Mick

[SgBFish]

Mick do you have a photo of your setup.
scott

[JT]

Something you may want to think about with regard to the need for bigger overflows is to regulate the water coming in via the spray bar. I have one of those in-line taps fitted to the start of the spray bar, that way you can limit the amount of water flowing in, so you will never over fill or worse over flow.

With regards to overflows I have 2 set up the same as Trueblue. one in the drain in the floor with a piece of PVC cut to the right height and also a couple of skin fittings (one in the live well attached via a short length of hose to one through the hull).

Cheers

John

PS - Didley if you want to a closer look at my set up, even though mine is a 100lt live well fitted under a casting deck, the theory is the same, just let me know, be happy to show you.

[Seahorse]

I played around with bait tank.
got 25 litre eskie. sat it on my pod. drilled about 25mm hole in bottom for inlet, which is hooked up to a 3000 pver pump and this sits in my berley bucket.
I then made a 50mmhole about 75mm from top of esky for overflow. On the line from pump i put in a fitting that i can regulate the flow in.
Water continually come in and goes out and never overflows.
I just put cig socket on end of pump wires and works fine.
The handle on the esky holds the lid down tightly.

Will try and put few pics on.

Cheers
Greg

[Reel Nauti]

I have a plumbed set up which I made from a 30ltr laundry basket (round) from Bunnings. Round is better than square as the fish will keep moving and not sit with their nose in a corner. Bilge pump outside on the transom, piped up over the transom and into the drum. The drum sits on the floor. My drain is at the bottom of the drum, but plumbed up on the outside to within about 10cms of the top of the drum. From there the outlet is piped to a skin fitting level with the seat which is way above the water line. I've never had a problem and the whole set up cost me about $40 and a couple of hours.

Cheers

Dave

[trueblue]

Mick do you have a photo of your setup.
scott

Sorry, forgot initially and then took a while to drag out my photos

PVC tube provides both a plug and a drain. That is one outlet, and there is another outlet on the side of the well opposite the inlet.

Cheers

Mick