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MY-TopEnder
19-04-2004, 04:15 PM
Hey Guys,

Can someone here offer me some advice on how to plumb a live well?

Basically its going to be a 100lt Coleman Esky at the rear of the boat. The damm thing is costing me $250 so i don't want to be drilling stuff into it. And i don't really just want to use an airator. Is there any other possible way of doing it?

Thanks in advance for the help.

gif
19-04-2004, 09:28 PM
Livewell?

Let me do the best I can to describe the ideal # - what would be used in a catch and release competition. # You didn’t tell us what your purpose was.

The common best practice is to pump in water and drain out. # #Some boats even pump out # - more on that later. # This approach both changes the water and adds oxygen. #The only risk is in picking up water that is too hot or say, # coming out of an industrial drain #etc, #

Start with the water inlet #- obviously must be below water level. # In Bass comp circles some also have a hose fitted #- so they can drain water from a lower ( cooler) level. # Be careful to pull it up before starting the prop!

I think the best way is to have a through hull pump #(more expensive) # or a near identical sized bilge pump mounted in the transom. # #Pump manufacturers have brackets available. #Less ideal #- they get damaged and just fall off. #

A third option is an inlet you can buy that scoops the water #- filling the well when moving forward. # #Not my ideal but it is low cost and reliable

Assuming pumping is the best option, run a 19mm hose to the tank, through the wall and onto a spray bar or spray fitting. #

( BTW #you can buy most of #this in a kit form # - Johnson I personally like but Rule has a kit too. # If there are one off fittings you need you cannot find at BIAS #etc # #try places like McCrackens irrigation. # Let me know if you cannot find a part #- I have some experience is fitting out a few and finding just the right part)

Next the drain. # It would be ideal to drain from the bottom. # #The only way I can see how to do this effectively is to run another pump, with a loop in the tubing above the water level ( or it will just run out through the pump) . # The pump needs to be activated by a float switch within the well. # # A Johnson electronic version would do the job. #

My recommendation is to have a passive drain. # # The diameter of this should be much greater than 19mm. #It has to compete with water being pumped from a 19 mm hose. #So, picking a spot far away from the inlet, attach a 35mm drain. # #There are specialist live well drains with removable filters available. #Basically a floor drain will do – but my specialist drain from BLA was about $16.

This drain is obviously set at the upper level of the tank, # #It needs to gravity feed, without kinks, down to an outlet outside the boat. # #I use 35mm corrugated hose, and a scupper. #You could equally use a skin fitting #- just ensure it is above the water line. #


Finally # - to let out the water at the end of the day #- some sort of drain into the bilge, and perhaps #controlled by an external tap # or stopped internally by a small # - bung.

Did I say finally? #I spoke too soon. # #How to control the pump? # #The simple version is to switch it on to fill #- then on and off #as you remember. # #I prefer a set and forget timer to pump for one minute an rest for 5 - indefinitely.

You can make one of these little electronic devices using a 555 timer chip, or better yet a kit from from Jaycar #or Dick Smith. # #Or you can buy one complete with panel. # You can buy one from the net for about $40 # or I believe they can be ordered from BLA for over $100.


One more thing #- temperature monitoring. # # #I would suggest a thermometer #- You can get electronic thermometers with the sensor in the well a digital read out 3 metres away. # These are available from Jaycar or there is a Minn Kota one.


You say 100 Litres? # That will be 100kg slopping around. #Consider a baffle #- perhaps Perspex with 20mm holes # - just to slow down the water movement, like they do with modern water beds. #

Call me if I can help #( via a PM)


Have fun

Gary

MY-TopEnder
20-04-2004, 04:59 AM
Thanks heaps there Gary, that was exactly the answer i was after.

It just goes to show how helpful everyone is on this forum.


Thanks again.

The livewell is for use in bream competitions, so you were on the money there.

Willo
21-04-2004, 01:36 PM
Yeah Top ender
Here's a few pis that might help Ya out.
Its my set up,I'm using a 500GPH pump.And make sure your outlet Fitting is the biggest ya can get
Pick up with scoop as well as pump

Willo
21-04-2004, 01:44 PM
Bait Tank Outlet

Willo
21-04-2004, 01:46 PM
Intake fitting with on off tap

MY-TopEnder
21-04-2004, 02:38 PM
Cheers for the pics mate.

The setup i currently am considering is basically a 105L Tropical Ice Box that has a 1" skin fitting through the top on the left side, draining down to another skin fitting i'm mounting in the transom. The line in will come from a Rule 500gph pump using 19mm hose to pump into the side of the tank, half way up the height through another skin fitting. In that line will be a tap so when its not pumping water in, at least it can't drain back through the tap.

My theory is that at least having the water coming in half way up the tank if at any given time something fails, the water will only drain to half level.

I've priced it all up today and gees bloody expensive.

Willo
21-04-2004, 03:02 PM
Yeah Mate
The only thing is with having the inlet half way up is that you might sacrifice good water circulation,That the beauty of the bottom inlet you get great circulation resulting in Keeping realy healty Live bait for a longer period of time.
Cheer Willo

MY-TopEnder
21-04-2004, 03:41 PM
Yeah true... but its better than having a spray bar at the top like i was going to.

See the problem is, i'm spending $290 on an ice box, i want to be able to use it when i go camping to, rather than having it restricted to a live well.

Cheech
21-04-2004, 03:47 PM
I run my inlet from the bottom, but as you said, if you have a failure then you will drain all your water out. I use this to empty the well on the way back to the ramp.

I think though that the chance of it failing is pretty small and you are probably better off going for better circulation for the 99.5% of the time it does not fail.

What's the worse that can happen,,, you have fresh strip bait instead of livies for that session.

Also, with the oulets, I ran 2 separate outlets that join with a tee on the way out. One at each end. That way when the boat is on a lean you use the drain at on end, and when the lean is the other way the other drain takes over. Better than flooding the boat. Go as big as you can on the outlet hole and before you drill the holes consider that the water level will be more towards the top of the outlet rather than the bottom so probably better to drill a little lower than too high. People talk about between 2/3 and 3/4. I would recommend 2/3 unless you had a tall but small diameter well.

Cheech

gif
21-04-2004, 04:20 PM
A couple of good ideas here - I have learnt a few ideas.

there is one statement What's the worse that can happen,,, you have fresh strip bait instead of livies for that session.

That is really valid for most applications but does miss one point - some live wells are for the catch - for catch and release competitions. In that case you need to be a lot more fussy about keeping the fish alive and scoring those points. In WA the bream comps mean a minimum 100 litre live well. It still 60 litres in the East. Both for a limit of 10 Bream ( 5 each angler)

Gary

Gary

MY-TopEnder
21-04-2004, 05:25 PM
Gary, you've hit the nail on the head.

Its for the eastern states bream tournaments. I need to keep a catch alive.

I've worked it out from what i can gather from all your help. I'll take some photo's when its done.

smerl
22-04-2004, 03:40 AM
Willo,

Did you have to get that pick up made or did you buy it off the shelf. I'd be interested in knowing where I could get one.

Cheers,

Smerl

Willo
22-04-2004, 01:33 PM
Yeah Smerl
Bought that one of the shelf. Most big Boat Places have them.Got that one from Whitworths On the Gold Coast .
Cheers Willo

smerl
23-04-2004, 09:58 AM
Cheers Willo,

I will have to pick one up on the weekend to replace the agricultural home made PVC version that's on mine at the moment. Might have less people laughing at me at the ramp!

Smerl

Cheech
24-04-2004, 05:46 PM
Yeh, your right. I did miss the point that you need it for catch and release.

but,,,,, if the pump gives out, how long will they last anyway without recirculating water?

May be worth considering using 2 smaller pumps connected by a tee instead of one larger. that way if one craps out you at least have continuous circulation. Just a lower volume.

gif
24-04-2004, 06:19 PM
Backup Plan? # Well these can always go overboard # ( and I love gadgets too)

Then again #...


I like to tell my students about the Fisher Space Pen. # Developed for $millions in the 1960’s so that NASA Astronauts could write in zero gravity. #The technology #is that pushing the pen on a page pumps ink to the ballpoint. # So on earth you can write even up side down. # #Great invention.

.... # The Russians just took pencils into space #...



A bucket is a backup plan that I admire.

But I also have a battery operated aerator #- it has a hose and bubble stone – like an aquarium., and runs on one #D cell. # That and a small bucket should be perfect backup.


In the last Bass comp I attended the smart guys took ice #- to keep the temperature down. # #


Keep the #ideas coming # I’m enjoying this guys

Gary

Zeeke
24-04-2004, 07:58 PM
Wouldnt iced water be a severe shock to the system for a bass in a livewell, especially one in an insulated esky or tank like required in the ABT Bream and Bass Comps??

Tim

gif
24-04-2004, 10:03 PM
Ice?

Well that weekend it was the Boondooma Invitational – with Top Aust and Japanese and Koreans etc.

The water was so hot that some fish were dying. They were all in poor condition and had red spot What some guys did was buy party ice from the Kiosk, and I assumed they just added a few cubes every now and then.

I know they have electronic thermometers, with a 3 m lead on the sensor - so with a small sinker you can check the water temp 3m deep - and also check the temp of the live well - adjusting it with ice occasionally.

I spoke to one of these competitors and he was amazed that everyone didn’t do it - and he lost no fish at all.

Seems a good idea to me.


Gary