I recently got a great deal on some bulk large Shiners and have stocked them in my ponds for winter LMB forage. I kept about 3 pounds to put in an inside stock watering tank which is aerated. I plan to use these guys for bait over the next few months.

My question/request is for info regarding the long term survival of large Shiners in an indoor tank. Any tips on feed or anything to aid survival would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

I kept some crappie shiners until they were up to 4-5"+ long in my pond once. Catfish got ahold of them eventually though...

Tropical fish flakes worked alright for mine, just keep the water clean or at least free of ammonia (I had live plants in the pond and lots of algae). They don't eat quite as much when it is cold. Underfeeding is slightly better than overfeeding in crowed tanks. Try doing frequent water changes to keep the ammonia down, just basic fish keeping stuff. Make sure you use dechlorinated water.

EDIT: If they are long-term, some cover for them to shelter from one another can be beneficial in reducing stress and casualties if you don't mind working the net around some twigs.

Mason, these are already 4 to 6 inches...a great size for LMB forage. I've kept Tilapia and Pacu in indoor tanks sucessfully and was just wondering if shiners required anything special. Thanks.

There was a post a while back that uses hydrogen peroxide in their tanks, but i don't remember the ratio.

I own a bait shop on texoma,the 3 most important things to keep in mind are ,water temperature,water clarity,aereation...temp. should never get above 78deg.if you have to freeze gallon jugs,change your water at least 3 times a week and remember small bubbles are better than big bubbles,also use a product like minno-life it kills the chlorine in the water,as far as food is concerned I feed my minnows a handfull of ground up corn flakes...trust me ,they thrive on em'&they're cheap good luck

Great info, Bubbabait. I especially like the corn flakes suggestion and will try that tomorrow. I've been changing out the water once a week and with the winter temps and aeration, the minnows have been doing just fine. Thanks for your comments.