# Keep your shad alive!!



## thecatman

This tip is no secret to a lot of cat fishermen but I thought I'd post it anyway in case anybody new to the sport was looking for help. 
Add 1 cup of rock salt per 10 gallons of water to your (preferably round, well airated) bait well/livewell. Also 1 tablespoon of non-dairy coffee creamer added to the mix will help as well. The rock salt will help the shad purge the impurities that build up in them over time and also helps coat them to prevent their scales from coming off and polluting the water in the tank. The coffee creamer acts as an alkaline and buffers the acidic ammonia buildup in the tank's water caused by the shad "relieving" themselves in the tank. One last thing, keep an eye on the water temp. Around 65* is nice and comfortable for them. Use frozen, plastic water bottles in the tank or fresh, cool creek water to adjust.


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## E_Lin

Is it possible to keep shad alive in a home aquarium? I have a 55 gallon with Fluval 404 filter, well aireated. Thought about changing it to keep baitfish, but haven't yet.


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## thecatman

Possibly. I've never tried but I think the thing that would hinder you on this would be the square tank. Shad pile up in the corners of a square tank and pretty much beat themselves to death. A round bait well forces them to keep swimming. Also, you have to change water very often. Even with all the additives shad will dirty up the water within hours. Remember this is a temporary way to keep your bait over maybe a 24 hour period. Beyond that it may be impossible unless you have a very large setup and plenty of time to care for it. Others here might be able to give you some insight on a larger tank... Anybody?


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## phyrephyter2379

I've heard about the rock salt but not the coffee creamer.... thanks for the info!


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## 1mecheng

Many pet stores sell mineral salts to add to aquariums to help prevent bacterial infections in fish. The salt is added at low levels. I don't know how big your livewell is, but a pound of salt seems excessive, even for short duration stays by catfish.

I've not heard about the use of coffee creamer, so I can't comment.

Dan


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## todd61

1 cup of salt per 10 gal. is what I use too. It also doesn't have to be rock salt. Any salt will work as long as it doesn't have iodine added. I use uniodized Morton table salt. It desolves much faster and is alot cheaper than anything you can get at a pet store.


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## hang_loose

Will this method work on fat heads and other bait fish?


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## gerb

in terms of a livewell or bait bucket...ice has helped me.


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