Bait tank Question
 

Hi guys i have my bait tank almost done. The tank is a vittles vault with the overflows set at 5 Gals , the input is done, the rodholders are done, the input from Rule 360 is in and hooked up to over the side Pump, and the mounting tabs are done, and it is mounted in my Trident 15 Now for the question : I am planning on buying the 6V 12ah Battery from OEX Mission Bay to run pump BUT should i run a TIMER also ???

Will the 6V slow the pump enough and run all day or is the timer still necessary ?

I plan on using the tank for bait and livewell for bay tourneys

Any help will be greatly appreciated !!

Bob.........................:):)

I'm looking forward to the replies on this one. I'm just starting to build my tank.

I've used a 6V for years and it typically runs all day. I do have a spare for those rare occasions. I do not have it on a timer, just a switch behind me that I turn off and on. I have never wished I had a timer for my bait tank. Until my new bait tank I did not have a drain plug though and often wished I had that. It is a nice feature to be able to drain your tank before landing. 41lb less that needs to dragged onto the beach.

Igloo cooler drains work perfect on the bait tanks and is what I used to put on the custom tanks I built.

To decrease the flow I removed the cover turned on the pump and held a file to the impeller and shaved some off.

I second that, Thats why we stock them at OEX. Great bait tank drains.

Battery: 6v for me...never had an issue with the battery running low. As far as the timer goes I never had one and never really found a reason to install one. Once I start heading in I just turn off the pump and it will drain on its own.......I guess it's just a matter of preference.

I have never run a fully charged 6v 12a battery down in a single outing. I run mine continuously with no timer on an 800 gph pump. I have run them dry on the second day though, so I have 2 to keep one on the charger. Depending on the draw of your particular pump, I would say at least 12 hours run time.

I just made one out of the Vittle as well and agree with Joe, add an on/off switch, it will increase battery life as you can always easily turn the pump off when not in use.

Ohm's Law 101
 

To get an idea of battery life for your bait tank, read the performance data sheet for the pump you have. There should be a specification for both flow rate (GPH) and power consumption (Amps) for the product voltage (typically 12V DC). For example, I use a Whale Super Sub Bilge Pump that produces a flow rate of 550 GPH with 2.8 Amps draw at 12V DC.

So, suppose you connected this pump to a 12V 5AH battery. You should expect less than 2 hours total run time: 5AH / 2.8 Amps = appx. 1 Hour 48 minutes. Not so great for kayak fishing unless you are DORADO50!

Now, following Ohm's Law (Amps = Volts/Ohms) since resistance is constant, suppose you use a 6V 5AH battery instead. This effectively reduces the power consumption by 50%: (Amps*1/2 = Volts*1/2 / Ohms). This doubles the run time to appx. 3 Hour 34 minutes. Much better. However, since the pump now runs at lower speed, so is your flow rate going to be reduced (to around 225 GPH).

If you use instead a 6V 12AH battery for the above pump, you would expect a run time of nearly 7 hours. That is a good amount of time on the water. Again, remember that as the battery draws down, the voltage output will drop, and the pump will run even slower.

Finally, by adding an On/Off switch for the pump, you can avoid running the pump until you actually have bait in the tank (and if you run out of bait you can turn it off). That should get you through the day.

Tomorrow's lesson: Iron 101

Here ya go :cheers1:

http://www.bigwatersedge.com/index.php?page=iron

OK i put the drain in today and got it ready for the 6V 12ah battery and switch , great info on the Iron, Now it is on to the Kayak cart or dolly build , the cart is pretty easy "It will NOT go thru the Scuppers" BUT the wheels HUMMMMMM!! i want something that will go Over the sand not thru .
I went to Harbor Freight but all their wheels were TOO narrow, they would work for hard pack or grass but not for sand . I found these Plastic Power Wheels from their Power Wheels Quad they are 12" to 14" round and 6 to 7 in wide and handle 220 lbs cant see why they wouldnt work , they are on E-Bay from a factory auth service center For $ 17.00 EA But they want like $20.00 shipping each WOW. Anoybody have a wrecked Power Wheels Quad Hummmm ??

Thanks for all the replies they do really help !!:):)

Bob......................

-Ok. Class dismissed.