Frequently Asked Questions
- How do I wire the bait tank to my electrical supply?
- Should I use a water treatment?
- What water level should I maintain?
- How should I handle the baits that I catch?
- How do I drain the tank after using it?
- What maintenance is required for the tank?
- How do I know when the Sta-Fil filter needs replacing?
- Where do I get replacement filtering material?
- What do I do when the black filters get clogged?
- How do you secure the top of your tanks?
- How much weight will the tank support?
Answers
1. How do I wire the bait tank to my electrical supply?
The pump is pre-wired. The positive lead is marked with red paint (or a red sticker) on the power source end. There are quick disconnect power connections supplied so that you can leave the power supply connected to your battery on a permanent basis if you choose. In the event you need to replace your pump, the brown wire from the new pump should be connected to the positive lead (+) of your battery or other 12Volt DC power source. The black wire to the negative (-) lead. We recommend a 7.5 amp inline fuse be installed as close to the power source as possible in the positive (+) lead.
Back to Top
2. Should I use a water treatment?
We normally fill our tank using tap water (city water). We do this because during the summer months we prefer to begin with water whose temperature is in the low 70 degree range and tap water allows me to initially get close to that temperature. However, if you use tap water, you must use something to remove the chlorine. We recommend a product such as LCR (Liquid Chlorine Remover) made to remove the chlorine. Use one teaspoon of LCR for every ten gallons of water. Salt is very important for shad. I use 26oz. (approx 3 cups) of either Morton’s Stock Salt or non-iodized salt. This type of salt can be bought in 26 oz. containers at Wal-Mart and is a good size to use in a 30 gallon capacity tank. The main thing is clean, flaky, non-iodized salt. Rock and pellet salts are difficult to dissolve. Note: If the nose of your bait gets red, this is a sign of stress. It’s a good indicator you may not be using enough salt. One other thing you need to keep handy is a solution of Foam Off. When you mix salt, fish oil, and agitated water, you can have foam develop on top of your tank. A few drops of Foam Off should take care of this. Foam Off is commercially available at good bait shops. In the summer months, keeping a few 20oz. plastic pop bottles filled with water and frozen can be used to cool the water if needed. This totally insulated bait tank will need a minimum amount of additional cooling if your initial charge of water is cool and the ambient air temperature is not extremely hot.
Back to Top
3. What water level should I maintain?
Water level in the tank must be at least to the line indicated on the outside of the filter box.
Back to Top
4. How should I handle the baits that I catch?
When using a cast net, do not dump fresh caught shad from the net directly into your bait tank. First empty the contents of your cast net into a holding bucket full of lake water. Using the holding bucket gives you a chance to use your scoop net to pick the larger, better looking baits and discard the weaker looking shad back into the lake, rather than wasting tank space on poor quality baits.
Back to Top
5. How do I drain the tank after using it?
The Grayline Sunshine Tank has a drain hole located at the back of each tank. There is a pull-tab plug that can be used to drain the water from the tank. Simply remove the plug and let the water drain. Please remove all unused baits back into the lake prior to all the water draining. The power to the pump needs to be disconnected when you begin this process so that damage to the pump does not occur. Note: Some users of the Grayline Sunshine tank prefer to use another pump to drain the tank. Please see our supplies web page to review the extra pump.
Back to Top
6. What maintenance is required for the tank?
A solution of baking soda and water run through the pump will help remove offensive odors. Do this occasionally. After about 20 uses of the tank, I run a strong bleach water solution through my pump and slosh it on the walls of the tank using a course hand brush. After bleaching the tank and rinsing well, the next time I recharge the tank, I use a double amount of LCR (Liquid Chlorine Remover).
Back to Top
7. How do I know when the Sta-Fil filter needs replacing?
If you see a large amount of scales on the top of the filter then it is time to remove that layer, placing it in a bag. If you have gone through all the suggested layers of the white Sta-Fil filtering material then you should replace the used filter with the number of layers suggested in the instructions for your tank.
Back to Top
8. Where do I get replacement filtering material?
The filtering material that we use is Sta-Fil. This is a polyester material used in quilting. It is easily obtainable at sewing stores, hobby centers or discount stores such as Walmart or Hobby Lobby.
Back to Top
9. What do I do when the black filters get clogged?
Remove the white Sta-Fil material and then the black filters. Rinse the black filter(s) either in fresh water or in the lake. Then reload the black filters and then the Sta-Fil material or new Sta-Fil material.
Back to Top
10. How do you secure the top of your tanks?
All the Grayline Tanks have molded tops. These tops are either molded into the tank itself or sit on top of the tank. There are no protrusions, wing nuts or bolts to catch clothing.
Back to Top
11. How much weight will the tank support?
This is dependent upon the size of each tank. While many fishermen will use the tank for seating we do not recommend it. However, we have never had to replace a lid because someone sat on it.
Back to Top