Hello. My dad got some shiners (I do not know if they really are shiners) from a store with fishing equipment, like fishing rods, fake fish baits and live fish bait etc. My dad bought some around two dozen live fish for about $3. Their water was kind of cool and it was blue. It smelt something like root beer. Does anyone know what it is?
Blue stuff in the water of fishing/feeder shiners from a store
Started by
Guest_GambusiaNo2_*
, Jul 14 2014 06:49 PM
10 replies to this topic
#4
Guest_gerald_*
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Posted 14 July 2014 - 08:53 PM
The usual bait minnows sold in our area are golden shiners or fathead minnows - very easy to tell apart by body shape. The blue dye is most likley methylene blue to help fight infection. BTW i found a walking-stick today at my office in Raleigh - not sure which species. I will send pix to you for ID.
#5
Guest_Skipjack_*
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Posted 14 July 2014 - 09:07 PM
No, it is what I posted above. Not methylene blue.Though it may contain it since the color is similar. Almost all bait shops use it. Catfishermen use it in their live wells too.
#6
Guest_don212_*
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Posted 14 July 2014 - 09:50 PM
I had a bait shop for a while, better bait, not sure what's in it
#7
Guest_jblaylock_*
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Posted 15 July 2014 - 11:04 AM
I have some Better Bait. I've been testing it in my tanks. I use it at water changes. It does turn my water blue/green. But the color is usually gone the next day. I'm not sure if the fish absorb it, or what. I don't run carbon in my filters, so I'm not sure.
#8
Guest_gerald_*
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Posted 15 July 2014 - 03:01 PM
Sure Life Laboratories does not tell exactly what's in their products (and MSDS sheets are not online), but they do have wealth of information on fish handling, transport, and physiology of stressed fish. (They do sell methylene blue and I'm still guessing that's what gives Better Bait its color).
"Better Bait" (blue) is designed for "soft-scaled baitfish such as Fathead and Missouri minnows" and "Finer Shiner" (green) is designed for "hard-scaled baitfish ... Goldfish and Shiners" which need more "Potassium to harden their scales". They also have a version specifically for shad and herring. I was not familiar with hard-scaled vs soft-scaled minnows or the role of potassium in stress management until reading this. Anybody know more about it? Reality or marketing hype?
Sure Life Products: http://www.sure-life.com/products.html
Bait Problem Solver Chart: http://www.sure-life.com/baitPS.html
Keeping Fish in Live Well: http://www.sure-life.../pdf/PRMbro.pdf
"Better Bait" (blue) is designed for "soft-scaled baitfish such as Fathead and Missouri minnows" and "Finer Shiner" (green) is designed for "hard-scaled baitfish ... Goldfish and Shiners" which need more "Potassium to harden their scales". They also have a version specifically for shad and herring. I was not familiar with hard-scaled vs soft-scaled minnows or the role of potassium in stress management until reading this. Anybody know more about it? Reality or marketing hype?
Sure Life Products: http://www.sure-life.com/products.html
Bait Problem Solver Chart: http://www.sure-life.com/baitPS.html
Keeping Fish in Live Well: http://www.sure-life.../pdf/PRMbro.pdf
#9
Guest_Skipjack_*
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Posted 15 July 2014 - 04:39 PM
I used to use it for catfish bait. Medium sized Lepomis. It seemed to help, but I was only trying to keep the fish alive for 24 hours or so.
#10
Guest_jblaylock_*
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Posted 16 July 2014 - 08:02 AM
Sure Life Laboratories does not tell exactly what's in their products (and MSDS sheets are not online), but they do have wealth of information on fish handling, transport, and physiology of stressed fish. (They do sell methylene blue and I'm still guessing that's what gives Better Bait its color).
"Better Bait" (blue) is designed for "soft-scaled baitfish such as Fathead and Missouri minnows" and "Finer Shiner" (green) is designed for "hard-scaled baitfish ... Goldfish and Shiners" which need more "Potassium to harden their scales". They also have a version specifically for shad and herring. I was not familiar with hard-scaled vs soft-scaled minnows or the role of potassium in stress management until reading this. Anybody know more about it? Reality or marketing hype?
Sure Life Products: http://www.sure-life.com/products.html
Bait Problem Solver Chart: http://www.sure-life.com/baitPS.html
Keeping Fish in Live Well: http://www.sure-life.../pdf/PRMbro.pdf
I had the same questions you do. I was really curious as to what was in this stuff. I found it odd that no ingredients or anything is found on their website. They sell a whole lot of different products that, seemingly, do the same thing for different species. On one hand, I question how much science and research went into the development of the product. On the other hand, they are one of the few, if not only company that is gearing products directly at native fish (though it's for bait reasons). They seem to have good success at bait-keeping so I thought it was worth a try.
Correction: I have the Finer Shiner product. I have been thinking about getting some Better Bait too. Just visual, but my fish seem to like it when I add this stuff in. They get a little more active and 'frisky'.
#11
Guest_don212_*
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Posted 16 July 2014 - 12:00 PM
another of their products for shiners turns water dark to calm them and prevent bashing themselves
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