livewell systems

[foobar]

I've seen information where people make floating livewells to keep their daily catches from crab pots; but I don't live on the water. Has anyone set up livewell systems at home? Or maybe someone knows a link that might have plans for setting up a home livewell system?

[foobar]

I'll try asking a different way!!!

How long would crabs last in a cooler set up with an inch or so of water and an aerator?

[Black Irish]

Foobar, I don't think anybody has tried it so nobody has an answer. Some people have set up aquariums to keep a few in at a time. I have kept them in a fridge in a bushel basket for 3 days max. But crabs are cannibals so if give the chance they will eat each other in a live box, aquarium, etc. COMB research facility was keeping 5-6 brood females in a 1000 gal tank, I think. It really depends upon how many crabs, how long you plan on keeping them, etc.

[foobar]

Thanks. I've got the same problem I've seen discussed elsewhere on the forum, but I can't keep a floating live box. When I check my pots on my way home from work, I may have a 2-4 crabs. I want to keep them 'til the week end when I can either steam and eat  'em or steam and freeze them. So I'm talking about keeping up to a dozen crabs for about 5-7 days.
 

[captaincrab55]

Thanks. I've got the same problem I've seen discussed elsewhere on the forum, but I can't keep a floating live box. When I check my pots on my way home from work, I may have a 2-4 crabs. I want to keep them 'til the week end when I can either steam and eat  'em or steam and freeze them. So I'm talking about keeping up to a dozen crabs for about 5-7 days.
 

At some point the sport of crabbing can be overcome by the cost.   It may be more reasonable to buy crabs then to build a livewell system for 2 - 4 crabs a day.    You need bay or river water preferred and a pump/ filter system unless it will be at the pier and you still need a pump 24/7.

[Black Irish]

If you trust leaving your pots out then how about trying to keep your crabs in a pot with the funnels pinched shut? If you can keep them fed, it'll help with the cannibalism.

[foobar]

If you trust leaving your pots out then how about trying to keep your crabs in a pot with the funnels pinched shut? If you can keep them fed, it'll help with the cannibalism.

This could be a solution. In another topic (live box storage) they talk about a 24x24x24 live box that I assume floats. Can anyone provide the plans for one of these?