Lobster tank with floating bottom

[steveinak]

Anybody know anything about building a lobster tank with a floating bottom?

 

[tunaorlater]

Why would you? I know nothing about the fishery so thats why I ask.

 

[steveinak]

Why would you? I know nothing about the fishery so thats why I ask.

I lobstered for 25 years before coming to alaska, always heard about those type of tanks now i want to build one for my shrimp fishery. I've been around the fish biz for awhile this was my 41st year killing fish for a living!!

 

[tunaorlater]

What I meant to ask is what is the advantages of having a floating floor?

 

[steveinak]

What I meant to ask is what is the advantages of having a floating floor?

Oh OK, as you take product out of the tank the bottom floats up so you don't have to bend over into the tank when unloading it, its always full up to the top. Just easier on the back. for me it would be nice to keep the shrimp alive in the tank until i have time to bust the tails off them and pack them in ice. I've also noticed that tanking them for awhile lets them puke out all the bait in their stomachs and it seems to help to clean out the "vein" down their backs. Makes for a better product when you sell them and i do a lot of sales direct to the consumer.

 

[El Mar]

I have heard of them too, never saw one.

I guess the biggest problem would be figuring out the bouyancy of the bottom so the weight of the shrimp pushed it down.

How big is your tank?? What a bout a wire mesh bottom you could pull up and down??

Just thinking out loud. :?::?::?:

 

[steveinak]

I have heard of them too, never saw one.

I guess the biggest problem would be figuring out the bouyancy of the bottom so the weight of the shrimp pushed it down.

How big is your tank?? What a bout a wire mesh bottom you could pull up and down??

Just thinking out loud. :?::?::?:

I'm going to build a tank so don't really have a idea yet how big to make it :?:. The whole idea is make it less work not more, i'd hate to have to wrestle with pulling up a bottom if i had 200-300 or more lbs of shrimp in it.

 

[John Riddle]

Steve:

That would be an interesting design challenge and even if you find info on existing setups, maybe there's a better approach that hasn't been dreamed up yet.

How much volume does 300 lbs. of shrimp require? For example, how many pounds of shrimp would it take to fill a 55 gallon drum?

How much water is required to keep them alive? For example, would you fill a 55 gal. drum half full of shrimp and half full of water?

How much natural buoyancy is there in 300 lbs. of shrimp? A 300 lb. (live) man, even if he's a sinker, is pretty easy to lift to the surface.

What tank dimensions do you envision in your boat? For example, maybe 48"L x 30"W x 24"D (about 150 gal.)?

 

[nick4634]

Another system I've seen used is similar to the screen idea except that in the corners of the tank there are long grooved rods and as you take shrimp or lobsters out you can crank the handles at the top which then lifts the screen

 

[traditions]

Steve, I just have a false bottom in my lobster box that I made out of trap wire and a frame out of oak runners.I have a jam cleat on both ends of the top of the box,like the ones they use on sailboats,two spring loaded cams.There is a piece of pot warp on both ends of the bottom ,one from each corner going to a short bridle,so only one rope on each end,up to the jam cleats.I leave the box full of water so the lobsters are nuetral bouyant,and you can dry them up as you pick them out.No moving parts,pretty simple.When the bottom is two blocked ,I pull the hose off and pick out whats left.Alot of people use crank systems in thier lobster boxes,but the cranks can be expensive.I have one for my bait box,but I am lifting way more weight.There is another way that has a threaded rod in the middle of the box with a big acme type thread on it that is attatched to a false bottom.This type hasnt been as popular as the crank.I can get some pictures if you want.Some of the first cranks were simple,made from pipe and a couple pullies,all you need is a pipe threader.

 

[gulf_of_maine]

Anybody know anything about building a lobster tank with a floating bottom?

Steve, I've wanted to build one and came to a conclusion it is a impossablity. Since the weight of product is always changing , the floatation would either.. not lift or over lift and push the product right out of the holding tank. what I came up with is a crank up tank. A tank within a tank and pull the inner holding tank up as the product is culled or packed for shipping etc.

 

[MDI45]

lobster tanks

Hey Steve, i found this on uncle henreys .com...the companys name is Sullivan Plastic products.com......they make some nice stuff

 

[steveinak]

Thanks again for all the replies guys, its something i'm going to have to mess around with, might just do the wire and rope thing and i've looked at Sullivan's website but can't see anything on there to give me any clue's. Well its just another excuse for a research trip to Maine this winter! I'd better get my arse in gear on the split house project first then worry about the shrimp tank.