Jewli0n's (micro) Livewell Build

So I've been fantasizing about a livewell on the kayak for a while now, but didn't want to drop the money or have something as gargantuan as the Hobie livewells. I pretty much am only going to be storing live anchovies so I don't need a ton of space. So after combing the internet for months and shopping around for the right sized container, I finally have amassed all the components, and will be starting the build as soon as I post this.

For the container/well, I went with a 2 gallon drink cooler from Rubbermaid. Since the volume on the container is pretty small, most bilge pumps available would have been too powerful, exceeding 500+ GPM. So I went with a submersible 200GPM fountain pump that should do the trick, and only draws 1 amp. I think it was about $30. The pump will be mounted to the side, so to prime it, I got a gas siphon ball.

The battery is 12V 8amp-hours deep cycle battery, also about $30 on Amazon, and should keep the well going during a full day on the water. To house the power system, I got a Pelican 1050 case that fits the battery with no room to spare. I will attach a waterproof switch to the outside, and use various sprinkler fittings and 1/2" ID braided vinyl tubing to tie it all together.

My total investment so far is about $160. I will update here with my progress and test runs. Eventually if anyone is interested (assuming it works) I can update with links to the components used.

Here goes nothing!

Looks like a neat little project.  I'd like to see how it turns out.

Live bait is your friend.  Good times...

I love DIY stuff. I made a DIY livewell a few years back as well. I have a few thoughts for your build and the pump. You may need more. I obviously don’t know how you will route your intake and plumbing, but given head loss you may find yourself wanting more. You can also get a converter to run your 12v pump at 6v or 9v. It will lower the pump output and increase your battery life.

The great think with a diy solution is you can keep tweaking it until you get exactly what you like! Keep us updated on how it goes.

A couple hours in--

Things are going mostly smoothly, with the exception of having to fashion a few spacers for the plumbing going thru the walls of the well. Also fashioned some nice thick rubber gaskets to go on the entry and the exit. The input is an adjustable 0-360 degree sprinkler head nozzle... I'm not sure what the pressure will look like once I run it. Fingers crossed it's functional.

I didn't mention in the original post that this system will fit inside my crate for containment. I have yet to decide whether to mount the power pack to the well itself or to the crate, or just let it float in there. TBD.

I love DIY stuff. I made a DIY livewell a few years back as well. I have a few thoughts for your build and the pump. You may need more. I obviously don’t know how you will route your intake and plumbing, but given head loss you may find yourself wanting more. You can also get a converter to run your 12v pump at 6v or 9v. It will lower the pump output and increase your battery life.

The great think with a diy solution is you can keep tweaking it until you get exactly what you like! Keep us updated on how it goes.

I've gone back and forth so many times on the size and I know its gonna be tight but I feel like it should do ok for small baits. But also all of the components will be somewhat modular should I decide to increase the size of the well and ditch the crate. Also never considered a converter... That's definitely an idea. I think if the pressure is too high on this one I might dig into that. Thanks for the input! The DIY "chase" is definitely like a drug to me 

Figured out how to attach the battery case to the well itself and it seems solid enough for starters. Dry-fit into the crate works perfectly. Need to wire up the switch and the pump to the battery, and finish installing the drain tube.

If I’m looking at it right is your drain on the bottom? When you add your stand pipe for water height make sure that you put some sort of filter on it. Anchovies love to get jammed in your drain pipes and can be difficult to remove, causing all sorts of problems.

looks fun to build

Finished last night but was too tired to post. After one bad connection (discovered after initial attempt to test), I resolved the issue and the thing works pretty damn well!

If I’m looking at it right is your drain on the bottom? When you add your stand pipe for water height make sure that you put some sort of filter on it. Anchovies love to get jammed in your drain pipes and can be difficult to remove, causing all sorts of problems.

You can see the stand pipe now. I have some mesh from a drain screen I am going to put on the inlet and on the stand pipe for that exact reason so those little bastards can't go Shawshank Redemption on me.

I'm really glad I got the adjustable sprinkler nozzle, it seems like it gets the water all the way down into the column. I'll post after this thing gets on the water with me.