# DIY Tuna Tube / Bonita/Mackeral Tube



## rustybucket (Aug 18, 2011)

Started thinking about this project this past winter and started putting it together in my head. Well, finally got most of the supplies and threw them together Sat morning. Still got to pickup a few pipe straps to hold the valve manifold up.

The goal was a set of 4 tuna/mackeral/bonita tubes that would mount on the transom / swim platform somewhere and be easily detachable.

I am going to run a pump to the transom wall and have a hose connection quick connect. So, I hang/strap the tubes in and connect a short hose to them and flip the switch on the dash for the pump. I control which tubes get flow and the rate of flow using the ball valves.

I looked at purchasing a set of tubes online from the various builders and honestly for most people that would probably be best, but no matter what I bought I was going to have to spend considerable effort building a mounting 'something'. I probably have $100 in plumbing supplies and probably about 4hrs in labor. The starboard was scrap I had laying around, screws and hardware as well.

The outside of the tubes are painted white, the inside is painted Navy Blue. 

4" PVC construction. The bottom (where the fishes head will be) is a reducing coupling that has a cone shape on the end the fishes head will be.

After I get the manifold strapped/mounted monday or tuesday I can stand the unit up and take some better/more detailed pics and I'll post them.



One of the 'issues' I kept coming across when reading other people's DIY tuna tube threads was the ability to easily drain the tubes. Some of them had to be detached and turned upside down....

Well, not having a better solution, I kinda stumbled across this...

It just so happens that a boat cooler plug fits PERFECTLY into a 3/4" barbed hose fitting. Solution. Instead of a straight barbed fitting into the bottom of the tube I put a Barbed T. One barb of the T goes to the feed/supply line, the other is plugged with a cooler plug. I plan on somehow connecting these via a tether of some sort to the tubes so they don't accidentally go swimming!!


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## submariner (Oct 2, 2007)

looks like a nice neat job


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## fishmagician (Jun 4, 2014)

Good work, looks neat and clean. How much do you believe you've saved on this project????


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## rustybucket (Aug 18, 2011)

fishmagician said:


> Good work, looks neat and clean. How much do you believe you've saved on this project????


Well... like I said, I already had the starboard and the screws/misc hardware I needed. I have approx $100 in plumbing fittings. So, let's just say I spent $100 on this... I've seen similar setups selling for $500-$700+.

Won't really know if I saved $500, or wasted $100, until bait is alive in it 

I do feel like it will work for my needs. I also have the ability to split the manifold in half and use two pumps instead of one, if the one pump doesn't have enough flow for all four tubes.


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## recess (Oct 8, 2007)

Very nice clean install ! The hardest part is having a place to mount it. But just to add to the thread each tube needs 1,000-1,200 gph each to maintain a happy tuna or dolphin over time . FYI


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## rustybucket (Aug 18, 2011)

recess said:


> Very nice clean install ! The hardest part is having a place to mount it. But just to add to the thread each tube needs 1,000-1,200 gph each to maintain a happy tuna or dolphin over time . FYI


1k gallons/hr to a 4" tuna tube would look like a fire hose!! I agree flow needs to be high, but don't think it needs to be that high.

1k gallons/hr to an 8" tube sounds right, 

Approx Calculations
8" 2' long tuna tube holds 5.25 gals of water.
4" 2' long tuna tube holds 1.3 gals of water.

So to mimic the flow of an 8" tube on a 4" tube I would need less than half the flow. I've heard 500gals is a good target for 4" tubes. 

Also, the 4" tube is more of a Bonita / Mackerel tube than a Tuna tube.

Also, I left in the ability to split the manifold in half and feed it with two pumps rather than one (1 pump feeds 2 tubes). And if it comes down to it, I can run each tube individually on it's own pump without any re-working at all, just unscrew the valve from the manifold and feed direct to the valve.

Bottom line, if the flow isn't enough, I'll add pumps until it gets right!  I added a 1 1/4" thru-hull to feed my bait tanks, so I should have plenty of capacity for as many pumps as I need to add.


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## rustybucket (Aug 18, 2011)

FYI, here is the transom it is going on. Probably mount it almost near the name.


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## recess (Oct 8, 2007)

rustybucket said:


> 1k gallons/hr to a 4" tuna tube would look like a fire hose!! I agree flow needs to be high, but don't think it needs to be that high.
> 
> Also, the 4" tube is more of a Bonita / Mackerel tube than a Tuna tube.
> 
> Also, I left in the ability to split the manifold in half and feed it with two pumps rather than one (1 pump feeds 2 tubes). And if it comes down to it, I can run each tube individually on it's own pump without any re-working at all, just unscrew the valve from the manifold and feed direct to the valve.


All I can say is good luck with a bait that might and I say might last 30 mins. I have been there and made the mistakes of quality baits dying because of not enough water flow . I understand they are 4" and not a 6" like we have . We pump 1,400gph per 6" tube on our boat and it carries quality baits for us far offshore . Sorry to try and give advice I was just trying to help , ill keep our fire hoses and happy tunas. Good luck. 
A pump box sounds like what u need though.


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## rustybucket (Aug 18, 2011)

recess said:


> All I can say is good luck with a bait that might and I say might last 30 mins. I have been there and made the mistakes of quality baits dying because of not enough water flow . I understand they are 4" and not a 6" like we have . We pump 1,400gph per 6" tube on our boat and it carries quality baits for us far offshore . Sorry to try and give advice I was just trying to help , ill keep our fire hoses and happy tunas. Good luck.
> A pump box sounds like what u need though.


Don't get me wrong, I definitely appreciate the feedback. Didn't mean to be a smart ass with the firehose statement.

You say you pump 1400gals to each tube. Do you mean the pump you are using is rated for 1400gals, or that you are actually getting 1400gals AT the tube?

I already have a pump manifold to attach the pumps to, fed by 1 1/4" thru-hull scoop. It's not a pump box, but as close to that as possible with the space available. Pumps attach to it through a valved union. Makes swapping pumps VERY easy as well, just unscrew the union.


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## Realtor (Oct 1, 2007)

Interesting, anyone have video of one of these thing in operation?


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## Captain Woody Woods (Oct 2, 2007)

Good luck! Mounting bracket looks great. I see a LOT of these fail. Usually too little water flow, and/or too many bubbles.


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## Captain Woody Woods (Oct 2, 2007)

rustybucket said:


> 1k gallons/hr to a 4" tuna tube would look like a fire hose!! I agree flow needs to be high, but don't think it needs to be that high.


Never having built one before, what is your reason for believing that it "doesn't need to be that high?" I can't stress enough how many people have problems with these DIY tubes, even the commercially made ones. Luckily 90% of the time the problem is inadequate water flow. I have a 1500 gph pump, PER tube on my new boat. Have kept tunas alive well over 15 hours, only to turn them loose no worse for the wear. Trial and error with what you have though.


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