Oxygenator Flushmount

[John Dallaire]

Well before the season starts I would like to upgrade my livewell aeration or lack there of.

I heard that the oxygenator is the best way to go and doesnt compare to anything else.



What do you think?









John

 

[Michael Meier]

One of my favorite subjects!!



Chemically, the air we breathe has approximately 21 percent oxygen. In extremely well oxygenated water, the oxygen content is only 8 to 12 parts per million (PPM). Your bass will begin to suffocate when livewell oxygen levels fall below 6.5 PPM. Elodia starts to die at 6.5.



Standard livewell aeration systems use the 21 percent atmospheric air to replenish the livewell oxygen. Unfortunately, oxygen and water do not mix well, especially during hot weather. Therefore, the "recycle" pumps are not very efficient at mixing oxygen into the water. Even with the best "recycle" pumps, livewell oxygen levels will drop below 6.5 PPM when the water temperature increases above 90 degrees! It's then ICE time and time to turn off the outside water fill.



Since 1980 and 10 boats later, I have never had a problem with a correctly rigged

Flow-Right livewell system. Your over flow should handle at least 750 GPM and the pump needs to be 750. 1 minute on and 5 off. If you start to get surface foam, increase the time on. It's all based on your surface water temps as most properly installed livewell systems generate enough oxygen for the fish if the surface temp is under 89. You can get a cheap meter and check the oxy content in the well but you will need to get the probe down into the water column (3/4 down in the well). The way most of the salesman sell some of this crap is to add their bubbling toy to a demo tank and take the reading at the surface. NADA! The fish absorb the oxy down in the water and not on the surface. The toys bubbles carry the oxy to the surface and when the bubble breaks the oxy is released. As a mechanical engineer, I hate seeing anyone getting taken advantage of by so called pro staffers Darrell, Darrell, or his other brother Darrell at one of these Sportsman shows. But they are cheap entertainment for me!!:lol::lol::lol:



Maybe add some Catch & Release to calm the fish and put the slime coat back on. this will also reduce their demand for oxygen. In VA we get some midsummer days that we see 90 degree surface water in the backs of the creeks and that would require adding ice (not ice with chlorine/fluoride AKA city water) to the well. Use plastic bottles frozen or buy ice at the "Stop & Rob" before you go. The folks adding oxygen bottles, air stones with pumps, and other "catch the fisherman" items, drank the cool-aide??:lol:

Mike

 

[Scott Hammer TOXIC]

Mike, so why is it that if I don't put an airstone in my minnow tank when crappie fishing, they are dead in 1/2 hour (we all know that minnows need high oxygen content water to live) and if I use the airstone, they are good all day? If airstones don't work that is? You also have to be very careful putting frozen water bottles in your well, a rough run will beat the fish up pretty good. You also then risk shock of releasing them back into "hot" lake/river water. I always just keep my wells on recirc and my fill on auto so that there is constant water turnover in the well but I have overflow tubes and there is no chance of the water filling the bilge.



TOXIC

 

[Michael Meier]

Scott,

The air stone in a minnow bucket will provide enough dispersed/dissolved oxygen for these small fish to survive as a result of some of the bubbles breaking in route to the surface of the water. I don't know what level of Oxygen (PPM) is required to keep minnows alive, but it's much less than the required 6.5 PPM for bass. I would estimate that 95% of the oxy from the bubbler ends up between the surface of the water and the lid to your bucket.



Having fished many events from SC down to FL and TX where the surface water temps climb into the 90+ range from July thru Sept. The water bottle trick works just fine. It's all a matter of fluid dynamics as they move around in the well just like the fish. All of us SC local boys have done this since the early 80's with a limit of 4's+ in the box and some water bottles. As an example: we ran the entire length of Okeechobee from Buckhead Ridge (where the Kissimmee river comes in) back to weigh in at Bean City in South Bay and never lost a fish (122 miles). Same thing with running from Pinopolis Point (where my property is on Lake Moultrie) all the way up to Santee State Park in Lake Marion during a Calcutta tournament in July. With the exception of the Potomac River, Virginia doesn