Buying the right livewell or bait tank oxygen system is confusing due to the lack of accurate reliable information available to anglers. New concepts for managing bait tank water quality, innovative technology, equipment choices and oxygen (gas) safety issues should be considered prior to purchase. Prices vary greatly between brands and components. Compressed oxygen systems are usually not included when you sell or trade your boat. In the summer, some livewell oxygen system are better than aeration systems, some are not. Some oxygen systems are less efficient than standard mechanical aeration systems, water pumps and will not provided the correct dose of oxygen for the biological oxygen demand.

The FDA legend affixed on labels of all pediatric and adult medical regulator boxes and also written in all regulator operation instruction manuals states:

"FEDERAL LAW RESTRICTS THIS DEVICE TO SALE BY OR ON THE ORDER OF A PHYSICIAN"

Texas Department of Health opinion regarding medical oxygen regulators sold as bait tank and livewell oxygen systems, October 26, 2001:

"Medical oxygen regulators are considered by both the manufacturers of these devices, state Departments of Health and the Federal Food and Drug Administration to be prescription medical devices. Under Chapter 483, Health and Safety Code, also known as the "Texas Dangerous Drug Act" the definition of "dangerous drug" includes prescription drugs and prescription devices (Chapter 483.001(2)). Possession of prescription devices is restricted to those individuals or companies that are authorized to have them (Chapter 483.041).

A prescription medical device which has had the federal legend label removed or that is missing any labeling (user's manuals, etc.) which might include the federal legend or similar warnings is considered to be misbranded. The action of misbranding a medical device or distributing such a device is prohibited and subject to penalties outlined under Chapter 431, Health and Safety Code, also known as the Texas Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act.

Advertising involving misbranded devices would need to be evaluated on a case by case basis, but it is addressed in section 431.003, Health and Safety Code, and is subject to the enforcement provisions set forth by the Act.

These offenses have civil, administrative and/or criminal penalties afforded to them under the laws and rules. In other words, they can be prosecuted and punished under the laws and rules described."

In order to sell medical oxygen regulators as fish O2 regulators salesmen often define medical regulators by saying it's a medical oxygen device because it uses prescription medical oxygen and connects to an 870 CGA or 540 CGA oxygen cylinder valve. 

The slick salesmen defines a non medical "fishing O2 regulator" as a commercial oxygen regulator that uses welding oxygen and connects to a 540 CGA cylinder valve. These salesmen's definitions are meaningless tools used to sell medical equipment without a doctors prescription as fish O2 regulators to fishermen.

The difference between a medical oxygen regulator and a commercial non-medical oxygen regulator is NOT defined by the source O2 (medical USP oxygen or commercial welding oxygen) gas or oxygen cylinder valve it connects to. Be informed.

Charles P. Davis
Program Director, Medical Devices
Drugs and Medical Devices Division
(512) 719-0237 ext 498

fax: (512)719-0261
internet: charles.davis@tdh.state.tx.us

The Federal Legend is always fixed to the oxygen regulator box and also in the operational instructions. When the Legend is removed, the regulator is then considered misbranded, relabeled and repackaged for uses other than intended by the manufacturer. Pediatric medical oxygen regulators are controlled medical devices that require a doctor's prescription for purchase. Buyer beware, medical oxygen regulators are controlled medical devices, they're cheaply made and may be very dangerous when used in hostile environments other than hospitals, clinics and emergency medicine. Medical devices are not made to be used in harsh environments encountered by fishermen.

These are examples of misbranded, relabeled and repackaged prescription medical devices sold illegally over the counter as "bait tank oxygen systems". Medical oxygen tanks are aluminum , they have green shoulders, silver bodies and a thin plastic coating covering the tank.

http://www.keepalive.net/oxygen/  KeepAlive, Tarpon Springs, FL

http://www.myezdirectory.com/saltyair.htm   Salty Air O2 Systems, Corpus Christi, TX

http://gatorbass.com/    Gators Big Bass Guide Service, Orlando, FL

IMPORTANT  SAFETY  ADVISORY  FROM  MEDICAL  OXYGEN  REGULATOR   MANUFACTURER:

Friday August 3, 2001

To: The Oxygen EdgeÔ

From: Manufacturer's Medical Oxygen Regulator Warranty Division

Subject: Oxygen Warranty Items

This is to outline some of the problems we have seen with medical regulators in bait wells:

1.  Medical regulators have printed either on the unit, on the box, and/or in the instructions that they are to be used on the order of a physician. It is not legal to buy these for any other use.

2. Medical regulators are not designed to handle the salt water environment of a fishing vessel. When I receive medical regulators into my shop for warranty repair, I will not repair them if they have been used in a salt water environment. For the most part the aluminum and unplated brass components are too corroded to allow disassembly of the unit. In addition, I will not repair an item clearly used in a manner inconsistent with its design.

3. People who are not trained in the safe use of high pressure oxygen administration should NEVER use such equipment. Oxygen is not safe in the presence of grease, oil, dirt, or any other hydrocarbons -- it can cause these items to self ignite, with potentially catastrophic results. And of course high pressure cylinders with any gas can explode under some circumstances.

I have received regulators coming in for warranty repair that were corroded to the extent the knob could no longer turn. The owner of these regulators had sprayed them with WD-40 to get the knob to loosen -- I can't stress enough how dangerous this is. I would not touch such a unit.

Kevin Confoy

Warranty Division

HOMEMADE OXYGEN SYSTEMS are often made of illegally misbranded medical equipment, repackaged and sold by fishing tackle shops, fishing guides, boat dealerships, bait stands, and home health medical equipment dealers to fishermen without a doctors prescription. Many systems are assembled with combinations of prescription medical devices and commercial welding equipment  purchased "off the shelf" at welding supply stores. 

Prescription medical devices or Emergency Medical Oxygen Equipment is normally used by licensed medical personnel working in controlled and relatively clean environments such as hospitals, clinics, EMT's transports and prescribed for people with serious injury or heart and lung diseases. 

It's expensive to replace aluminum medical regulators that have been damaged by electrolysis and prone to malfunction. Electrolysis and oxidation are severe on aluminum alloy medical regulators creating an unnecessary risk on the water - a major safety issue. Consider them disposable, they must be replaced every year or two when they become nonfunctional because of oxidation and electrolysis damage. The issue is safety!

Welding and medical equipment often deliver excessive amounts of oxygen and gas waste insures more trips to the oxygen supplier for more refills, $15 to $20 per tank refill. You must take the oxygen tank to the welding supply or medical supply store for refills. The added expense of wasted oxygen over a season or two can be much more expensive than the initial cost for components. The ability for equipment to control the  dosed of oxygen maximize efficiency and saves time, an important issue.

The Oxygen Edge™ is the top-of-the-line COMMERCIAL LIVEWELL OXYGEN INJECTION SYSTEMS  designed and manufactured specifically to be used by fishermen in saltwater and freshwater environments. All regulator  components are solid brass and plated  inside and outside, just like a SCUBA regulator. They are made specifically for harsh saltwater environmental exposures. Safety, durability, oxygen efficiency and appearance are premier issues, when choosing a livewell oxygen system. These tanks may be refilled at home in 5 minutes at your convenience with a refilling adaptor included with each system. Refills cost $0.14 to $0.75 per tank.

CLICK HERE:     The Oxygen EdgeÔ is a commercial livewell oxygen system.

Advantages: These are made for welders and constructed of solid brass, minimizing the negative effects of electrolysis. Price range $35-$200. Solid brass adjustable regulators score high for safety and durability. Brass requires temperatures in excess of 10,000 F. to burn. Welding regulators are not FDA regulated medical devices and doctor's prescriptions are not required for purchase. There are many choices and many brands of commercial regulators.

Disadvantages: Expect additional refill cost and more trips to the oxygen supplier for gas. The right dose of oxygen is impossible to control, resulting in wasted oxygen or worse yet, an insufficient dose of oxygen. Regulator/tank connections are 540 CGA nut-stem and wrenches are necessary to connect and disconnect the regulator from the oxygen tank valve. Most homemade systems utilize inexpensive hardware or aquarium air tubing that has not been cleaned for pure oxygen service-a fire hazard.

Advantages: Doctor's prescriptions are not required for purchase. Steel welding tanks fitted with brass 540 CGA tank valves come in many sizes. These are heavy, durable and usually painted green. Price range $50-$130. Welding shops usually exchange tanks instead of refilling them on the spot. Larger tanks hold more oxygen and operate longer between refills and require hydrostatic testing and stamping every 10 years.  The oxygen supplier who exchanges tanks with you is faced with the oxidation and corrosion associated with marine use.

Disadvantages: You must take the tank to the oxygen supplier for refills and a refill charges of $15 to $20 per tank is common. Exposure to water spray causes green paint to liquefy and run in your boat and then the tank rusts. Brass tank valves tarnish and their metal alloy hand-wheels oxidize and deteriorate quickly. 

Medical high-pressure compressed oxygen equipment is not engineered or built to be used by fisherman on boats in saltwater or freshwater environments. Doctor's prescriptions are required for purchases.  The Federal Food and Drug Administration and State Department's of Health regulate and enforce medical device labeling requirements, packaging and prescription sales. Most family doctors are empathetic, but many will charge you an office visit to write the prescription for medical oxygen equipment.

CAUTION - If YOU HAVE ONE OF THESE, TAKE IT BACK: Numerous brands of medical regulators have all been recalled because of safety reasons. Many homemade bait tank oxygen systems assembled before 2000 utilize these regulators. Aluminum body adjustable medical regulators are cheap and very dangerous, they have fire and explosion history and have been recalled by the manufacturers. Most dealers and manufactures will replace or retrofit defective regulators with a brass sleeve at little or no charge. If you have one of these regulators, consider taking it back for a free exchange at no charge. They are very inexpensive, $35 to $45, and plentiful. Many unwary fishermen may be using these dangerous regulators today.

Advantages: Medical regulators 870 CGA connections will not connect to a commercial welding oxygen tank valve with 540 CGA connections. These are adjustable and wrenches are not needed for regulator/tank valve connections. Tank valves with 870 CGA yoke (post valve) connections and tighten with a tee handle. Price range $35 to $150. The Pin Index System insures that medical oxygen regulators will connect only to medical oxygen tank post valves. Air stones and air tubing are commonly used with homemade systems.

Disadvantages: Electrolysis damage and controlling the dose of oxygen are major problems. Adjustable medical regulators are constructed with many different combinations of metal alloys. All these alloys assembled together in a salty environment promote severe electrolysis. When used in a fisherman's world, medical regulators might be considered more disposable than durable. Electrolysis problems and metal deterioration pose serious safety issues for medical regulators. Electrolysis is unavoidable and it occurs rapidly, no zinc anodes here.

Adjust the flow rate to any setting and the delivered dose of oxygen can vary plus or minus 100% with medical regulators. They're not built for precision or for fishermen and very difficult to adjust correctly. Because of this engineering gas delivery rate error, some will fail to deliver enough oxygen to keep bait alive when tweaked and many  will waste oxygen. 

When the dose of oxygen dialed in on the oxygen regulator is too low, oxygen systems are no better on a summer day than bait tanks with spray bars, air pumps, air stones or flow through systems or worse. An alternative medical regulator: Two-stage medical regulators are built for precision. These regulators are high quality and control the dose, reducing oxygen waste and extra refill costs and time, but they are considerably more expensive, priced $250 to $325.

Small plastic washers fit between the regulator yoke connection and tank valve. These washers are necessary for operation and extra caution is necessary to prevent gas loss. Contaminating these washers with oil is dangerous. Hardware store air tubing and aquarium store air tubing that has not been chemically cleaned and certified for pure oxygen service is a fire hazard.

Advantages:  Aluminum lightweight high-pressure oxygen tanks come with chrome-nickel plated brass 870 CGA tank valves and a wrench is necessary to turn the tank valve on and off. Medical oxygen tank valves are called "post valves". Price range $120 to $160.

Disadvantages: External plastic coating and tank refills are problems. Welding shops won't refill medical tanks with welding oxygen because of the 870 CGA medical valve and medical supply stores won't refill tanks with medical oxygen without a doctor's prescription. Aluminum medical O2 tanks usually have green shoulders, a silver body encapsulated within a heat shrunk plastic coating and 870 CGA valves. In the medical environment the smooth plastic tank coating cleans and disinfects well, great for the medical personnel, but when used in the rougher fishing world, the plastic coating can cause problems. Cuts and nicks in the plastic coating traps saltwater between the plastic and aluminum tank wall setting up a continuous oxidation problem. The salt does not rinse off. Aluminum tanks require hydrostatic testing and stamping every 5 years.

Advantages: Count on safety, efficiency, high quality, dependability, durability, and a great appearance; all hallmarks for commercial systems. Doctor's prescriptions are not required for purchases. Systems are specifically designed, engineered and manufactured for fishermen keeping live bait in the marine environment and for anglers transporting live tournament fish (freshwater or saltwater), a catch and release conservation issue. All components are chemically cleaned for pure oxygen service - a serious safety issue. Refilling tanks at home with welding oxygen is convenient, quick and inexpensive. The refilling process takes five minutes or less and costs $0.14 to $0.75 per refill depending upon the size of the portable oxygen tank. The OE precision adjustable solid brass regulators insure safety and efficiency, minimize electrolysis, and eliminate dose regulation guesswork. Just dial in the pounds of bait or fish on the regulator and forget it. The correct supercharging dose of oxygen is always delivered eliminating oxygen waste. To eliminate gas waste, the OE regulator is back-pressure compensated for dose accuracy. Commercial oxygen systems cost as much as a good rod, reel and terminal tackle or a trolling motor.

Commercial systems are not built with medical equipment intended for people or welding equipment used by welders. They're built special for fishermen. OE tanks may be filled worldwide; wherever compressed welding oxygen is sold.

Disadvantages: None

CLICK HERE:    The Oxygen EdgeÔ is a commercial livewell oxygen system.

CAUTION: ALL OXYGEN EQUIPMENT MUST BE CLEANED and "CERTIFIED OIL FREE" for pure oxygen service - a serious safety issue.

ADVANTAGES: Air stones are inexpensive, make bubbles and air tubing is easy to obtain. Air components are commonly used with homemade systems and may be purchased at any hardware store, bait shop, tackle store or aquarium stores. If not chemically cleaned for pure oxygen service, air bubblers and air tubing are a dangerous fire hazard.  Stones and bubbler prices range from $1 to $10, plastic air tubing costs about $0.10 per foot.

DISADVANTAGES: Fire hazard and tubing gas leak hazard. Plastic air tubing and air bubblers that are NOT certified oil free should never be used with any pure oxygen equipment. Plastic air tubing is great for air, air pumps, air compressors and bait tank aerators and aquariums. Air contains less than 21% oxygen and does not present any special fire hazard.  Any pure oxygen system that can enriched livewell environments to 24% oxygen concentration or greater, use caution and follow the rules of the oxygen road.

Copyright  © 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 by David A. Kinser, all rights reserved. 

Reproduction of copyrighted material on this web site requires expressed and written permission from Oxygenation Systems of Texas. Any use or reproduction of material or images on this web site published without permission is strictly prohibited.