WEBSITE UPDATED Thursday January 20, 2022
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Question? Do you know how much Dissolved Oxygen live bait and tournament fish need for safe transports in summer livewells/bait tanks?
Answer: 100% DO Saturation or DO Supersaturation continuously whether transporting (1) 3 lb. tournament fish or 200 lbs. of live bait fish.
More live fish and live bait in livewells and bait tanks always require more dissolved oxygen for summer transports.
The right dose of oxygen is dialed in on the O2 regulator by the fisherman
MANY FISHERMEN CONFUSE DISSOLVED OXYGEN WITH DISSOLVED AMBIENT AIR (MECHANICAL AERATION). MORE DISSOLVED AIR NEVER INSURES MORE DISSOLVED OXYGEN IN ANY LIVEWELL OR BAIT TANK.
Stressful Fish/bait Transport DO Water Quality vs. Steady State EPA DO Water Quality Standards
100% DO SATURATION REQUIRED FOR LIVE TRANSPORT IS VERY DIFFERENT THAN 5 PPM DO CONCENTRATION
Know and understand that DO Concentration is very different than DO Saturation:
WHAT IS DISSOLVED OXYGEN CONCENTRATION? Dissolved oxygen concentration is measured in DO PPM. The concentration of oxygen gas dissolved in water.
WHAT IS DISSOLVED OXYGEN SATURATION? Dissolved oxygen saturation is measured in DO % Saturation. Oxygen saturation is a relative measure of the concentration of oxygen that is dissolved or carried in a given medium as a proportion of the maximal concentration that can be dissolved in that medium at the given temperature.
DO water quality standards required for SAFE LIVE FISH TRANSPORT is not the same as the Federal EPA DO water quality standards required for lakes, rivers and ponds in the natural steady state environments.
All Federal, State, private fish hatcheries as well as the TP&WD Share-Luker Program located at the TP&WD Fresh Water Fishing Center in Athens, Texas require supplemental oxygen for all live fish transports.
These agencies require 100% DO SATURATION OR DO SUPERSATURATION maintained continuously for all live fish transports to insure minimal safe, continuous oxygenation regardless of the stocking density. They never use aeration to insure safe DO for live transports.
The EPA minimal DO water quality requirement considered “SAFE” for all lakes and rivers in America is 5 PPM DO CONCENTRATION which is considered “safe oxygenation” for fish living inin the no stress steady state in lakes and rivers in America.
People (fishermen), outdoors writers and many biologists often confuse live fish transport DO water quality standards and US Federal EPA DO water quality standards.
The difference is clearly seen between hours of sustained high stress live fish transport in hot summer conditions (traumatic capture/high stress transport conditions). Transport conditions produce maximum adrenaline production, maximum sustained physiological oxygen demand, maximum oxygen consumption in captivity and sustained high blood cortisol concentrations. Fish living in the steady state experience low stress with occasional burst of high energy stress c
Live bait fish and tournament fish experience traumatic capture, handling, injury, confined in unnatural small livewell/bait tank environments with poor water quality, unstable livewell water temperature hot to ice induced hypothermic well water plus many other additional extreme physiological stressors. Overcrowded, poor livewell water quality, chronic sustained low oxygen (hypoxic) livewell water lasting continuously 8-9 hours or more during summer transports is a primary stressor and the major cause of summer transport mortality/morbidity.
US Fish Hatcheries transport live fish and shrimp routinely. They require 100% DO Saturation or greater continuously whether transporting 1 lb., 200 lbs., or 1,000 lbs. of live bait or mature fish.
100% DO saturation to DO supersaturation is achieved with a specific dose of supplemental oxygen administered continuously by the fisherman using high pressure compressed welding grade oxygen or LOX. They do not use mechanical aeration to insure minimal safe oxygenation for live fish transport.
100% DO Saturation or greater is also required when transporting only 1 bass across Texas by the LunkerBass Program to Athens, TX. TP&WD do not use mechanical aeration to insure safe oxygenation during live transport.
Supplemental oxygen administration is also necessary when transporting a prize winning 25 lb. limit of tournament fish in your livewell for 1 hour, all day or several day summer transport and captivity.
Every time you overcrowd your mechanically aerated livewell by 1 or more fish in the summer, all your fish or live bait begin to suffocate as chronic low DO saturations (suffocation) progresses. This is predictable and happens every summer. Your bait and fish slowly suffocate in low to Hypoxic summer conditions.
Symptoms of livewell suffocation and poor DO water quality is fish stress: Fish produce mucus excessively when stressed, any kind of stress. Low oxygen stress is the most serious stressor in livewell water, maximum mucus is produced when fish are suffocated in summer livewells. High mucus (slime) is a symptom of poor water quality, serious sustained stress. Fishermen see foamy, dirty livewell/bait tank surface water. Foam on the water surface is a primary symptom of unsafe poor water quality… make a total water exchange in your livewell/bait tank – now!
Low oxygen stress is caused by insufficient dissolved oxygen in livewell water – unsafe DO water quality.
SYMPTOMS: Live bait fish, shrimp and game fish will look and act sickly, lethargic, red-nosed, piping, stacked in corners and at the water surface, dying and dead. During transport, low dissolved oxygen saturation in livewells and bait tanks has long been the deadly summer problem for decades for live bait and tournament C&R fish that are overcrowd aerated livewells in the summer, worldwide. * Surface water in livewells becomes foamy, nasty, ugly to look at and stinks. This is a serious symptom unsafe water quality that needs your immediate attention.
The low oxygen livewell/bait tanks problem often happens during live transports when overcrowding your livewell every summer.
Acute and chronic livewell suffocation begins immediately when fisherman overstock livewell by 1 bait or 1 fish. The “safe DO Saturation” begins to plummet below 100% DO Saturation as the safe water quality line has been crossed.
Everything in the livewell begins to suffocate because the biological oxygen demand of the total biomass of fish or bait exceeds the fisherman’s capability to provide minimal safe oxygenation for all the fish and bait being transported in aerated summer livewells.
Tournament C&R fishermen and live bait fishermen are familiar with and recognize low dissolved oxygen problems every summer. The low O2 problem progressively becomes worse quickly by the minute as the extreme stress of suffocation advances. The low oxygen problem (hypoxia) cannot be corrected bubbling more ambient air in the water or with bigger air pumps or higher volume water pumps because at best Mother Nature’s air contains <21% oxygen.
The final solution that corrects this ancient summertime low O2/suffocation problem during transport – The summer suffocation problem resulting in high transport mortality/morbidity is corrected by the fisherman, not Mother Nature. She cannot correct this problem with ambient air. The fisherman administers the correct dose of supplemental oxygen required to maintain continuous 100% DO Saturation or DO Super Saturation. Makes no difference if the livewell is normally stocked or overstocked.
Fishermen have only 2 choices available to reverse the summer low oxygen transport problem caused with mechanical aerated livewells:
Dramatically reduce the stocking density, the biomass for fish or live bait in the livewell or administer supplemental oxygen greater >21% O2 ASAP with a dependable livewell oxygen life support system.
YOU MAY HAVE READ ONFISHING FORUMS OR SALESMEN THAT “TOO MUCH OXYGEN WILL POISON, KILL LIVE BAIT AND FISH IN LIVEWELLS AND BAIT TANKS”… THIS IS FAKE, A POPULAR MYTH COMMON ON READ ON INTERNET FISHING FORUMS, SALESMEN AND MANY PRODUCT ADVERTISEMENTS.
Oxygen Toxicity – Dissolving the correct dose of supplemental pure 100% oxygen corrects the cellular oxygen deficit in overcrowded summer livewells. Too much pure oxygen during transport certainly will not, does not, cannot poison or kill live bait or tournament fish during live transports. This myth is based on popular uneducated Bro-Science.
Live Transports – It’s always better to have too much DO than not enough DO any day in livewell/bait tank water, any hot summer day and night… and you can bet your boat keys with confidence on that.
FACT: The total biomass of live fish or live bait you caught or bought being transporting in your livewell need/require enough dissolved oxygen in livewell water to immediately satisfy and reverse the hypoxic stress crisis caused capture/transport.
The fisherman must reverse the cellular oxygen debt caused by capture/transport as quickly as possible (seconds vs minutes) immediately to restore safe aerobic metabolism and reduce lactic acidosis and cortisol production.
Fishermen must ensure a constant supply of oxygen of high concentration to satisfy the oxygen demand continuously for all the fish in your livewell for the 8–10-hour transport and livewell confinement … especially if you overcrowd your livewells and bait tanks in the summer.
The acute oxygen debt you cause is reversed with supplemental oxygen > 21%, not with air, mechanical aeration, air ventures, spray bars or high-volume water pumps.
Mechanical aeration and livewell water pumps safely oxygenate livewells and bait tanks every fall, winter and spring when the environmental water is cool/cold. Livewell mortality/morbidity problems begin every summer when environmental water temperature reaches >79F and become much worse by July and August in the northern hemisphere.
FACT: OXYGEN IS NOT AIR – https://oxyedge-chum.com/oxygen-is-not-air/ Do not be confused between livewell oxygenation and bait tank aeration, knowing the difference is vitally important.
FACT: Do not confuse EPA Environmental DO standards in lakes, streams and rivers with dissolved oxygen (DO) standards required for live fish and live bait transport (livewell, bait tank and live haul tank).
Live transport DO requirements are special. DO standards used by Federal, State and private fish hatcheries are very different than EPA Environmental water DO standards.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) stated many years ago in the last century that 5 PPM (parts per million) dissolved oxygen concentration is safe for fish living undisturbed in natural steady state environmental waters (lakes, rivers, ponds and streams).
The EPA says 5 PPM DO is an acceptable, safe and satisfactory dissolved oxygen water quality parameter for undisturbed wild fish living in steady state environments found in lakes, reservoirs, rivers, ponds, etc. provided the fish are not under constant, severe, extreme stress or captives like commonly found in live fish transport conditions in hostile overcrowded fishermen’s livewells and bait tanks every summer.
FACT: 5 PPM DO concentration is not acceptable safe oxygenation for live fish transport in the summer.
FACT: 100% DO SATURATION OR GREATER (DO SUPERSATURATION) is required and considered minimal safe oxygenation by all fish hatcheries for all live fish transports.
DISSOLVED OXYGEN
What is DO Concentration and DO Saturation all about?
DO Concentration is measured in parts per million (PPM DO or ml/L DO)
DO Saturation is measured in volume % Saturation (% DO Sat) Unfortunately there is not simply one DO concentration water quality standard used to define minimal healthy dissolved oxygen environments for wild and cultured fish being transported and living normally in natural wild environments. That is because transport environments, stocking densities and water quality conditions vary and are not “steady state.” The DO requirements are different. Live fish and live bait being transported must have more oxygen than normally found in the steady state environment. Fish are exposed to many environments in the wild and diverse, stressful captive environments. There are many water quality standards and requirements, specifically safe dissolved oxygen (DO) requirements that apply to different aquatic environments and specific live fish transport conditions. Oxygen deprivation kills in seconds and minutes in live transport tanks, boat livewells and bait tanks. We’ve all heard of and are familiar with 5 PPM DO. This is the EPA DO Concentration Standard for lakes, rivers, ponds, etc. that applies to normal “steady state environments.” Fishermen transporting captured live wild bait fish and mature tournament caught game fish, then transported all day, 6-8 hours, in small overcrowded aerated boat livewells in harsh summer tournament conditions is as far from the EPA “steady state environment” and controlled fish hatchery environment as we are from the moon. The difference is vast.
Sport Fishermen – Boat livewell, Bait Tanks, tournament release Boat Tanks and Holding Tanks
• Livewell water in sport fishing boat livewells (small water volume to high stocking density) – 100% DO Saturation – DO supersaturation
• Fishing tournament live release boat tanks – 100% DO Saturation – DO supersaturation
• Fishing tournament holding tanks – 100% DO Saturation – DO supersaturation
Transporting live captive fish and live bait using excessive mechanical aeration causes Nitrogen Supersaturation – Excessive mechanical aeration during live transport can be deadly. Air is 80% Nitrogen gas. Dissolving excessive nitrogen in transport water can cause gas bubble disease or pop-eye.
Fish and live bait can be harmed with tiny micro-oxygen bubble that are so tiny they cannot escape the livewell water column. Micro-oxygen bubbles make livewell water look milky.
Fishermen hunt and catch baitfish or gamefish in the natural steady state environment anytime or anywhere. After the catch, fishermen must deal with the cellular hypoxia and oxygen debt they caused, the crisis intervention, transporting, netting, hooking and fighting extremely traumatized gamefish exposed to extreme livewell hypoxia, serious sustained anaerobic stress and exhaustion. Fishermen then transport these stressed fish in small overcrowded aerated boat livewells and bait tanks under continuous high stress, overcrowded conditions and poor livewell water quality for eight/nine hours in small boat livewells and bait tanks. Fishermen transporting live fish in small aerated livewells and bait tanks in the summer is serious “crisis intervention” at best, certainly NOT considered a controlled steady state environment compared to hatchery live transport or a lake or river with an optimum healthy environmental water quality. Transporting traumatized wild gamefish, bait fish and bait shrimp requires more oxygen than the 5 PPM recommended by the FDA for fish living in the normal steady state environmental waters with no stress or overcrowded conditions. Fishermen transport live gamefish and live bait in serious crisis and continuously highly stressed 7-8 hours or more during fishing tournaments and fishing trips. Fact: Reversing that cellular oxygen debt as quickly as possible, seconds after landing the fish or netting the bait is vitally important for fish health if reducing acute and delayed tournament mortality is a goal. Fact: Ambient air is not oxygen and air will not ensure minimal safe livewell oxygenation regardless of the volume of air or water you pump through a livewell or the number of pumps or air stones used in your livewell. Henry’s Gas Law – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry’s_law
DISSOLVED OXYGEN CHARTS
100% DO SATURATION OR GREATER IS THE MINIMUM AMOUNT OF OXYGEN FOR LIVE FISH TRANSPORT BY ALL FISH HATCHERIES Cooling livewell water temperature 10 degrees F. (86.0 F. down to 75.2 F.) with ice (inducing hypothermia) will reduce metabolism a little and minimally increase the DO concentration only 0.08 ppm for every 10 degree change in water Temperature. That’s less than 1 part per million which isn’t much! The negative effects of the temperature shock you cause often outweigh the benefits of inducing hypothermia if your desire is fishing with high quality live bait. The BIG shock and disappointment occur when you hook up that chilled bait and toss it into that hot environmental water. When chilled hooked bait is hooked-up and tossed into hot environmental water, the bait becomes lethargic quickly, often dying on the hook in minutes – that’s the negative effect chilled livewell water and temperature heat shock.
SALTWATER DO CHART
FRESHWATER DO CHART
Fishermen must be able to adjust the correct dose of oxygen relative to the livewell/bait tank stocking density.
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