WEBSITE UPDATED Friday January 21, 2022
What is a “Livewell?” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Livewell
What is a “Death well?” Livewells/bait tanks that are not capable of insuring minimal safe, continuous DO transport water quality resulting in low oxygen, hypoxia, suffocation, high mortality/morbidity during day and night summer transports.
FACT: HOW TO CONFIRM IF A LIVEWELL/BAIT TANK IS “FUNCTIONAL” OR IS “NOT FUNCTIONAL”: TEST DO IN LIVEWELL WITH A DO METER WHEN FULLY STOCKED WITH TOURNAMENT FISH OR LIVE BAIT FISH. A “FUNCTIONAL LIVEWELL INSURES SAFE CONTINUOUS OXYGENATION, 100% DO SATURATION OR DO SUPERSATURATION IS SAFE TRANSPORT WATER WHEN THE LIVEWELL IS FULLY STOCKED OR OVERSTOCKED IN THE SUMMER.
FACT: JUST BECAUSE AERATORS, AIR PUMPS AND BAIT PUMP MOTORS HUM WHEN TURNED ON DOES NOT MEAN THE LIVEWELL IS A “FUNCTIONAL LIVEWELL.” IT DOES NOT MEAN LIVEWELLS ARE SAFE OR EVEN CAPABLE OF PROVIDING MINIMAL, SAFE, CONTINUOUS OXYGENATION FOR FISH OR LIVE BAIT BEING TRANSPORTED IN THE SUMMER.
FACT: FISHERMAN THAT ARE NEVER CONCERNED, NEVER WORRIED, NEVER STRESSED ABOUT TOURNAMENT FISH DYING OR HIGH LIVE BAIT MORTALITY/MORBIDITY IN THE SUMMER ONLY WHEN THEY ARE USING A REAL “FUNCTIONAL LIVEWELL.”
FACT: IF YOU ARE TRANSPORTING LIVE FISH/BAIT IN A “NON-FUNCTIONAL LIVEWELL/BAIT TANK” IN THE SUMMER, YOU HAVE PLENTY REASONS TO WORRY ABOUT MORTALITY/MORBIDITY. BE CONCERNED AND HIGHLY STRESSED ABOUT HIGH TRANSPORT MORTALITY /MORBIDITY, DEAD AND DYING TOURNAMENT FISH, “DEAD FISH PENALTYS” AND SLOPPY DIEING LIVE BAIT FISH. ALL LIVE BAITERS AND TOURNAMENT FISHERMEN KNOW THIS STRESSFUL SUMMER ROUTINE WELL!
Fishermen use livewells and bait tanks to transport freshwater, salt water live baitfish, bait shrimp, tournament gamefish and other aquatic animals. To be a successful live fish transporter, a livewell/bait tank must be capable of ensuring minimal safe DO in transport water quality continuously without failure.
The Oxygen Edge ™ is an oxygen-injection life support system used in livewells and bait tanks to insure continuous safe DO Saturation for all live animals being transported optimizing transport water quality. The primary cause of increased summer transport mortality/morbidity is low dissolved (suffocation) the summer.
This ancient summertime problem (high mortality) is caused by low-oxygen and overstocking. The hypoxic livewell problem is predictable. Hypoxic livewells are eliminated when fishermen use and administer the safe dose of supplemental oxygen. The “safe dose of oxygen must be delivered continuously during the live transport. The dose of oxygen is always adjusted to the stocking density. Safe, continuous transport water is always 100% DO Saturation or DO Supersaturation when your livewell is fully stocked, 100% DO Saturation in transport water containing no live baitfish or tournament gamefish is meaningless.
Fishermen use Functional livewells and bait tanks to transport live baitfish and tournament fish alive and healthy for long periods of time every summer. They are boxes that hold water, made of materials that are non-toxic to live bait and fish, some are insulated, round or oval shaped, some are much more expensive than others; supposed to keep fish and live bait alive/healthy. They must be dependable insuring minimal safe continuous DO water quality when well is fully stocked. In the summer, if a livewell or bait tank fails to ensure minimal safe continuous DO water quality the result is predictable: low-oxygen, hypoxia, suffocation and high mortality/morbidity.
The fisherman’s responsibility is managing, ensuring minimal safe DO water quality continuously (safe dissolved oxygen for the duration of the live transport. The fisherman must also manage toxic metabolic waste: Dissolved CO2, Carbonic acid, ammonia,nitrites, etc.).
Safe livewell water quality is absolutely necessary to keep live bait and fish alive and healthy during transport, especially in the summer months. Maintaining continuous safe Dissolved Oxygen Saturation at saturation or supersaturation levels is “the most important water quality parameter” regardless of heavy stocking densities every summer.
If the fisherman neglects or fails to safely manage his livewell DO water quality the results is always the same every summer… high mortality/morbidity; lethargic, sloppy, red-nosed, sickly, dying and dead bait fish and game fish resulting in high fisherman stress, increased live bait cost, aggravation and disappointment when bait or tournament fish die. All live baiters and tournament fishermen are familiar with this ancient summer transport problem, low DO caused by mechanical aeration and overstocking. Some fishermen continue making the same mistakes every summer believing more aeration, higher-volume bait pumps, better more expensive livewells/bait tanks will somehow stop their hot water-low dissolved oxygen killer problems ever summer.
High summer livewell mortality/morbidity problems are predictable, the problem is not CRYPTIC. When your fish need more oxygen because summer water is hot and holds less oxygen naturally and it’s fully stocked with live fish or live bait, the treatment correcting the deadly hypoxic problem is always administering 100% oxygen greater than 21% oxygen The correct dose of oxygen that corrects this ancient hypoxic problem based on solely the stocking density, not more air, ice, more water flow through the livewell.
Providide the correct dose of pure oxygen with the Oxygen Edge™ and eliminate the high summer mortality/morbidity problems caused by bad DO water quality (low oxygen, (suffocation) forever.
“Functional Livewells and bait tanks” are advertised as dependable, will keep tournament fish and live bait not only alive, but healthy for hours day and night and days offshore. Functional livewells are supposed to ensure optimal water quality specifically safe continuous dissolved oxygen for the duration of the live transport.
Real Functional livewells are used by all Federal, State and private fish hatcheries and a few savvy fishermen to transport live fish safely. A specific dose of pure compressed welding oxygen is injected into transport water that insure minimal safe DO Saturations continuously. They never use mechanical aeration (air) to insure safe oxygenation.
Most fishermen transport live fish with aerated “Non-Functional Livewells” and experience high summertime transport mortality/morbidity.
“Non-Functional livewells and bait tanks” are common aerated live fish transport vessels (bait and fish boxes) that fail to insure minimal safe, continuous water quality (specifical safe dissolved oxygen) in the summer. Transport water quality (DO) can be very low when the well is fully stocked/overstocked, undependable or not safe often failing to keep tournament fish and live bait not only alive, but healthy for hours day or night and days for offshore fishermen. Fishermen should expect and anticipate high fish/live bait mortality/morbidity, disappointments, dead-fish penalties in summer fishing tournament using Non-Functional livewells. Suffocated live bait fish are sloppy, lethargic, red-nosed and should be expected every summer that are transported in aerated “Non-Functional livewells and bait tanks.”
ABOUT LIVEWELLS AND BAIT TANKS
the internal shape of livewells/bait tanks is important for active transports in choppy-rough water, less important for stationary use. Many stationary aquariums have 90-degree corners. Notice that fish never stack in aquariums with 90-degree corners, nor do they rub their noses bloody because the water quality (safe DO) is sustained continuously. The fish live in excellent water quality 24/7. When livewell and bait tank transport water is sloshing during active transport conditions on water or on land, fish are sloshing uncontrollably. Round and oval tanks reduce physical blunt trauma when fish slam into walls. Round and oval shapes insure minimal blunt trauma, abrasions when running in rough open water.
Myth: Many fishermen believe that bait fish and shrimp are stupid, ignorant little creators that happen to find themselves trapped in livewells/bait tank 90-degree corners and rub their noses bloody.
FACT: When livewell water quality (DO) is unsafe fish suffocate and try to get out of hypoxic livewell water. When they cannot escape their confinement, they will stack in corners rubbing their nose until it’s bloody. Like a live man in a sealed coffin suffocating, scratching, digging at the coffin trying to get out and breath until fingernails are bloody and torn off fingers.
FACT: Suffocation often causes extreme automatic uncontrolled panic reactions in fish and man; overwhelming excitement/hypoxic stress, “fight or flight” reaction, acute maximum adrenaline production, acute maximum metabolism and oxygen uptake, maximum physiological oxygen demand, maximum cellular oxygen demand that is restricted and seriously limited by oxygen availability in ambient air, mechanical aeration, bait pump fresh water exposed to air. Stocking density is seriously limited by mechanical aeration (ambient air contains <21% oxygen).
When the fish’s physiological oxygen demand is compromised using mechanical aeration, low cellular oxygen, suffocation, hypoxia, high mortality/morbidity cannot be reversed by administering more ambient air or more freshwater exchanges or more ice (livewell hypothermia) or more fish saver chemicals.
The treatment of choice that eliminates this deadly summertime suffocation problem is always administering the correct dose supplemental oxygen, a dose high enough to insured, maintain 100% DO saturation or DO supersaturation continuously for the duration of the live transport.
LIVEWELLS BAIT TANKS WATER QUALITY – AERATION AND OXYGENATION
One gallon of fresh water weighs 8 pounds. One gallon (4 qts.) live bait fish/shrimp weighs 8 lbs.
Transport stocking density is always calculated in total lbs. of live flesh. The safe dose of oxygen is always determined by the stocking density.
FACT: THE CORRECT SAFE DOSE OF OXYGEN FOR ALL THE LIVE BAIT/FISH IN HAULING WATER IS NEVER DETERMINED BY THE LIVEWELL WATER VOLUME.
Standard stocking density for aerated transport water in the summer is 1 lb. fish per 1-gallon livewell water.
Standard stocking density for oxygenated transport water in the summer is 1-3 lb. fish per 1-gallon livewell water.
Summer transport survival and fish health in livewells/bait tanks is extremely important to some fishermen, less important to other fishermen. Maintaining continuous safe water quality (specifically DO) is more important than the shape of the “live transport box.”
FACT: Low dissolved oxygen saturation, hypoxia and suffocation caused by overstocking and mechanical aeration is the primary killer of live bait and fish being transported every summer. Mechanical aerators and water pumps do not, cannot and will never ensure minimal safe oxygenation in overstocked hot summer livewells because mechanical aeration and bait pumps. Stocking density is always seriously limited by aeration (<21% oxygen).
FACT: Minimal safe, continuous dissolved oxygen is THE MOST IMPORTANT, MOST VITAL livewell water quality parameter. Dissolved oxygen is the limiting factor the limits stocking density in all livewells/bait tanks. Most summer livewell mortality is caused by the fisherman’s failure to safely oxygenate his livewell/bait tank water continuously when fully stocked. Salesman tell you the aerated boat livewell or bait tank he sells is guaranteed to provided plenty oxygen for your live bait or tournament catch all day in the summer, know the salesman is BS’ing you, telling you what you want to hear, selling you load of fresh bull-dung. BUYER BEWARE!
AERATED LIVEWELL WATER CAN BE DEADLY EVERY SUMMER – BUT LESS DEADLY THAN STAGNENT TOXIC LIVEWELL WATER
Air is not oxygen, air is 80% Nitrogen, an inert filler gas. Oxygen gas in air is less is <21% oxygen. Trace elemental gases <1.0%.
FACT: Standard stocking density for aerated livewells is one pound or less live bait or fish per one gal of livewell water. The limiting stocking density factor in aerated livewells and bait tanks is Air (<21% oxygen). Many fishermen, boat salesmen and fishing article writers believe and preach that ambient air and oxygen are the same gas.
FACT: More air or more water pumped through the livewell/bait tank DOES NOT INSURE MORE DISSOLVED OXYGEN OR SAFE OXYGENATION.
FACT: Aeration often fails to ensure safe, continuous, minimal dissolved oxygen in summer livewells (water temperature >79F). Hot summer environmental livewell water in livewells/bait tanks and minimal over stocking resulting in low oxygenation (suffocation) is the #1 cause of unsafe transport water quality resulting in high livewell mortality/morbidity world-wide every summer.
FACT: Oxygenating livewell water with the Oxygen Edge ™ ensures the safest, best livewell DO water quality even in the hottest summer, overstocked conditions and many hours or days of transport.
FACT: Minimal safe dissolved oxygen saturation specifical required for live fish transports is maintained with pure compressed oxygen – 100% DO or DO supersaturation continuously for the duration of the live transport regardless of the stocking density. This is the DO Gold Standard for live fish transport.
FACT: OXYGEN ENRICHED LIVEWELL GAS SPACE (>24% Oxygen) “oxygen rich/oxygen-enrichment” CAUTION: RULES OF THE OXYGEN ROAD APPLY – FIRE SAFETY.
The livewell gas space located above the water surface and the lid will becomes rich with oxygen when supplemental oxygen is administered (compressed oxygen-injection systems, LOX, Oxygenerators, PSA and VSA oxygen generators). Any type of livewell oxygen system that produces or delivers 90% – 100% pure oxygen into livewell water causes oxygen-enriched gas space inside a closed livewell/bait tanks.
Oxygen is heavier than air. The highest concentration of gaseous oxygen will be at the water surface inside the livewell. If an oxygen system leaks pure oxygen into the boat bilge the oxygen is heavier than air and settles at the bottom of the bilge where fuel and oil accumulate. FIRE HAZARD.
INSULATED LIVEWELLS
Insulation helps maintain a relatively constant livewell water and gas space temperature. Steady water temperature causes less bait and fish stress. The Oxygen Edge™ diffuser reduces livewell water temperature about 2F degrees below ambient water temperature.
FACT: It is not the type of gas passing through the diffuser that causes the cooling effect. The cooling effect is caused by the gas pressure drop as the gas leaves the diffuser under water.
LIVEWELL DRAIN AT THE BOTTOM
A bottom drain aids in evacuating toxic water, solid organic particulates that settle to the bottom of the livewell, feces, vomit, chunks of decomposing dead organic matter.
INSURING MINIMAL SAFE LIVEWELL, BAIT TANK WATER QUALITY DURING LIVE TRANSPORTS IS ALWAYS THE FISHERMAN’S RESPONSIBILITY
- Maintaining minimal safe water quality is NECESSARY FOR SUCCESSFUL LIVE BAIT AND TOURNAMENT FISH TRANSPORT MORTALITY/MORBIDITY. Maintaining minimal safe DO water quality is always the fisherman’s choice and responsibility, never the responsibility of any livewell/bait tank manufacturer, aerator or bait tank pump manufacturer/salesman.
2. Insuring minimal safe Oxygenation is vital: maintaining minimal safe dissolved oxygen saturation levels <100% DO saturation is the single most important transport water quality parameter every summer. Low dissolved oxygen (hypoxia) kills bait fish, bait shrimp and game fish quickly in minutes during live transports every summer. Hypoxia causes brain damage in seconds, not minutes or hours.
3. Livewell Ventilation: livewell/bait tank water must be flushed occasionally eliminating all metabolic toxins and dead bait is also important. Metabolic toxins take hours and days to reach toxic levels that kill fish and live bait transported in livewells. Toxic livewell water kills and maims fish and man in hours or days.
The purpose of supplemental oxygen administration is to ensure minimal safe, continuous oxygenation for the total biomass of live bait and fish being transported for the duration of the transport in hot summer conditions. Unlike aerators (electric fans) and bait pumps, the Edge is a real portable life support oxygenation transport system. Oxygen systems are not mechanical aeration devices with.
High DO saturations (150% – 175% DO Saturation) is necessary when fishermen desire Supercharging live bait fish and bait shrimp.
WATER QUALITY
VENTILATING LIVEWELL WATER – REMOVING DISOLVED GASES, METABOLIC TOXINS, DEAD FISH
FACT: Ventilating livewell water (intermittent partial and total water exchanges) immediately reduce deadly concentrations of metabolic toxins, dissolved CO2, carbonic acid pH, ammonia, nitrates, nitrites, vomit, scales and the big organic matter chunks.
Intermittent livewell partial and total water exchanges are the most effective, least expensive, easiest, quickest way to remove all metabolic toxins and “ventilate your livewell.”
Larger stocking densities (more bait and fish) produce more waste toxins and consume more dissolved oxygen. Water exchanges are required more often for small volume livewells (>25 gallon water capacity, 50-100 gallons wells require fewer water exchanges.
Bacteria and other aerobic microbes in livewell water consume tremendous amounts of dissolved oxygen, more so in salt water than freshwater. Bacteria and other microbes thrive in hot, dark, humid livewells especially when dead organic matter is present in the livewell. Be virgule, always remove dead bait and dead fish frequently ASAP to reduce transport water toxicity.
LIVEWELL AIR VENTS
Livewell air vents circulate air, not oxygen into livewell gas spaces.
Fish produce livewell toxins and metabolic waste gas continuously, CO2 is flushed out of the livewell gas space only when the boat is moving under power with air vents. Toxic gases are also evacuated when the livewell lid is open.
Livewell vents and mechanical aerators, water pumps, spray bars, air pumps, air tubing and bubble stones off-gas dissolved CO2 gas. These electrical devices “ventilate, remove” metabolic toxins from livewell water.
Mechanical aerators are extremely poor oxygenators. The primary purpose of livewell air vents is not oxygenate livewell water nor do air vents insure minimal safe oxygen for the stocking density.
When the boat is not moving under power, air vents DO NOT ventilate the livewell gas space. Simply opening the livewell lid occasionally may be equally effective as air vents.
Ambient air passing through livewell air vents will be ambient air temperature, hot air in the summer, cold air in the winter. Livewell water exposed to 100F July/August air temperatures heats transport water negatively, hotter summer air=hotter transport water=less dissolved oxygen in the water=low oxygen/hypoxia=suffocation=<mortality/morbidity every summer. Ambient air at ambient temperature flushes through the livewell only when the boat is moving or the livewell lid is open.
Toxic metabolic gases accumulating inside livewells produced by fish, microbes, live bait are easily reduced to safe concentrations by simply opening the livewell lid occasionally during the day or night.
Livewell Vents, Hot summer temperatures and freezing cold winter ambient air temperatures
FACT: Every summer, livewell gas space is ventilated with hot air, ambient air, temperature 90 – 100+ F. Expect hot summer air temperatures to transfer ambient air heat to livewell water increasing livewell water temperature to air temperature. Hotter water decreases dissolved oxygen in livewell water. Ambient air is always the limiting factor for dissolved oxygen. The increased air temperature may be more problematic in insulated livewells exposed to continuous high summer air temperatures > 90 – 100 F.
FACT: NEVER OVERSTOCK YOUR AERATED LIVEWELL IN THE SUMMER. IF THE FISHERMAN FAILS TO PROVIDE ENOUGH OXYGEN (NOT AIR) CONTINUOUSLY IN THE SUMMER. LIVE BAIT AND TOURNAMENT FISH IN TRANSPORT OFTEN SUFFOCATE FROM LACK OF DISSOLVED OXYGEN WHEN YOUR AERATOR IS MOTOR IN HUMMING, WORKING PERFECTLY. WHEN AERATED LIVEWELLS/BAIT ARE OVERSTOCKED IN THE SUMMER, DO NOT BE SURPRISED. EXPECT INCREASED MORTALITY/MORBIDITY, SLOPPY BAIT PROBLEMS AND FRANK DISAPPOINTMENTS.
INSTALLING LIVEWELL AIR VENTS
Instillation requires permanent holes several inches wide drilled through livewell lids. Some ventent shafts extend several below the livewell lid causing an obstruction that can physically injure jumping fish or running choppy water. Any physical injury during transported increases the possibility of mortality/morbidity.
Boat salesmenBOST SALESMEN, BAIT TANK SALESMEN AS WELL AD BRO-BROTHER GURUS ON POPULAR FISHING FORUMS CLAIM, “YOU MUST HAVE WATER CIRCULATING OR PUMPED THROUGH YOUR LIVEWELL CONTINUOUSLY.
HOW MUCH WATER FLOW? WHICH DIRECTION? IS ALL THAT DRECTIONAL FLOWING WATER REALLY NECESSARY? IS ALL THAT WATER FLOW THEOUGH THE LIVEWELL NECESSARY TO INSURE SAFE DISSOLVED OXYGEN OR TO FLUSH OUR METABOLIC TOXIN? WHY OF COURSE NOT?
TUNA TUBES, STRIPER TUBES
If your fresh caught large bait fish get lethargic and sloppy in tubes quickly ever summer, you can chose to eliminate the summertime tube problem perminately.
Marine “ram breather” species (tuna, other fast swimming fish) open their mouth and swim fast to insure maximun oxygenation with ambient water. Ram breathers never take 2 breaths from the same water. Oxygenated tube water eliminates need for large volumes of flowing water pumped through tubes. Ram breathers live fine with oxygenated water in tubes and socks. Pure oxygen-injected water (not ambient water) is circulated through tubes containing large live bait fish. High volumes of ambient water 1000-2000 gallons of water per hour pumped through tubes in unnecessary using oxygenated water high volumes of water flowing through gills inside oxygenated. Minimal volumes of oxygenated water pumped through tubes is required for safe continuous oxygenation (2 gallons oxygenated water per hour per tube insures optimal safe oxygenation.
LIVE BAIT FISH AND GAME FISH ARE NOT IGNORANT LITTLE ANIMALS CONTRARY TO POPULAR BELIEF AND MAGAZINE ARTICLES
Contrary to popular belief, plenty of misinformation and myths, live bait and fish are not stupid animals that gang up in square corners of livewells, bait tanks and ice chest with 90-degree corners and bang their heads into walls, get red-nose and commit suicide, how silly. This aberrant behavior is seen only when the livewell water quality is deadly and absolutely intolerable.
Why do live bait gang up in square 90-degree livewell corners? The horror of suffocation and innate need to escape or die.
FACT: the bait speaks! This behavior is a symptom of deadly poor livewell water quality. Live bait and fish stack in 90-degree livewell corners are trying desperately to get out of that livewell, specifically out of that deadly toxic water inside the well… like a man in a sealed an airtight box with no oxygen, suffocating, scratching the walls box until his fingernails are torn and bloody, desperately trying to get out of the box and breathe oxygen. This kind of extreme high stress applied continuously is horrendous like “waterboarding.” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waterboarding
*There is no stress as severe as suffocation, intentional or unintentional oxygen deprivation. This is real sustained horror and last until death or until the cellular oxygen debt is safely corrected becoming safe and stable.
The cellular oxygen debt cannot/will not be corrected with more ambient air or more fresh ambient environmental water containing <21% oxygen or less. Correcting the cellular oxygen debt using supplemental oxygen is always the fisherman’s responsibility. If your live bait fish are dying from lack or low dissolved oxygen in summer livewells, you have failed to insure minimal sustained safe DO water quality. This is not the falt or responsibility of your bait tank, aerator or water pump that works perfectly.
NASTY FOAM ON THE WATER SURFACE MEANS SEVERE FISH STRESS – EXTREMELY BAD WATER QUALITY PROBLEMS
Fish normally produce mucus (slime). Fish slime protect fish from disease. Normally fish a minimal amount of slime in no stress environments. A fish’s initial response to livewell, capture, captive stress is >mucus (slime) production.
In natural no stress environments, a small layer of mucus lies between the scales and skin. In sustained high stress environments fish produce excessive mucus, the scale in abnormally pushed further away from the skin and easily dislocated (knocked off). We see excessive scale loss and excessive slime production as disgusting nasty foamy bubbles on the water surface in livewells and bait tanks. This is deadly water quality symptom, disgusting to many fishermen. Fishermen add anti-foaming detergents to eliminate the nasty foam. These fishermen make no connection between excessive mucus production and unnatural extreme stress.
The deadliest stressor is suffocation. Suffocation causes excessive mucus production. The more deadly the livewell water quality stressors, the more mucus (protein, slime) fish produce. Mucus producing glands have limitations and can be totally depleted of mucus. When fish are exposed to sever continuous extreme stressors, mucus glands can become depleted of mucus, baitfish will feel dry to the touch.
Excessive mucous production is the first autonomic response fish have to any and all stress stimuli. The greater the stressor the more mucus they produce.
The increased mucus production between the skin and scales pushes the scales further away from the skin than normal (unstressed conditions) making the scales more susceptible to damage and sloughing off. Mucus is an automatic protective response to stress. Mucus and scales protect the skin from abrasion, trauma and disease.
Foam in the livewell is caused when air bubbles pass through livewell water containing excessive protein (mucus/slime). More mucus causes more slime, more water surface foam.
The most severe stressor is suffocation, hypoxia immediately after capture in the summer. Eliminate the stressors, correct the poor water quality and the foam disappears.
Low oxygen stress (suffocation) is the deadliest, most serious stressor for captive wild bait fish and mature game fish captures and being transported in livewells and bait tanks. Oxygen deprivation causes brain and central nervous system damage and kills fish in minutes.
LIVEWELL ANTI FOAMING AGENTS ARE DETERGENTS
Anti-foaming agents are detergents that reduce livewell water surface tension. Detergents cause those nasty foamy bubbles on the surface of your livewell/bait tank water to collapse back into a liquid state and disappear, so you don’t have to look at the mess in your livewell, Out-of-site, out-of-mind so to speak.
*Foamy on the surface of livewell water is a major symptom of deadly water quality, needing immediate attention.
1. Detergents (anti-foam livewell supplements) are for cosmetic purposes masking deadly water quality making foam disappear. That’s all.
2. Detergents reduce surface tension causing the foamy bubbles to burst at the water surface and disappear. Detergents DO NOT correct the deadly water quality problems that caused the foamy mess.
The easiest way to fish this deadly livewell problem is changing livewell water, insure minimal safe continuous oxygenation and that nasty foamy problem is resolved.
SUMMARY
Transporting live healthy bait and game fish in livewell and bait tanks for extended periods of time is the goal.
Maintaining safe livewell water quality is more important than the shape of the livewell box.
Livewell and bait tank oxygenation is more important than mechanical aeration and high volume livewell pumps, bells and buzzers. Oxygen and air are different gases, do not confuse the 2 gases.
Livewell ventilation (metabolic toxins) is important, but more important is sustaining minimal safe dissolved oxygen saturation continuously during live transports *when the livewell is full of fish.
Fish cannot learn human language, fishermen can Learn live bait and fish language
Pay attention to foam on the water surface, live bait and fish behavior, schooling patterns inside the livewell or bait tank, fish location within the livewell water column, what your livewell water looks like (turbidity and surface foam) and smells bad.