WEBPAGE UPDATED Tuesday January 18, 2022
OXYGENATOR™ – OXYGEN GENERATOR – ELECTROLYSIS TYPE
Aqua Innovations Oxygenator™, T-H Marine Technologies, distributed by T-H Marine is an electrolysis device primarily sold and used in freshwater bass boat livewells and bait tanks. This small D/C battery operated electrical oxygen generator requires (2) AA or 12-volt batteries. Some units require daily maintenance after each use, new units are advertised maintenance free. Oxygenators are sold by most bass boat manufacturers, Bass Pro Shops, Cabela’s, Amazon and other big box stores.
How do you really know if and when your Oxygenator™ is not working in the summer when fish and live bait need supplemental oxygen most?
That’s easy. Just because the green light in on and the unit is generating 100% oxygen and 100% Hydrogen certainly does not mean it is providing enough oxygen to satisfy the stocking densities biological oxygen demand.
Look at the fish/live bait in your livewell. Their behavior will tell you when your Oxygenator is failing to safely oxygenate the water n livewells containing fish or live bait. Fish have small primitive brains, but they are not ignorant creatures. Their behavior shouts out loudly when they are suffocating.
Livewell DO water quality: When Oxygenators fail to generate enough oxygen for all the fish/live bait, the livewell water gets foamy, dirty and nasty. Suffocation causes extreme sustained stress. Fish defecate, vomit and producing excessive mucus (slime) and other toxins when they are suffocating and dying which is a normal response to severe hypoxic stress in the death process. When you open your livewell lid and see your fish/live bait piping, jumping out of your livewell, dying or dead and your Oxygenator appears to be operating correctly, your Oxygenator is probably failing to generate enough oxygen for all the fish resulting in sustained suffocation. Your well water is hypoxic, and all the fish/live bait are dieing as you watch. Oxygenator problems like this are well documented by TP&WD Inland Fisheries Department and other 3rd party research, testing and publications. Fishermen do not need a DO meter or DO testing to diagnose this common summertime common problem with electric Oxygenators.
April 5, 2018
CAUTION – ELECTRICAL SHOCK HAZZARD
Oxygenator Bad Review https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=14nyjpAAFZI by drhobbs28
Published on Apr 6, 2017
“So after waiting 2 weeks for a new one I have finally installed my new oxygenator. My old one was giving me up to 8 volts in my livewell water. I installed the new one and had half the voltage [4.5 V]. Every time I would put a fish in my livewell he would turn side up. Well that’s because he was getting shocked. After getting no answers and ignored I decided to pass this on. You might want to check yours out. Check it from negative battery post to the water. It really lights up as the water is draining from the oxygenator. I learned this one day while cleaning my livewell and was leaning on the piano hinge and reached into the water and got lit up.”
Independent 3rd party testing confirms substantial electrical current is present in livewell water using a voltmeter when livewell Oxygenator is running and touching livewell water.
Positive test results confirm continuous electrical voltage (4.5V – 8.0V) in livewell water when the Oxygenator is submerged underwater, turned on and running.
Independent testing also confirmed (0.0V) when oxygenator is turned on and not touching livewell water and when the Oxygenator is in contact with livewell water and turned off. Tournament fish are exposed to hours of continuous electrical charged livewell water when the Oxygenator is running.
TP&WD 3rd PARTY SCIENTIVIC TESTING PUBLISHED
SCIENTIFIC FACTS: “The Oxygenator-How well does it work?” “How Effective is It?” Independent testing and evaluation by fishery biologist, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Inland Fisheries Division.
TPWD, Inland Fisheries Division, San Antonio, TX Publication by Fishery Biologist Randy Myers: The Oxygenator-How Effective is It? 2-14-2012 http://www.slideshare.net/raminlandfish/the-oxygenator-how-effective-is-it
When fish and live bait are densely crowded into livewells and bait tanks, highly stressed and excited post capture, handling, transport and captivity; it is absolutely is essential to provide enough dissolved oxygen (DO) faster than it is consumed by all the fish/bait in the livewell. Enough oxygen means 100% DO saturation or DO supersaturation provided continuously for the duration of the live transport.
TP&WD dissolved oxygen test were done with NO fish in the livewell water consuming oxygen. Add fish in your livewell and the dissolved oxygen level in the livewell water plummets drastically and quickly to unsafe DO saturation. Add 15-20 lbs. of fish and the Oxygenators fail to supply a safe, continuous amount of pure oxygen necessary to maintain minimal safe DO saturation resulting suffocation, high mortality and morbidity every summer and the Dead Fish Penalty.
FACT: Although the Oxygenator does deliver 100% pure oxygen as advertised but is not capable of generating enough oxygen when fish are added to the livewell in the summer.
CAUTION: The gas space between a closed livewell lid and the water surface can become oxygen-enriched and hydrogen-enriched with pure oxygen and pure hydrogen. Hydrogen is an explosive gas like acetylene and propane. Fish saver type products electrolytes (salt).
Salt is highly recommended by B.A.S.S and other Federal, State and private fish hatcheries for high stress fish being transportes to aid in osmoregulation stabilizing electrolyte balance. Oxygenators used in any livewell/bait tank containing any salt also generates 100% chlorine gas. All fish or bait saver livewell additives contain sodium electrolytes (salt).
Incorporate any potential ignition source (electric wires, any live electricity) inside the livewell… THE COMBINATION OF PURE OXYGEN, PURE HYDROGEN AND PURE CHLORINE GAS IN A CLOSED LIVEWELL OR BOAT BILGE IS A POTENTIAL EXPLOSION HAZARD / FIRE HAZARD.
Electrolysis breaks down freshwater molecules into pure hydrogen gas (H), pure oxygen gas (O2) plus deadly hydroxyl ions. If your livewell water contains any salt or livewell chemicals that contain salt, chlorine gas is always produced. Chlorine gas bubbles are visualized around the emitter as small greenish-yellow color gas bubbles (seen with back lighting). Hydrogen and oxygen bubbles are colorless.
In freshwater livewells, two thirds (2/3) of the gas bubbles produced at the emitter is pure 100% hydrogen gas (an explosive gas) and only 1/3 of the bubbles you see are 100% pure oxygen. Although the generator may not produce enough oxygen for all the fish or bait in the livewell on a hot summer day for the total stocking density; it is designed, advertised and does produce [some] pure 100% oxygen by electrolysis of water. This is the primary sales point.
Oxygenator™ has no moving parts, makes no noise, older emitters require maintenance with special equipment after each use. Everything dies in the livewell if/when the oxygen live support system fails to produce or deliver enough oxygen to satisfy the biological oxygen demand required for all the fish being transported. Summer conditions and overstocked livewells often exceed the Oxygenator™ capabilities to continuously provide minimum safe DO saturation levels while the unit is working perfectly as advertised.
Water electrolysis produces some pure oxygen and twice as much pure hydrogen; 1:2 ratio respectively. The small volume of pure oxygen it does generate is not dose regulated or controlled by the fisherman. The small volume of oxygen generated is strictly limited, regulated and controlled by an internal thermometer that measures livewell water temperature. The cooler the livewell water the less time the oxygenator runs producing oxygen. Chilling livewell water with ice (hypothermia) in the summer compromises oxygen production of Oxygenators. You will not see this in their literature or hear this in any Oxygenator salesman’s pitch. If you are lucky, this technical chiastic may be learned the summer after sale.
The actual DO saturation produced with the Oxygenator™ is dramatically less than 100% DO saturation required to meet and sustain the minimal oxygen biological demands for 8-10 hours of intensive high stress transport in overstocked summer livewell conditions.
Eliminate product disappointments and unreal expectations. Ask a bass boat dealer and Oxygenator™ salesman these 2 questions before you purchase:
Will the Oxygenator™ generate enough pure oxygen in the summer to totally eliminate low-oxygen issues in fully stocked livewells preventing mortality/morbidity caused buy suffocation?
Will the Oxygenator provide and ensure minimal safe continuous livewell oxygenation in the summer and keep my live bait and all my tournament fish alive and healthy all day/all night?
I there are no answers to these 2 questions….. BUYER BEWARE
Livewell oxygen systems must produce, maintain and sustain minimal continuous dissolved oxygen saturations (100% – 175% DO saturation) in a bass boat livewell, tournament weigh-in holding tank, release boat transport tanks containing a heavy limit, many limits of tournament bass (15-30 lbs fish or 400 lbs of live fish) in July/August tournaments all day long.
ELECTRICAL CURRENT may cause physiological and psychological stress impact of transporting live bait and tournament gamefish in water that’s actively being exposed to sustained low electrical current (electrolysis) in water unknown, out of sight and out of mind.
NEGATIVE AFFECTS OF ELECTROLYSIS are well known by fishermen…how electrolysis breaks down metal and electrical components on boats, motors and boat trailers. Why zinc anodes are absolutely necessary to counteract the negative effects of electrolysis.
The hallmark selling point is: “The Oxygenator ™ makes 100% pure oxygen,” Period. But sellers will never mention if it makes enough oxygen to sustain an overcrowded livewell full of fish or live bait all day in the summer.
Technically the Oxygenator™ does qualify as a livewell oxygen system. The Oxygenator™ costs as much as a livewell water pump or small air compressor, bubble stone and air tube.
If the generator fails to produce and or sustain the minimal safe Dissolved Oxygen Saturation all day for all the catch, your gamefish and bait may die while the generator is making 100% oxygen, operating perfectly as advertised. Like when your mechanical aerator or livewell water pump is working perfectly, humming away while the tournament fish or bait are suffocating and dying as you watch in your summer livewell.
Know the facts and limitations about the Oxygenator™. Expect very limited pure oxygen production and low dissolved oxygen (DO) saturations in livewells full of gamefish and live bait every summer because the oxygen output is controlled and cycled on and off strictly by livewell water temperature. When the unit is new and functioning correctly in late fall, winter, early spring weather, the small volume of 100% oxygen may satisfy the biological oxygen demand for a small fish or a few live baits when environmental water temperature is within 40 F – 65 F.
Failure to generate enough DO is a seasonal problem like aeration, exhibited every summer when the surface water temperature reaches 75 F – 90 F. Like all mechanical aeration and water pumps, you cannot ensure minimal safe livewell DO saturation with air or the Oxygenator™ in heavily stocked livewells. Water pumps only pump water and air pumps only pump air. Ambient air and water are not oxygen regardless of how much air and water you pump in the summer.
The water temperature sensor (the brain of the Oxygenator is a thermometer) cycles the unit on and off intermittently, the amount of oxygen that’s generated is strictly controlled by livewell water temperature not by the oxygen demand of fish or live bait being transported.
Add ice to cool the water and the unit cycles less generating less oxygen whether the well contains (1) three pounds of fish, (10} five pounds of fish or (15) fifteen pounds of live baitfish. Unlike standard professional fish transporters dissolved oxygen standards for transport DO protocols, livewell stocking densities are not a consideration for oxygen production and is of no concern with the Oxygenator™. That major design feature, a real plus to save electricity and battery power, can be absolutely deadly in the summer.
Oxygenators cannot increase the volume of 100% oxygen the unit produces and delivers. Expect extremely limited DO water quality like you’ve experienced with mechanical aeration every summer: insufficient safe, safe oxygenation=suffocation..
DISSOLVED OXYGEN SATURATION RATE: Oxygenator™ literature claims to generate 80% DO saturation in 20 minutes in freshwater livewells, [no fish or bait in livewell water consuming oxygen, livewell stocking density -0-.]. This sounds great to most tournament fishermen and live baiters?
How do you think achieving 80% DO Saturation in 20 minutes with an Oxygenator™ squares with any standard aerator or livewell water pump? Mechanical aerators are better. After 3rd party testing, TP&WD highly recommends running aerators, water pumps in conjunction with the Oxygenenator.
FACT: With no fish or bait in the livewell [livewell stocking density -0- and the standard mechanical aerators livewell pump running perfectly, 80% DO saturations or greater are easily reached within several minutes in summer livewell water. Even Mr. and Ms. Bubbles’ air pumps and bubblers can and will achieve 80% DO saturation under the same conditions in a few minutes in livewell water devoid of live bait and fish consuming DO.
Oxygenator™ is popular with these freshwater boat manufacturers, OEM and by Bass Pro, Cabela’s and other major Big Box Fishing stores.
Triton Boats
Ranger Boats
G3 Boats
Nitro Boats
Champion Boats
Skeeter Boats
Tracker Boats
Stratos Boats
Bass Cat Boats
Crestliner Boats
Legend Boats
Crestliner Boats
Starcraft Marine
Procraft Boats
Weld Pro Aluminum Boats
Yar-Craft Boats
Phoenix Bass Boats
U2 LIVEWELL ADDITIVE
Oxygenator™ U2 instructions boldly state
DO NOT USE THIS DEVICE IN SALTWATER LIVEWELLS OR BAIT TANKS and DO NOT USE SALT OR ANY LIVEWELL CHEMICALS or LIVEWELL WATER CONDITIONERS THAT CONTAIN SALT.
Most fishermen add fish saver type livewell additives and chemicals that contain electrolytes (salt) to aid osmoregulation in highly strssed fish in transports.
T-H Marine recommends the U2 livewell additives claiming U@ is the ONLY fish saver additive recommended for safe use with the Oxygenator™. U2 literature states the formulation contains essential electrolytes.
“Electrolyte solutions are normally formed when a physiological salt is dissolved into a solvent (water).”
IMPORTANT
What are the “essential electrolytes in livewell chemicals and formulations? Combinations of primary ions compose physiological electrolytes. Ions of Sodium (Na+), Chloride (Cl−), Potassium (K+), Calcium (Ca2+), magnesium Mg2+), Hydrogen Phosphate (HPO42−), and Hydrogen Carbonate (HCO3−). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electrolyte
Before you turn on an Oxygenator™ it is essential that you KNOW beyond any doubt whether the livewell chemical or additive you added to your livewell water contains any salt compounds or electrolytes.
If you are not absolutely sure if a livewell additive contains salt, taste it. If you detect a salty taste, the formulation probably contains salt… Don’t turn-on your Oxygenator™.
CAUTION: Many livewell chemical manufacturers claim their fish saver livewell formulations and chemicals consist of “food grade” ingredients and may be used on food fish. Many of these products are clearly not FDA approved for use on food fish for human consumption and should never be used on tournament gamefish that are released alive after the tournament. Tournament catch and release gamefish that are soaked 8 hours in bass boat livewells containing unknown chemical dips are food fish for many fishermen, their wives and children.
Upon your request, any ethical livewell supplement manufacture should provide a Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) or complete list of formulation ingredients upon your request. All the ingredients in the MSDS should be FDA approved for use on food fish for human consumption. This is a public health issue, fellow fishermen and families that may catch and eat that fish you released yesterday after the tournament may be of some concern for some people. – The tournament fish that has soaked 7-8 hours in a chemical bath in your livewell may be a health concern for other fishermen.
A FISH HEALTH FACT: Hydrogen gas combines with other elements (metabolic waste) in livewell water forming noxious and very toxic hydrogen sulfide gas. When Hydrogen sulfide gas is exposed to salt in livewell water, highly toxic corrosive hydrogen chloride forms.