singingwolfboy
06.06.2021 1:49:56
The quickest, deadliest # 1 stressor in summer livewells is low DO Saturation or no oxygen – frank livewell suffocation. [links]
See full version: The Oxygen Edge ™
The quickest, deadliest # 1 stressor in summer livewells is low DO Saturation or no oxygen – frank livewell suffocation. [links]
1. ENSURE MINIMAL SAFE OXYGENATION CONTINUOUSLY – Livewell / bait tank water must have a continuous supply of oxygen (not air) of sufficient volume and concentration to maintain 100% DO Saturation continuously for all the bait and fish being transported. More fish or live bait requires more oxygen. Do not confuse oxygen with ambient air or aeration.
“Fully functioning livewell systems and proper application of proven livewell management and fish care procedures are absolutely necessary and may keep a heavy fish limit healthy, but oxygen injection offers a surer alternative.”
How should live bait behave in your livewell? Live bait fish, shrimp and tournament fish should behave like gold fish or guppies in your home aquarium when water quality is safe and under control. When bait fish are not schooling or exhibit other erratic symptoms, stacking in livewell corners, piping, red-nose, loss of slime coat, you probably have a serious livewell water quality problem. more
“Dissolved oxygen is the single most important factor for keeping bass alive, and an understanding of factors that affect oxygen levels will better enable anglers to keep their fish alive.”
Delayed mortality is highest in summer, when water temperatures are higher and oxygen content is lower. Stressed bass held all day in a livewell can face an uphill battle when turned back into their natural surroundings in hotter weather. At other times delayed mortality can be an issue when anglers neglect some very easy to follow fish care handling procedures before bagging up their catch for the weigh in.
Fill the weigh-in bag provided by tournament officials with livewell water, not lake water. Do that by turning on the pump out feature and filling the bag as water comes out of the discharge hole at the stern. Treated and cooled livewell water is a better option than filling the bag with lake water, which can be less oxygenated or might contain contaminants harmful to the catch. At the tanks submerge the bag to keep fresh water and oxygen flowing to the catch. [links]
The dark side of everything else that is good about catch-and-release tournaments is delayed mortality. The scientific term is defined as the percentage of mortality after those seemingly healthy fish are released back into the lake.
Fish That Live Well Together more
Many species of freshwater tropical fish can work well together in the same tank. Popular choices often labeled as "community fish" or with "peaceful" attitudes include… more
Creating a Peaceful Fish Community
Before you start grouping different types of fish together in the same aquarium, you need to be sure that one tank of water can meet all their different needs. Fish that live well together will have similar requirements and preferences, which will make keeping your tank healthy much easier. When choosing fish, opt for breeds that require similar tank temperatures and water pH levels to be sure they will all be comfortable and healthy in their shared water. Fish that eat similar foods are also good to have together, and feeding the entire community will be much simpler. At the same time, however, choose fish that prefer different swimming levels of the tank so they will all have ample space and will spread out in the water so they do not feel cramped or crowded.
Well Dividers. Bass wells often have a removable divider that allows separating the fish in the well, useful in some tournaments where a second angler sits aft and fishes for separate prizes against other rear-seaters. The divider is normally removed if no second angler is competing, allowing more room for a single limit of fish and adding survivability.
A Good Cooling Technique. However, frozen 16-ounce water bottles do a good job of cooling most wells without danger of infusing chlorine into the water. Simply drop a couple into the well anytime water temperature is above 75 degrees for bass, or 64 for walleyes, replacing every few hours as the ice melts with more frozen bottles from your ice chest.
Biologists tell us that cooler water reduces the metabolic rate of fish, and it also holds more oxygen than warmer water. By cooling the water in a livewell, anglers can improve survival of fish. Filling the well first thing in the morning when the water is coolest is always a good idea. And on hot afternoons, adding ice to the well may be essential. [links]
Consumer Caveat. Note that there are also bilge pumps that look much like livewell pumps, with capacities to 2,000 gph, way too big for a bassboat livewell because they would buffet the fish and probably flood the boat as they overwhelm the overflow pipes. more