So my boat doesn't have a recirculation pump, maybe next year when I get around to it. I have added VT2 vents and I going to be adding a high speed pickup to get new water into the livewell. I am thinking of adding one of the those 12 volt power bubbles aerators and adding two stones to the live well.
Anybody running that those units?
I am not running that exact pump, but I am running the T-H Pro Air system. It works great. Just don't do what I did and not change out the air stones every couple of years. If the air stones become clogged, and they will with time, they will stop putting out smaller bubbles and only be putting out larger bubbles. Just because you have bubbles coming out, doesn't mean it's doing it's job. I learned this lesson the hard way by losing fish on several occasions.
The #1 thing with bubble aerators is the size of the bubbles they put out. The smaller the bubble the longer it stays suspended in the water and the more oxygen the water can absorb from it. If your air stones are more coarse or they become clogged, they will put out mostly large bubbles that float to the surface too quickly to do the job adequately. I never had a problem losing fish when the system was newer, but I'm a little gun shy now. I don't like killing fish, and I don't like losing money because of it, so I went the more expensive and actually better route of purchasing a low pressure ceramic air diffuser from Keep Alive. It is the KA975. It puts out super fine air bubbles and works beautifully. There is a little care involved in keeping it clean, but it does an excellent job.
Below is a link of it in action side by side with an air stone. The Power bubbles will work with this diffuser
http://www.keepalive.net/lowpressurediffuser.htm
I run my live well on auto all day after I start putting fish in, I have vents and when I get back to the ramp I have a bubbler that supplies air for up to 30 gallons. it is a 12 volt that I clip on my batteries.
XPRESS H 18 SS, YAMAHA 115
My bubbler is hooked to recirc pump
Ron Fears
Stroker/300XS
1E003823
What boat with a livewell doesn't have a recirculation pump or at least a fill pump with overflow?
I excluded that part, because I assumed that every boat has a fresh water intake pump.
My bass fishing starter boat for 5 years, 1985 Skeeter in great shape for that age, didn't have a recirculating pump and didn't have room for me to install a system because the gas tank was right behind the livewell. I added the bubbler system with 2 air stones in the livewell and would just clip the power wires onto the battery when needed. I only used it on really hot days when I didn't want to keep adding fresh hot water. I would always add two 2 liter bottles of frozen water to the livewell to keep the water temps down as much as possible. I only fished evening tournaments with that boat lasting 3 to 3.5 hours long too. I tried adding peroxide a couple of times and didn't notice any difference in the fish. Never had one die in the livewell.
2008 Ranger Z520 DC 2016 Suzuki 250SS
1997 Javelin 400TDC 1997 Johnson 200 Venom
I just picked up the bubbler, I also picked up a 4" stone to put in the livewell I think that will help out.
If you have fresh water pump in and the VT-2 vents, you're set.....Only time I recirc is when the boat is outta the water or on plane....
My 1996 181 Champion came new from the showroom floor with no ability for re circulation. I bought the needed supplies and installed a re-circulation system. In the short term I bought an inexpensive air pump and used it when on plane or when on the trailer waiting to weigh in.
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