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A livewell is a tank found on many fishing boats that is used to keep bait and caught fish alive. They work by pumping fresh water from the surrounding body into the tank, as well as keeping the water aerated. A rule of thumb for determining the necessiated size of a livewell is that every one inch of fish needs a gallon of water, if it is desired to keep the fish alive for a prolonged period of time.

Besides size and water circulation, two other key factors of the functionality of a livewell are maintaining proper temperature and removing metabolic waste. Water temperatures should be below 75 degrees; ice can be used as a coolant.

Oxygen levels
It is very important to maintain adequate oxygen levels in the livewell. It should be above 5 parts per million. Electric aeration systems are often used to do this. These often work by creating a spray that increases the surface area of the water, or by passing it through a Venturi.