When I bought my boat, it didn't have any aerators in the livewells.  It has the pumps to pump in water and a drain and overflow but no actual aerator down in the livewell.  A few people I have talked to told me not to even worry about an aerator and to just keep the pump on and it will run out the overflow before it fills up, thus always brining in fresh water.  I've tried this but my pumps pump faster than the overflow can take water out and the livewell eventually overflows.  It's a pain to run back and forth shutting the switch off and turning it back on all the time, so I want to get an aerator to put down in the livewell.  However, I don't even know where to begin.  What type of unit am I looking for?  Also, once the aerator is in, does that provide all the oxygen you need to keep fish alive?  I have lost a fish in my livewell because of no aeration and don't want to do it again.  What else will I need to hook up the aerator?  Links to products would be very helpful.  Thanks in advance for the help.

Get yourself a Recirculating kit. They sell them is BP fop around $30  it we require you to drilll 2 holes in yop live well. if you can not do this. try one of those Recirculating kits made for a cooler. they just hold by suckon cups. i put the Recirculating kit in my two boats and have no problems. I fill my live wells, and as soon as I put a fish in them I turn the Recirculating pumps on and leave them run all day. every hour or so I turn the regulare pump in pumps on for 10 mins or so to move some fresh water in. It works really good.

J_V,

Your set up sounds like most I have seen.  Most have two options... on for filling and a timer (which runds the pump intermittently) to keep fish alive.  Even on the "ON" position it shouldn't overflow though... maybe your drain line is clogged or partially obstructed.  Mine will fill almost all the way to the top but won't spill over.  Do you have a spray bar or is it just a hose or fitting where it fills from?  Most have a spray bar mounted high that aerates as it runs/ fills.. but the spray bar acts like a shower head and limits the volume (gpm) of water coming in so that you drain can keep up.  

Either way, I recirc. kit is a very good idea.  I installed one a couple years ago and spent less than $70 all in. (including an adjustable timer)  It is great in the hot summer...  I'll use the recirc as a supplement to the regular set up and my fish stay very spunky all day even in the 100+ heat.

Any links to what I need? Everything I seem to find online has the pump that brings in the water with it, but I already have that. I found this, what do you think:

http://www.basspro.com/servlet/catalog.TextId?hvarTextId=9247&hvarDept=200&hvarEvent=&hvarClassCode=3&hvarSubCode=5&hvarTarget=browse

Do you think just a new spray nozzle would take care of what I need?  I believe the one I got looks kind of like a jelly bean with the bottom half open and that is where the waters from...maybe just a hose fitting? If I leave it run it overflows.  I bought a timer to put on but haven't done so yet, do you think that a timer with like say 30-60 second intervals on the pump that brings the water in would take care of the overflowing problem, giving water more time to drain out?  I do have an option to "open/close" my livewells which would let water come in, or I'm assuming go out too, without the use of the pumps...should this be left to open or put in the close position? I can't seem to get the hang of my livewells. Any help is much appreciated.

Check out the pro-air system two pages after your link. This will add some

O2 to the water and use your pumps to change out water every hour or so..............Al

Everything I seem to find online has the pump that brings in the water with it, but I already have that.  

That pump is installed at the bottom of your livewell, not through the hull... which is why it's a "recirculating" kit.  You would use that as a supplement to your existing pump or if you were trailering to a weigh in.

I bought a timer to put on but haven't done so yet, do you think that a timer with like say 30-60 second intervals on the pump that brings the water in would take care of the overflowing problem, giving water more time to drain out?

That is what I was talking about in my other post.  Not sure how your boat is plumbed... so you'll need to figure out your drain/fill lines.  I keep mine "open" unless I'm trailering or making a long run. (mine will drain when the boat goes on plane for more than a couple minutes)

Thanks for the help guys.  

What gph are the pumps? When I bought my boat the guy had put 1000 gph pumps, it filled the livewell fast, but same thing happened, the overflow could'nt keep up. Had to drop down to a 750 gph.

Rob

What gph are the pumps? When I bought my boat the guy had put 1000 gph pumps, it filled the livewell fast, but same thing happened, the overflow could'nt keep up. Had to drop down to a 750 gph.

Rob

I'm not sure off the top of my head what GPH the pumps are.  My boat isn't kept with me as I don't have a garage or cover for it so I can't look in it until around Christmas time.  I'm pretty sure the pumps in it now are the factory ones though.  

1 more question about the recirculation kit though and then I hope to quit bugging everyone.  I know it goes down in my livewell and recirculates the water in it, so how often do I need to run my pumps to bring new, fresh water into the livewell and do I run the recirculation pump all the time?