Air pump or Oxygen pump?

[thudpucker]

In Fish tanks, live wells etc, is there a difference in using an "Air" pump and an "Oxygen" pump?

I have Oxygen here in the house and a CPAP machine.
The Guide I fished with had Oxygen going to his live bait. "happy fish" he called them.

I'd like to know what the difference is and which we should be using when we are trying to save some live bait.

[brushnjigs]

The oxygen pump is just more and smaller bubbles than the air stone type.

[thudpucker]

What? Smaller bubbles?

I went to the Medical supply place and a Welding supply place and neither knew the difference.

[yikess]

What is an oxygen pump exactly? I have a power bubble pump for my minnows permanently mounted in a rod locker and a pure oxygen bottle with a medical regulator and a true oxygen diffuser for the livewell but I'm not familiar with an on-board oxygen pump.

An oxygen diffuser creates a bubble so small it almost makes the water look cloudy. the bubbler on the other hand creates bubbbles like those you see in a aquarium which is fine for minnows usually.

[thudpucker]

The Oxygen from my Home Oxy pump smells sweet.
An air pump output just smells like stale air.

If you can separate Oxygen from Air, what's left?

[cache22]

Air is approximately 21% oxygen and 79% nitrogen with just trace amounts of other gases (carbon dioxide, argon, etc.). Solubility of oxygen in water is primarily a function of water temperature so diffusing pure oxygen into water is only helpful in getting the water up to oxygen saturation quicker than just using air. Save your medical (or welding) oxygen and use a good air diffuser and pump and keep temperature down.

[thudpucker]

Hotdiggitydog. A techie with a 'man-readable' explanation. Thanks a bunch.

That told the whole story there. You read my mind.

[Hanr3]

I use an old aquairum pump to keep my minnows alive over the weekend.

[Benton B]

Oxygen is not Air: Oxygen is NOT Air

Go ahead, click it and learn something new and different.

You can't tell the difference between the 2 gases unless you have an real oxygen meter because both gases make clear bubbles in the live well and both gases are colorless, odorless and tasteless.

Fishermen and outdoors' writers are often confused when they talk about and write about these 2 gasses, they call air, oxygen and oxygen, air.

All doctors, nurses, nurses aids, dentist, emt's, welders, plumbers, auto mechanics and SCUBA divers know the difference between these 2 gases. Breathing pure oxygen can kill a SCUBA diver (re: oxygen toxicity, partial pressure is too high). At 2 atm pressure the partial pressure of oxygen is 1,520 mm/hg; breath oxygen at that partial pressure very long and your history.

Don't you just love that internet...

cheers guys