Oxygenator... worth the money or not?

[Waterfoul]

Not that I have a great deal of trouble keeping fish alive, but do any of you use the Oxygenator in your livewells?  Do you think they are worth the cost?

[Savage]

The pros seem to think so...  I'm not sure there is a pro out there that doesn't have one or two in the boat.

I just picked up the flush mount model and plan to install it before I go out for my next outing.  The way I look at it, if it helps keep the fish alive it is of course worth the money.  Guys don't even think twice about forking out that much on a nice rod & reel combo, and at the end of the day you can have 5 rods and an oxygenator or 6 rods.  I've talked to guys who swear by them, and my personal experience at the Northern Divisional this year made my mind up for good.  Heck, ask for it for Christmas or something!

I did my research at http://www.keepfishalive.com/

I was also surprised to find out you can use any additives with an Oxygenator, as long as you follow the manufacturer's guidelines.  It has always been said that additives would "poison" the fish in conjunction with the Oxygenator but it's not true. 

From their FAQ:

Does It Help To Add Additives To The Live Well?
Yes. It used to be a good practice to add ice and salt to your live well – that's "Old School".

There are many types of live well additives available to relax fish and aid in recovery once in the live well. Many of these additives rely on high levels of sodium chloride (salt) and are in a granular form. These additives do not  pose a problem, providing you follow the manufacturer's dosage directions.

It is actually the salt in the additives that causes the problem with the oxygenators, because the Oxygenator separates the Sodium Chloride element (SALT) from the water and returns it as Chlorine. Chlorine gas is deadly to minnows and bait fish.  Most additives are salt based.  That is why the folks at Oxygenator suggest that you use their U2 formula, which is liquid based.