I can't seem to keep the sandies alive in my livewell. I have it running constantly but they suffocate.

You can't when it is warm. Put them in a ice chest with ice and they will clean a lot easier.
Johnny

+2

Put them on ice. You are wasting your time trying.

Throw a frozen bottle of water in there and add a cup of hydrogen peroxide to the water.

Yep!

Are these fish in a livewelll of a bass boat that travels 50+ mph, bouncing off all sides of the well? If so, maybe you are beating them to death and not as much as the suffocating theory. If so, slow it down - alot. Also, fill your well with the cleanest water you find (out in deeper water). The water that is close to the courtesy dock and ramp is not what you want in your tanks.

The info these guys have added about geting the water cool will help. But, if you using a overfill tube rather than a plug in your well, you are just wasting time/money with the ice. Because that cool water is being flushed out and new/warmer surface water is being pumped in.

I just throw them on ice if I want to eat them. I usually only eat crappie though.

I have not had that problem. How long before they die in the livewell? I put mine in the livewell (3-4 hours) and they are still kicking when I get home and put them on the fillet table. Hybrids don't do as well though.

Stop trying to keep them alive.

concur with keep them on ice

Use ice LOTS of ice. On a normal day we start out with 40 pounds in the fish box plus 10 more to top off the diet milk cooler. If there are only a couple of us we use one small cooler with 10 pounds of ice or for more people a large one with 20+ pounds. When using live shad in the heat of summer we may add 40 pounds to that. The big thing is to get the fish cold fast and keep them cold until the thake a grease bath.

Ice

I have not had a problem either. I have the air injection live well recirc pump.

http://www.factoryboatparts.com/product.asp?ProductID=31005

Ice and more ice. Layer the fish, ice, fish, ice.