Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have no idea where I could a tank to do this, nor how much it could be, or how long a certain size tank would last.

Anyone have any ideas on this one?
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Uroplatus sikorae 1.1
Uroplatus henkeli
Ball python
Hogg Island Boa Constrictor
Several species of tarantula

CO2 Fire Extinguishers (home Depot), Paint ball tanks (sports Store/WallMart) and larger "soda tanks" (Industiral area soda distributer) or all Items can normally be found on e-bay.
The Paintball tanks are probably the cheapest with a 20 oz tank costing about $20.00 and about 3-7 dollars to refill each time. When I use to buy Live rodents I would just place them in the freezer to pre-kill them, now I just get frozen instead.
I have no idea how much CO2 it takes or how long, never used that method, oddly I just know where to get the tanks LOL
Good luck
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Jim Hopkins "Hoppy"
Hopkins Holesale Herps
Hopfam1@aol.com

You just used the freezer, but wouldn't that make them cold, and the boids unlikely to eat them??

Thanks on the paintball...I never thought of that before.

...The tank part can be really simple. Carbon dioxide is heavier than air so you can just put the rodents in the bottom of a tall garbage can or similar container and squirt the CO2 in and it will displace the air and the rodents quickly suffocate. If you can get dry ice that can be your source of CO2. Just put a small chunk of dry ice in the bottom of the container with the rodents.
Jeff

>>You just used the freezer, but wouldn't that make them cold, and the boids unlikely to eat them??
>>
>>Thanks on the paintball...I never thought of that before.

I have access to dry ice...that sounds like it will take awhile..unless I put it into water though..hmmm...

Have to think about this. I like the idea of paint ball cannisters...Id like soemthing tha's refillable basically..And NOT large in size, like a home gas cylinder
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Uroplatus sikorae 1.1
Uroplatus henkeli
Ball python
Hogg Island Boa Constrictor
Several species of tarantula

If you still checking this thread, dry ice works faster then CO2 from any tank, dry ice is condensed CO2 that expands to 8 times its actual density so a chunk about the size of your mouse for your computer is enough to kill hundreds and last an hour or so, if you want a tank though the cheapest place to get them is a local welding supply place you can lease a huge tank for like $20 a year and they cost maybe $10 to refil a 20oz paintball tank wont last near as long
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Jason & Danica
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Classic Dums frozen feeders

Well yes it does make their bodies cold, but if you let them thaw to room temps (or thaw them on a heat pad set on low) their bodies warm back up and the snakes feed on them. You can not feed a cold rodent to a snake because it will rot inside of them due to the temps, so at least room temp before feeding, you do not want your food bring your snakes temps down internaly,
Nowadays, with over 100 snakes in my breeder group, I will order frozen rodents in bulk (1000 at a time) this way I simply take out as many as I need and thaw them out to feed.
Good Luck
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Jim Hopkins "Hoppy"
Hopkins Holesale Herps
Hopfam1@aol.com

Yeah I know about the cold issue in terms of a snake eating an internally frozen rodent.

I JUST didn't know how to thaw them out. Had of boiling..never heard of heatpad dethawing though..hmm
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Uroplatus sikorae 1.1
Uroplatus henkeli
Ball python
Hogg Island Boa Constrictor
Several species of tarantula

I bought my tank from airgas. I already had a regulator and hoses, it's a 20lb tank that I have had for 8 months and I gas every other week and the gauge has just started to go down so it last a long time. They said it would be $20 to exchange for a full one but when I first bought it I had to pay for the tank itself ($100 I think) I also use a 4" piece of conduit with a plug at one end and a screw lid with a air valve one top, it's air tight so I dont waste Co2 and it aslo can take pressure up to 40-60 PSI I call it my "Death tube 5000" the only problem it trying to get large rats or bunnys to go in
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True Redtails

This is just a question. Couldn't you cut a hole in the lid of a 5 gallon bucket and run a dryer vent hose from your car's exhaust pipe to the bucket? Let the carbon monoxide do the rest?

Sure you could..but that sounds a bit too toxic. No need for toxins going from prey to my beautiful snakes...No way man, plus why put more pollution in the air. In addition to more wear and tear on my starter and wasting gas...I don't have a refinery in my backyard hahah
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Uroplatus sikorae 1.1
Uroplatus henkeli
Ball python
Hogg Island Boa Constrictor
Several species of tarantula

How many do you have to kill? If it isn't too many, just break their necks. It is quicker than gassing. Unless you are doing a lot. That is what I do, but I only have to feed one dumeril(for now).
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Tim W.
http://tsw.f2g.net

BRYAN,
.....Automobile exhaust contains carbon monoxide, oxides of nitrogen, unburned hydrocarbons and water vapor. The carbon monoxide would eventually kill the rodents but you would have dead rodents that smelled like vehicle exhaust and snake's are not going to like eating them. Carbon monoxide is a colorless odorless tasteless gas. Carbon monoxide poisoning causes symptoms of headache and sometimes nausea. It also causes the skin to look bright red. Carbon Monoxide poisoning can be fatal but it takes some time. THis would not be a humane way to kill rodents. Carbon dioxide is also a colorless odorless tasteless gas but it will cause none of those symptoms. It kills quickly and humanely. Hemoglobin in blood carries oxygen from the lungs to the cells. At the cellular level it picks up carbon dioxide and then takes it to the lungs where it is exchanged for more oxygen. Using carbon dioxide to kill rodents is humane because it does not cause any painful symptoms. It just displaces the oxygen laden air and the rodent quickly suffocates. The rodent may momentarily breath rapidly because the presence of excess carbon dioxide in the blood causes the hypercapnic drive to kick in. Modern motor vehicles have relatively clean exhaust compared to earlier vehicles. Exhaust gasses from modern cleaner vehicles will not kill nearly as quickly as the exhaust from older dirtier cars.
Jeff

>>This is just a question. Couldn't you cut a hole in the lid of a 5 gallon bucket and run a dryer vent hose from your car's exhaust pipe to the bucket? Let the carbon monoxide do the rest?

will this be on the test? LOL please do not get offended I'm just kidding around, well said though.
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True Redtails

you are mostly right, except that modern cars would kill just as quickly. Modern automobiles are not as "dirty" as their predecessors, however instead of having NoX , CO (carbon monoxide), and various hydrocarbons exiting the tailpipe they have HUGE amounts of CO2. So instead of creating acid rain like the "old" cars, now we get lots of greenhouse gasses. Anybody want to buy a Hybrid vehicle?

Either way, there are other more humane ways to euthanize prey for our boas!

Why not just buy a freezer and buy frozen from soemone like rodentpro. It is alot cheeper than buying from the local pet store and most likely better quality.