# step by step guide to making a c02 gas chamber



## hermanlover

well gas chambers are considered the most humaine way to cull rodents for animal consumption. i will show stage by stage how i made my tried and tested gas chamber (also used by other members on here) 

*step one:what you need*
what you will need:
1 x tub (size photographed fits about 10 adults in) 
1 x large tube (has to be able to fit on end of valve)
1x thin tube (air hose is fine for this) 
1x c02 cylinder
1x valve to fit on gas cylinder 
1x tube of super glue (only need a small amount) 
(tools that will help include soldering iron or a smallish drill) 









*step 2: air escape tube *
now you have all the materials, you need to start with the small tube, and the lid of the tub. 
take a soldering iron, use it to make a small hole in the top of the lid, put it to one side, and make sure it is in the lid, c02 is heavier than the air, so the tube has to be at the top, so you get rid of normal air and not c02. 

as you can see the hole is small, and to one side, which will be the opposite side to the c02 tube. 









you now need to insert the small tube into the hole, push the tube through about 2-3 cm, and seal the hole around the tube using super glue or something similar. it should now look like the picture below.









*step 3: c02 tube *
you now need to take the tub, and the thicker tube. you need to again use the soldering iron, to melt a hole near the base of the tub, just big enough to fit the tube through (make sure the tube fits on the valve first) 
it should look like the picture below









now that the hole is created, make sure the edge of the hose pipe is flat, with no sharp edges, again insert about 4-5 cm of it, and the seal tight with superglue, or something similar. it should now look like the picture below










*step 4: gas cylinder and valve* 

now it is time to attach the gas cylinder and valve, they are pretty simple and just screw together. now you need to see which side the gas comes out of, as most are twin headed. once you have found this out, you need to put the thicker pipe (green pipe in this case) onto the valve. it should now look like the picture below









*step 5: ready to use*

well now all the work is done, its time to put it to the test. below is a picture of the finished chamber









well i hope this is helpful people, thought i would post it, as people always seem to want to know how to make one or what they consist of. any questions feel free to ask

thanks
lee


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## Declan123

Nice one, real good


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## Brians Ark

That looks pretty cool. When i mentioned breeding and killing my own mice my gf said that she would never hold my hand again if i did.


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## hermanlover

Brians Ark said:


> That looks pretty cool. When i mentioned breeding and killing my own mice my gf said that she would never hold my hand again if i did.


its more humaine than buying off the internet, or from shops, at least you knwo they had a good life, and were kept well

and you also know if you feed them right, it benefits the snake, as they get more nutrition

also gassing is very peaceful to them, they just drift into a sleep (but never wake up lol)


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## Joshuashaw

Does the co2 not do anything to rodent's system that will affect the snake when it eventually munches it?


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## hermanlover

Joshuashaw said:


> Does the co2 not do anything to rodent's system that will affect the snake when it eventually munches it?


no, its a harmless natural gas, and im sure it evaporates or leaves the body in some way, its the way all the shop bought rodents are killed anyway


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## Joshuashaw

It's a HARMLESS natural gas? Harmless enough to kill them, LOL!


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## hermanlover

Joshuashaw said:


> It's a HARMLESS natural gas? Harmless enough to kill them, LOL!


:lol2: you know what i mean, harmlee in the sense of when its eaten, its what is used to make drinks fizzy. but if inhaled it is enough to kill yes. mayb e i should of worded that better


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## Joshuashaw

Lol, I know mate, and unless it's a fellow reptile fan, don't tell people you made a CO2 chamber, I highly doubt they'll be impressed.


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## CTO-Reptiles

i'm thinking about making one of these but where do i get a c02 cylinder from


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## rakpeterson

this is great coz i need one but i also need to know how to use it properly, the way i understood it was that you have to muck about with the concentrations to first make them fall asleep then up the co2 to finish the job, just filling the tub from the start at full concentration will kill them painfully, wont it??? affixiation??(sp?)


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## hermanlover

churchy_jnr said:


> i'm thinking about making one of these but where do i get a c02 cylinder from


halfords, it was about 11 quid for the gas bottle, and 11 quid for the valve, the valve is reusable, but the cylinder isnt, but believe me, it lasts a LONG time 




rakpeterson said:


> this is great coz i need one but i also need to know how to use it properly, the way i understood it was that you have to muck about with the concentrations to first make them fall asleep then up the co2 to finish the job, just filling the tub from the start at full concentration will kill them painfully, wont it??? affixiation??(sp?)


ye, you have to start by getting roughly 8% of the air in the tub as c02. you have to judge it crefully, 4 seconds on slow is normally ok, but just watch the mouse behaviour, you will be able to tell, once they have "fallen asleep" leave it for about 15 seconds, and then pump in the co2. i would say 5 seconds with the tap on medium/fast is ok. then leave for about 2 minutes observing to make sure that none of the mice are breathing, atall. then straight in the freezer, or to the snakes they go. 

p.s make sure you put some sort of substrate in their, they empty their bladders when they die, so it does get messy.


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## CTO-Reptiles

californiankinglover said:


> halfords, it was about 11 quid for the gas bottle, and 11 quid for the valve, the valve is reusable, but the cylinder isnt, but believe me, it lasts a LONG time
> 
> cheers, i will be going to halfords tomorrow to get one,


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## hermanlover

churchy_jnr said:


> californiankinglover said:
> 
> 
> 
> halfords, it was about 11 quid for the gas bottle, and 11 quid for the valve, the valve is reusable, but the cylinder isnt, but believe me, it lasts a LONG time
> 
> cheers, i will be going to halfords tomorrow to get one,
> 
> 
> 
> 
> make sure that branch sells them first, our local one didnt, we had to go to one a bit further away
Click to expand...


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## CTO-Reptiles

californiankinglover said:


> churchy_jnr said:
> 
> 
> 
> make sure that branch sells them first, our local one didnt, we had to go to one a bit further away
> 
> 
> 
> well theres 3 around us so one of them should sell them
Click to expand...


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## Carol

Thanks for this i've been trying to find out how to make one for a few months now.

So a big thank you.


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## hermanlover

Carol said:


> Thanks for this i've been trying to find out how to make one for a few months now.
> 
> So a big thank you.


no probs glad it could help :no1:


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## turkish_666

i got my cylider from my gun shop a lil bit more expensive but a re fill is only 2.50 so saves ya buying loads of cylinders dive shops will have it as well id guess


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## hermanlover

turkish_666 said:


> i got my cylider from my gun shop a lil bit more expensive but a re fill is only 2.50 so saves ya buying loads of cylinders dive shops will have it as well id guess


ye, i tried a gun shop, but it had silicone lubricant, so it wouldnt of been suitable.


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## turkish_666

if its got a logun dry valve its cool but their not cheep most just have a straight forward ball valve caked in grease lol so probably not the best idea


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## hermanlover

turkish_666 said:


> if its got a logun dry valve its cool but their not cheep most just have a straight forward ball valve caked in grease lol so probably not the best idea


ye, they all had some funky stuff mixed in anyway :lol2: so i just went for this one, it does the job, and its not exactly expensive : victory:


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## Hallam

could someone please post the halfords websit that plases me strait on the product that i want with regards to the co2 cylender? and could you also post the website of the valve thing i want and maybe even the pipe to go on the valve, but the priorety is the 
co2 cylender and the valve thing.


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## sarah1207

Search results


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## DraigGochHerp

hermanlover said:


> ye, i tried a gun shop, but it had silicone lubricant, so it wouldnt of been suitable.


Why is silicone lubricant not suitable? It doesn't com into contact with the mice.
Graham.


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## miss VieT

any chance of making this a sticky would help a lot of people i think 

including me


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## reptile1

i made one will put a pic up soon looks the same


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## Skyespirit86

hermanlover said:


> no, its a harmless natural gas, and im sure it evaporates or leaves the body in some way, its the way all the shop bought rodents are killed anyway


 
I have to admit- I don't reckon that is true, although I wish it was. All the mice I have ever brought are bloody-nosed indicating they have been bashed, quite hard in some cases.


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## alphakenny1

Skyespirit86 said:


> I have to admit- I don't reckon that is true, although I wish it was. All the mice I have ever brought are bloody-nosed indicating they have been bashed, quite hard in some cases.


dont mean to wee on your campfire but that blood is added after they die, to give snakey a scent to go for, most dont need it


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## DannyLeigh

hermanlover said:


> no, its a harmless natural gas, and im sure it evaporates or leaves the body in some way, its the way all the shop bought rodents are killed anyway


It is harmless... The only reason it kills the mice is because they can't actually breathe it, because obviously it doesn't contain oxygen. So even if there is C02 in the mouse it will not harm the snake. I apologize if this has already been said.


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## SnakeBoy0994

Good thread usefull.


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## Ssthisto

Skyespirit86 said:


> I have to admit- I don't reckon that is true, although I wish it was. All the mice I have ever brought are bloody-nosed indicating they have been bashed, quite hard in some cases.


Actually, the bloody noses can happen for several reasons:

Bashing them (as you've said)
Overdose of CO2 while alive (you are NOT aiming for 100% concentration)
Freezing/Thawing damage to blood vessels in the nose can also cause bleeding from nose and mouth - no matter how the rodent was frozen. I would, in frozen rodents, assume this means the rodent's thawed out at least once and been refrozen.


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## dragonsRus

After Buying all that and replacing the Co2 at 11 quid a time, its cheaper to buy frozen from a shop


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## Liam09

i wouldn't be able to do it


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## dragonsRus

This Would Make A Very Good Sticky, as this question comes up alll the time !


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## darkdan99

alphakenny1 said:


> dont mean to wee on your campfire but that blood is added after they die, to give snakey a scent to go for, most dont need it


LMFAO that is a new one on me. 

As ssthisto mentioned it is from the mouse and not artificially added. 

Although my opinion and research makes me belive that the cause is the gas, since the eyes tend to bleed on re-frozen rodents. 

DT


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## crow

hermanlover said:


> churchy_jnr said:
> 
> 
> 
> make sure that branch sells them first, our local one didnt, we had to go to one a bit further away
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Ask at the counter as our local Halfords keeps them in a fireproof store cupboard in the back. So they are not always on view. (because they would explode in a fire not because they are flammable!)
Click to expand...


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## toxic

Guys one thing that I dont think has bean said is Do not do not breath this stuff in. As it can kill you just as easy as the food its made for.

This is a old design that works fast and dose the job


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## RoyalPython89

so how you do it without killing yourself lol


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## Barry.M

Worthy of stickyness!


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## Ssthisto

RoyalPython89 said:


> so how you do it without killing yourself lol


Don't stick your head into the CO2 container.

CO2 is heavier than air, so if you put it into a container with closed sides, it'll generally stay IN the container.


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## Barry.M

alphakenny1 said:


> dont mean to wee on your campfire but that blood is added after they die, to give snakey a scent to go for, most dont need it


:lol2: I'm not sure that's the case,if I'm wrong I apologise but just :lol2::lol2::lol2:


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## RoyalPython89

what kind of lids you need cause am a noob that all this stuff lol


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## Natrix

This is a very similar chamber to mine but I don’t see why you need the overflow hose, in fact I think it will cause you problems. CO2 is very much like water, if you add the dense CO2 in through the top it will build up in the bottom of the chamber and kill the rodents. The air displaced by the CO2 being lighter will float on top of the CO2 and overflow between the top of the box and lid just as water would if you over filled the box. 
Also having the overflow pipe fixed low down in the box will mean that you lose the heavier CO2 rather than the air that you are trying to get rid of. Imagine taking the chamber out into the garden and trying to fill it with water. Long before the water gets to the top it will begin running out of the overflow hose, this will also happen to your CO2. Any rodents in the box would be able to reach above the CO2 levels and breath the air above the overflow level, a situation that would prolong the time it takes to kill them and waste lots of your CO2.
I very much doubt that your lid will be air tight but if you feel the air can’t escape around the edges just make a hole in the top of the lid to allow the lighter gas to escape.

Natrix


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## mEOw

i'm with natrix on that one... I never had an air pipe or hole in the top of mine and it always worked great... 

Also worth noteing is if you plan to cull a lot of mice then for the love of god get yourself a larger cylinder of CO2.. lol.. you can get the big cylinders like they use in pubs from most welding supply places.. there is usually a £10 - 20 deposit on the cylinder but the place i use now charged £15 deposit on the cylinder and the first fill was free (usually costs £10 to fill it up) cant remember of top of my head but i think it might be a 13Kg cylinder.. either way worth a look  
Owen


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## mEOw

completely forgot... for the big cylinders you will need a regulator (either pub style one or welding style one). you can pick them up secondhand on ebay, car boot sales, etc usually for £5-20 depending if it is 1 stage or 2 stage and how many gauges it has, etc..


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## royalpython

the over flow is at the top.

The gas is going in through the green tubing, at the side of the tub, and the air flow will go out through the transparent tubing on the top.

Well, that's what it looks like to me anyway


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## Sam'n'Droo

*Vent tube?*

I wasn't sure about the extra tube on the lid either. If C02 is heavy as everyone says it is then the air will get pushed to the top of the chamber regardless of whether there is a tube there or just a vent hole.

Good simple design though. Off to halfords now.

Drew


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## Draven

Love the design but my only problem is breeding the mice! It probably wouldn't work for me as the snakes I have and ones I plan to get are all large so they'll all need much bigger than mice! Shame because I love this idea.

Draven


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## Majestic Morphs

these are the people we use for the larger bottles they are very good and they deliver to your door 

Gas welding, cylinder gases, welding gases - Local UK suppliers of Air Products gases


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## hermanlover

sorry i havent replied i havent been around for a while. 

ye, the green tubing is were the c02 goes into, and the clear tube in the lid is for the air to eascape, if you dont put the hole in the lid will pop open (need to use an air tight lid so that it is as humaine as possible and no air can get in or out) the clear hose then goes into a cup of water, so that no air can go backwards in the hose (mainly for the early stages when only a little co2 is used) so you will be adding the co2 from the green hose in the bottom, the co2 stays at the bottom as it is more dense than air, the air then rises, and is forced out of the clear tube. this leaves the co2 behind but takes out the normal air. 

sorry if it was unclear, any questions please just ask : victory:


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## hermanlover

DraigGochHerp said:


> Why is silicone lubricant not suitable? It doesn't com into contact with the mice.
> Graham.


it is pushed through by the gas, and silicone is toxic so i would rather not risk it really. better to be safe than sorry



Skyespirit86 said:


> I have to admit- I don't reckon that is true, although I wish it was. All the mice I have ever brought are bloody-nosed indicating they have been bashed, quite hard in some cases.


as has already been said, it can be down to too much c02 and the damage to blood vessels when frozen and thawed, they have a lot of blood vessels in the nose, which are all close to the surface, so they arent hard to damage.



dragonsRus said:


> After Buying all that and replacing the Co2 at 11 quid a time, its cheaper to buy frozen from a shop


you would be surprised really, theres a hell of a lot of gas in that cylinder, and there are bigger cheaper cylinders aswell.



Sam'n'Droo said:


> I wasn't sure about the extra tube on the lid either. If C02 is heavy as everyone says it is then the air will get pushed to the top of the chamber regardless of whether there is a tube there or just a vent hole.
> 
> Good simple design though. Off to halfords now.
> 
> Drew


yes, but the tube lets the air out, you then place it in water and no air can go back in. at the start there wont be a high flow of co2 in, or done correctly there shouldnt be, so you will get backflow of air, which will slow the process down, and make it harder to control. 


thanks for the links to the gas cylinders etc, will have a try with them soon

cheers
lee


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## SnakingSprout

I may just be ebing stupid here but surely just putting the mice in an encosed environment for a suspended period of time would commit the same function. Simple respiration process?:whistling2:


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## Ssthisto

It wouldn't happen fast enough to be humane. There are critical concentrations at which the rats/mice lose consciousness - and leaving them in an enclosed box doesn't hit that concentration fast enough.


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## SnakingSprout

Okay, fair enough. 

Just out of interest how long would you expect it to take?


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## Ssthisto

If you're getting it right with your concentrations (replacing 20% of the atmosphere in the container per minute) it should take five to ten minutes to fully euthanise an adult rodent, although leaving them for half an hour in the container if you can is a good idea to ensure they absolutely won't wake up when you take them out.


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## utterbeastage

Ssthisto said:


> If you're getting it right with your concentrations (replacing 20% of the atmosphere in the container per minute) it should take five to ten minutes to fully euthanise an adult rodent, although leaving them for half an hour in the container if you can is a good idea to ensure they absolutely won't wake up when you take them out.


 christ , imagine you bought helium by accident :lol2:


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## genghis55

would it be better 2 have a small container, cuz if the are more rats in a small space it would be quicker right?


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## Ssthisto

Crowd too many rats into a small space and it's going to scare them and upset them because they're overcrowded.


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## Issa

Ssthisto said:


> If you're getting it right with your concentrations (replacing 20% of the atmosphere in the container per minute) it should take five to ten minutes to fully euthanise an adult rodent, although leaving them for half an hour in the container if you can is a good idea to ensure they absolutely won't wake up when you take them out.


5 - 10 mins?? Isn't the idea of humane euthanasia a FAST painless death? I know the way I cull is a bit more hands on (Cervical Dislocation or the "Pencil Method") but at least I can say all of mine are dead within 30 secs, start to finish.


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## Ssthisto

If most of that five to ten minutes is unconscious and anaesthetised, then yes, it's a painless death even if it's not the fastest.

I do agree that cervical dislocation is fast and humane if done RIGHT - but I don't fancy the learning curve.


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## freekygeeky

Issa said:


> 5 - 10 mins?? Isn't the idea of humane euthanasia a FAST painless death? I know the way I cull is a bit more hands on (Cervical Dislocation or the "Pencil Method") but at least I can say all of mine are dead within 30 secs, start to finish.


or the swing and wack method, done in seconds.


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## Issa

freekygeeky said:


> or the swing and wack method, done in seconds.


Think I may have put too much "oomph" into it when I tried this method, the results were quite messy and it put me off.


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## ghostcornsnake

i wonder if the co2 makes the mice and rats fizzie lol


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## ChloEllie

i personally prefer this method. i like the idea of going to sleep first.

depending on what the cost of feeding my snakes will be over the next month then im definitly going to consider this.

brilliant and simple way of showing how easy it is...and i happen to have a cylinder place not far from me lol


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## The_Real_Moreliaman

alphakenny1 said:


> dont mean to wee on your campfire but that blood is added after they die, to give snakey a scent to go for, most dont need it


LMFAO....thats gold !!!...i can just imagine someone there with a lil paint brush :lol2:



I wish more people would use this method for killing....its so much more humaine than bashing heads or dislocation.


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## BluesBoo

This looks like a great way to do it..... I shall have to learn about rodent keeping as well though! :lol2:


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## JRoss

*Cheap Euthanasia-- Homemade chamber*

:hmm:You can use a strong acid, perhaps ethanoic acid( vinegar) or something a little stronger with baking soda. When it is mixed together CO2 is released. I suggest using a large water tight bottle of some sort with a rubber tubing running into the 'euthanasia chamber'. The air in the chamber will quickly be filled with CO2 and this would slowly euthanize the rat/mouse. The smaller the chamber the quicker it will take effect and the less baking soda and acid needed. Also, the stronger the acid the quicker it will occur. Im a biochemist but im not sure on the required amounts needed to euthanize a 'pinkie' or 'juvenile' so that would be found out purely by experiment. If i bred snakes it would be of use to me but i only keep relatively small lizards at the moment so buying pinkies is more cost effective for me. There would be an equation that would tell you how many grams of baking soda and how many litres of vinegar to use based on the weight of the rat/mouse but that would have to be worked out by someone that used the system and timed how long it took for the rat/mouse to die. Either way this would be considerably cheaper than buying a CO2 canister and just as effective.


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## Ssthisto

JRoss said:


> There would be an equation that would tell you how many grams of baking soda and how many litres of vinegar to use based on the weight of the rat/mouse but that would have to be worked out by someone that used the system and timed how long it took for the rat/mouse to die.


Problem is you *need* a two-stage process - first, to fill the chamber with approximately 20% CO2 to anaesthetise the rodents so they feel no pain - and second to flood the chamber to 80% CO2 concentration so that you euthanise them.

Mixing baking soda and vinegar to do this does not allow you a reasonable control over the output and the vinegar smell/bubbling sound may distress the rodents.


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## Grond

Ssthisto said:


> Problem is you *need* a two-stage process - first, to fill the chamber with approximately 20% CO2 to anaesthetise the rodents so they feel no pain - and second to flood the chamber to 80% CO2 concentration so that you euthanise them.
> 
> Mixing baking soda and vinegar to do this does not allow you a reasonable control over the output and the vinegar smell/bubbling sound may distress the rodents.


Agreed.

If you just pump CO2 into the chamber then you are asphyxiating the mice which is not terribly humane as it causes them massive respiratory distress and panic, compared to the peacful death that results from a slow/two stage process.


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## LiamRatSnake

Can you combine the methods? Make them fall asleep then bash them on the head or use cervical dislocation? I'm assuming they don't wake easily, I know co2 was used as an anaesthetic a long while ago.


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## Ssthisto

Potentially, but when removed from the CO2 while still breathing they revive VERY quickly.


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## LiamRatSnake

Ssthisto said:


> Potentially, but when removed from the CO2 while still breathing they revive VERY quickly.


So would need to be instant? I'd like to get some multis going, but I'll have nightmares that they'll wake up in the freezer before freezing... Is their breathing noticable when unconcious? So you can easily tell it's stopped?


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## smith86king

i was thinkin about this the other day and but to make it ecnomical how many snakes do you think you would ahve to keep if you were feeding them 1 mouse/rat a week at cost per rat of £2, taking in to account food and shelter for the rats aswell as the co2,
Also rats breed like rabbits how would you stop interbreeding betwen them or would you not bother and leave them to it?
you could sell the surplus on to somebody tho?


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## LiamRatSnake

smith86king said:


> i was thinkin about this the other day and but to make it ecnomical how many snakes do you think you would ahve to keep if you were feeding them 1 mouse/rat a week at cost per rat of £2, taking in to account food and shelter for the rats aswell as the co2,
> Also rats breed like rabbits how would you stop interbreeding betwen them or would you not bother and leave them to it?
> you could sell the surplus on to somebody tho?


It's probably not worth it for one, but if you had a m+f pair, they'd pump a few out any surplus can be sold or kept in the freezer.


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## Grond

LiamRatSnake said:


> So would need to be instant? I'd like to get some multis going, but I'll have nightmares that they'll wake up in the freezer before freezing... Is their breathing noticable when unconcious? So you can easily tell it's stopped?


You can still see them breathing quite easily until they're dead. I don't take any out until they have all stopped breathing. I tend to kill them in batches of 30-50 at a time. 

Ssthisto is right about them waking up. If you take the lid off whilst one of them is still breathing, it gets back up in seconds. I've made this mistake a couple of times and now leave them for a while _after_ I think they've all stopped breathing.


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## celicachi

good thread, i might give it ago


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## celicachi

does anyone know if you can buy co2 from wilco's?


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## Ssthisto

I have never seen it in a Wilko. But if you don't have a local Halfords you can order CO2 canisters and a regulator online from welding supply shops (PM me if you'd like a link to the shop I use; if you use a shop where you can get three canisters for less than £35 delivered please let me know!)


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## celicachi

where to you buy a tube big enough for the co2 valve or do they sell those in halfords too?


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## rockkeeper

how about using a 2kg fire extinguisher co2, making the hole big enough for it in the chamber,so that the black tube thing can fit in the side,then one little squit to put them to sleep, followed a bigger blast to finish

Co2 extinguishers | carbon dioxide | fire extinguisher types | fire fighting equipments: budget-fire


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## rockkeeper

anyone see any prob doing it that way???????


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## Ssthisto

It would be nearly impossible to deliver a regulated 20% replacement of atmosphere in the first blast and deliver an 80% replacement of atmosphere with the second. 

You'd very likely get the 80% replacement first and animals that ARE stressed by the process.


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## rockkeeper

ok then


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## celicachi

is it worth keeping multis? i've heard that its hard getting snakes off of them. plus if you don't breed them they're expensive


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## rockkeeper

> is it worth keeping multis? i've heard that its hard getting snakes off of them. plus if you don't breed them they're expensive


hell yeah, if keep the snake healthy,


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## phil7870

*how*

how long does the gas last ?


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## Exotic Mad

i can't see why putting them in a sealed container would be any worse than using co2? slower yes but as they just drift off to unconciousness then die this doesn't cause any panice as long as the box isn't too overcrowded and has some shavings in the bottom. i did this by accident taking my pet babymice to a pet shop when i used to breed them as a kid and there were no marks or anything on any of them. and if they panic they damage each other. they were simply lying there dead???


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## royalpython

celicachi said:


> is it worth keeping multis? i've heard that its hard getting snakes off of them. plus if you don't breed them they're expensive


why take them off multi's?

More pet shops should supply them if you ask me, miles better than mice! (for royals)


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## andy20146

sounds a silly question, but can you c02 your rodents in the house??? wont affect anything will it?


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## Ssthisto

andy20146 said:


> sounds a silly question, but can you c02 your rodents in the house??? wont affect anything will it?


If you use an unregulated CO2 source - like vinegar/bicarb - you CAN wind up dosing yourself with it as well as actually doing what you intended.

I would definitely recommend a canister with a regulator so that you can control how much gas is released and don't stick your head in the container - but other than that, your house already contains CO2 and adding a LITTLE more to an enclosed space (the mouse container) that is further enclosed within a room is not going to do any harm. Just keep pets and small children away from the container while it's in use.


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## andy20146

Ssthisto said:


> If you use an unregulated CO2 source - like vinegar/bicarb - you CAN wind up dosing yourself with it as well as actually doing what you intended.
> 
> I would definitely recommend a canister with a regulator so that you can control how much gas is released and don't stick your head in the container - but other than that, your house already contains CO2 and adding a LITTLE more to an enclosed space (the mouse container) that is further enclosed within a room is not going to do any harm. Just keep pets and small children away from the container while it's in use.


could you tell me what the other white tube is for on the picture, where does it go and what is it for? also, do you have to shut the gas off in a certain amount of time or do you keep it running until all the rodents are euthanised? i've heard if you buy the little c02 cylinders, ones used for putting in air rifles that is enough c02...and I've also heard that the c02 remains in the tub after you've switched it off so thats one of the reasons why you dont need to keep the gas on.. and comes out slowly of the tub even when the cylinder is turned off with the regulator ? sorry about all the questions I'm just hearing different things off different people and want my tank set up to do the job it was intended for. thanks in advance


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## Ssthisto

Must admit I don't bother with the secondary tube - CO2 is heavier than normal air, so it tends to "flow" like water and sink into the bottom of a container. If you introduce your CO2 at the top of the container and have a vent hole in the lid for normal air to escape up and out, you won't get too much "backwash" of normal air into the chamber.


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## andy20146

Ssthisto said:


> Must admit I don't bother with the secondary tube - CO2 is heavier than normal air, so it tends to "flow" like water and sink into the bottom of a container. If you introduce your CO2 at the top of the container and have a vent hole in the lid for normal air to escape up and out, you won't get too much "backwash" of normal air into the chamber.


and do no i need to keep the gas on or do i switch it off after a certain amount of time?


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## Ssthisto

Slow introduction, replacing 20% of the container volume per minute, is the ideal.

You would generally turn it off after 5 minutes.


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## andy20146

Ssthisto said:


> Slow introduction, replacing 20% of the container volume per minute, is the ideal.
> 
> You would generally turn it off after 5 minutes.


so slow introduction of the gas, then i need to the gas on fully so to speak?

dont suppose you could post a pic of your set up could you?


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## Ssthisto

My setup is rather variable based on the size of the rodents - the basics are a welding-supply CO2 canister and regulator, plus tubing that fits the regulator snugly and can have the other end stuck into any container I choose. That's it.


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## andy20146

CTO-Reptiles said:


> californiankinglover said:
> 
> 
> 
> halfords, it was about 11 quid for the gas bottle, and 11 quid for the valve, the valve is reusable, but the cylinder isnt, but believe me, it lasts a LONG time
> 
> cheers, i will be going to halfords tomorrow to get one,
> 
> 
> 
> sorry to sound dumb, but which bit on the pic is the valve? and how come it isnt reusable?
Click to expand...


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## Ssthisto

The Halfords cylinders cannot be refilled, which is why they are not reusable.


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## andy20146

CTO-Reptiles said:


> i'm thinking about making one of these but where do i get a c02 cylinder from


get them from halfords mate or any welding shop. halfords is where i get mine from. cheaper to buy online tho


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## Tricky&TheFox

quick question....

how can you gauge 20% and then 80% ? I understand letting the gas in slowly to knock them out, but unsure how you'd be able to measure 20% of the container's capacity? :blush::blush:


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## mrhoyo

iona_gecko said:


> quick question....
> 
> how can you gauge 20% and then 80% ? I understand letting the gas in slowly to knock them out, but unsure how you'd be able to measure 20% of the container's capacity? :blush::blush:


Is it not 20% flow rate?

Sent from my HTC Desire using Tapatalk


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## richard140804

Cool thread this will help me alot :no1:


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## tingwilla

This is virtually the same as mine but mine has both hoses going in the lid :2thumb:


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## inkyjoe

eBay - The UK's Online Marketplace


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