A non-reform question: Compressed air or O2?

[Len]

When you guys ship fish, do you use compressed air or compressed oxygen. I'd think the latter is a bit dangerous.

 

[clarionreef]

OXYGEN...
IS NOT AS DANGEROUS AS COMPRESSED AIR TO THE FISH.
COMPRESSED AIR IS NOTHING...THEY WILL DIE QUICK.
OXYGEN IS LIFE...THEY WILL LIVE FOR A LONG TIME IF TEMPERATURE AND AMMONIA DON'T GET EM.
Steve

 

[Len]

Have you ever shipped with compressed air? Compressed O2 is harder for me to find while air is easy (scuba tank). I've shipped with air before and had no problems, but you've made me curious about using pure O2.

 

[MaryHM]

We use 02. Get our tanks filled at the welding place down the street.

 

[clarionreef]

Len'
Goldfish go home in a plastic bag of air. But shipping for more than a few hours for fish is fatal. Inverts are different. Having much, much slower metabolisms, they don't use much and don't need it, except for cuttle fish and octopus.
Steve

 

[Len]

Ok. O2 it is. Thanks.

 

[JennM]

Len, if you do a search on this forum, I asked recently where they got their regulator and nozzle -- got feeble responses So it was back to the regularly scheduled MAC debate :lol:

I use oxygen. Most of my customers are local but some are not - some drive 3 hours+ to get here, so it's an insurance policy, esp for larger fish.

I rent my tank for $60/year, and it's cheap to fill. Like Mary, I get mine from a welding supply place. I paid $60 for my regulator, which had an awkward pin valve. I recently retrofitted my regulator with a hose and tilt valve (like the one on a helium tank) and it makes life much easier.

Spraying the O2 nozzle in one's general direction and inhaling a bit, with some room air is a great fix for a hangover too :twisted: (don't inhale straight O2...) :lol:

Jenn

 

[Anonymous]

O2. Steve said why.

 

[Frazer]

I have shipped octopus for 18 hours on compressed air with 0 fatalities.

 

[Anonymous]

a curiosity question

for long term shipping (let's say 12 hrs+)...

if the fish is pumping CO2 into the water, and the bag prevents (if it does, that is) the CO2 from venting out of the water to the atmosphere, how does the O2 become available/usable to the fish?

i always thought that dumping the CO2 was a prerequisite for the O2 to become available for the fish's red blood cells to use (?)

just wondering

and fwiw-here, if the fish is only gonna be in the bag for an hour or two, i use just air- if the customer's ride is gonna be longer, i use O2 for saltwater/goldfish/koi- because i'm not sure if my thoughts on O2/CO2 are correct, or relevant for (relatively) short term shipping

just my O2 :mrgreen: