# How do Breather Bags work?



## sarahbobarah (Sep 5, 2005)

Forgive me if this has been answered ad nauseum, but I am confused as to how they work. 

Also, are there different components to shipping with breather bags? 

And how does the air circulate in the styrofoam shipping box if it's air tight? Or is it not air tight?


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## Purrbox (Jun 1, 2006)

Basically Breather Bags work by allowing gas exchange through the walls of the bag. The CO2 exits the bag and O2 enters the bag. This makes it unnecessary to leave an pocket of air in the bag, and in fact they work better if you completely remove all air. Occationally it may be necessary to leave a small pocket of air if you are shipping a delicate species that likes to get the occational gulp of air from the surface like Bettas. Since there is a gas exchange occuring through the walls of the bag, you don't want to double bag or you will end up reducing the ability of the bags to breath by about 50%.


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## JanS (Apr 14, 2004)

Actually the topic hasn't been covered all that much, and even if it has, we don't mind discussing it again.

Here is some of the info that comes with the bag.


> The Kordon® Breathing Bag represents a new approach to the problems of shipping live fishes and other aquatic animals over long distances or for extended time periods. The Breathing Bag allows the transfer of simple and complex gas molecules through the plastic wall of the bag -- carbon dioxide and oxygen in particular, as well as other gases - providing a true "breathing" bag in place of a "barrier" bag. As long as there is a normal breathable atmosphere outside the Breathing Bag, the animals inside will not run out of oxygen. Carbon dioxide exits the bags at 4 times the rate oxygen enters the bags, thereby constantly purging the water of toxic carbon dioxide, and allowing oxygen to replace it in the water. Kordon has shipped millions of bags (termed "Sachets") of living foods (tubifex worms, brine shrimp, daphnia, glass worms, etc.) for aquarium fishes using the Breathing technology.
> 
> After adding water and fishes, seal the bag with as little airspace as possible Except for those few kinds of fishes that are made uncomfortable by the lack of an air space at the surface, fishes adapt readily to the lack of an airspace and it is not needed. It is best if there is no air pocket in the bag so that there is no water movement, keeping the fishes calmer. An uneeded air space also uses up valuable shipping space.


I personally don't care for them, but they are one of those "love em or hate em" type of things.

They also aren't recommended for labyrinth fish, or Cory's because they need to gulp air, or fish like Pleco's with sharp fins.


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## trenac (Jul 16, 2004)

Jan..._Where can you purchase these breathing bags from?_


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## snowhillbilly (Mar 29, 2006)

Well there made by Kordon® . I would try a web search for the Kordon brand.


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## bharada (Apr 17, 2004)

If I remember correctly Kordon ceased production of them last year. Apparently there were still a lot of the 4x8 bags in inventory, but no new production was planned.

You can purchase the 4x8 bags from Ken's Fish.


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## turbomkt (Mar 31, 2004)

Bill,
I heard they were starting production back up. I got some from Ken's Fish as well. 

I've also seen them on aquabid.com on a permanent basis.


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## JanS (Apr 14, 2004)

trenac said:


> Jan..._Where can you purchase these breathing bags from?_


Trena, Micksfish on Aqua Bid is one of the bigger sellers of them.

I heard rumor that Kordon has started manufacturing them again due to the demand, but I don't have any proof to back that up.

One thing I did notice is that someone on Aqua Bid was offering a brand new size, so that would tell me that they are producing them again.
That was another thing I didn't like about them - they were either tiny or huge, with no in between, so that was a good move to add an in between size.


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## gnatster (Mar 6, 2004)

I always buy mine from KensFish Always fast shipment, never a problem.


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## trenac (Jul 16, 2004)

Thanks... After posting this I found another thread which had links to suppliers.


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## sarahbobarah (Sep 5, 2005)

Well, AFAIK, Kordon still makes them and you can get them directly from Novalek.


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## John N. (Dec 11, 2005)

Yup Novalek (Kordon) still produces the breather bags. I emailed them awhile ago, and they stated that production has resumed due to demand, and rethinking production of certain bags sizes.

Here's that thread that Trenac was talking about, where you can find and purchase breather bags.

http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/...31202-wtb-breather-bags-anybody-bought-a.html

Next time I'm out I think I'm going to purchase directly from Novalek (Kordon) since it's cheaper. They even redid parts of their shop website to make it easier!

-John N.


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