denatured alcohol?

[Angelo]

is it possible to preserve dead tarantulas in it? :? im just curious and pretty much clueless so i apologize if this is a ridiculous question. thanks for any replies tho.

 

[tarantula666]

it's excellent stuff to preserve dead T's in.
works very well. maybe even better with some formaldehyde in it
but havent tried that yet.

 

[cichlidsman]

What is denatured alcohol? Where can i get some?

 

[Brian S]

You can get it in the hardware stores. You can also use plain rubbing (isoprophyl) alcohol as well

 

[tarantula666]

denaturated alcohol is a type of alcohol ( there are several )
only ethanol is drinkable ( the one in beer and liquour)
all other types of alcohol like isopropanol or methylethanol
can be used to preserve dead specimens
since these are not drinkable ( you can drink them , but it's defenitaly NOT advisable) they are less expensive than ethanol

 

[cichlidsman]

denaturated alcohol is a type of alcohol ( there are several )
only ethanol is drinkable ( the one in beer and liquour)
all other types of alcohol like isopropanol or methylethanol
can be used to preserve dead specimens
since these are not drinkable ( you can drink them , but it's defenitaly NOT advisable) they are less expensive than ethanol

I thought that methylethanol was a posion.

 

[tarantula666]

all alcohols are poison
only ethanol the one in beer is relativly safe to drink ( drink enough of that stuff and you will be rushed to hospital to get your stomach pumped)
methylethanol is a alcohol mostly used for cleaning purposes
but can also be used to preserve dead specimens like all other alcholols

 

[tarantula666]

quoting myself ????

since these are not drinkable ( you can drink them , but it's defenitaly NOT advisable

what i mean is : you CAN drink anything liquid , the question is WILL you be able to tell the tale afterwards ( will you still be alive ????) ????

so stick to beer and JD and stuff like that
please don't try any other stuff wich might remotely resemble alcohol
because these WILL cause you harm and most likely DEATH

 

[Brian S]

a cheap methyl alcohol that would work good is Heet. It is sold in gas stations and where auto parts are sold.

 

[GQ.]

Standard ethyl alcohol has a bit of water in it. Denatured alcohol is ethyl alcohol (also called ethanol or EtOH) with the addition of benzene. Benzene is added during the distilling process to drive out all the water. Driving out all the water makes the ethyl alcohol better suited for fuel. The benzene also make the ethyl alcohol unsuitable for consumption and may cause a person to go blind or die.

Denatured alcohol may be used to preserve the spiders, but you will find it may make them stiff and brittle. Also the benzene may make specimens unsuitable for DNA work. I think you will find that denatured alcohol is not the best alcohol to preserve specimens.

I prefer to use 70-75% ethanol to preserve specimens. 70-75% isopropyl is a good substitute if you don't want to spent the extra cash for the ethanol. I believe 95% ethanol is preferred for simply preserving specimens for DNA work. Do not use ethyl rubbing alcohol as this may be denatured with other chemicals that may be bad for your specimens.

ps - Don't drink any of the above!

 

[tarantula666]

it all depends on why you want to preserve your specimens
just a nice display ??? you can use any alchol out there.
if you like to preserve your specimens for science ??? 95% ethanol is probably the best option.

 

[GQ.]

it all depends on why you want to preserve your specimens
just a nice display ??? you can use any alchol out there.
if you like to preserve your specimens for science ??? 95% ethanol is probably the best option.

Agreed. If it is going to sit on your shelf as a decoration it doesn't really matter what you use. Personally, if I am going to preserve something just for decoration I will still go the extra step to do it the accepted way. That way someone else could use it later on down the line if need be. Of course, I'm a bit particular about things like that. I also don't like working with chemicals like benzene or toluene or any of the denaturing agents. Again, that is just me though.

Yes, 95% really is the way to go nowadays. All those formalin specimens in museums are useless for DNA work. Quite a few people are now switching to 95% EtOH for that very reason.

 

[Pheonixx]

send a message to "the red queen" i think she is a mortician, preservation is her business...

 

[Tranz]

denaturated alcohol is a type of alcohol ( there are several )
only ethanol is drinkable ( the one in beer and liquour)
all other types of alcohol like isopropanol or methylethanol
can be used to preserve dead specimens
since these are not drinkable ( you can drink them , but it's defenitaly NOT advisable) they are less expensive than ethanol

So then how do you explain Ron Wood? Is that why it's also called Wood Alcohol?

 

[Yog-Sothoth]

Yeah it works great, Ive found formaldehyde fades colors fast on any specimen.

 

[caligulathegod]

mmm, Tarantulahol.

 

[Angelo]

thanks sooo much guys. your knowledge is really helpful, i appreaciate it. later

 

[Greg Wolfe]

Poor mans formaldahyde...

What is denatured alcohol? Where can i get some?

Yes! I use Isopropyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol) to preserve some of my T's.
It can be bought at any drugstore or supermarket for a buck or two.
Remember to keep your glass jar tightly sealed or else the fluid will evaporate.
I tried formaldahyde once, but it really stinks and is expensive.

 

[Greg Wolfe]

Single Malt Scotch...

I did (at one time) consider using some vodka or whiskey to preserve my dead Pamphobeteus Antinuous, but quickly thought that it would be a severe case of alcohol abuse. ;P

 

[Steve Nunn]

Yes, 95% really is the way to go nowadays. All those formalin specimens in museums are useless for DNA work. Quite a few people are now switching to 95% EtOH for that very reason.

Hi,
This is indeed true, however, for DNA work, the specimens must be fresh killed and placed in 95% + alcohol immediately.