[NHCOLL-L:3955] RE: Vats for storing large specimens in alcohol

[Malcolm McCallum]

Arkansas State uses the big 50 gallon plastic drums to store large turtles and I think a few alligators.

M
 
Malcolm L. McCallum
Associate Professor
Department of Biological Sciences
Texas A&M University Texarkana
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________________________________

From: owner-nhcoll-l at lists.yale.edu on behalf of Frederick, Moretta RBCM:EX
Sent: Wed 8/27/2008 11:43 AM
To: NHCOLL-L at lists.yale.edu
Subject: [NHCOLL-L:3951] Vats for storing large specimens in alcohol



We have a significant number of our specimens stored in large plastic vats made by Schoeller Arca Systems (their 'big box' line).  

The lid has a gasket inside the rim that forms a seal with the upper lip of the box.  However, these gaskets become stuck to the box over time, ultimately coming dislodged from the lid and falling into the alcohol.  Obviously, these seals aren't working, so we would like to improve upon our current system, both in terms of the material used for the gasket, and the method used to secure the lid to the box (currently it's just gravity).

My question is threefold: 
        - does anyone else use this product (Schoeller Arca Systems 'Big Box') to store specimens in alcohol? 
        - has anyone experienced this problem with the gasket and what have they done to fix the seal? 
        - what types of containers are other collections using to store fish and inverts too large for a gallon jar? 

Thanks 

Moretta Frederick 
Collections Manager, Invertebrates, Fish, 
Reptiles, and Amphibians 
Royal British Columbia Museum 
mfrederick at royalbcmuseum.bc.ca 
(250) 387-2932 


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