Jump to content

Dont use gel capsules for storing micro fossils!


Arizona Chris

Recommended Posts

A few months ago I put about a dozen tiny fossil inside of those empty gel caps you buy at high health for making your own "supplements" .  the monsoon humidity got to them even inside the house, and the fossils inside got glued to the wall.  Oh man, I saved them but wont use those again!  Also, one gel cap that was in with a pile of small fossils in a box had micro fossils glued all over the outside of it.  Those capsules at first seem a great idea, but unless you live in the Sahara, they are more trouble than they are worth.  Any body else had this happen to them?

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Arizona Chris

Paleo Web Site:  http://schursastrophotography.com/fossiladventures.html

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Wow!  That's a problem.  I have used the capsules to store micro fossils for over ten years without an issue.  They have been stored in cabinets in my barn here in central Texas.  Granted the humidity here is not as high as the Texas coastal area but it is significantly higher than west Texas or the panhandle.  I know there are two types of capsules.  The most common is the gelatin capsule made of animal collagen and the other is a vegetarian capsule made of a cellulose base.  I really don't know which type I have as they were acquired too long ago and have worked for me.

 

Jim

The Eocene is my favorite

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have never heard of gel capsules being used for micro fossils. Never knew you could buy them. But then I live in England.  I use 30ml jars, straight from petri dish to jar, less chance of losing them, lots of room and easy to put them back in, then eventually I will stick them on slides.

Never ask a starfish for directions

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yeah, health food stores here sell big bags of them for like $10.  I went back to the tiny bead bottles they sell at craft stores.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Arizona Chris

Paleo Web Site:  http://schursastrophotography.com/fossiladventures.html

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...