What do you use to prevent mold in the relaxing chamber?

[ren]

What do you use to prevent mold in the relaxing chamber?

I have been using moth balls, but want to know if there is a better way.

[bobw]

Anything containing Phenol should work.  Personally, I use TCP.

[xavm (Xavier)]

I do put sand in my relaxing chamber and never experience any mold even after weeks.

In addition, to prevent grease wings on small blues, I add methanol.

[jhyatt]

I always brush the damp paper towels with an alcohol solution (ca. 5-10% concentration) with either chlorocresol or thymol. Works fine, and
doesn't seem to harm any specimens.
jh

[africaone]

no chemical, I wash regularly the box with alcohol and change the paper immedaiately it is no more good enough.

[mothylator]

I have no problems with mould in relaxing chamber.
The moisture is stored in super-absorbent polymer granules, which is the stuff used in the lining of disposable baby nappies and feminine absorbent liners eg AlwaysUltra etc.
First I sterilise the large stainless steel round tin with boiling water and let it steam with tight-fitting lid loosely on.
Pour out and let the tin dry under its own heat on a warm surface.
I firmly stick two sometimes three AlwaysUltra liner pads onto the bottom of the tin. Then pour boiling water onto them. After they swell up, I tip out any surplus water, place my insect specimens on foam platforms onto the pads, and close the transparent lid. Cover the lid with four layers of tea towels and place on the warm granite above the boiler in the kitchen.
The pantyliners seem to have an odour- and infection- suppressant within their construction. Their structure keeps the moisture inside the pad, while the appliance’s intimate lining perforated membrane remains virtually dry, water only escapes by vaporisation. As long as the tea towels are properly covering, and the chamber is sitting on the warm granite, condensation isn’t a problem. I never leave anything longer than 48hrs to relax, usually considerably shorter & coupled with boiling water injection method for full relaxation and setting lepidoptera.
Super-absorbent polymer granules in these kind of self-adhesive external appliances can be extremely versatile.

[wollastoni]

Guys, stop overcomplexifying !
Just use SAND as written by xavm (Xavier).

If you use sand, there will be no mold. No need of any chemical products, alcohol, and so on.

Just buy a bag of sand, as they use in fish tank.

[xavm (Xavier)]

Thank you Olivier.

Guys be clever, mold can not sit on silicium.

You can keep such a wet chamber for ages.

[mothman55]

A touch of pinesol added to the water and no mold in my experience.

[exoticimports]

Simple inexpensive rubbing alcohol.

[ren]

May 1, 2019 12:36:38 GMT exoticimports said:

Simple inexpensive rubbing alcohol.

Are you the same Chuck of Ianni Butterfly Enterprises?

[exoticimports]

May 2, 2019 21:49:15 GMT ren said:

May 1, 2019 12:36:38 GMT exoticimports said:

Simple inexpensive rubbing alcohol.

Are you the same Chuck of Ianni Butterfly Enterprises?

No that would be Chuck Ianni. I believe he does not participate here. Though he is an excellent supplier of commercial specimens

[davidd]

Apr 11, 2019 6:40:00 GMT xavm (Xavier) said:

I do put sand in my relaxing chamber and never experience any mold even after weeks.

In addition, to prevent grease wings on small blues, I add methanol.

Hi,

Can you give a bit more information on the methanol?

Thanks

[xavm (Xavier)]

Hi Davidd,

I plastic box like ice cream, 3-4 cm of sand, water and a 10ml of pure methanol.

imgur.com/mLGg0UD

imgur.com/SxMbfV1

XavM

[wollastoni]

And using aquarium sand with xavm (Xavier) technique, I've never seen any mold, so I don't even put ethanol.

Using sand is THE thing to do.