Containers for FAA fixed plants

[mazo4033]

Hi everyone,

I was wondering what the best container is for long-term storage of plants that are fixed in FAA (to be stored for later processing and sectioning). Should these containers be plastic or glass? On a side note, what type of container should be used to store the FAA itself?

Thanks!

[BramHuntingNematodes]

I used a glass jam jar and it was a big mistake as the acetic acid chewed right through the steel cap.

[mrsonchus]

Plastic cap and either glass or plastic container - must be airtight, which is more likely with softer platic caps - e.g. the harder bakelite-like screwcaps don't sit airtight without a sealing pad of some kind.
Exact-same applies to storing FAA - I used plastic bottles with plastic caps.

[mazo4033]

as the acetic acid chewed right through the steel cap.

That's why I want to make sure I use the right jar!

Plastic cap and either glass or plastic container - must be airtight, which is more likely with softer plastic caps

Thank you! I have these jars, the cap and the jar are plastic (I think the cap is the "softer" plastic that you mention as well). Would this kind of a jar work? I don't know if it's airtight, but water samples stored in this kind of a jar have stayed stable for a while, which makes me think it is.

[mrsonchus]

Looks fine to me, the ones I used like that had an insert in the cap - just a simple circle of what looked like a thin fine-foam pad.

[mazo4033]

These have that insert too. Glad I can use the jars! Thank you for the advice!

[ldflan]

For the samples, I really like 20ml glass scintillation vials, the kind with the plastic poly seal cone for the cap (not the foil pad.) Wheaton 986586, for example. There are others. You can find them surplus for cheap quite frequently. Write identifying details in pencil on a slip of plain white paper (about 0.5cm x 2cm - fortune cookie fortune size or a bit bigger) and just stick the paper in the vial with your sample(s) and the FAA. You can read the paper through the glass, and you don't have to mess with labels on the outside, or writing on cap or whatever.

Leonard

[mazo4033]

20ml glass scintillation vials

This is a good suggestion, thank you Leonard! Definitely smaller and easier to store than the wider jars, I think.