# is excelsior just swamp cooler pads?



## JasonPannell (Mar 16, 2008)

howdy all,
is it just me or does excelsior look like aspen swamp cooler pads?


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## Mitch (Jun 18, 2010)

When I google "aspen swamp cooler pads" I get stuff like this: Google Image Result for http://www.comfortgurus.com/images/aspen_cooler_roll.jpg...doesn't look much like excelsior. If you're planning on tearing one of these up and using it in your cultures as excelsior, I'd just stick with normal excelsior since its so cheap and won't have whatever nasty chemicals they put in the swamp cooler pads.


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## michaelslenahan (Mar 10, 2009)

I tried using that stuff a LONG time ago. The flies and frogs all did fine, so I can't say about chemicals. But I wasn't a fan because:
--those rolls are sewn together fairly well, so ripping it apart wasn't fun. 
--the fibers are not very long, so every time I was dumping out flies, I had fibers in the dusting cup. (More than I ever got with regular excelsior.)


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## jeffdart (May 21, 2008)

I started a thread about the cooler pads a while back. They work good but the fibers are all broken up and you get a lot of loose material. Falls from culture to dusting cup. I switched to papermart.com.


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## packer43064 (Nov 30, 2010)

Mitch said:


> When I google "aspen swamp cooler pads" I get stuff like this: Google Image Result for http://www.comfortgurus.com/images/aspen_cooler_roll.jpg...doesn't look much like excelsior. If you're planning on tearing one of these up and using it in your cultures as excelsior, I'd just stick with normal excelsior since its so cheap and won't have whatever nasty chemicals they put in the swamp cooler pads.


I got the same picture. I get what your saying, but no IMO it's not the same at all.

What problems are you having with regular excelsior?


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## jeffdart (May 21, 2008)

From the picture you can't tell much about the product. What your looking at is excelsior compressed into a cooler pad.


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## Pumilo (Sep 4, 2010)

I hate excelsior. I was always getting loose fibers in my vivs. I now use a piece of window screen material, about 2.5" x 6", with the bottom pushed into the media to hold it firm.
Doug


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## Okapi (Oct 12, 2007)

Pumilo said:


> I hate excelsior. I was always getting loose fibers in my vivs. I now use a piece of window screen material, about 2.5" x 6", with the bottom pushed into the media to hold it firm.
> Doug


Could you post a picture of one of your cultures? Thanks


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## Gumby (May 27, 2010)

Okapi said:


> Could you post a picture of one of your cultures? Thanks


Ditto. I'd like to see that as well. I think I understand what you are trying to explain, but pictures always help.

Thanks,
Chris


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## Pumilo (Sep 4, 2010)

Okapi said:


> Could you post a picture of one of your cultures? Thanks





Gumby said:


> Ditto. I'd like to see that as well. I think I understand what you are trying to explain, but pictures always help.
> 
> Thanks,
> Chris


Here ya go. This one I actually used a longer piece, doubled up (like folded in half) with the fold pushed down into the media. The advantages are:
1) It's free for me! I run a window business so I use my scrap screen material.
2) It NEVER falls to bits like that stuff I hate, and messes up my viv.
3) Non organic material that won't rot, and won't contribute to any possible mold problems.
4) I don't bother because it's free, but it could be reused with a light scrubbing.
5) It does NOT suck moisture up from the media. Here in dry Colorado, that is what usually kills our cultures eventually. They dry up and quit producing.

Give it a try and I'll bet you'll never go back to excelsior or paper towel tubes!

Doug


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## Mitch (Jun 18, 2010)

Pumilo said:


> Here ya go. This one I actually used a longer piece, doubled up (like folded in half) with the fold pushed down into the media. The advantages are:
> 1) It's free for me! I run a window business so I use my scrap screen material.
> 2) It NEVER falls to bits like that stuff I hate, and messes up my viv.
> 3) Non organic material that won't rot, and won't contribute to any possible mold problems.
> ...


Genius! I'm going to start using it from now on. I have a huge roll of the stuff in my basement with no use for it.... Thanks so much, I hate getting the little excelsior pieces in my vivs. You can also get a ton for cheap at home depot or lowes.


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## ZookeeperDoug (Jun 5, 2011)

Damn, wish I'd seen this thread before I bought a swamp cooler pad. Thats pure genious with the window screen Doug. Is it metal or fiberglass screen?


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## CREEPlNG_DEATH (Nov 28, 2009)

Pumilo said:


> Here ya go. This one I actually used a longer piece, doubled up (like folded in half) with the fold pushed down into the media. The advantages are:
> 1) It's free for me! I run a window business so I use my scrap screen material.
> 2) It NEVER falls to bits like that stuff I hate, and messes up my viv.
> 3) Non organic material that won't rot, and won't contribute to any possible mold problems.
> ...


I actually have been doing thr same for about a year now since I ran out of coffee filters and all I had was screen scraps. It sure does beat coffee filters though, and I have never used excelsior.


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## jwthought (Oct 30, 2004)

Very interesting! How does the fly production compare to excelsior or coffee filters?

I understand that it may allow cultures to produce longer in drier areas, but since I seem to get better production from excelsior than the filters, Im wondering if the screen makes any difference to the flies.


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## DendroRachel (Jun 21, 2011)

I use screen also! the left over from the roll I bought to separate my substrate from my LECA layer. I have a few pieces of a plastic screen (the stuff used for little kids to play with and cross stitch on) that I cut up and use. I like this even better than window screen cuz its stiff and easy to push into the media


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