clownknifeokc;2572746; said:
I would love to have my clown knife taxidermied when he passes, he's so beatiful,however I don't know the specifics of taxidermy (preservation of the body beforehand, etc.) my parents on the otherhand, not so good on the eyes.
I don't think a knife would be a good candidate for taxidermy; you would actually have to tan its hide, then stuff and paint it; this is how amphibians are taxidermied, and I have seen few stuffed amphibians that look good.
Fish with sturdy scaled skins are the best for taxidermy; as Beblondie noted, gar and similar heavy-scaled fish are very easy; I imagine armored catfish would fall in that group too. Cichlids should be moderately easy. Fish with fine or easily shed scales, like goldfish, would be more of a problem. Gamefish with these qualities, such as salmonids and billfish, are usually not taxidermied because of this; a fiberglass or urethane replica is used instead (or fiberglass body with the real fish's head). Taxidermy suppliers carry a wide variety of blanks for the popular game species, but not for aquarium fish.
Freeze-drying is a popular way to preserve smaller or more delicate fish. Many taxidermists have a freeze-drier.
As an alternative, you could make a mold with your fish and cast it in resin or urethane foam, then paint the cast. Mold-making takes a bit of practice, so if you want to do this you should try a few objects before you go to work on your beloved fish's body.
Another option is 'gotaku'. This is a popular craft/trophy project in Japan; the dead fish is painted with lifelike colors, then rolled onto a piece of paper to make an accurate color print.
Just some suggestions. I personally have no problem with having a pet taxidermied, but I work in a zoological museum, so I may be a bit jaded.
