Preservation?

[Hapdude]

I just got back from vacation and one of my bichirs (15" congicus) found a way to squirm out of it's tank and onto the floor! DEAD as a doornail! . Stiff, dry and sunken eyes! Was hoping to preserve her, but don't really know the best way? In a jar with WHAT? Please advise! Johnathan

 

[Infblue]

really sorry for your loss losing bichirs to jumping/escaping sucks big time
i think people use formaldehyde to preserve specimen...im not sure what the whole procedure is. i still have a dead bichir in my freezer frozen in ice.

EDIT: ok found some instructions from solomon (e_americanus) in anne's primer

Preservation
we use 70% alcohol for preservation (or at least maintenance of perservation) of our specimens...this is diluted from the 95% stuff we keep on hand in the lab. the actual preservation/fixation, however, is done with formaldehyde. if the fish is larger than just a few inches then i cut the belly so the chemical can enter into the insides of the fish and preserve everything. the fish stays in the form. solution for a couple days. if its a gar or bichir, a fish that has rigid bony scales, then i take the fish out after 2-3 days and just let it air dry. the fish is now dry preserved.

if im doing a standard preservation i take the fish out after 2-3 days and let it sit in a container of water to soak out the formalin. after a day in the water the fish is removed and placed into a container of 70% alcohol for long-term preservation.
as far as using other alcohol, i think as long as its relatively pure and the proof is about 140 you should be ok...in theory --
--solomon

 

[frozen-fire]

sorry for the loss. i've seen skulls of bichirs, and they are very neat and prehistoric looking. wouldn't mind doing a preservation procedure when one of mine kicks the bucket.