I recently mounted my first fish.I skinned and fleshed it thoroughly and tanned it with tru-tan fish tan.It was in the tanning solution for 24hours.I then mounted the fish and everything went well. However,the fish has been drying for a week and a half( in a damp basement-but I do have a fan on it now)and the back of the mouth-throwt area is still moist and I believe there is some white mold growing on it.I have scraped some away but I know that is a loosing battle.I have thought about spraying some fungicidal sealer on it but am afraid that will hinder the drying process.And P.S. there is still some fish odor to the mouth area .Is this normal,and how can I get rid of the mold?
Return to Beginners Category Menu
The fan from the beginning is usually enough to cure your problem. Since the mould is there, soak the head in denatured alcohol for an short time. A half hour should be enough but be prepared to redo it if necessary.
I can't think of the name of the product right now, but your pharmacist can probably help you. The product comes in a little brown glass bottle and is super-concentrated. Sold in pharmacies. It kills ALL mold. They recommend it for people with severe allergies and you just mix with water and spray it on anything that could harbor mold or mildew. I used it for my son's allergies some years ago and it works great. I don' believe it would hurt your fish either, as you can even spray it on your clothes. I would hesitate to use one of the more potent detergent-type anti-mold cleaners though. I hope this helps. ...RickJ
The inner mouth gill,area will be the last to dry. It takes a few weeks to dry for a medium size bass, longer for larger fish. The smell will also fade the longer it dries. After sealing and painting its gone. Are you sure its mould and not access filler drying, just a thought. I let all my fish mounts dry a month before finishing. Try moving it to a warmer area if it set up enough....Paul B.