I've done a Pirahna repo. in the past but never a skin mount. If I can't talk my customer into a repo. I'll end up skinning/mounting this 10" Pirahna. Are there any difficulties I may encounter during the process? I plan on using the half cast method unless suggested otherwise.
Thanks! Ken
YOU CAN FREEZE DRY IT FOR ABOUT $40 DOLLARS. IF YOU WANT MORE ONFO LET ME KNOW NAD I WILL EMAIL YOU A WHOLESALE PRICE LIST.
If you can't talk him in doing a repo then have it freeze dried. Though I'm not a fan of freeze dried products, my choice and I have my reasons. But I would explain to him the differences that a freeze dried contains all the meat except for the eyes and entrails a skin mount will have shrinkage and needs to be fixed and the painting may be a lot harder than you think, a repo will last a lifetime and more.
As far as a skin mount goes I will never do a tropical pet as a skin mount. These folks love their fish and do know what they look like. Just ask them they will have a photo center of their fish. If you do a sin mount you should also fix all shrunken areas of the fish. I tell all my clients that have tropical fish I will only do a repo and explain to them why. If they don't want it done this way then let them go some where else. I don't need the headaches of trying to do a skin mount that will not look as good as a repo will. Remember your name is going on that product. If you do a skin mount and it turns out bad try and explain this to them.
Piranha's can be mounted and look like a real piranha. You must charge accordingly, for they are extra work. There is very little shrinkage in the head area because there head and cheeks are designed like armor plates. There is very thick cartalidge all along the dorsal and belly lines, from the front to the rear. This is probably your biggest problem. After that, they are like any other fresh water
fish. Good luck.
Freeze dry it and don't listen to the dopes that are against it.
They are against it because they don't have a machine.
Dave,
There's no need to call people names here. Besides, I've never used dope in my life so I don't think it applies.
I've mounted numerous piranhas and the half cast method worked fine to me. I can have the fish back to the customer long before the freeze dryer is done. I'm not knocking freeze drying, but most of the fish I've seen freeze dried have terrible shrinkage. However, maybe it was the fault of the person freeze drying.
As Len said you have some problem with the cartilage, but nothing a good scalpel can't take care of and some epoxy if there still is some shrinkage.
I've been doing fish for 15 years and I still can't justify the cost of a freeze dryer.
Cecil
Mounting a pirana is no harder than any other pan fish. I do not know why everyone is making a big deal about it. Half cast works well but I just usually get a crappie or bluegill body and shave it where needed. I just think a hard body make a smoother fish. Do sweat this fish, you know how to do fish taxidermy don't you?