# My Black Rhom Died Today



## nswhite (Mar 23, 2005)

I just need to vent a little bit. I've had this Rhom since it was the size of a quarter about 8 years. Does anybody know the life expectancy of black rhoms. The rhom got some kind of sickness from somewhere I have no idea. water parameters where perfect, i only feed fresh food never live. a couple days ago I started dosing the tank with maracyn the sickness looked like it was going away but today I went down to check on it and he was floating at the top. This was my favorite P I've ever had and I've had about 10 different ones over the years since I was 16. I definitally am going to get another one not sure what yet.

I would like to know if anyone knows how to preserve the dead Rhom its a beatiful color has a pretty purple shimmer to it. I would like to mount it on the wall dry it out or whatever. If anyone has done this before your input would be great. thanks for reading


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## JoeDizzleMPLS (Nov 5, 2007)

That's terrible man, but congrats on keeping him for 8 years, it seems most people in this hobby don't keep their fish very long. I have never preserved a fish before but there are some threads that detail the process.


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## BRUNER247 (Jun 2, 2010)

1st you need boxes n boxes of baking soda n a tub. 2nd you need to position your fish how you want him(mouth open, curve, or straighten him out)might use tooth picks for mouth n to push lips down lil so you can see teeth good, or trim his lips off. How much baking soda depends on the fishes size.for 8year old rhom I'd maybe start with 4"-6" deep of baking soda, lay your fish in n cover him with plenty of baking sode 4"-6".definitely can't use to much.if he fits in bucket I'd fill it 3/4 to full. How long it takes to dry out also depends on fish size also n probably temperature of where this is placed also. It could take a month or two. Sorry for your loss, losing a fish that you've had that long sucks.


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## BRUNER247 (Jun 2, 2010)

JoeDizzleMPLS said:


> That's terrible man, but congrats on keeping him for 8 years, it seems most people in this hobby don't keep their fish very long. I have never preserved a fish before but there are some threads that detail the process.


I agree with Joe on the congrats on the lifelong home.


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## nswhite (Mar 23, 2005)

Thanks for the replies Bruner247 and JoeDizzleMPLS. I appreciate the compliments and I will try the baking soda thing. I just want to keep the rhom around even if its not alive. Its was an amazing journey watching it grow from a baby to an adult, watching the eyes change to red and watching the rhoms behavior. The rhom would greet me at the top of the tank anytime it would see me, like it was saying hello. I know it just wanted food but if my wife or one of my friends came up to the tank the rhom would just run and hide but never was scared of me. It was a awesome rhom and very aggressive. It will be missed


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## pirana666 (Aug 26, 2010)

im sorry for youre lost...


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## CLUSTER ONE (Aug 2, 2006)

if you are serious about preserving it what about taking it to a taxiodermist to have it done professionally?

Sorry for your loss. In the aquarium hobby 8 years is good life for a fish though the longest livign rhom i can recall is twenty something years. 8 years is probably alot longer then most rhoms would live in the wild as most die young and few even reach large sizes


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## BRUNER247 (Jun 2, 2010)

You can see fish dried with baking soda online n on other forums(mfk) they actually look pretty good. There's also more detail in the process. Souvenir rbp on the net are done like this I believe, finished product looks same anyhow. I've seen crayfish done this way also. If you do go with the baking soda please research it yourself firsthand, hate to screw up your fish because I explained it wrong or forgot something.


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## nswhite (Mar 23, 2005)

Ok thanks for the heads up I'll do some research first. My neighbor actually does taxadermy with like elk and things I might ask him.


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## JoeDizzleMPLS (Nov 5, 2007)

For fish taxidermy, they charge by the inch, so I bet it wouldn't be too much and it would look pretty awesome.


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## Lifer374 (Dec 5, 2003)

I tried the dried out thing and just couldn't get over how "dead" my rhom looked. lol. 
If you can swing the taxidermy thing I'd go for that. I would imagine that it still would be a few hundred. But, it's a few hundred that could buy you another rhombeus.

One I've always wanted to try was boiling the fish and setting up the skeletal system in a display. Some people have done some extremely nice jobs doing that.

Very sorry about your piranha. It sucks losing them when you've put in some time. Theres NOT alot of keepers out here that are in it for the long haul. ALOT sell them the second they get bored with them for something new....too bad. 
Only to some do these fish become actual pets.

Get another one. Maybe a different varient.


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## RedneckR0nin (Nov 5, 2008)

Sorry for your loss.


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## jayscollision (Apr 11, 2010)

Sorry for your loss. Bass pro shops sells a pro taxidermy kit for mounting fish. I did a 30 lb salmon I caught once and it turned out awesome, until my pit bulls ripped it apart.


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## Nighthawk (Aug 8, 2010)

Sorry for your loss. Good luck with taxidermy or drying out.


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## TJcali (Mar 27, 2009)

Sorry for your loss man


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## FEEFA (Nov 19, 2007)

Sorry for your loss.
How big did the rhom get in 8yrs?


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## motoracer110 (May 13, 2010)

Sorry for your loss, that is tough for sure. How big did he get after 8 years?


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## His Majesty (Apr 5, 2005)

Real sorry for your loss. especially after 8 years. he must of had a happy life


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## memento (Jun 3, 2009)

Sorry for the loss mate.
If you want to dry your fish there is a very easy and cheap method for it.
Just place it in methylated spirits for three weeks, make sure the entire fish is covered with it, no parts must stick above the surface.
If you want the mouth opened, use a match for it or something.

The methylane will dry out your fish perfectly. No need to remove intestines or something, everything just dries enough.
After those three weeks take it out, don't dry it but place it in a warm, dry place for about two weeks to let the absorbed methilaned spirit evaporate and the result is a perfectly dried fish.

One advise : after the first day soaked in the methylated spirits, take it out to remove the fatty tissue from the skin... it makes sure the original color shows better after drying.


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## nswhite (Mar 23, 2005)

Thanks everyone for the comments, you guys have made me feel better about my loss with the compliments with keeping the Rhom for so long. I definitally saw it as a pet. It is about 9 inches, when i got it was like the size of a quarter maybe even a little smaller.


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## Lifer374 (Dec 5, 2003)

got any pictures of him swimming around? I looked but couldn't find any.


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## Blue Flame (Jan 16, 2006)

Sorry for your loss. Obviously, you took great care of it to have it for so long. Keep your chin up, and somewhere out there is another P waiting for you to take it in like the last one.


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