Morbid Question… Does Anyone Know How Preserve a Shrimp for Display?

SamKnaphus · Oct 5, 2024

Growing up my brother had a bug collection of dried out butterflies and beetles. I was wondering if you can do this with a shrimp?

I take care of some tanks at my high school, and once I graduate this May I will be going on a Latter Day Saint Mission. In one of these tanks is a beloved shrimp of mine, and in case something goes wrong with him while I am unable to care for him I would like to know if there is anyway I can keep his exoskeleton. Ideally a family member could swing by the school, pick him up, and preserve him if something were to happen.

I read something about a freshwater owner preserving a shrimp of hers in resin and making it into a pendant. I would love to preserve him if with as much color as possible. I think it would be a nice way to remember him once he goes. Hopefully he won’t for a good long while, but I figured it might smart to ask about this ahead of time

SpyC · Oct 5, 2024

Mason jar and formaldehyde is my only guess. I would expect the heat from the epoxy will cook the shrimp changing its color

SamKnaphus · Oct 5, 2024

SpyC said:
Mason jar and formaldehyde is my only guess. I would expect the heat from the epoxy will cook the shrimp changing its color

Thanks!

shcrimps · Oct 15, 2024

i personally just used 92% isopropyl in little jars, they lose the color and you have to change it 2-3 times at most and turn mostly white after a while
not sure if you can keep that color

KrisReef · Oct 15, 2024

SamKnaphus said:
Growing up my brother had a bug collection of dried out butterflies and beetles. I was wondering if you can do this with a shrimp?

I take care of some tanks at my high school, and once I graduate this May I will be going on a Latter Day Saint Mission. In one of these tanks is a beloved shrimp of mine, and in case something goes wrong with him while I am unable to care for him I would like to know if there is anyway I can keep his exoskeleton. Ideally a family member could swing by the school, pick him up, and preserve him if something were to happen.

I read something about a freshwater owner preserving a shrimp of hers in resin and making it into a pendant. I would love to preserve him if with as much color as possible. I think it would be a nice way to remember him once he goes. Hopefully he won’t for a good long while, but I figured it might smart to ask about this ahead of time

I were walking on the beach last month and a lot of lobster molts had washed up. I noticed that some of the legs had a beautiful blue color and I collected a couple for show and tell. I put them on the dash of my truck and a few days later the beautiful blue patch had mostly faded to orange, same as if I had dropped it live into a boiling pot.

If you know how to do resin work I have seen some nice looking scorpions preserved that way but I suspect they were killed in the process? Every kind of preserve of skin or fur I have tried have been amazing failures but don't let my track record keep you from trying.

I would encourage you just to keep reefing and when one dies buy another and feed it well.