How to preserve octopus?

[Oktoputeao]

Can say some of you; how to preserve a ceph when it across the line to go find another better life?
Thanks guys; pictures will be welcome!!!

 

[jc45]

this thread seems to talk about preservation a little. http://www.tonmo.com/community/index.php?threads/3901/

it's also very entertaining.

 

[Feelers]

You could give this a read through http://www.tonmo.com/science/public/squidfixingnotes.php ( although it's for large squid. )

 

[Oktoputeao]

In a few words; First defrost ceph (if it is frost), second, inject formalin ( optional if it is not too large) and put it in a big glass full of formalin. 10-15 days before, whash it 3 time with fresh water and preserve definitive in a 70% etanol solution.

Easy, but i'm wrong in some point of my post? Please say it if you desagree with me, and oviously why?

 

[Graeme]

All you need the formalin for is to fix it. I guess just throw it in a bucket of formalin, maybe 50% formalin solution (not 50% formaldehyde! This would probably be fatal to every organic substance within a 20 mile radius!), 50% seawater. I'm not so sure about this stage as the octopus I got was already fixed. All we did was pour off the formalin with running water, in a controlled environment, and put the octopus in a large enough container and filled it with tapwater. I just left it steeping for a bout 2-3 days, changing the water about once a day! Formalin has a distinct smell, so you know that all the excess is gone when the animal stops smelling of the stuff. Then I suppose once it's washed out, you can put it in an ethanol solution... although technically I guess you could put it in distilled water since all the tissue id fixed anyway, but don't hold me to that! I think that's pretty much what we did, probably broke a couple environmental health rules but hey, at leats we got the specimen!! Mind you, my brain is shutting down due to too much exposure to dissertation-writing, so I might just be havering a lot of rubbish! But I did have a lovely Eledone cirrhosa which I donated to the uni as a study aid.

Supoosedly you can "deactivate" formalin by adding powedered milk. Formalin binds to any organic molecule, so technically it should basically turn to a toxic cheese! Although addmittedly I don't know about this, can anyone verify??

Graeme

 

[Steve O'Shea]

Supposedly you can "deactivate" formalin by adding powdered milk. Formalin binds to any organic molecule, so technically it should basically turn to a toxic cheese! Although addmittedly I don't know about this, can anyone verify?? Graeme

I've not heard of this being done before - it sounds like a neat trick though! I might give it a try this year.

Re the formalin soln concentration, you should never need to go higher than 10% (50% would be overkill - it would probably fix the outer surfaces of the animal and prevent the formalin from getting into the tissues, secondarily causing excessive shrinking and wrinkling); a 5% solution should be more than adequate for your standard small-bodied beastie (to ~ 30cm total length), although you should always inject a little into the viscera first.

 

[Graeme]

Yeah! let us know what happens!! I wanna know if you get toxic cheese!!

When you say 50% formalin solution do you mean a sloution made up from 50% formaldehyde or a solution made up of 50% formalin (already prepared)? I think the guy at the aquarium used 50%formalin 50% water. I originall though the label meant the the solution had 50% formaldehyde, I was scared to even open the bucket! Yes, bucket; I had to drive from St Andrews to Dundee (about 20 miles) with the bucket on the pasenger floor!! Ane the road isn't well known for being overly straight!

Graeme

 

[cuttlegirl]

Steve,
Who will you feed the toxic cheese to?

 

[Oktoputeao]

Wait a minute!!!! I have english problems!!!! What is exacly ( and when I say exacly; I'm traying to know the quemistry name) or formalin? Formol? Formaldehyde? Is the same than the universal fixer?

If you can put the spanish name or if you can put a picture of the molecule ( I'm a farmacology info addict) i'll be very glad with you.

Thanks guys

 

[Tintenfisch]

Steve,
Who will you feed the toxic cheese to?

Bags not!!

The 5% formalin solution is made from already-made formalin (not formaldehyde!). Some sources recommend a 2-3% solution as being plenty, so you really don't need much. Basically a good safety rule for preservation is, do whatever tells you (unless you don't want to, and then don't ).