What do you do with dead fish?

[AmaraDresden]

DS2's guppy died yesterday, we've had other fish die on us, but he actually witnessed DP flush it down the loo and was heartbroken. Full on sobbing, the lot. I posted about it on facebook and got asked why I didn't bury it as all of their fish had been buried when they were growing up.

I do think it was because he saw it getting disposed of that upset him so much, and we won't be letting him witness it again. However burying them seems like a farce, we've got foxes and cats around here, plus gravelled gardens.

I'm feeling like I've committed fish cruelty!!! Am I the only fish flusher?

I flush my dead fish, I just tell dd that they're going back to the sea! I'm waiting for the day when she points out that they aren't marine fish so technically didn't come from the sea in the first place

LOL!! I try to tell them the truth about these things but oh boy after last night I might be taking tips from you!

LOL!! I try to tell them the truth about these things but oh boy after last night I might be taking tips from you!

First of all, don't flush dead fish. Why? You could be inadvertently introducing all kinds of parasites and pathogenic bacteria into natural waterways.

Seal the fish inside a plastic bag and dispose of them in the waste.

I didn't even consider that Chill blush thanks

I didn't even consider that Chill blush thanks

I put it in the bin. We used to be sentimental but after a few years less so. If we have mackeral the bones go in the bin so I can't see much difference.

I always give them a proper Fishtian burial

Fishtian burial?

Fishtian burial?

Toilet water doesn't go directly into natural waterways!

It's still contamination; and there is a chance that parasites and pathogenic microorganisms can slip past the treatment process.

That is scare-mongering. If there is a failure of the treatment process, it is human sewage that is far more of a concern.

I've always been told compost, bury away from a water source or incinerate. I think the risk of anything getting into the water from a dead fish is more to do with the possibility of native fish being infected from some weirdo tropical disease. I don't know the ins-and-outs of how water is treated (I have seen the poo episode of 'Come Outside' about a hundred times but it didn't cover dead fish) but I do know that sometimes fish are imported and no one knows exactly what they are or what diseases or parasites they are carrying.

We had a problem last year with our pond water and about 8 big fish died .My dh incinerated them ! smaller fish we would just tie up in plastic bag and put in the bin.