# How do you memorialize your fish?



## carzz (Mar 8, 2011)

For me, well, i'm always taking pictures if the cuties. So for me, I gt a nice frame, and put their picture in it with the day I bought them, to the day they passed on. 
But how do you memorialize them? Do you bury them, and give them a headstone? Or do you just flush them and never think twice about it??
Anyway, I wanna know!!


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## trilobite (May 18, 2011)

I flush them when they die.


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## BettaMiah (Sep 12, 2011)

I always take pictures, and bury them. 

My cuz keeps fish, and he stopped naming them because he says it is too hard to flush them then.


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## Littlebittyfish (Jan 5, 2011)

It's not a good idea to flush dead animals down the toilet...

I bury my fish...plant a little plant for them and carve their names in a river stone the best I can as a "headstone".


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## walle (Aug 29, 2011)

I buried Gunter in the arboretum at my school under a tree next to the creek.


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## trilobite (May 18, 2011)

"It's not a good idea to flush dead animals down the toilet..."
Howcome?


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## elijahfeathers (Oct 15, 2010)

Step one: Notice fish has died.

Step two: Take dead fish out of tank. Scold it for dying a bit.

Step three: Flush.


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## purplemuffin (Aug 12, 2010)

I think when Dionysus passes on I'll bury him beneath a garden. We buried red beard beneath a big old tree. I don't like burying them out in the open, cats tend to dig the animals up if you don't dig deep enough, and that's not fun. We had that happen before with other pets that had passed on.  

I might get a big flat stone and paint it with a pretty picture and his name as a headstone. My family moves a lot, though, so even if I have to leave his body at an old house, I will be able to take that stone with me as a memory.


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## HelloThere123Betta (Jul 16, 2011)

I really like the picture thing. Or maybe you could make a big album for all your fishies  That'd be cute


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## tsukiowns (Sep 22, 2011)

Ok so i do the flush thing (dont like it but i dont have a back yard and its hard to see the little ones dead for to long) and BTW trilobite and elijahfeathers you both made me laugh when i read your coments (i thought they were genious "scold it a little") sorry its hard when one passes away thats y i flush them.


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## Larsa (May 6, 2011)

I take LOTS of pictures for my babies ^^ I am making a huge photo album for my fishes, since they_ are_ family to me!!

I treat them waaaayyyy more than my pets- they are my friends, my children, my everything. I do _anything _in my ability I can to help them, especially when they are sick. i.e:
_ I remember early this month, Natsuko mysteriously couldn't move except one of her pectoral fins and she failed to get the the surface to breathe. I grabbed her ASAP like lightning when she started sinking and curled my hand gently around her, and held her to the surface to breathe. I sat there over the tank FOREVER holding her so she could get breaths, and put eventually put her in a shallow 1 inch cup of water when I had to go to work. She finally died the next night after that. I wrapped her in tp, put her in a babyfood jar, and buried her behind the bushes of my apt. I put her in a jar because when my lease is up and I get my house I am gonna have a proper burial site for my past bettas, so I need to be able to move her. Until then, I will put some flowers on her temporary grave.
_
I think I will stick to burying them in a babyfood jar from now on. That way, it doesnt stink up the yard and animals dont bother the site. I have way too much respect for these creatures to flush down a toilet.-I treat them as people because _they act like people!!_ ** I swear... bettas are human souls trapped in fish bodies!!!


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## Littlebittyfish (Jan 5, 2011)

I have heard it is not a good idea to flush them down the toilet because it introduces the bacterias and parasites that the fish may have had into the water way.
personally I couldn't bring myself flush a fish I had been taking care of 3 years or so..I like to give them proper little burials...haha


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## mjoy79 (Jul 13, 2011)

I have plenty of emotion. I cried for several days after my buddy, Chandler, died a couple of weeks ago. The worst part was seeing him in so much pain. I had to take his pain away and once he was dead, I did indeed FLUSH him. At that point he was no longer there. I did not want to bury him in front of my apartment because he would most likely have been dug up by an animal - maybe even my cat. 
Also this is a family friendly forum. that language is not acceptable!


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## Fieldz (Apr 6, 2011)

Guys, even though your betta is dead, remember that you created him for a long time! Maybe months, years, but even days, its certainly more than enough NOT to flush him... 


I am really sorry to say this but I cant believe what some of you just said...

Is it that hard to find a place to bury your friend?


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## Littlebittyfish (Jan 5, 2011)

I have had to bury quite a few fish and our house is surrounded by woods..we have opossums, raccoons, stray cats, rats and my dogs hang out in our yard quite a bit...I have never had any of my buried fish dug up.I make sure the hole is atleast 6 inches-1 foot deep though. 
/o:


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

I have no yard to bury mine in so yes, it is that hard to find a palce to bury them. It's not something I LIKE doing but it's necessary.


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## trilobite (May 18, 2011)

To me, at the end of the day you have a dead fish...its just that and priority number one is to dispose of it. They don't know they are being flushed or buried, they are dead and couldn't care less. The fish doesn't show emotion to me, I am simply a food source and they have learnt to swim up to the glass to be in the best place for food.
Fish are fish, they don't think or perceive the world the way humans do, they perceive it the way fish do. 
Its different for a cat or a dog, where you can build emotional attachment to them, but I don't build emotion for fish. I like them, I look after them and I spend copious amounts of money on them but I don't view them as friends and they don't view me as a friend. 
Flushing is quick and easy. They don't end up in rivers or oceans, they go to a treatment plant.


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## Fieldz (Apr 6, 2011)

They turn into rat and cockroach food... thats it.


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## GrellxUndertaker (Sep 5, 2011)

I burried my fish, it was hard to find a place because i live in an apartment complex, however there are woods around the area so i burried them there.


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## mjoy79 (Jul 13, 2011)

trilobite said:


> To me, at the end of the day you have a dead fish...its just that and priority number one is to dispose of it. They don't know they are being flushed or buried, they are dead and couldn't care less. The fish doesn't show emotion to me, I am simply a food source and they have learnt to swim up to the glass to be in the best place for food.
> Fish are fish, they don't think or perceive the world the way humans do, they perceive it the way fish do.
> Its different for a cat or a dog, where you can build emotional attachment to them, but I don't build emotion for fish. I like them, I look after them and I spend copious amounts of money on them but I don't view them as friends and they don't view me as a friend.
> Flushing is quick and easy. They don't end up in rivers or oceans, they go to a treatment plant.


 
+1


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## youlovegnats (Feb 23, 2011)

The reason why you shouldn't flush fish isn't because they'll "remember being flushed". It's exactly the reason that Littlebittyfish stated. It your fish died from some kind of disease, it's likely to run rampant in the sewer system. All that water that goes down your toilet and drain get recycled back into the main pipe system for people to use again. Yes, it's filtered and all that, but if the fish happened to have something malignant, it wouldn't be a good outcome. 
For example, if your fish died of TB (which even bleach doesn't kill- and can be easily passed on to humans) and you flushed him down the toilet, this would possibly end up poorly for the entire community that shares that pipe line. 
Personally I wrap them in TP and toss dispose of them in the trash.


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## BettaGirl290 (Jul 29, 2010)

I bury them... they are special to me, i don't cry over them, but they are special c:


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## mjoy79 (Jul 13, 2011)

youlovegnats said:


> The reason why you shouldn't flush fish isn't because they'll "remember being flushed". It's exactly the reason that Littlebittyfish stated. It your fish died from some kind of disease, it's likely to run rampant in the sewer system. All that water that goes down your toilet and drain get recycled back into the main pipe system for people to use again. Yes, it's filtered and all that, but if the fish happened to have something malignant, it wouldn't be a good outcome.
> For example, if your fish died of TB (which even bleach doesn't kill- and can be easily passed on to humans) and you flushed him down the toilet, this would possibly end up poorly for the entire community that shares that pipe line.
> Personally I wrap them in TP and toss dispose of them in the trash.


I think there are a lot worse things flushed into the sewer system than ANYTHING a betta possibly had.


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## GreenTea (Jan 31, 2011)

mjoy79 said:


> I think there are a lot worse things flushed into the sewer system than ANYTHING a betta possibly had.


Which doesn't negate the fact that people still shouldn't be doing it.


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## mjoy79 (Jul 13, 2011)

GreenTea said:


> Which doesn't negate the fact that people still shouldn't be doing it.


I guess my point is - if flushing fish was that much of a health hazard - wouldn't they make it illegal ?
It seems the sewer system is doing its job.


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## GreenTea (Jan 31, 2011)

mjoy79 said:


> I guess my point is - if flushing fish was that much of a health hazard - wouldn't they make it illegal ?
> It seems the sewer system is doing its job.


Yeah, in a lot of places it IS illegal. So are flushing chemicals, certain waste products, etc. Also the sewer was not designed with dead pets going in there in mind.


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## purplemuffin (Aug 12, 2010)

It's illegal where I live! But a lot of people still do it anyway.


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## mjoy79 (Jul 13, 2011)

I've been researching and haven't found anything so far. But I wont flush a fish again until I'm sure.


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## trilobite (May 18, 2011)

I suppose it would be illegal where sewerage enters water systems untreated. 

in nz though, debris, such as dead fish, gets trapped in a grit at the plant. this then goes to a land fill. Which would effectively be the same as burying it but having someone else do it instead.
I imagine the risk of disease from fish through this system would be quite low since these workers are not going to touch any item with bare hands, gloves and other clothing would be disposed of. Hygiene is vital in such a work environment. 

Its not illegal in nz and here we are far to overprotective of the environment...We aren't even allowed to import fish with out thousands of dollars for testing, QT, paperwork...


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## youlovegnats (Feb 23, 2011)

trilobite said:


> I suppose it would be illegal where sewerage enters water systems untreated.
> 
> in nz though, debris, such as dead fish, gets trapped in a grit at the plant. this then goes to a land fill. Which would effectively be the same as burying it but having someone else do it instead.
> I imagine the risk of disease from fish through this system would be quite low since these workers are not going to touch any item with bare hands, gloves and other clothing would be disposed of. Hygiene is vital in such a work environment.
> ...


At least you're allowed to breed them! ^^ Just make your own lines. 

But think of the grand scheme of things. 
Take for example, what happened here in the U.S...Snakehead were brought over from SE Asia and then released into our lakes and rivers. Now our natural inhabitants are dwindling in numbers because Snakeheads literally eat anything that moves and are extremely territorial. We aren't allowed to bring in certain species alive anymore. 

We aren't as nearly as environment-friendly here as we should be. :/


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## copperarabian (Apr 27, 2011)

I take photo's of all my fish


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## Luimeril (Dec 29, 2010)

i always have pictures. at least one of every betta i've ever owned. then, sometimes, i'll set up their old tanks, the exact way they liked, and get a newbie.

accidentally, when i set up my newcomer's tank(i just bought the most amazing betta from Chard over the weekend), i put Zidane's favorite plant, Theo's favorite plant, and Caroline's favorite plant in his tank. i think it's a great memorial for three of my favorites.


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## Bombalurina (Oct 10, 2011)

I bury them under the fern near the pond. I like idea of dead animals returning to nature. I know it means nothing to them, but I like to do it as a gesture of respect for the joy they gave me when they were alive.


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## Dragonlady (Nov 29, 2010)

Breeding bettas is a great way to memorialize them. Does that make sense?


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## metalbetta (May 17, 2010)

For some of my fish I like to bury them in flower pots. The rest are buried in the ground. 
I take a TON of photos of my fish, so that's a great way to remember them, too.


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## TheKingsFish (Jan 8, 2011)

To flush, or not to flush 
Has never been a question.
For us 'tis nobler in the mind
To bury in a garden
Or else feed the body
To the hungry bonfire
And thus, keep their embers 
Burning that much longer.
Either way they are given 
Some sense of life
Though they commence to sleep.
To sleep, perchance to dream.
Ay, there's the rub;
For in their sleep of death
Do dreams still come?
Do they know of the shrouds
The Poet embroiders
With their names?
Do they read the epitaphs
The Bard so lovingly "pens"
With her memories
To give them honour?

Translation: for the most part, we give them a variation of the Norse burial. In other words, they get wrapped in a little shroud and placed in a box with the things that they used in life and a few symbolic gestures. Usually food, a pebble from their tank, a strand of hair from each of us, a penny (a shield of sorts as they are "fighting fish") to pay the ferryman, and a "blood tipped spear" (a toothpick with some red paint). In the summer months there is this isolated little beach on the shores of a nearby lake where we have a small bonfire that the box is usually set at the bottom of. In the winter we go to the river and light a small fire on the ice (but not while we're standing on it). When the rivers thaw or the floods come their ashes are washed toward the sea by the water like a viking funeral pyre set ablaze and sent to float away.

There are some that we've buried in a flower pot (red dwarf lily, columbine, white carpathian bell flower, forget-me-not) because they were particularly special to us, or because we still have their spawn. 

We recently lost a double-tail we were given whom we called Richard of Gloucester (or Richard III) because of his crooked (s-shaped) spine. He was perfectly healthy when the pet shop gave him to us and led a very full life while he was with us. He had trouble getting to the surface in the first few weeks, so I gave him one of those hollow plastic lego blocks that smarties used to come in so he could have a floating hiding place. He got very depressed if you ever tried to replace it with something else, so in spite of our more esthetically pleasing attempts to make his bubble better, it stayed. He was nearly a year old when--as far as I can tell--he curled up in his lego block to rest when his organs failed. He is currently in the freezer waiting to be buried, lego block and all. There is a crooked tree in our yard where we intend to bury him.

In addition, I normally write a poem about them and post it on the forum. In light of a plague our babies have suffered from recently, I have many yet to write, but you are very welcome to read them.


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## trilobite (May 18, 2011)

youlovegnats said:


> At least you're allowed to breed them! ^^ Just make your own lines.
> 
> But think of the grand scheme of things.
> Take for example, what happened here in the U.S...Snakehead were brought over from SE Asia and then released into our lakes and rivers. Now our natural inhabitants are dwindling in numbers because Snakeheads literally eat anything that moves and are extremely territorial. We aren't allowed to bring in certain species alive anymore.
> ...


Yeah I suppose so haha 
but its hard when the selection of bettas is so small. And two of our main/best betta breeders have recently quit the game. 
Yeah, situations like the channa in the U.S is the thing that nz fears will happen in our waters
Woah, I was googling how to import into nz and cetain species such as bettas have to be batch tested. so if I bought a bunch of bettas into nz a large number of them will have to be killed and tested for viruses...:shock:

"Breeding bettas is a great way to memorialize them. Does that make sense?"
Thats kind of how I memorialize my bettas


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## cajunamy (Apr 28, 2011)

The ones I really bond with get buried. The others generally go in the trash or outside in the ditch


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## Noemi (Jul 9, 2011)

I bury my all my pets including bettas in my backyard, and mark their grave with a stone. Then I light a candle and some incense, and say a few words. I like them to return to nature


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## fleetfish (Jun 29, 2010)

There is a certain rotting log in the yard that I put their bodies underneath, and it is surrounded by flowers and fungii. It's home to an ecosystem of slugs, ants, millipedes, centipedes, spiders, earthworms, microbes and beetles.

The dead bettas return to the Earth. One time I lifted up the log and was astonished to find a fully intact betta skull. It was so delicate that I accidentally crushed it in my fingers ... but I was glad that the little guy gave his body for the Earth. It's how I remember them. Whenever I lift the log and see all of the vibrant life beneath, it reminds me that there are many loved ones buried in the soil ... it's a very sacred place to me.


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## caitic10 (Apr 30, 2011)

I paint. I take out my brushes and paints, and paint a picture of the fish that died. I write the fish's name on the painting aswell.
I also wtite a poem or story about the fish.


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