why people think they can have goldfish in a 2 gallon tank...

[libbyb]

There is one more thing that is really important. DO NOT FLUSH DEAD FISH. This introduces all kinds of organisms to the environment that are not indigenous to the area or country even.

 

[swankyspoon]

Okay. Fortunately my newish tank has suffered no fatalities, but when it happens what do I do with a dead fish?

I guess it is know now, before I have a dead fish on my hands that needs to be removed from the tank ASAP.

 

[brimac41]

If you live in city/town then just flush them . Municipal water treatment plants have several different stages of water treatment , the last stage is the chlorination tank which kills off any organisms/microorganisms before the water is discharged , it is set up that no deceases and other harmful organisms will be released into local waters .

I bury my dead fish around my roses and other plants . Great nutrients and makes them grow like crazy .

 

[libbyb]

I was always told not to flush them. But to be honest, I feel better knowing, it's ok.

 

[mandy2936]

Okay. Fortunately my newish tank has suffered no fatalities, but when it happens what do I do with a dead fish?

I guess it is know now, before I have a dead fish on my hands that needs to be removed from the tank ASAP.

I bury mine.
Simply because I care for them just like any other pet and seeing one dead hurts me a lot.
I bury them around flowers in my garden for the sake that it's more respecful than flushing them.

 

[MarkA123]

I too bury my fish, all in a row, I just feel guilty flushing them, I dont know why I just feel better burying them.

 

[mgamer20o0]

But you do have to start somewhere with these things. When you are first starting out you may well think that you can fit 100 inches of fish in a 20 gallon tank, so it's a good starting point to manage your expectations.

yes start by slowly explaining the bio load. as they learn more they learn more and more how it works. understanding the basics is what is needed to advance to the harder stuff. too many people are not learning the basics.

 

[Mark Hewitt]

What's the point in flushing fish? To my mind a tropical fish when dead is no different from a haddock you've bought from the supermarket, you wouldn't flush that down the toilet if you didn't want it would you? Of course not, you'd put it in the bin!

 

[libbyb]

I read on liveaquaria.com that we should be disposing of our plants and fish "properly" I didn't have time to find out what "properly" entailed (I was at supposedly working!) And my mother-in-law is here 2mro so I have to get off the computer to clean the house. If I get a chance over the weekend I will do a search.

 

[Vircomore]

Fish disposal is really restricted to your own living situation. Like for me - because I live in an apartment that has strict 3rd-party groundskeeping - ANY "modification" or disposal of items into the surrounding area is forbidden. So I'm forced to flush.

Whereas, if you own your home or live in an area where you have personal property rights, then burying them seems like a decent way to return them to nature.

Now, you should definitely NEVER flush, bury, or otherwise dispose of a fish that might still be alive. Any fish should be confirmed dead or definitively euthanized before being disposed.

 

[The_Desacrator]

What does the background have to do with anything. My fish stay pretty close to the front/middle of the tank as is.

 

[libbyb]

What does the background have to do with anything. My fish stay pretty close to the front/middle of the tank as is.

Wrong thread, Sweetie.

 

[libbyb]

I found 2 websites on disposal of fish and plants:
Habitattitude (TM) and Invasive Species: Information, Images, Videos, Distribution Maps

 

[Khalix]

I actually work in a chain store, although not happily all the time. I will criticize my own company on a daily basis in front of my management if I disagree wholeheartedly with a particular situation. One of those being the packaging on small fish tank kits. I have to explain to people dozens of times why they can't put a goldfish in, why they can't put in tropical fish because a majority of them may have a very tiny filter but lack any kind of heating and why this simply won't last and isn't right for the fish.

People don't want to believe this, especially not with a box brightly displaying all the multitudes of fish you can allegedly cram in there. "If it weren't meant for it, they wouldn't show it on the box!" they will argue. Apparently a lot of people fully trust people who design boxes.

On the plus side, we have always been fully informed and encouraged to decline the sale of a fish if we find that the setup isn't adequate. Granted I have no doubt that if the customers ran to corporate(again) someone would be giving me a call saying that making the customer happy was top priority.. I still refuse to give in and inform them that I will not actively participate.. and as much as I'd like to steal everyones nets and make a stand on it, ultimately it comes down to what I can realistically do.

Realistically all I can do is try very hard to keep people informed and try to explain in the simplest terms why something that is very much alive needs special treatment and that just because something can survive in a bowl for some time if properly cared for(assuming they will keep interested longer than a day).. that it doesn't make it a good idea.

I'd definitely like to have a word with the people who take those pictures, though. We would have such an interesting conversation.

 

[libbyb]

Wow! Good for you!

 

[mgamer20o0]

I know you can't dog fight but you can betta fight. I heard they passed new pet laws in Switzerland or somewhere one of them was all home aquariums must have non-transparent backgrounds and a bunch of other reptile and aquarium stuff. US fish laws, fish must be kept I'm conditioned water lol! I wonder about the Canadian pet laws!

What does the background have to do with anything. My fish stay pretty close to the front/middle of the tank as is.

Wrong thread, Sweetie.

seems like the right thread to me.....

I read on liveaquaria.com that we should be disposing of our plants and fish "properly" I didn't have time to find out what "properly" entailed (I was at supposedly working!) And my mother-in-law is here 2mro so I have to get off the computer to clean the house. If I get a chance over the weekend I will do a search.

plants you should let dry out so they are dead before getting rid of though trash or buried. as for fish its better to throw them away then flush them or better yet put them in the ground and make it even better. all my old tank water goes out to the trees and grass. any extra plant or dead fish goes in the compost.

Fish disposal is really restricted to your own living situation. Like for me - because I live in an apartment that has strict 3rd-party groundskeeping - ANY "modification" or disposal of items into the surrounding area is forbidden. So I'm forced to flush.

you are not forced to flush it you could put it in the trash.

I actually work in a chain store, although not happily all the time. I will criticize my own company on a daily basis in front of my management if I disagree wholeheartedly with a particular situation. One of those being the packaging on small fish tank kits. I have to explain to people dozens of times why they can't put a goldfish in, why they can't put in tropical fish because a majority of them may have a very tiny filter but lack any kind of heating and why this simply won't last and isn't right for the fish.

People don't want to believe this, especially not with a box brightly displaying all the multitudes of fish you can allegedly cram in there. "If it weren't meant for it, they wouldn't show it on the box!" they will argue. Apparently a lot of people fully trust people who design boxes.

On the plus side, we have always been fully informed and encouraged to decline the sale of a fish if we find that the setup isn't adequate. Granted I have no doubt that if the customers ran to corporate(again) someone would be giving me a call saying that making the customer happy was top priority.. I still refuse to give in and inform them that I will not actively participate.. and as much as I'd like to steal everyones nets and make a stand on it, ultimately it comes down to what I can realistically do.

Realistically all I can do is try very hard to keep people informed and try to explain in the simplest terms why something that is very much alive needs special treatment and that just because something can survive in a bowl for some time if properly cared for(assuming they will keep interested longer than a day).. that it doesn't make it a good idea.

I'd definitely like to have a word with the people who take those pictures, though. We would have such an interesting conversation.

i am going to make sure to rep you. this does 100 times more good then all the threads ranting. you are making a difference. it might be hard and people can choose it ignore it but you are doing your part. there is that saying you can lead a horse to water but you cant make him drink.... same thing applies.

 

[Phrozian]

I bury my fishes as well... I even make them paddlepop stick gravestones... I miss them so much already

 

[Mark Hewitt]

I bury my fishes as well... I even make them paddlepop stick gravestones... I miss them so much already

We've definitely hardened up since we got our first fish a year ago. When the fist one died it was really sad. This weekend we've had a catfish die and it was just - put him in a bag, put him in the bin. Right, what's on TV tonight?

 

[Mark Hewitt]

I actually work in a chain store, although not happily all the time. I will criticize my own company on a daily basis in front of my management if I disagree wholeheartedly with a particular situation.

Good for you. I was standing looking at the tanks at Pets at Home and they are unashamedly aimed at kids e.g. "Shark Reef Rally" which has two sizes one which has 3 goldfish in a 11 litre tank and another which has six (six!!) in a tank I think was 22 litres. Amazing!

 

[Khalix]

I know! We have a tiny corner "tank" that is under a gallon...the old box showed two goldfish merrily swimming in there, and the new one shows several platys strutting their stuff. I think one of my favorite past times is mocking new items like that when they come in. Sadly they aren't just marketing them to kids.. the newer fluval chi.. which looks really pretty and minimalistic is 5 gallons.. I think there's at least 5 goldfish on it!

It wouldn't be so bad if people believed you at all, and I can understand their hesitancy to believe they either can't have the fish they want with the space and tank they can provide easily, or they need to upgrade... I'd probably question whether or not they are just trying to sell me more junk.

However, we print out information about them and sometimes after they just don't get it I'll just hand them one, refer them to websites(like this one a few times!) and tell them we've almost all been there, but that this is how we can correct our mistakes and get better.

A man and his son the other day actually came in to buy another goldfish. After inquiring about his set up(he had 4 fantails in a 20 gallon), I said I strongly recommended not getting any more today and explained the issue of their bioload and how even though they may stop growing outwardly.. their organs were still getting larger. He was very receptive! His son took it well for such a little guy. We get a lot of crying children and I can't blame them. They don't know any better.. but it definitely makes the parents quick to give in to accomodate them and not what's good for the fish.

He thanked me and left. The next day he came back in and bought a 60 gallon and asked about fishless cycling because he'd read some forums.
I wish all outcomes were like that one.

On a side note, my local craigslist has a very large tiger oscar sitting in a pretty dirty 10 gallon tank that he's trying to sell and I wish badly i had a larger empty tank! That poor guy. I hope that's not what he's been in this whole time!