About us: a fish aftercare guide that takes your fish seriously
About 10 million[1] US households keep freshwater fish, yet most aftercare advice is written for dogs and cats. We built this guide for fish keepers, and we don't own a crematory.
- Independent: we don't run facilities or vans
- Researched figures, each with its source
- Honest about what small fish leave behind
Why this site exists
Why a whole guide for fish, and not just a footnote?
Fish are among the most widely kept pets there are. Beyond the US freshwater households counted in the American Pet Products Association's 2025 fish report, another 2 million[2] households keep saltwater fish, and 77%[3] of fish owners keep two or more. In the UK, UK Pet Food's population data shows 11%[4] of households with a garden pond and fish, and Europe counts 17.6 million[5] home aquariums.
Yet when a fish dies, owners often get a shrug, or a suggestion to flush it. Koi keepers who have cared for the same fish for twenty years get the same answer as a child whose goldfish died after a week. Both deserve better information, and the right answer for each is different.
So we wrote a guide just for fish: pond koi, fancy goldfish, bettas, reef fish and everything between. It covers what to do in the first hour, how much a fish really leaves after cremation and the gentler options when the answer is "very little". You can start on our home page or go straight to the services we help arrange.
Plainly put
What we are, and what we are not
We're an independent guide and request service. We don't own a crematory, a water cremation system, a pet cemetery or collection vehicles, and we don't employ vets. We don't handle your fish at any point.
- We do: explain your options in plain language, publish sourced price ranges, and reply to your request by email with providers and options that serve your area.
- We don't: cremate, collect, store or bury animals, sell urns from a warehouse, or promise a price a provider hasn't confirmed.
- We won't: pretend a tiny fish will return an urn's worth of ash, or push a service your fish doesn't need.
Step by step
How a request works, from your message to our reply
- You tell us about your fish. The kind of fish, its rough length or weight, where you live, and whether you want ashes back. A sentence is enough.
- We look at what serves your area. That means crematories, water cremation providers and pet cemeteries that accept fish and reach your postcode or zip code.
- We reply by email. You get options, typical prices and the questions worth asking each one. Nothing is booked until you choose to contact a provider.
- You decide. You can ignore our reply, ask a follow-up question or go ahead. There's no obligation and no hard sell.
Our contact page explains what to include and how we treat your details. If you're planning ahead for an elderly koi, the planning page walks through what's worth deciding now.
Where the numbers come from
How we research koi, pond and aquarium facts
Researched figures on this site carry a footnote to a source you can check: national pet-ownership surveys, insurers' published price guides, government agencies and peer-reviewed studies. Our research page lists them all. Where fish-specific data doesn't exist, we say so rather than borrowing a dog statistic and hoping no one notices.
We also correct popular myths. The koi Hanako is often said to have lived over two centuries. Her reported age was 223 years (disputed)[7]: Japan's koi association now says scale rings can form several times a year, so the count was wrong. Koi still live remarkably long lives, just not that long.
5.4x[8]
Figures marked our estimate, like the one above, are our own calculations from published facts. We show the inputs so you can check the math. We never present an estimate as a survey result.
Editorial standards
The rules we write by
- No reviews, star ratings or testimonials, because we can't verify them and you shouldn't have to wonder.
- No invented staff, awards or customer stories.
- Prices shown as ranges, with the source, because local quotes vary.
- Plain warnings where a choice could harm other animals, such as flushing or releasing fish.
- Every page reviewed and dated; this one on the date shown below.
Our reader polls are live, anonymous and unscientific. They show what other fish keepers chose, not what you should choose. You can see them on the poll results page. If something on this site is wrong, tell us through the contact form and we'll fix it.
When your fish died, did people around you take it seriously?
Tap an answer to vote and see how others answered. Anonymous.
Reader polls
What would you choose?
Vote anonymously and see how other readers answered. The results are live counts from people who visit this site, so they show real opinions, not a scientific sample.
When your fish died, did people around you take it seriously?
Tap an answer to vote and see how others answered. Anonymous.
How long had you kept the fish you lost, or your oldest fish now?
Tap an answer to vote and see how others answered. Anonymous.
Compared with losing a person, losing your pet felt...
Tap an answer to vote and see how others answered. Anonymous.
Questions people ask
Are you a pet crematory?
No. We're an independent guide and request service for fish aftercare. We don't operate cremation equipment, vans or cemeteries. When you send a request, we reply by email with providers and options that serve your area, and you deal with the provider directly if you decide to go ahead.
Am I committing to anything by sending a request?
No. Sending a request only asks us to reply by email with options for your area. Nothing is booked, collected or charged until you contact a provider yourself and agree terms with them. If a garden burial or a simple memorial would suit your fish better than a paid service, we'll say so.
Why do you tell people small fish may not leave ashes?
Because it's true, and finding out after paying is upsetting. Pets typically leave about 3 to 5% of body weight as ash, and a betta weighs a few grams. We'd rather you choose a memorial that works than pay for an empty promise.
Where do your statistics come from?
From published sources we link in every footnote: pet-ownership surveys, insurers' price guides, government agencies and peer-reviewed research. Figures marked as our estimate are our own calculations from those sources, with the inputs shown on the research page.
Can I suggest a correction?
Yes, please do. Use the contact form and tell us which page and which line. If a source has changed or we've made a mistake, we'll update the page and its review date. Koi keepers in particular often know things we don't, and we're glad to learn.
Sources and our estimates
- [1] About 10 million US households keep freshwater fish. American Pet Products Association (APPA) 2025 National Pet Owners Survey release, 2025.
- [2] About 2 million US households keep saltwater fish. American Pet Products Association (APPA) 2025 National Pet Owners Survey release, 2025.
- [3] 77% of U.S. fish owners keep two or more fish (APPA 2025). American Pet Products Association - From Bigger Tanks to Stronger Bonds: Fish & Reptile Ownership Evolves in 2025, 2025.
- [4] 11% of UK households keep an outdoor pond with fish. UK Pet Food (formerly PFMA) Pet Population 2026, 2026.
- [5] Europe has about 17.6 million home aquariums. FEDIAF European Pet Food, Facts & Figures 2025 (2023 data), 2023.
- [6] In total 78% of UK cremation buyers purchased through, or on the recommendation of, their vet or out-of-hours provider. UK Competition and Markets Authority - Veterinary services for household pets, Provisional decision report Part A (Oct 2025), 2025.
- [7] The famous koi 'Hanako' was listed at 223 years old from scale rings, but the Japanese koi association now says the age is considered incorrect because koi scales form multiple ridges per year. All Japan Nishikigoi Promotion Association - Ancient koi 'Hanako', 1977.
- [8] A koi (30-40 years) can be expected to live about 5.4 times as long as a typical goldfish (6-7 years). Our estimate: 35 / 6.5 (range midpoints). How we calculate.
Send us your question about a fish
Tell us what you need and where you are. We'll reply by email with clear options and prices so you can decide in your own time.