Koi and aquarium fish cremation in Longmont
Fish are real pets, and some live for decades. We explain fish cremation in Longmont in plain words, including when a small fish is better honored another way.
- Koi, goldfish and tropical fish
- Written prices, no pressure
- Burial and keepsake ideas included
Longmont, Colorado
Who will cremate a fish in Longmont?
Longmont's climate is typical of the northern Front Range: hot, dry summers in the upper 80s, cold snaps in winter and sudden spring storms. Hail can hit hard from May to August. A summer death at home means moving your pet onto a basement floor or tile, out of the sun. In winter, icy roads can slow travel, so there is no need to rush if conditions are poor.
The St. Vrain Greenway, Union Reservoir and McIntosh Lake give many Longmont families a place to be outdoors with their animals, and Longs Peak, which gives the city its name, fills the western skyline. Some people keep ashes at home in view of the mountains, while others tuck them into a backyard flower bed. Either way, there is no need to decide quickly.
Sometimes the fish that died in Longmont was the last one in the tank. Before you pack the aquarium away, pour the old water down a sink rather than into a storm drain or garden stream, and pass live plants and snails to a fellow hobbyist instead of a local pond. Those small steps keep pests and disease out of local water. Then give yourself a week or two before deciding whether to restock.
Longmont's population is around 100,109, the 13th-largest of the 36 Colorado communities we cover. Some of the providers who serve Longmont are based about 30 miles away in Denver, the nearest larger centre, so collection times reflect that drive.
If you want to compare providers, look at Frederick (8 miles), Firestone (8 miles) and Erie (9 miles). Distance matters because pickup fees and the time until the ashes come back both grow with the drive.
77.4%[1]
The NFDA projected Colorado's cremation rate at 77.4% for 2024.
10 million[2]
About 10 million US households keep freshwater fish.
13%[3]
13% of UK households keep an indoor fish tank.
3-5% of body weight[4]
Embrace notes cremated remains typically weigh about 3-5% of the pet's original body weight.
Sources for the statistics above: American Pet Products Association (APPA) 2025 National Pet Owners Survey release and UK Pet Food (formerly PFMA) Pet Population 2026.
Cremation in Colorado: a little context
With about 77.4%[1] of people cremated, cremation is firmly part of local life in Colorado. Families who keep ashes at home for a parent often feel the same about a long-lived pet, and a koi that has been in the family for twenty years is no exception. If you want your fish home in a small urn beside the pond or on a shelf, you'll find plenty of people here who understand exactly why.
That Colorado rate is a human one, published by NFDA 2024 Cremation & Burial Report state projections (via Occasional Sage) (2024). We quote it for Longmont only as a pointer to how families here already think about cremation.
Heat, ice and your pond in Longmont
Longmont winters are cold, with average lows at or below freezing in January, February, March, November and December. Pond fish slow right down in winter and live under the ice, but they still need a small opening for gases to escape. Many keepers use a floating de-icer or keep an air pump running near the surface. Losses under the ice, sometimes called winterkill, are usually only discovered when the pond thaws.
Frozen ground is the practical problem for a fish that dies in a Longmont winter. With lows below freezing for 5 months of the year, a garden burial may simply not be possible until spring. That's fine. Seal your fish in a bag, label it and keep it in the freezer. Many families find it comforting to wait and bury their fish when they're planting the garden.
Why a small fish still has a minimum price
Expect to pay the provider's small-pet minimum for your fish in Longmont. PetMD says US communal cremation starts from about $50[5], and Embrace Pet Insurance gives wider national ranges for private cremation and aquamation, shown below. Before you pay for a private cremation, ask how much ash the provider expects to return. Cremated remains usually weigh about 3-5% of body weight[4], and a fish can come in at the low end of that.
We keep the detailed Colorado price table on one page so it stays current: see Colorado prices.
Free tool
Cremation cost calculator
Estimate a realistic price range for your pet's size, location and the type of cremation.
Burial, scattering and release rules in Colorado
You don't need a permit to have a fish cremated, but what you do with the body or the ashes can be governed by local rules. The most important one for fish keepers applies to living fish: never release a fish, or empty a pond or tank, into a creek, lake or drain. Many places restrict releasing non-native fish because they can spread disease and crowd out wildlife.
Not sure which office covers Longmont? The Colorado local government directory is the official list.
We keep Colorado's burial and scattering rules in one place: the Colorado rules summary. Before a home burial in Longmont, also ask the city whether local ordinances add anything.
What to do when your fish dies in Longmont
- If your child's fish dies while they're at school, leave it where it is or chill it, and tell them honestly when they get home.
- Skip the secret replacement. Children usually notice, and the truth is easier to handle than a discovery later.
- Let them see the fish if they want to, resting in a soft cloth, and give plain, simple answers to whatever they ask.
- Offer two or three choices for the goodbye, such as a flowerpot on the windowsill, a spot in the garden or a small box to keep.
- Set a time for the goodbye, so they can make a card, pick a stone or choose words to say.
- Leave the tank empty for a while before talking about a new fish, unless your child asks sooner.
Remembering your fish in Longmont
Longmont is a city of about 100,000 in northeastern Boulder County, around 30 miles north of Denver. It mixes older neighborhoods near Main Street with newer subdivisions spreading east toward Weld County, where acreage lots let some households keep chickens, rabbits and more. When you ask about aftercare, say which part of town you are in; distances to providers can differ depending on whether you head toward Boulder, Denver or Fort Collins.
run the numbers with the free planning tools, or see how other readers answered in our polls, the guides answer the longer questions and the blog the newer ones, The services page is the place to compare what is included. If you live between Longmont and Fort Collins, Thornton, Aurora and Denver, either page applies. Every other community in Colorado, and all of the United States, is listed too.
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.
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.
Would you keep your fish in the freezer while you decide what to do?
Tap an answer to vote and see how others answered. Anonymous.
If you had to decide today, which aftercare would you choose for your pet?
Tap an answer to vote and see how others answered. Anonymous.
Free tools to help you plan
Cremation cost calculator
Estimate a realistic price range for your pet's size, location and the type of cremation.
Ashes weight estimator
See roughly how much ash to expect back, by species and body weight.
Aftercare options compared
Compare private, communal and water cremation with burial on cost, timing and what comes home.
Questions people ask
Is cremation common in Colorado?
For people, yes: about 77.4%[1] of Colorado deaths end in cremation, according to NFDA 2024 Cremation & Burial Report state projections (via Occasional Sage) (2024). Nobody publishes the same figure for pets, but in our experience pet choices in Longmont follow the human pattern closely, so cremation is the default most families here start from.
How does Longmont's weather affect fish aftercare?
July is the hottest month in Longmont, with average highs around 88°F, so prompt collection matters most then. Average lows drop below freezing in January, February, March, November and December, which can make digging a grave hard until spring.
Can a provider from a neighbouring town collect from Longmont?
Usually yes. Frederick is about 8 miles away, Firestone is about 8 miles away and Erie is about 9 miles away, all inside a normal collection radius. Get the mileage written into the quote so there is no surprise on the day.
Will I have to travel to Denver to arrange things?
Not usually. Providers based in Denver (roughly 30 miles from Longmont) collect from here as a matter of routine, and the paperwork is done by email or phone. If you want to be present for a witnessed cremation, that is when the drive matters.
Should I drop my fish off or have it collected in Longmont?
For most fish, dropping it off is simpler and cheaper. Put the sealed, frozen fish in a small cooler with ice packs and call ahead. Collection makes sense for a heavy koi you can't carry, or if you can't travel. Ask whether collection is included or charged separately.
What can I keep if my fish was too small to leave ashes?
Plenty. A framed photo, a painting or print of the fish, its favorite tank ornament, a plant grown over a garden burial or a painted stone all work. Some crematories offer a token vial with a certificate, though the contents may be mostly from the chamber. Ask what's inside before you pay, and choose whatever feels like your fish.
Sources and our estimates
- [1] The NFDA projected Colorado's cremation rate at 77.4% for 2024. NFDA 2024 Cremation & Burial Report state projections (via Occasional Sage), 2024.
- [2] About 10 million US households keep freshwater fish. American Pet Products Association (APPA) 2025 National Pet Owners Survey release, 2025.
- [3] 13% of UK households keep an indoor fish tank. UK Pet Food (formerly PFMA) Pet Population 2026, 2026.
- [4] Embrace notes cremated remains typically weigh about 3-5% of the pet's original body weight. Embrace Pet Insurance - Bury or Cremate Your Dog? Costs, Pros & Cons, 2025.
- [5] PetMD says US group (communal) cremation costs from about $50 and private cremation from about $100. PetMD - Pet Euthanasia: How Much Does It Cost? (July 2025), 2025.
- [6] Private cremation cost per pound falls with size in the US: roughly $9.2/lb for a 15 lb pet, $4.2/lb at 60 lb and about $4.0/lb at 100 lb. Our estimate: band midpoint price / representative weight: 0-30 lb (midpoint $137.50 / 15 lb) = $9.17/lb; 51-70 lb ($250 / 60 lb) = $4.17/lb; over 90 lb ($400 / ~100 lb) = $4.00/lb. How we calculate.
Get koi and fish aftercare options by email
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.