Koi and aquarium fish cremation in Slidell
Whether it was a prize koi or a goldfish from the school fair, you deserve a clear answer. Here's what fish aftercare looks like in Slidell, step by step.
- Pond and aquarium fish both covered
- Water cremation where it's offered
- Kind ways to explain it to children
Slidell, Louisiana
Who will cremate a fish in Slidell?
Summers in Slidell are long and humid, with August highs near 90F and very few winter nights below freezing. That means a body needs cooling quickly: wrap it gently, keep it inside on bare tile in a cool, air-conditioned room, and add ice packs around it. The June-to-November hurricane season can also delay pickups, so ask how a provider handles storm closures.
Slidell sits on the northeast shore of Lake Pontchartrain in St. Tammany Parish, about 30 miles from New Orleans by way of the I-10 twin span. Many residents live in single-family houses along canals, bayous or wooded lots. Because the city lies between the lake and the Pearl River, ask each provider whether Slidell falls inside its regular service area or needs a trip across the lake.
Rural roads around Slidell can mean a long drive for any pet service, so plan around the freezer rather than the clock. A fish sealed in a bag with the air pressed out, then wrapped in a towel, will keep for weeks. When the time suits you, take it to the vet or crematory together with any other errands. There's no rule that says a fish must be cremated within a day or two.
With roughly 28,341 residents, Slidell is the 12th-largest of the 17 Louisiana communities we cover. New Orleans, roughly 29 miles off, is the closest larger centre, and a share of the providers who cover Slidell run from there.
For a second opinion on price, New Orleans (29 miles, a larger centre), Kenner (34 miles, a larger centre) and Gulfport (42 miles, a larger centre) are close enough that their providers cover Slidell routinely. Two written quotes tell you more than any price list.
46.4%[1]
The NFDA projected Louisiana's cremation rate at 46.4% 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.
The numbers above come from UK Pet Food (formerly PFMA) Pet Population 2026 and American Pet Products Association (APPA) 2025 National Pet Owners Survey release, if you'd like to read the original sources.
What local funeral customs suggest for a pet fish
Only about 46.4%[1] of people in Louisiana are cremated, so burial remains the local tradition. For fish, that usually means a small grave in the garden, which is simple and kind for most tank fish. Cremation is still available through vets and pet crematories, though, and it becomes more attractive for a large koi you'd like to keep close, or if you rent and might move.
The Louisiana figure comes from NFDA 2024 Cremation & Burial Report state projections (via Occasional Sage) (2024). It describes people, not pets, so read it as a sign of local attitudes rather than a pet statistic.
Heat, ice and your pond in Slidell
Tank fish feel the heat too. An apartment in Slidell with the air conditioning off during a August workday can push aquarium water well above what most tropical fish tolerate. If you come home to a dead fish in a warm tank, remove it, cool the room, check the heater hasn't stuck on and add aeration. Then freeze your fish and decide on aftercare when the tank is safe.
Slidell summers are hot, with August averaging highs around 90°F. Warm water holds less dissolved oxygen than cold water, so pond fish are most at risk on hot, still nights, and losses are often found at dawn when oxygen is lowest. If you find a fish gasping at the surface, get an air pump or fountain running before anything else. Then lift out any fish that have died and put them straight in the freezer.
Why a small fish still has a minimum price
Where a Slidell provider offers water cremation, ask for both of its versions. By our estimate, private aquamation runs about two and a half times the price of communal aquamation at the same provider[5]. The process uses roughly the water of 1–3 pet baths[6], according to the Veterinary Sustainability Alliance, which appeals to many people saying goodbye to a water animal. What comes back is a soft white powder instead of grey ash, and the national price bands appear in the table below.
We keep the detailed Louisiana price table on one page so it stays current: see Louisiana prices.
Free tool
Cremation cost calculator
Estimate a realistic price range for your pet's size, location and the type of cremation.
Before you bury, scatter or rehome in Louisiana
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 Slidell? The Louisiana local government directory is the official list.
The Louisiana page sets out who oversees pet cremation and what the state says about burial and scattering. Slidell's own bylaws can sit on top of that, so ask before you dig.
A calm plan for a fish's aftercare
- If a big koi is going for private cremation, take its length and get a rough weight by standing on bathroom scales holding the bagged fish.
- Photograph its markings before it goes in the freezer. A photo can be checked against the paperwork later, and many families treasure it regardless.
- Wrap it in an old towel inside two strong bags, then lay it flat in the freezer so it slides into a cooler later.
- Call a provider that has cremated fish before and ask how much ash it expects and how it tracks each pet.
- Work out the urn size with the urn size calculator before you buy anything.
- Drive it over in an insulated box with frozen gel packs, and plan where the ashes will go: a shelf indoors, the garden or around the pond.
Remembering your fish in Slidell
Much of Slidell has flooded at one time or another, from Katrina's surge to heavy rain events, and plenty of residents think twice before burying anything in the yard. Cremation lets you keep remains dry and portable. With private cremation you receive only your pet's ashes; a communal service is cheaper and usually returns none. Both are perfectly reasonable choices for a family.
Our services overview lays out every option side by side, browse in-depth guides or recent articles, or see what other families chose in the poll results, run the numbers with the free planning tools. More local pages: Lake Charles, Lafayette, Baton Rouge and St. George, the Louisiana overview and every city in the United States.
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.
What would you choose for a fish you loved?
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
Where are the providers that serve Slidell actually based?
Some are local, and some run from New Orleans, about 29 miles away. That is normal for a town this size. What matters is the collection time they quote for Slidell and whether the drive is priced into the total, so ask both up front.
When is the hardest time of year to arrange a burial in Slidell?
There is no frozen-ground season here; average lows stay above freezing all year. The other pressure point is August, when highs around 90°F mean a body needs cooling and collecting quickly.
Can a provider from a neighbouring town collect from Slidell?
Usually yes. New Orleans is about 29 miles away, Kenner is about 34 miles away and Gulfport is about 42 miles away, all inside a normal collection radius. Get the mileage written into the quote so there is no surprise on the day.
Why does the Slidell page quote a human cremation rate?
Because it is the best local signal we have. NFDA 2024 Cremation & Burial Report state projections (via Occasional Sage) (2024) reports about 46.4%[1] of Louisiana residents are cremated. There is no official pet equivalent, and inventing one would be worse than quoting a real, clearly labelled number.
How much ash does a fish leave after cremation?
Cremated remains usually weigh about 3 to 5% of body weight, and fish tend toward the low end because they're mostly water with fine bones. A large koi might return a few ounces, enough for a small urn. A pond goldfish may leave a keepsake vial's worth. A small tank fish may leave nothing you could collect separately.
Can my vet in Slidell arrange a fish's cremation?
Often yes. Many small-town vets send small animals to a regional crematory and can include a fish with their regular collection. Ask whether their crematory accepts fish, whether you'll get ashes back for your fish's size and what the total cost will be.
Sources and our estimates
- [1] The NFDA projected Louisiana's cremation rate at 46.4% 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] Private pet aquamation costs about 2.5 times communal aquamation at the same provider. Our estimate: mean of tier ratios 150/50, 200/75, 250/100, 350/150, 450/225. How we calculate.
- [6] Aquamation uses about the same water per pet as 1–3 pet baths. Veterinary Sustainability Alliance — Aquamation, 2024.
- [7] The median price multiple of private (ashes returned) over communal cremation across 8 markets is about 2.0x, ranging from 1.25x (Tokyo) to 5.2x (Auckland). Our estimate: median(private_price / communal_price) same weight band: US CareCredit 51-70 lb midpoints (250/75) = 3.33x; Auckland 15-25 kg (445/85) = 5.24x; Norway 1-20 kg (3790/1190) = 3.18x; Singapore 10-20 kg (480/260) = 1.85x; Ontario 25-250 lb (549/279) = 1.97x; Tokyo 20-30 kg (38500/30800) = 1.25x; France 20 kg midpoints (200/95) = 2.11x; Germany range midpoints (270/145) = 1.86x. How we calculate.
Tell us about your 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.