Fish cremation in Highland
A pond koi and a tank tetra need very different goodbyes. Here's who in and around Highland will cremate a fish, what it costs and what to do when there'll be almost no ash.
- Providers that actually accept fish
- Honest ash estimates before you pay
- Gentle options for tiny tank fish
Highland, Utah
Getting help with a fish loss around Highland
July afternoons near the canyon mouth reach the mid-90s, while snow can settle in from November until late February. On a hot day, carry your companion's body into the coolest part of the house, away from glass doors, and aim for pickup within hours. Cold weather gives you somewhat longer, though not a whole weekend, and snow on the canyon-mouth roads can slow a provider's arrival.
The Murdock Canal Trail crosses Highland on its way between Lehi and Orem, and plenty of residents spend evenings on it with their animals, Timpanogos glowing in the late light. It's a shared public path, so ashes don't belong there. With lots this size, a quiet corner of your own garden, maybe near a favorite sunning spot, is an easy and private alternative.
Plenty of people around Highland fish for sport, and some feel a little sheepish about grieving a pet fish. There's no contradiction. A goldfish or koi that lived with your family for years, came to the glass when you walked in and knew the sound of the feed tub was a companion, not a catch. It deserves the same thought you'd give any pet, whether that ends in a garden grave, a planter or a cremation near Salt Lake City.
With roughly 21,571 residents, Highland is the 46th-largest of the 52 Utah communities we cover. Salt Lake City, roughly 24 miles off, is the closest larger centre, and a share of the providers who cover Highland run from there.
If you want to compare providers, look at American Fork (3 miles), Lehi (4 miles, a larger centre) and Pleasant Grove (5 miles). Distance matters because pickup fees and the time until the ashes come back both grow with the drive.
46.1%[1]
The NFDA projected Utah's cremation rate at 46.1% 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.
Where these figures come from: Embrace Pet Insurance and UK Pet Food (formerly PFMA) Pet Population 2026.
What local funeral customs suggest for a pet fish
With a human cremation rate of 46.1%[1] in Utah, pet cemeteries tend to be more common here than in high-cremation areas, and a few will accept very small pets or their ashes. A plot for a fish is unusual and normally costs more than a cremation, but it can make sense if other family pets already rest there. Ask whether they take small caskets or ashes only, and what the yearly upkeep covers.
For the Utah figure we rely on NFDA 2024 Cremation & Burial Report state projections (via Occasional Sage) (2024). Read it as a picture of local custom around death and remembrance in Highland rather than as pet data.
Heat, ice and your pond in Highland
Temperature swings in Highland matter for tank fish too. Summer heat can push aquarium water too high if the air conditioning is off, and a winter power cut can chill a tropical tank fast. If a fish dies after either, check the heater and thermometer before you think about aftercare. Then freeze your fish, stabilize the tank and decide calmly.
With hot summers and freezing winters, burial timing in Highland can be awkward. Baked summer soil is hard to dig and frozen winter soil is impossible. Cremation sidesteps both, and for a large koi it gives you ashes you can scatter or bury whenever the ground allows. For a small fish, a big planter on the patio or balcony is a year-round alternative.
Fish cremation quotes in Highland: what's normal
Cost is a fair worry, even for a small pet. In one US survey of pet owners, 61%[5] said the cost of aftercare was a concern. The good news for fish keepers in Highland is that there are low-cost options: communal cremation through a vet, a garden or planter burial that costs next to nothing, or a private cremation only for the larger fish where ash is worth keeping.
Rather than repeat the price table on every city page, we keep one for Utah: Utah costs. What each service includes is on the services page.
Free tool
Cremation cost calculator
Estimate a realistic price range for your pet's size, location and the type of cremation.
Local rules in Utah
A loss sometimes leads families to give up fish keeping altogether. If you're rehoming the fish that are left, offer them to a fish store, a club or another keeper; don't be tempted to free them in a local stream or lake, however healthy the water looks. Escaped pet fish spread parasites and compete with native species. For the fish you've lost, the local rules in Utah are below.
To find your county or city office in Utah, start with the official Utah local government directory.
We keep Utah's burial and scattering rules in one place: the Utah rules summary. Before a home burial in Highland, also ask the city whether local ordinances add anything.
Step by step, from tank to goodbye
- 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, giving them a chance to write a card, find a stone or think of words.
- Leave the tank empty for a while before talking about a new fish, unless your child asks sooner.
Remembering your fish in Highland
Highland sits in the northeast corner of Utah County near the mouth of American Fork Canyon, a town of spacious lots and newer family homes about 24 miles from Salt Lake City. Practices in American Fork, Lehi and Alpine are close by. Because houses here tend to sit well back from the street on large parcels, mention any gate code or long driveway when you arrange a home collection.
try the free planning tools, look through our guides and the blog, or see what other families chose in the poll results, The services page is the place to compare what is included. Close to Highland we also cover Provo, Lehi, West Jordan and Salt Lake City; the full list for Utah and for the United States is a click away.
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.
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.
Was a fish your child's first pet?
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If you had to decide today, which aftercare would you choose for your pet?
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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
How do Utah attitudes to cremation compare?
NFDA 2024 Cremation & Burial Report state projections (via Occasional Sage) (2024) puts the Utah human cremation rate at about 46.1%[1]. We show it on the Highland page because pet aftercare choices tend to track it: where cremation is normal for people, communal and private pet cremation are both easy to find.
Does the Highland climate change what I should do first?
Only the timing. In July, with highs near 95°F, cool the body and book collection the same day. In January, February, November and December, when lows sit below freezing, a home burial may have to wait for a thaw, so cremation with ashes returned keeps your options open.
Can a provider from a neighbouring town collect from Highland?
Usually yes. American Fork is about 3 miles away, Lehi is about 4 miles away and Pleasant Grove is about 5 miles away, all inside a normal collection radius. Get the mileage written into the quote so there is no surprise on the day.
Where are the providers that serve Highland actually based?
Some are local, and some run from Salt Lake City, about 24 miles away. That is normal for a town this size. What matters is the collection time they quote for Highland and whether the drive is priced into the total, so ask both up front.
Is there free support for grieving a pet in Utah?
Yes. Veterinary students trained by grief counselors answer the free Cornell Pet Loss Support Hotline, and Tufts University runs a free Pet Loss Support Helpline on weekday evenings. Both take calls from anywhere in the US. A long-lived koi or a child's first goldfish is a real loss, and they'll treat it as one.
Can I bury a fish when the ground is frozen?
Usually not, and there's no need to try. Keep your fish sealed and labeled in the freezer until spring. It won't come to any harm. Many families find it comforting to wait and plant something at the same time. Cremation is also an option if you'd rather not wait.
Sources and our estimates
- [1] The NFDA projected Utah's cremation rate at 46.1% 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] 61% of US owners in the Cooney survey rated the cost of after-death body care as a concern (27.9% concerned, 33.1% very concerned). Cooney, Kogan, Brooks, Ellis - Pet Owners' Expectations for Pet End-of-Life Support and After-Death Body Care, Topics in Companion Animal Medicine (2020), 2020.
- [6] 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.
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