Which fish are you thinking about right now?
A koi from our pond0%
A goldfish, pond or tank0%
A betta or other single-tank fish0%
A fish from a community tropical tank0%
A marine or reef fish0%
Something else, like an oscar or arowana0%
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Live results: how fish keepers are voting
These totals update as people vote. Read them alongside published research, such as the 34.5%[1] of bereaved owners in one UK survey who were told "it's just a pet".
- Live totals, updated as votes arrive
- Compared with published research
- No invented or pre-filled numbers
Before you read the numbers
How these fish poll results are counted
Each figure below is a live count of votes from visitors to this site. One person gets one vote per question, votes are anonymous, and the percentages shift every time someone new takes part. A poll with few votes can swing a long way on a handful of answers.
This isn't a scientific survey. The people who find a fish aftercare guide are more likely to have lost a fish recently, and more likely to be the kind of owner who looks for a considered goodbye. That makes the results a useful picture of our readers, not of every fish owner. You can still add your own vote on the polls page.
Live results
What would you choose for a fish you loved?
Private cremation, with the ashes back0%
Communal cremation, no ashes back0%
Burial in the garden, well away from the pond0%
Burial in a big planter with a new plant0%
I honestly don't know yet0%
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Before reading about it, what did you think happens to a flushed fish?
I assumed it was simply gone0%
I thought the water treatment took care of it0%
I knew it could cause problems downstream0%
I'd never flush a pet, it felt wrong0%
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Would you keep your fish in the freezer while you decide what to do?
Yes, it's the practical choice0%
I've done it before0%
I'd use the fridge for a day or two instead0%
No, I couldn't face that0%
I didn't know that was an option0%
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Was a fish your child's first pet?
Yes, a goldfish0%
Yes, a betta0%
Yes, another kind of fish0%
No, their first pet was something else0%
No children in our home0%
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Which memorial feels right for a fish?
A stone or marker beside the pond0%
A water lily or garden plant in their name0%
A framed photo or painting of them0%
A small ornament kept in the tank0%
A pendant with a pinch of ashes0%
A gyotaku-style fish print0%
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How long had you kept the fish you lost, or your oldest fish now?
Less than two years0%
Two to five years0%
Five to ten years0%
Ten to twenty years0%
More than twenty years0%
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When your fish died, did people around you take it seriously?
Yes, they understood0%
Some did, some joked about it0%
No, I kept it to myself0%
I was surprised how much it hurt me0%
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Making sense of it
Three ways to read a live result without over-reading it
- Check the vote count first. Twenty votes tell you what a few people think; two thousand start to show a pattern among our readers.
- Look for surprises, not winners. A poll where a quarter of people chose an option you'd never considered is more useful than knowing which answer came first.
- Remember who's voting. Koi keepers and parents of young children may both be here, and their answers can pull a result in different directions.
Results are never presented on this site as facts about all fish owners. When we state a fact, it has a source; when you see a poll total, it's a live conversation. Our about page explains the difference, and the research page lists the published sources we rely on.
Context
How our poll results compare with published research
There's very little published research on fish owners specifically, so the useful comparisons come from studies of all pets. Keep the differences in mind: those surveys were dominated by dog and cat owners, whose animals leave far more ash and are far more often cremated.
67%[2]
In the CMA's UK pet owners survey, 67% of owners whose pet died in the previous two years had the pet cremated.
68% cremation; 32% burial[3]
In a US survey of 2,043 dog and cat owners who had made end-of-life decisions, 68% had made a cremation decision and 32% a burial decision for at least one past pet.
66.9%[4]
66.9% of respondents were surprised by how intense their grief was after losing a pet.
In the UK competition regulator's survey, 67%[2] of owners whose pet died recently chose cremation. If our readers' votes on the aftercare poll lean more toward garden burial, that makes sense for animals weighing a few grams. If koi keepers lean toward private cremation, that makes sense too, because a large koi returns enough ash for an urn.
The grief questions are where our polls and published research may line up most closely. In the RSPCA's survey of more than 4,000 bereaved owners, 66.9%[4] were surprised by the intensity of their grief. If you voted that you were surprised how much it hurt, you're in large company.
Fish-only questions
Results no other pet survey asks about
Some of our questions don't appear in any published research we know of: what people believe happens to a flushed fish, whether they'd freeze one while deciding, and whether a fish was a child's first pet. That's what makes them interesting, and why a live count with a clear caveat is better than nothing.
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.
Whatever the freezer poll shows, the practical advice doesn't change: a sealed, frozen fish can wait days or weeks while you decide. Our transport and logistics guide covers how to store and move a large koi.
Pond keepers
Reading the koi results: long lives change the answers
Watch the "how long had you kept your fish" totals. Most pet polls would never see an answer above twenty years, but koi commonly live 30-40 years[5]. By our own estimate, that's about 5.4x[6] the lifespan of a typical goldfish, so a pond keeper answering this poll may be describing a fish they bought before their children were born.
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.
When a fish has been in the family that long, bigger gestures can feel right: private cremation, a carved stone by the pond, or ashes shared between family members. If that's you, the ashes sharing planner shows how far one koi's ashes can go, and the pond-side markers guide has ideas for the water's edge.
Using it
What to take from the results when it's your fish
Poll results can reassure you that your instinct is shared, or show you an option you hadn't heard of. They can't tell you what's right for your fish. That depends on its size, where you live and what you'd like to keep.
If you're still undecided, three next steps help. Run your fish's weight through the ashes weight estimator to see whether cremation will return anything meaningful. Compare choices side by side with the aftercare options comparison. Then read our private vs communal cremation for fish guide before calling providers.
Free tool
Ashes weight estimator
See roughly how much ash to expect back, by species and body weight.
Fish keeping is widespread, with 10 million[7] US households keeping freshwater fish alone, according to the American Pet Products Association. However the numbers move, you're one of a very large group of people who cared for a fish and want to do right by it. Tell us about yours when you're ready.
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.
What would you choose for a fish you loved?
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
How often do the results update?
Live. The totals you see reflect every vote counted at the moment the page loads, and your own vote appears immediately after you cast it. Reload the page later and the numbers will likely have moved as other fish keepers take part.
Why don't you publish results as percentages of all fish owners?
Because our voters aren't a random sample of fish owners. People reading a fish aftercare guide have usually just lost a fish, or expect to soon, and that shapes their answers. Presenting the totals as national facts would be misleading, so we don't.
Can I vote more than once?
No. Each question takes one vote per person, and a small anonymous browser cookie prevents repeat voting. That keeps the totals fair. If you share a device with someone else, they may be shown the results instead of the question.
Where can I find research on fish owners?
Ownership figures come from national surveys such as APPA in the US, UK Pet Food and Animal Medicines Australia. Studies on pet grief and aftercare costs mostly cover dogs and cats. Our research page lists every source we use, including the fish-specific facts about koi lifespans and goldfish release rules.
Sources and our estimates
- [1] 34.5% of bereaved pet owners were told 'it's just a pet'. RSPCA — Pet Loss Survey Results, 2026.
- [2] In the CMA's UK pet owners survey, 67% of owners whose pet died in the previous two years had the pet cremated. UK Competition and Markets Authority - Veterinary services for household pets, Provisional decision report Part A (Oct 2025), 2025.
- [3] In a US survey of 2,043 dog and cat owners who had made end-of-life decisions, 68% had made a cremation decision and 32% a burial decision for at least one past pet. 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.
- [4] 66.9% of respondents were surprised by how intense their grief was after losing a pet. RSPCA — Pet Loss Survey Results, 2026.
- [5] Nishikigoi (koi) typically live about 30 to 40 years depending on their environment. All Japan Nishikigoi Promotion Association - Ancient koi 'Hanako', 2024.
- [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.
- [7] About 10 million US households keep freshwater fish. American Pet Products Association (APPA) 2025 National Pet Owners Survey release, 2025.
Get options for your own fish
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