From this site-
http://www.nwf.org/nationalwildlife/article.cfm?articleId=1000&issueId=70
Don't Flush the Fish
"If flushing cat litter down the toilet is a bad idea for the environment, flushing tropical fish might be even worse, according to a new study by the University of Washington and the Reef Environmental Education Foundation, a private conservation group. Off Florida’s southeast coast between 1993 and 2002, the researchers found 16 nonnative fish species, apparently set free from home aquariums.
Biologists have long suspected that intentional and unintentional aquarium releases into fresh water are a leading cause of invasions by tropical fish, which may prey on native species or endanger them by introducing parasites. But the link had never been proved despite increased sightings of exotic species, such as a pair of Pacific orbicular batfish found at the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary this summer. The study ruled out the possibility that the fish hitchhiked in ballast water, because the home ranges of the fish do not overlap with shipping routes. Most of the exotic invaders—such as raccoon butterfly fish, tang and angel fish, and lionfish—come from the Red Sea and the Pacific and Indian Oceans. All are popular in the aquarium trade. The moral of the story: If you have an aquarium stocked with tropical fish, don’t flush."
—Heidi Ridgley
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Interesting article from National Willife Federation Oct/Nov
People flush live fish? But... why?
I remember as a child my Mom flushing guppies, betas from carnivals, and goldfish but they were all deceased to the best of my knowledge. We'd all huddle around the toilet and say good by before the inevitable flush came and swirled them away. Some time when I was in elementary school, my Mom received a gift of native hens and chicks from a friend who told her to stop flushing dead fish and put them in the soil to make the plants grow better. Made sense to my Mom and that is how she began disposing of them.
Why do people flush live fish? Probably too many reasons to list if everyone shared why they had flushed live fish in the past. I hate to say it but I have maintained aquariums since the 70's and poor fish selections on my behalf caused big problems in my community fish tanks. Favorite fish that I had for years were attacked by more aggressive species that I added without properly researching how everyone would get along. We take the information for granted that is available on the Internet these days. I must say that I flushed live fish that were going after tank residents that had been with me for years. I called the fish stores where I had purchased them and they sure didn't want them back. I read something like this article and I feel guilty but I didn't know any better. The fish I flushed probably wouldn't survive in my area anyway but they most assuredly would have in southern states.
Can you imagine being flushed alive and then "living" in a septic tank? It isnt a good idea to flush fish period. If you have to dispose of your fish- please kill them first. It's kind of cruel to flush them alive. I doubt a fish could live long in human poo anyway.
Most of the releasees are dumped into waterways by well meaning people- puts a damper on the rest of us fish lovers. We can no longer have Snakeheads for that very reason. We all make mistakes though- life goes on.
Don't feel too bad Equi- most everyone has made the mistake of buying a non-suitable fish for a community tank. It would help if the LFS employees were better trained in the species they sell.
Or, you could batter them up and fry `em. Yummy! Wonder how many tetras it would take to have a fish fry? LOL
Good article.
I remember having a flush funeral for a pleco that I had that died
The kids were gathered round
everyone was sad
we had him for YEARS
dropped him in
said our prayers
tears were shed
flipped the handle
water swirling......
and.....
he was way too big to go down
He was almost a foot long and with that almost armor skin was to stiff and long to fit....LOL
Then there was the fight over who was going to reach in and pull him out......
I was driving in my car once and heard a radio commercial for a local plumber. I swear I almost drove off the side of the road in fits of laughter over a flush funeral. I guess this family was gathered around their toilet saying their final fairwells to the family fish named "Goldie" and after doing so, they flushed. The fish swirled around but didn't go down. The Dad very calmly repeated the final farewells and flushed again. Fish didn't go down. Dad said the farewells again and the fish still didn't flush. Then I heard kids crying and saying that this was sign that "Goldie" really wasn't dead and I could hear the sounds of a toilet handle being repeatedly flushed while the wife was hysterically yelling at the husband to do something. Don't ask me why I found this so funny but I did.
So crestedchik, who got the honors of digging out the pleco?
LOL!!!!
Down the Mississippi you go,
Dear fishy friend I bid thee farewell,
Some sweet morning when Heaven calls,
I'll sing this song just for you,
Row row row your boat....
I was so afraid that when the water was swirling around the kids were gunna scream
Look ,he's alive
he's swimming
But he was soooooo big he just spun in circles
and your's truley got to fish him out
he went into the compost heap
thought about letting his body float out to sea(really its a lake )
But I figured someone would see him floating and think some strange fish had been released in our lake
Some prankster put a sharks body floating in the lake one time
Too bad the body was still partialy frozen when taken to examine it
Thank you Crimson! I have been complaining for years that live fish get flushed. Put them in a little water in the freezer-they get cold and die quietly. I don't know who thought up the fish and toilet thing in the first place. The garden, the garbage disposal, or the wastebasket are much better choices for already-dead fish. If they aren't dead, maybe there is another option. If not, kill them HUMANELY! Thanks, my personal soapbox from my days in the pet trade. The other one-the store I worked at had a guarentee-if it doesn't live, bring it back. People brought me dead fish in huge amounts of water, nicely inflated and tied. The dead fish doesn't need ANY water, let alone a big old bag full! I even got dead fish in bags of water and fish food, but there was usually something really wrong with the people who did that.
Yes, my girlfriend owns a pet shop and she taught me how to humanely destroy fish well over 20 years ago. It does make sense and is humane. I haven't had any mistakes since she bought that little pet shop though as she has always been there for me to help with aquarium community fish selections but we do have non native rusty crayfish around here that I humanely destroy using the method described by both you and my friend. I never returned fish that didn't make it even before she bought her shop... never could find the receipt but I would have brought them in with water just in case they needed a water sample. Test kits were not affordable back in the 70's. We relied upon the pet shop for water tests back then.
Equi- a pet shop??? I'd never leave her side! LOL Man, I'd never leave the shop. :O I'd love ta own a pet store. :D
I usually decapatate my fish. It's really fast that way. :-(
Ah, yes. Water sample is a great idea, but the readings will not be accurate if the water has a dead fish floating around in it. The fish and the water should travel in separate containers and NEVER be left for hours in a hot car. (I had plenty of those over the years too).
Syl- yuck. I can only imagine the smell,LOL.
The pet store job got too depressing after a while. For every customer who followed my instructions, there were two who didn't and brought back dead fish. I also ended up with a house full of semi-working animal equipment that I was going to fix up one of those days and all sorts of hard-luck animals that no one else wanted-the one eyed hamster and the three legged guinea pig, for example. I liked a lot of it while I was there, but I'm glad to be doing something else now, and my new job pays better too!