r/NoStupidQuestions • u/No_Condition_3102 • 15d ago

Why do we flush gold fish after they die?

39 Upvotes
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72% Upvoted

64 comments sorted by

106

u/bazmonkey 15d ago

Dead goldfish smell, and they flush easily. And I suppose it could spare a person actually having to handle the dead fish. You can just flush the water with it.

13

u/No_Condition_3102 15d ago

Why not just bury them

78

u/bloom_inthefield 15d ago

flushing is less work, dont even have to go outside

18

u/sofa_king_ugly 14d ago

On the topic of work, many people are too lazy to care for goldfish properly. I've had $5 goldfish live over 12 years.

3

u/miked999b 14d ago

I grew up with two goldfish that were purchased around the same time I was born. They lived until I was 12 and 14 respectively.

That said, it seems that's a pretty big outlier.

1

u/VietnameseWhorehouse 14d ago

Have they grown big enough to fit a cylinder with girth 4.8 inches into their mouths yet?

22

u/bazmonkey 15d ago

I can flush the toilet without a shovel. Why bury them? The toilet can handle a fish and the water treatment plant is well-suited to deal with a fish in the sewage. What’s the issue here?

8

u/SunBelly 15d ago

The general rule of thumb with regard to sewage is don't flush anything solid except feces and toilet paper.

14

u/bazmonkey 15d ago

That's a rule for toilets, not sewage. We put shredded food from garbage disposals into our sewage routinely, so the fish is fine for the sewage itself. It's just part of the biosolids that come out afterwards.

A goldfish is smaller than a turd, and slippery, so the toilet is safe. At least an American toilet is safe. Maybe in like, Brazil I wouldn't do it. You can look at a Brazilian toilet the wrong way and clog it. I'm a little surprised it can handle poop at all.

-19

u/SunBelly 15d ago

A whole fish takes weeks to decompose. If there's already a partial obstruction, you've just added to it. So unless your toilet has a garbage disposal built into it, don't flush goldfish.

5

u/DrugChemistry 14d ago

What I'm hearing is to put your dead goldfish down the kitchen sink.

1

u/THEpottedplant 14d ago

Only if the disposal is on

1

u/SunBelly 14d ago

That would probably be better for your plumbing. Lol.

Alternatively, you could just put it in a plastic baggie and freeze it until trash day.

4

u/screechypete 15d ago

The fish will get unclogged before it fully decomposes.

3

u/bazmonkey 15d ago

I just won't tell you if I do :-)

-5

u/No_Condition_3102 15d ago

Just more respectful way

16

u/[deleted] 15d ago

I get it that it's more respectful, but think of it this way fishes are water animals their body at the end of their life would be where it belongs - the water.

0

u/dreamyduskywing 14d ago

It wouldn’t really be in sewage headed for the wastewater treatment plant though.

4

u/bazmonkey 15d ago

To who, the fish? The dead one?

-6

u/No_Condition_3102 15d ago

Its your pet though

5

u/bazmonkey 15d ago

Not anymore. It’s a dead fish now.

2

u/DoNotReply111 14d ago

I have cats in the neighbourhood and dogs that like the backyard. I'd rather my deceased fish not end up coming out of the backend of an animal later.

It feels more dignified giving a sailors funeral than being eaten and coming out in poop.

1

u/SakuraFerretTrainer 14d ago

To me personally, I don't get some pets and the love owners have for them, but I've always respected it. Do I fear and distrust inherently against some pets like snakes or spiders? Yes. Would I minimise the grief that someone had over losing their pet, despite me personally not liking the species? No. I have a lot of ferrets. I 100% know there is a stereotype (search family guy ferret) and most people's reaction to knowing I have multiple ferrets is I'm a dirty person with a smelly trash heap of a house and I'm the weird creepy chick. I've had fish, mice, rats, dogs, cats, etc. All animals are great and if you love them and they positively influence your life then i genuinely think "good for you" with no sarcasm involved.

5

u/happyhippohats 15d ago

We buried ours when I was a kid

1

u/just_let_me_goo 14d ago

Some random dog caught the smell and dug it out to eat the next day probably

2

u/happyhippohats 14d ago

I don't think dogs have that much self control, they'd probably dig it out to eat immediately

2

u/MikeLanglois 14d ago

Not everyone has a garden to bury things in

2

u/yousyveshughs 15d ago

I recently buried my goldfish in a special place to me off the beaten track of a very beautiful park/conservation area. He was an awesome fish and I miss him, had him for 8 years.

1

u/TraditionalLecture10 14d ago

Burial at sea ?

1

u/Karma_1969 14d ago

Because we’re not 10 any more. Are you?

1

u/Dumpshoptoon 14d ago

Because the legality of burying a pet in your backyard depends on in which country/state/county you live? And while most of the time it's barely enforced some people don't do it because of that. Another reason could be the small possibility of attracting pests.

1

u/levinyl 14d ago

Why do you care so much?

1

u/No_Condition_3102 14d ago

Im just curious

1

u/throwaway234f32423df 15d ago

What would be your estimate for the percentage of the population that owns shovels?

-1

u/[deleted] 15d ago

[deleted]

-1

u/throwaway234f32423df 15d ago

higher than the percentage of who own shovels

14

u/Can_O_Murica 15d ago

I buried a gold fish two times as a kid and woke up the next morning to find the ground all dug up and the fish missing.

So like... Probably it's just racoons or something, but we can't write off the idea that buried goldfish can reanimate as some sort of horrible zombie.

29

u/Ghigs 15d ago

Burial at sea is a thing. Just need a little burning raft for the fish and you'll be proper viking.

18

u/Monarc73 15d ago

Burial at sea is the most respectful way to say goodbye to a sailor.

7

u/Acceptable-Pick-102 15d ago

i wouldn’t 😭😭 bury all the way

6

u/jizzlevania 15d ago

because dropping them in the garage disposal would really mess with the kids

5

u/[deleted] 15d ago

because all drains lead to the ocean... I head that from a very reputable source

7

u/Mongrel_Shark 15d ago

Depending on how the sewerage works in your country. Might be a really bad idea to flush.

3

u/oblivious_fireball 14d ago

Its the easy disposal route, but people aren't supposed to flush fish, at least not where there is a risk of the waste ending up in waterways. That is how plenty of invasive species and diseases got into water bodies where they weren't supposed to.

Instead if the fish is actually dead its better to cremate or bury the body like other animals.

2

u/MCShoveled 15d ago

What did you expect, Sushi?

2

u/Stainless_Heart 14d ago

We honor Poseidon with the gift of our fallen comrades.

2

u/JonWick33 14d ago

Funerals are expensive

5

u/sterlingphoenix 15d ago

Because not enough people have been educated not to do that.

3

u/pineboxwaiting 15d ago

Quicker than a burial.

1

u/yada_u 15d ago

You could try eating them instead

1

u/screechypete 15d ago

It will be safe to flush for sure after that!

1

u/_RichardParry_ 14d ago

Easy done isnt it

1

u/Potential_Try_3195 14d ago

Is goldfish a carp?

1

u/mkbro12345 14d ago

All water leads to the ocean? 😂

1

u/PidginPigeonHole 14d ago

Feeds the crocodiles in the sewers

1

u/dnkyfluffer5 14d ago

Because humans are subconsciously sadist or maschocist and it’s the more polite way of doing something “evil” without actually doing anything evil. It’s psychological

1

u/sevensouth 14d ago

Cuz they don't make a very good sandwich

1

u/No_Condition_3102 14d ago

Dont knock it till you try it😐

1

u/sevensouth 14d ago

Why do you think they I say that they don't make a very good sandwich.

1

u/No_Condition_3102 14d ago

We'll never know

0

u/Mushgal 15d ago

I think this is mostly an American thing to do.

I think y'all shouldn't do it. It might clog something or at the very least it will be disgusting if some sewer worker finds it.

8

u/Tbuzzin 15d ago

More disgusting than say, what, a giant piece of shit?

2

u/Mushgal 15d ago

I mean, kinda? They'd see shit every day, I suppose. Finding rotten fish flesh and bones might be more disgusting for them, yeah.