Your first instinct when a fish in your tank dies is to flush it down the toilet to get rid of it. People have been doing this for years, but if you talk to a plumber in Merewether, you might be surprised to find that this might not be a good idea. Here at Murphy Plumbing, we are experts at helping you keep your plumbing in top working order. Here’s what you need to know about flushing things down your toilets, including fish, both dead and alive.
If Your Pet Fish is Alive
If you decide to flush a live fish down the drain, you could be creating all kinds of problems. The primary one being that your fish likely won’t survive this and will end up dying in the pipes around your home. If it does live through the flushing, it can block your pipes and lead to back-ups in the toilet or drains in your house, which can be time consuming and costly to fix. Live fish who do survive can also interfere with the local flora and fauna and alter their habitats. If you have a live fish you don’t want anymore, the best thing to do is to donate it to a local pet shop or give to a friend who wants it.
If the Fish is Dead
Again, flushing a fish down the drain can lead to blockages, especially if it’s very large. If your fish gets stuck somewhere along the way, it will begin to decompose and you could notice a sour smell coming from your drains until it breaks down enough to be moved through the pipes. If the fish died due to disease, it could contaminate the water and could introduce the disease to the fish living naturally in the bodies of water in your community. A dead fish should be wrapped and placed in the garbage or buried in your garden. You should never flush it down any of the drains in your house.
Safely Flushing Items Down Your Drains
The only thing that you should be flushing down your toilets is human waste and toilet tissue. The septic system isn’t designed for anything else and you can cause pricey damage to your plumbing by flushing items not meant to do down the toilets.
If you are not sure about what your drain system can cope with, call your plumber in Newcastle. If you already have a blockage call us here at Murphy Plumbing for expert help.
