# I saw a horrible thing in my trash (Sick,evil) **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [October 13, 2004, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-saw-a-horrible-thing-in-my-trash-sick-evil/269107 "2004-10-13T22:30:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2004, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-saw-a-horrible-thing-in-my-trash-sick-evil/269107/1 "2004-10-13T22:30:32Z")
I was taking out the trash in my condo for the first time in a couple months (no, seriously,) and I took the bags to the communal dumpster and prepared to throw them in. Then I saw a glass container that had been thrown out containing day-glo pebbles. I was thinking of rescuing it, just for the pebbles. Then I peered closer and saw the bottom corner of it still had an inch or so of water in it. It was an aquarium, of course…WITH A LIVE FISH IN IT. Flopping around, gasping for oxygen. What did the fish do to you that you couldnt dispose of it in a more humane fashion, if you had to kill it? I, myself, didnt save it because the only water I had on hand was tap water, which would probably prolong the fish’s death even if oxygenation wasnt a problem, due to chlorine and other nasties in the tap water exacerbating the stress the fish already went thru. But still… :mad: :mad: ---
**Author:** ![legion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/838e76/32.png) [@legion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/legion)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2004, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-saw-a-horrible-thing-in-my-trash-sick-evil/269107/2 "2004-10-13T22:38:08Z")
Tap water’s a lot cleaner than rivers and oceans dude. Seems to me you missed a chance to be a hero. ---
**Author:** ![Bear\_Nenno](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bear_nenno/32/3358_2.png) [@Bear\_Nenno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bear_Nenno)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2004, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-saw-a-horrible-thing-in-my-trash-sick-evil/269107/3 "2004-10-13T22:42:24Z")
Yes, that fish would have been your friend for life. BTW, I don’t know what chlorine does to fish and gill, but we do keep our dolphins in chlorinated tanks. ---
**Author:** ![\_Deep\_F\_ied](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/_/7cd45c/32.png) [@\_Deep\_F\_ied](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/_Deep_F_ied)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2004, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-saw-a-horrible-thing-in-my-trash-sick-evil/269107/4 "2004-10-13T22:47:21Z")
Yep, I think you let this one get away. Tap water would have been fine. Sad…poor fishy. ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2004, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-saw-a-horrible-thing-in-my-trash-sick-evil/269107/5 "2004-10-13T22:58:46Z")
**TF:** _Tap water would have been fine._ Really? When I kept fish I was told, and all the aquarium owners I knew always said, that tap water **had** to sit in the tank about 24 hours **before** putting the fish in it, so that the residual chlorine which would otherwise kill the fish would have a chance to evaporate out. Unless **Ludovic** already had a container of “aged” tap water on hand, I don’t see how he could have saved this fish. ---
**Author:** ![Weirddave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/919ad9/32.png) [@Weirddave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Weirddave)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2004, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-saw-a-horrible-thing-in-my-trash-sick-evil/269107/6 "2004-10-13T23:02:33Z")
> [@Kimstu](#): > > **TF:** _Tap water would have been fine._ > > Really? When I kept fish I was told, and all the aquarium owners I knew always said, that tap water **had** to sit in the tank about 24 hours **before** putting the fish in it, so that the residual chlorine which would otherwise kill the fish would have a chance to evaporate out. Unless **Ludovic** already had a container of “aged” tap water on hand, I don’t see how he could have saved this fish. He could have stuck it in tap water for the few minutes it took him to hop out to the local pet store to buy a bottle of water dechlorinator. A few drops in with the fish and Bob’s your uncle. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2004, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-saw-a-horrible-thing-in-my-trash-sick-evil/269107/7 "2004-10-13T23:09:04Z")
The toilet tank in my bathroom has tap water in it that, while it might not have been sitting for 24 hours, has probably been standing for a few hours, and might conceivably be safe for a short time, until I could obtain a more suitable medium. Still, no blame to you, **Ludovic** ; at least you’re demonstrating some concern for the poor critter. ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2004, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-saw-a-horrible-thing-in-my-trash-sick-evil/269107/8 "2004-10-13T23:13:34Z")
**Wd:** _a bottle of water dechlorinator._\* Cool, I never knew about that stuff. That’s “time in a bottle” for the little fishies’ water, huh. ---
**Author:** ![Harborwolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@Harborwolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harborwolf)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2004, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-saw-a-horrible-thing-in-my-trash-sick-evil/269107/9 "2004-10-13T23:22:59Z")
I always heard that fish needed to be acclimated to the water temperature gradually, so I’m not sure if just dumping in water would’ve helped much. ---
**Author:** ![MrTuffPaws](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f475e1/32.png) [@MrTuffPaws](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrTuffPaws)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2004, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-saw-a-horrible-thing-in-my-trash-sick-evil/269107/10 "2004-10-13T23:28:09Z")
Sad that you didn’t save it. I would have nightmares if I did not hop into the dumpster. I live in an apartment complex and people just throw away house plants. I can’t stand that, so if I find them in the dumpster, I take them home, repot them, and give them a fitting name. The new fern “Found” is doing nicely. I just hope I don’t find any more. I am starting to run out of room. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2004, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-saw-a-horrible-thing-in-my-trash-sick-evil/269107/11 "2004-10-13T23:32:27Z")
Just curious, but what would be a “more humane” way of killing a fish? Flush it? Poison? Beat it to death with a hammer? I haven’t been fishing since I was a little kid (I hate fish, and I’m not too keen on nature in general), but isn’t that what you do when you catch a fish? Toss it in the cooler and wait for it to stop wiggling? Isn’t that what all the big commercial fishing boats do? Aside from not eating it afterwards, how is what happened to this fish any different from what happens to the fish you buy in the supermarket, or catch yourself? ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2004, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-saw-a-horrible-thing-in-my-trash-sick-evil/269107/12 "2004-10-13T23:39:51Z")
**Miller:** _Just curious, but what would be a “more humane” way of killing a fish?_ Any way that wasn’t so slow, IMO. Some people may object to deliberately killing a pet fish under any circumstances, but what gets me is the negligent cruelty involved in throwing the fish away **in a little water** so it can take hours, if not days, to finish its agonizing death. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2004, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-saw-a-horrible-thing-in-my-trash-sick-evil/269107/13 "2004-10-13T23:56:08Z")
They could have popped it in the freezer, or, yeah, they could have smashed it. It’s cruel to let something suffer needlessly. Especially since it’s a _pet_. A pet fish isn’t like a dog or a rat or a snake, I know, but you still have more responsibility to it than, say, to a fish you catch to eat. ---
**Author:** ![Jayn\_Newell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Jayn\_Newell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jayn_Newell)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2004, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-saw-a-horrible-thing-in-my-trash-sick-evil/269107/14 "2004-10-14T00:08:58Z")
I’ve heard of live hamsters and gerbils being found in the trash still in their cages, but never a fish in its tank. Poor little guy… ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Una\_Persson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/una_persson/32/346_2.png) [@Una\_Persson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Una_Persson)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2004, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-saw-a-horrible-thing-in-my-trash-sick-evil/269107/15 "2004-10-14T01:57:26Z")
How terribly sad. ---
**Author:** ![Weirddave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/919ad9/32.png) [@Weirddave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Weirddave)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2004, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-saw-a-horrible-thing-in-my-trash-sick-evil/269107/16 "2004-10-14T02:37:50Z")
> [@Kimstu](#): > > **Wd:** _a bottle of water dechlorinator._\* > > Cool, I never knew about that stuff. That’s “time in a bottle” for the little fishies’ water, huh. Like [this](http://www.thatpetplace.com/Products/KW/dechlorinator/Class//T1/F85+0001+0009/EDP/365/Itemdy00.aspx) On further review, [this is the exact brand I use in my home tank](http://www.thatpetplace.com/Products/KW/dechlorinator/Class//T1/F85+1044+0054/EDP/867/Itemdy00.aspx). ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2004, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-saw-a-horrible-thing-in-my-trash-sick-evil/269107/17 "2004-10-14T03:08:01Z")
If your water is treated with chloramine, rather than chlorine, no amount of “standing” or “aging” will make the water safe. Chloramine is only removable with chemical assistance. We have good results with a product called Stress Coat, but there are many others. Ammo Lock is another that comes to mind. Check with a neighborhood fish shop or the water department to find out what’s in your water. ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2004, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-saw-a-horrible-thing-in-my-trash-sick-evil/269107/18 "2004-10-14T03:45:22Z")
> [@Bear\_Nenno](#): > > Yes, that fish would have been your friend for life. BTW, I don’t know what chlorine does to fish and gill, but we do keep our dolphins in chlorinated tanks. Wait a minute! You have dolphins? ---
**Author:** ![Una\_Persson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/una_persson/32/346_2.png) [@Una\_Persson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Una_Persson)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2004, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-saw-a-horrible-thing-in-my-trash-sick-evil/269107/19 "2004-10-14T04:14:31Z")
> [@Bear\_Nenno](#): > > … but we do keep our dolphins in chlorinated tanks. Dude, if you tell us in your next post here that you serve on board “SeaQuest”, you are in for about 3 or 4 years of open mockery… 😃 ---
**Author:** ![armedmonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@armedmonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/armedmonkey)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2004, 6:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-saw-a-horrible-thing-in-my-trash-sick-evil/269107/20 "2004-10-14T06:24:36Z")
> [@Ludovic](#): > > I, myself, didnt save it because the only water I had on hand was tap water, which would probably prolong the fish’s death even if oxygenation wasnt a problem, due to chlorine and other nasties in the tap water exacerbating the stress the fish already went thru. Okay, so did you at least dump the little bit of water that was left in the tank out to give the fish a quicker and thus more humane death? Or did you not take that simple action, and then post on a message board about the inhumanity of “some” people? Just saying… [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-saw-a-horrible-thing-in-my-trash-sick-evil/269107.md?page=2)