Live fish centerpieces?

linhog

Hi there!  Does anyone have any experience with live goldfish (or maybe betta fish) as centerpieces at the reception tables?  We are incorporating a water theme in our reception and would love to rent fish for the event.  Any ideas or websites?
Thanks

schadbourne

warning everyone is gonna tear you apart for this

basically in theory it is a cool idea but a contraversal subject

other threads have come to the conclusion of alternatives: flating glass fish, vases with fish painted or see through stickers, fake stained glass, printed velum, colored water, water with an led light ect

CA2MT4EveR

There is a recent post about this in the favors board. Check it out

aerinpegadrak

Animals are not decorations.  Period.  What you're proposing is cruel.

frogurt814

I'm personally strongly opposed to using fish as centerpieces at a wedding.  Fish are sensitive to vibrations so the loud music at the reception probably wouldn't do them much good.

Plus if you are renting them from somewhere, you'd have to wonder how many other events they've been used as decorations at.

I guess it all comes down to the fact that I feel bad for the fish and don't think it's fare for them to be stuck in small glass bowls just to make a centerpiece look "pretty".

Lisa8888

Live fish should not be used for decorations or your amusement. The fish end up being flushed down the toilet. It is disgusting that you would use live creatures in such a callous manner.

fallbride1109

Fish are living creatures, not wedding decor.  What happens to the fish once you are dong "renting" them?  What happens when the Beta goes belly up in the middle of the reception?  Who takes care of the set up and clean up?  It's not a good idea.

Jelenny

animals/living creatures are not favors, decorations, or disposible

kristinanddan

Just a few thoughts:

1) you can rent beta fish? what if half die during your reception?
2) what if they die and you have fish floating in your centerpieces during dinner
3) fish poop during diner
4) drunk guests do fish shots

Using fish as decorations is cruel. You wouldn't use a puppy would you? Same thing, just the fish are less cute.

portialoveschris

David Tutera helped a bride who wanted to do this on 'My Fair Wedding' this past Sunday.  Needless to say, fish centerpieces were NOT a part of her classy, elegant, wedding when he was finished.

trix1223

Just say no.  Please rethink this. There are plenty of ways to incorporate your "theme" into your wedding without being cruel to animals.

trix1223

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_reception-ideas_live-fish-centerpieces?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:5Discussion:56b81fa7-0476-479d-92e5-250cd9e2367cPost:09bbc1fc-9c54-4d3e-bad7-781c36e1c7cb">Live fish centerpieces?</a>:
[QUOTE]Hi there!  Does anyone have any experience with live goldfish (or maybe betta fish) as centerpieces at the reception tables?  We are incorporating a water theme in our reception and would love to rent fish for the event.  Any ideas or websites? Thanks
Posted by linhog[/QUOTE]

frogurt814

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_reception-ideas_live-fish-centerpieces?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:5Discussion:56b81fa7-0476-479d-92e5-250cd9e2367cPost:6d75434e-f2eb-43f3-ae54-d9b3c25c6ecb">Re: Live fish centerpieces?</a>:
[QUOTE]While you're at it, why don't you just throw some kittens in cages on your tables? UGH
Posted by ILoveMilkDuds[/QUOTE]
And make sure they are small cages so the kitties can't move around.  Can you rent kitties from somewhere? But it would be sooooooooooooooooo cute.  <img src="http://cdn.cl9.vanillaforums.com/downloaded/ver1.0/content/scripts/tinymce/plugins/emotions/images/smiley-undecided.gif" border="0" alt="Undecided" title="Undecided" />

Britt1406

You've gotten plenty of negative responses already and I'm not a fish advocate or anything, but I just wanted to add that gold fish actually do require air bubbles to be pumped in. So, if you're putting them in a little vase or something they may die pretty quick.

mysticl

If you want water how about floating candels or flowers? 

abbyful

Goldfish CANNOT live in bowls. Goldfish need a MINIMUM of 10-15 gallons of water PER FISH, and heavy tank filtration.

If you put a goldfish in a bowl, it will die, either from suffocatation or from toxic buildup.

Theresa626

NO. do not do this.  Flowers floating in water look gorgeous and would fit your theme quite nicely. 

linhog

schadbourne: Thank you for the warning - I appreciate that! I listen to all opinions, so all comments are helpful.

I guess it would have been less "cruel" to ask what kind of fish to serve at a wedding?  Anybody here doing that . . . or is that over on another message board topic?

LeahDVM2003

I am planning on using fish for my centerpieces.  I am an experienced fishkeeper, and plan on taking them home for my aquarium afterwards.  We are going to be curling aquatic plants in the bowls to help with oxygenation, and putting gravel in the bottom.  That will hide any waste, and look pretty.  Remember to keep the water level at the widest point of the bowl to help with oxygen exchange. It's better to have short, wide vessels, rather than the columns that are so popular.  Also, give someone the job  of "fish monitor"  so they can remove any that die.  We are using goldfish, which are quite hardy, and not temperature sensitive, then taking them home to start a new tank.  I don't see how this is any different that starting a tank with goldfish, expecting that most will die before the nitrogen cycle starts.  Ours will just be taking a detour for a few hours first.  Yes, this does mean having some sort of temporary set-up in our hotel room (a 5 gallon bucket with aerator) for a day.  If you were going to flush them after, I would have a issue with that.  But if you are going to take care of them, I see no problem with this.  I don't know if you can rent fish, but feeder goldfish are only 50 cents apiece.  My centerpieces are pricing out to $15 each, with gravel, plant, fish, bowl, and submersible Floralite.  Feel free to PP me if you want to know more (but only if you are going to keep them afterwards!).   Good luck!

linhog

Leah - great information!  Thank you - I will take this into account along with the considerations mentioned by the other posters. Thanks, all!

SparrowSong

The set up and clean up seems like a complete PITA to me. I wouldn't want to own all the fish afterwards, and I definitely wouldn't want to be forcing guests to take them home with them. (Cause everyone likes to drive home late at night, after a few glasses of wine, wearing dress clothes, and carrying a fish bowl between their legs.) Out of laziness alone, I'd say it's way more trouble than it's worth and not something I would want to deal with on my wedding day to-do list.

Lisa8888

Leah Even if your plans go like you plan, what you overlook is that many guests will find your use of fish as offensive. People have very strong feelings on this issue and you are bound to offend some people.

mysticl

Ok, forget the arguments about cruelty and keeping the fish alive, etc.  Leah is going to have someone walk around to remove the dead fish?  How does that work?  Do reach over people's heads while they are eating and fish out the corpse and have it dripping over the table, drinks, food, people's heads as it is removed?  That just seems a bit gross.  Then does a replacement get dropped in?  And possibly dropped on someones plate?

Also, this has clearly stirred up alot of controversay on the boards.  What about at your reception?  Do you want to risk the same reaction there?  Just a little food for thought. 

aerinpegadrak

Even if they're well-cared-for, the vibrations of the music, table movements, and general noise level will be way too much for the fish to take.  I would think that an experienced fishkeeper would realize that.

portialoveschris

I'm serving sea bass. :-) Keep your chin up girl.  Everyone has an opinion.  It's yours that matters.  But honestly, it is a bit tacky/'hoodtastic (a word I like to use)--kinda like when people in the 70s wore goldfish platform shoes.  Dated.  You can do better!

Nothing but love for you!  Congratulations on your engagement.

linhog

Thank you, Portia!

Norms Angel Forever

i had a friend use goldfish in her centerpeices and it worked fairly well for her... i took two home (RIP Crosby and Marshmellow) , that being said many died and even my pets died about four days later... i think if you talk to people that know fish well and know how to care for them they may be ok, but i think that there may be some cool ways to encororate water in other ways too... Floralytes are the coolest thing, they change the water colour, give an awesome light effect so try experimenting!
good luck and congrats on your first board that ended up a controversy when you had never even thought it could be one... oops lol i've had a few too

ab_bruer05

This all crazy. So you are telling me that when you have a fish tank at home no one makes any noise, watches tv, or walks around. There are vibrations every where. Even in the pet stores. So I really don't think that is going to be a problem. I am having fish in fish bowls as my centerpieces. Its my wedding and thats what I want. We are going to take them home and put them in a fish tank afterwards.

Andrea.Matillano

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_reception-ideas_live-fish-centerpieces?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:5Discussion:56b81fa7-0476-479d-92e5-250cd9e2367cPost:6d75434e-f2eb-43f3-ae54-d9b3c25c6ecb">Re: Live fish centerpieces?</a>:
[QUOTE]While you're at it, why don't you just throw some kittens in cages on your tables? UGH
Posted by ILoveMilkDuds[/QUOTE]
Lolol this made my night...