Fish as centrepieces

[MissDimity]

Just had an idea to use a small fish tank as centrepieces.
Thoughts please?
Currently we are estimating $45 for floral centre pieces on 10 tables.

Need responses to decide.

 

[Deelight]

I think it could look really cool but I would worry (and I have read of it happening) of people trying to get the fish drunk (and killing them) and what are you going to do with the fish later?

 

[allycat0303]

I''ve heard horrible things about the fish being killed too (this guy drank the fish) which I thought was about the most tasteless thing I could imagine. I would feel bad if someone did that. Also, my fish-biologist friend told me that fish become very stressed when they are transferred to a new setting (i.e putting them into fish bowels) and imagine of one of them died during dinner....I think that might be a little unappetizing.

 

[mrowmrowsmom]

Oh please don''t do this. No one wants to look at dead fish (or even live ones, for that matter) while they''re eating.

Plus, what happens to the fish after the wedding? A friend of mine was a bridesmaid in a wedding that had fish centerpieces, and after the wedding, the wedding planner took all the fish and flushed them because none of the guests wanted to take them home.

 

[allycat0303]

mrowmrowsmom,

Flushed them??? Oh my gosh, it makes me ill to even think of that. How can someone do that and not feel guilty? Then again, I''ve only recently become able to kill mosquitoes which are biting me, so I''m probably not the best person to judge.

I am firmly in the NO camp for the fish centerpieces after hearing that.

 

[CNOS128]

I would not want to eat with fish swimming around in the middle of the table. Especially if fish were the entree.

 

[CJ2008]

Please don''t do this...

There are previous threads on this subject...

I''ve heard of people flushing them down the toilet and all the other things mentioned here...

 

[mrowmrowsmom]

Yes! She just flushed them down the toilet at the venue. They were betta fish in individual little bowls, and the bride thought people would take them home as favors. Well, no one wants a favor they have to take care of, and the bride and groom left for the night and there were still a ton of fish. So she just got rid of them. I find it very distasteful.

 

[blondebunny]

search the board... there have been topics on this in the past

 

[Italiahaircolor]

I''m not a fan of the idea, honestly.

 

[Definitely. Maybe]

I thought the idea was cute, until I thought about (and read) all the horrible things that could happen to the fish. That''s so sad what people will do.

 

[Livinthedream]

When I think of fish centerpieces, I think of the guests staring at a floater during their meal (should the fish not make it through the event). AOr if they are still alive, they may be producing excrement. None of which is not very appetizing in my opinion.

 

[anniee19]

I''ve witnessed people swallowing the goldfish after they''ve had too much to drink, (thank goodness they weren''t any of my friends!). I think this could only turn out bad in the end!

 

[musey]

My response? No. Not under any circumstances should you have FISH as CENTERPIECES.

Here''s a semi-recent thread:
Fish centerpieces....

Chances are that a lot of these LIVING, BREATHING CREATURES will get FLUSHED at the end of the night. Some will die from poor conditions (water temperature, lack of food, etc.) and your guests will be staring at DEAD FISH while they eat. Some guests might get drunk and EAT THE FISH.

These are all excellent reasons to do something else low cost, and not put these poor creatures at risk just for the sake of your wedding decor

 

[Elmorton]

How about an alternative - fake the fish bowl look. Get little glass fish and put it in a bowl, add a live plant for movement, put pretty glass stones at the bottom, and fill with water. You achieve the tropical look, it''s artsy, and humane.

Here''s a few from Etsy - you could probably ask the artist to attach these to a wire/stand so they''d sit nicely in the bowl:

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?ref=sr_gallery_17&listing_id=16640884

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?ref=sr_gallery_9&listing_id=8476227


http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?ref=vl_other_1&listing_id=19689398


And here''s an entire glass set-up - maybe change the bowl style/ribbon and it could take on a more elegant look: http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?ref=sr_gallery_1&listing_id=15329831

And yet another idea is to can the fish completely and just have underwater plants in a tall vase on each table. I think that would be really pretty, and still very oceany and different. You could probably arrange this with an aquarium store or even a place like Petsmart that could get them for you in bulk. Afterward, you might be able to donate them to a high school biology dept or somewhere that has big aquariums.

 

[tina sparkle]

living things should never be used as a decoration, no matter how small or insignificant, they seem.

 

[missjaxon]

I know I would not be able to eat with fish swimming in front of me on the table. I also think it would be sad and stressful for the fish to be used as decoration. I too have heard of people swallowing them while drunk *shudder*. I do however think it would be cool to do as Elmorton suggested and fake the fishbowl look. That would be a great solution in my opinion.

 

[bee*]

Date: 1/15/2009 12:03:13 PM
Author: tina sparkle
living things should never be used as a decoration, no matter how small or insignificant, they seem.

ditto.

 

[AmberGretchen]

Date: 1/15/2009 12:49:29 PM
Author: bee*

Date: 1/15/2009 12:03:13 PM

Author: tina sparkle

living things should never be used as a decoration, no matter how small or insignificant, they seem.

ditto.

Thritto - especially after reading the horrible stories here about what could happen

 

[diamondgirl4382]

Also, contrary to what a lot of people think, betta fish need heated, filtered water. They need room to swim as well. A tiny fish bowl gives them none of that. The music, bumping of the table, and general noise at your wedding reception will also be extremely stressful for them. Not a good idea!

 

[mommy2iz]

not a good idea, IMO.

 

[MissDimity]

Thanks for all your responses,

I had obviously not thought this thru throughly enough. That said, I totally agree this is NOT a good idea.

I think I will instead use the floating candles in vases idea,with pink oriental lilly flowers scattered in the water.

 

[purrfectpear]

I''m also in the "say no to fish centerpieces" camp.

That said, I''m surprised that one of the anti-fish rationale is because guests might eat them.
Why is sushi OK but goldfish not OK? Just wonderin'' as I eat sushi all the time.

 

[doodle]

Date: 1/15/2009 4:21:32 PM
Author: purrfectpear
I''m also in the ''say no to fish centerpieces'' camp.


That said, I''m surprised that one of the anti-fish rationale is because guests might eat them.

Why is sushi OK but goldfish not OK? Just wonderin'' as I eat sushi all the time.

i''m thinking it''s more inhumane to eat something while it is still alive than once it''s dead. i mean, most people are fine with burgers, too, but were it physically possible to swallow a live cow, you wouldn''t do that either, right?

MissDimity, i think your last idea is a much better one, and a lot more stress-free. aside from the humane issues of fish centerpieces (which are a HUGE issue alone in my book), it''d also be extremely difficult to keep them alive long enough to pull off a wedding so you''d have the added stress of trying to keep up with them beforehand, and there''s also nothing good about any type of centerpiece option that would very likely poo in the middle of the dinner table. the lilies sound much prettier!

 

[musey]

Date: 1/15/2009 4:18:25 PM
Author: MissDimity
I think I will instead use the floating candles in vases idea,with pink oriental lilly flowers scattered in the water.

This sounds like a much better idea!

 

[musey]

Date: 1/15/2009 4:21:32 PM
Author: purrfectpear
I'm also in the 'say no to fish centerpieces' camp.

That said, I'm surprised that one of the anti-fish rationale is because guests might eat them.
Why is sushi OK but goldfish not OK? Just wonderin' as I eat sushi all the time.

I dunno, why is it okay to eat a steak but not okay to chunk of flesh off an unsuspecting cow and eat it while it writhes in pain in front of you?

 

[musey]

HA, doodle, didn't notice that we chose the same animal as an example 'til after I posted.

Pear, do you realize what we mean when we say that guests might eat them? Not that they might take them home, fry them up in a pan and have goldfish for dinner. That they might get drunk and swallow the thing AT THE RECEPTION, in front of other guests. You don't see how this is more cruel (and not to mention a disgusting display) than eating sushi?