fish for display

White_Chocolate · #1 07-29-2003, 12:12 PM

i heard that one sorority is planning on using live fish as centerpieces on different tables. Then, whoever wanted them could take them home. I thought it was cruelty to animals but they think it's cute.
Am I the only one who sees anything wrong with that?

sigmagrrl · #2 07-29-2003, 12:14 PM

I don't think it's cruel. They're at weddings all the time. Here is a link to an article on how to make them. I want them at my bday party next year!

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...2003Jul24.html

It's entitled "How to Make a Beta Fish Vase"

Lady Pi Phi · #3 07-29-2003, 12:19 PM

I don't think it's cruel either. I think it becomes cruel if the girls just dispose of the fish after the party. As long as some of the girls choose to take care of the fish after the party, then I think it's a nice idea.
We had centerpieces with fish for our formal one year and they are really pretty. A few of the girls took the fish home afterwards.

33girl · #4 07-29-2003, 12:21 PM

One of the girls I work with has a Betta in a vase w/ a plant on top. I thought it was horrible at first, but according to her the fish really dig it.

texas*princess · #5 07-29-2003, 12:25 PM

Bettas in fish vases are terrible and inhumane. Bettas are carnivorous (sp?) fish and cannot live by eating the roots of the plants. Also, the roots of the plants cause bacteria & ammonia to overtake the condition of the water and that is all harmful to them & causes fishy diseases.

(Yea, I sould like a nerd, but I have 3 bettas and know a lot about them from experience.)

I personally don't see this as a great idea.

If no one wants to take them home, the fish will probably end up flushed down the toilet...and that's not very nice

I think people should only be allowed to take them home with them if they have a proper care instructions. Bettas are high-maintenance fish despite what lots of people think. They need warm water, a bowl with a lid (bettas jump, and might land outside the bowl)

www.healthybetta.com

^^proper betta-keeping instructions

Also, off the topic of fish, I thought no pnm's were allowed to take *anything* (including tissues!) from the houses during recruitment?

Little E · #6 07-29-2003, 12:30 PM

I think it can be very cute, (the fish do need homes though, not the toilet) we thought about doing goldfish for our formal this year...but i think we are doing silk roses in the water with floating candles instead...that way I don't get the fish

White_Chocolate · #7 07-29-2003, 12:33 PM

well, i think someone is taking them home
but fish aren't supposed to be used as ornaments

texas*princess · #8 07-29-2003, 12:34 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by White_Chocolate
fish aren't supposed to be used as ornaments

I kind of feel the same way.. but maybe that's because I love my fish

You wouldn't put a puppy on a table as a centerpiece would you?

Then why would you use a fish?

But that's just me..

Lady Pi Phi · #9 07-29-2003, 12:59 PM

We didn't use Bettas, we used Goldfish. And they were just swimming around in a decoratice bowl. I don't see how that is any different from putting your fish bowl on the kitchen table.

I think as long as someone is going to take them home and take care of them at the end of the day, it's not a bad idea. If no one wants that kind of responsibilty then they shouldn't use the fish.

PurdueGirlie · #10 07-29-2003, 01:07 PM

We used tiny goldfish (I mean REALLY tiny) in our centerpieces during rush.....

And this might make some of you mad, but... well one of my sisters gave them to her boyfriend. He has a pirana. But hey... he'd wind up buying those kind of fish and feeding it to his pirana anyways.

I like fish. I just tried not think about where they were going.

kappaloo · #11 07-29-2003, 01:14 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by texas*princess
Bettas in fish vases are terrible and inhumane. Bettas are carnivorous (sp?) fish and cannot live by eating the roots of the plants. Also, the roots of the plants cause bacteria & ammonia to overtake the condition of the water and that is all harmful to them & causes fishy diseases.

I thought this was okay as long as you clean the water and feed the Beta too. I had a friend who had one of these and that's what she did. She said that the plant was more for show than anything else and that you still had to take care of the fish.

astroAPhi · #12 07-29-2003, 01:26 PM

We did this for our formal last year, and girls really wanted to take them home. I think most of them are still living, and the girls are taking care of them.

pinkyphimu · #13 07-29-2003, 01:53 PM

i don't think it is a big deal as long as all of the fish will be cared for afterwards.

hijack...texas princess, thanks for that website. i have 5 bettas and one has been sick for some time now. he is over a year old, and at first i thought he was just dying. well...after a week, i decided the poor thing needed medicine, so i got some antibiotics at petco! he seriously hasn't eaten in a month!!! and he didn't poop for about 3 weeks...but i am proud to say that he pooped today!! his color is coming back and he isn't swollen! hurray for antibiotics!

MTSUGURL · #14 07-29-2003, 01:53 PM

When I moved home from my old university, I had a betta. I was so excited about being home, and so tired from the drive and finals that I left everything in the car and was planning to unpack it the next day. I forgot about my betta.

Oh, did I mention it was December? I froze my fish, and then tried to be brilliant in saving it and tried to thaw it out. Needless to say, it didn't work.

KappaKittyCat · #15 07-29-2003, 01:59 PM

I'm very attatched to my fish (I have two Bettas). I hate the idea of doing this, and the Betta-lilies are just cruel.

I was at a wedding reception last month with live fish centerpieces on every table, and I was horrified. They'd crammed three fish into a tiny bowl. At our table, two of three were floating by the time the dance started. What's worse, some of the guys there started getting really drunk and swallowing the fish. It was awful.