Centerpieces with a live fish in it?

We are doing this. Using a small tank with a beta fish in it. Tank has a light under neath. We chose betas because you do not need a pump for their tanks.

Well I've already bought quart size mason jars do u think it would work putting fish in those with small rocks or is it not big enough?

What would you do with all the fish afterwards?

We are letting the guests take the tank home. Our tanks are 1 gallon. I don't think that the fish would have a lot of room to swim in in the quart but you can always do a trial with 1 and see how you like it. We have always kept ours in at least a gallon tank or larger

I had a friend who did this a few years back and her problem was she bought beta's at a pet store the day before and half of them died during the reception because they didn't use the right water or let the temperature nutralize before they put the fish in. It was pretty hairy to have the groomsmen running around with a little fish net pulling dead fish out of the centerpieces!!!!

My friend had goldfish in her centerpieces and half died prior to the reception because of all the jostling around in the transportation. I am leery of using animals as centerpieces. It seems cruel to me. You don't know what your guests will do with them. People often set their fish free in the local pond/river, etc and that introduces foreign species and can disrupt the ecosystem. I advise reconsidering.

Bad idea. Fish need to be cared for-- you have to use specially treated distilled water or they'll die, not to mention feeding them (and cleaning up their poop). Transferring them takes time and care because you have to let the water temperature equilibrate for at least 20 min. And yes, they will smell. What will you do with the fish if not all are taken? How will guests carry them home? Fish require a LLAARRGEE mouth tank (they will die quickly in those "goldfish bowl" containers) and who wants to drive home with that thing sloshing all over the place? My advice is to use paint, stickers, even toy plastic fish, but not live animals.

Fluffy has a lot of good points.

I had a beta fish for three years. The fish bowl I had was pretty small...like maybe 2 cups. I cleaned it every week. It made the road trip from Virginia to Florida twice a year (for college) with me and that little fucker lived through it. That being said, I don't think id like to look at a live fish while trying to eat. It would gross me out.

Bad idea. For all the ideas above. No one will take them. If you're outside in the heat...well...

I agree with the majority. If nothing else, seeing fish poop would gross me out while I am trying to eat. You can get floating candles or flowers that float for a similar look without risking dead fish.

Please, please reconsider this idea. So cruel for the reasons listed above.

Also, if you are serving fish as an entree imagine how awkward that would be. It would be like eating bacon in front of a pig. Not cool.

Not sure this is a good idea. Did you think about transporting them. Are you giving the centerpieces away? How will ppl take them home?

My friends sister worked at a reception hall and like 2 or 3 years ago someone did this and she got to take one home...came home and got a bigger tank for it, rocks, decorations, food, etc, and still has it to this day... i think its a cute idea

A lot of your guests will realize how disgusting it is to use living creatures as decoration and hate you forever after. please don't do this.

Not a good idea for all of the reasons mentioned above. You'll have more than enough to do before your wedding without having to worry about dead fish. Ewww.

You wanted to put a fish in a mason jar??? Quart sized is still pretty small for a fish.

I agree with reconsidering your centerpieces. Many of the ladies above make good points.

The beta would be fine in a mason jar. They live in the little bowls at the pet store for months at a time, and most betas make their new homes in small half-gallon bowls after that. They don't need filters, they are very hardy fish (and they don't smell even half as bad as goldfish, which are disgusting).

But still. Using live animals as centerpieces is...weird and not cool. And if no one takes them home, you are responsible for finding homes for that many beta fish.

Lol thanks ladies for all the advice. We were going to release them into my mothers pond afterwards but now that I've read all of this im gonna have to nix this and break it down to my fiance slowly...lol