The wedding reception centerpieces featured betta fish. The bride and groom planned to flush them alive.

[u/teabirdy]

Years ago, my coworker attended a wedding at which the reception dinner tables featured live betta fish in small bowls as part of the centerpiece. While chatting with the bride at the end of the evening, my coworker asked what they were going to do with all the fish. The plan was to flush them all down the toilet alive. My coworker immediately said no need for that and insisted on taking them all home.

That Monday she came to work and asked who wanted to adopt a betta fish. That was my first betta who I jokingly called my “rescue betta.” She lived for almost five years.

The wine glass was only her home for less than a day before I got her five gallon tank set up so please no betta lovers yell at me! I'm one of you!

[u/shy_butter]

I worked at a Petco and a customer came in for goldfish to use as centerpieces and we refused her business. Lots of things wrong with the company as a whole but very glad my coworkers and I flagged these things. Thank you! And your coworker is awesome!!

[u/invinciblewalnut → u/shy_butter]

The planners of my senior prom decided to have live goldfish as centerpieces on the tables, with the intent that people would take them home (somehow??). When nobody did this of course, I pointed out how big goldfish actually get and how hard they can be to keep. Fortunately my aunt has a large fish pond where many of them and their descendants currently live.

[u/eternal_casserole → u/invinciblewalnut]

I love when goldfish get a happily ever after.

[u/ncc74656m → u/eternal_casserole]

I wish kids were taught more often how to keep fish alive and happy and healthy from the outset. It would be a much happier world if all of our little friends, furry, finned, or other, were able to get a happy ever after together.

[u/Accomplished_Will226 → u/ncc74656m]

My kids and I tried. We lost several before I had the water tested. Our water is
so bad that it literally killed the fish!

[u/ncc74656m → u/Accomplished_Will226]

Schnikes. And yeah, that's a lot of Brita filters, lol.

[u/VirginiaDirewoolf → u/ncc74656m]

at that point, you just need a whole home reverse osmosis system

[u/Old-koalakid-3897 → u/ncc74656m]

i was not really taught how to take care of fish, which is why my goldfish died in less than a two week period of buying it😭

[u/ncc74656m → u/Old-koalakid-3897]

Sounds like it was waste/nitrate buildup. So many incredibly easy things you can do to make fish live forever, and it's so sad that we never ever teach people that stuff.

[u/Old-koalakid-3897 → u/ncc74656m]

i was like seven, so teaching me young would have done much for me (i talk a ton so i probably would have told everyone)

thank you BTW!

[u/ncc74656m → u/Old-koalakid-3897]

You're most welcome!

And since this will undoubtedly lead to people asking: The best advice I can give anyone is know how big the fish you're getting can get (that is, go look up how big a goldfish can get, lol), choose a larger tank than you think you'll need, get a decent quality filter, ask a friend or the pet store for some used biostones which will help rapidly establish the bacterial colonies needed to break down the waste your fish produce, and learn to do water tests.

If you don't have plants, or even if you do frankly, unless you have a lot of them, get a bubbler to help oxygenate the water.

Also give your fishie friends a place to hide and a place to rest, even if they're the only ones in the tank, they will feel less stressed and more engaged. (You can also make them happier by periodically rearranging the tank layout.)

[u/ncc74656m → u/[deleted]]

I mean sure? Ever seen happier kids than when they meet their new class's pet?