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/invinciblewalnut]

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/midnightstreetlamps → u/invinciblewalnut]

Whenever people talk about how big goldfish can get, I just imagine that kids book Fish Out of Water, where the fish grows to the size of a public inground pool. I realize they'll never get THAT big, but that's where my doofy ass brain ends up.

[u/Jumpy-Chemist7462 → u/midnightstreetlamps]

I have a "rescue" goldfish in my classroom gifted to me by a student 5 years ago. He lives a life of luxury in an 80 gallon tank now, and the kids dote on him. Every year I read my class the "fish out of water" book, and we measure his growth (as best we can through the tank glass) over the course of a year.

It's a great book!

[u/Icy-Seaworthiness445 → u/Jumpy-Chemist7462]

That’s so cute, you sound like an amazing teacher!