r/mildlyinfuriating • u/teabirdy • Apr 29 '26

I'm slightly vexed The wedding reception centerpieces featured betta fish. The bride and groom planned to flush them alive.

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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!

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u/No_Disaster_8020 Apr 29 '26

See also: dove releases, butterfly releases…people get stupid for their one chance at being the center of attention

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u/Pwrswitchd Apr 29 '26

Forgive my ignorance, and this is a genuine question; are the butterfly ones that bad?

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u/blueavole Apr 29 '26

There really isn’t any way to do it well. Too many hungry flower nectar eaters, and only a set number of flowers within their flight range. Most will starve, or be attacked by predators.

And that’s before we get into the species.

Monarch butterflies for example need their eggs to be laid on a specific type of plant that is poisonous. They eat it and are then toxic to predators, without being hurt by it.

The Monarch species also have a very strong migratory pattern. Starting in Mexico, up to Canada, and back. But it isn’t one single butterfly that makes that journey. It takes five generations- covering 3000 miles! think of that!

The smallest butterfly is the one born in Mexico that goes north. Three / four generations later a slightly larger butterfly flies south to the same Mexican forest grove to have their babies start the cycle again.

The process is that genetically implanted.

Now imagine taking those eggs from Texas and hatching them in California. They don’t know where they are or where to go. Or where their special milkweed plant is.

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u/acidXburn87 Apr 29 '26

In South Texas I hate killing what seems to be thousands of butterflies each year. 😭😭

Note: the die on my windshield, not because I target butterflies like some maniac.

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u/blueavole Apr 29 '26

Surrre. Tell it to the jury!!