When in the quest for new and interesting table decorations for your wedding, you are sure to come across the idea of using goldfish bowls as part of your table centerpiece. In fact, I even bring it up as an option in one of my earlier posts, Wedding Table Decorations. I’ve been to many events where the host or hostess has used goldfish bowls with decorative rocks and mirrors, and it can really be a pretty centerpiece, and quite unique as not many people go this route. However, there are some benefits and downsides to using goldfish bowls that you may want to consider before going out and buying everything you need for this centerpiece.
Why Goldfish Bowls are a Great Idea
There are lots of reasons to choose goldfish bowls while doing your wedding planning for your table centerpieces. The bowls, rocks and fish are relatively inexpensive, and in the end you’ll have a unique living centerpiece. Not only will a goldfish bowl centerpiece be unique to many of the other table centerpieces that your guests have been used to, but having a living goldfish in the bowl will provide your guests with some entertainment watching the fish swim around especially if you have kids at your wedding. But perhaps the best part about using goldfish bowls as table centerpieces it that you can give away the goldfish bowls at the end of the night to your guests. You can put a tag on each goldfish bowl at the table with who the bowl is to go to, or just leave it up to the table about who goes home with the fishbowl. Whatever you choose to do with it, in the end you won’t have a dozen or more goldfish bowls to take care of when you get back.
Why You May Want to Think Twice
When I have been to an event that used goldfish bowls, at times they have been rather disappointing. Goldfish are not typically known to have long lives, and sometimes the goldfish died before the event was over. Call me crazy, but having goldfish floating belly up on your wedding tables could be a bit of a downer. Plus, who wants to take home a dead goldfish? Again, it could just be the goldfish that were bought for the event that I attended, but it is still something to take into consideration when deciding if goldfish bowls are right for your wedding ceremony.
Goldfish bowls can be a charming and unique living centerpiece that your guests will love. Having a table centerpiece that is living can really provide a lot of entertainment for your guests, and is something to consider. If you have any goldfish bowl centerpiece stories, please write and let me know.
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December 11th, 2007 at 12:12 pm
This sort of thing should be banned. Goldfish are live animals, not decorations. The reason they die in their bowls is because they haven’t got enough oxygen at the surface of the water. Add to this the guests’ contribution of beer slops, crisps and the rest of the bits from a food-table and you have a recipe for certain death. As for giving them to the guests at the end of the event, the chances are that many fish will end up down the toilet. Don’t encourage this kind of “decoration”, it is cruelty, and by advertising in this way, you are perpetuating the cruelty. I have kept goldfish for over forty years, I know what I’m talking about. Chances are you won’t have the nerve to allow this post to go online, but I would seriously advise you to withdraw this kind of article.
December 11th, 2007 at 2:29 pm
Chris – Thanks for letting me know how you feel. Why should I not have the ‘nerve’ to post your comment, much less leave a reply? You have your opinion, and I have mine. I do have a few points for my readers to consider before using fish in your weddding table decorations.
1. There are plenty of kinds of fish who will survive in a bowl just fine, such as betas, which are used in many wedding table centerpieces.
2. I am not suggesting being cruel to the fish at the table. If your friends and family are the sort to pour beer and other things into the bowl, then use common sense.
3. You can’t convince me that all goldfish have particularly long life spans. I’ve bought too many fish and had them die in the bag before they crossed my doorstep for me to believe that.
December 13th, 2007 at 12:32 am
This is the cruelest suggestion I have ever heard. Whatever happened to common sense. It seems as if people nowadays need to go one better than everyone else. I agree with Chris (and by the way I don’t know him) in that this should be banned. No living animal should have to be subjected and stressed in this way.
December 13th, 2007 at 7:53 pm
I agree. This is a STUPID suggestion! I was once ignorant and kept my fish in bowls, and I feel horrible to this day about it. NO fish should be kept in bowls, and this INCLUDES bettas. Just because they can survive does not mean the conditions are ideal. Plus, fish are very sensitive to light and noise, as well as jolts. And those will all be quite prevelant at a wedding. Do the fish a favor and care for them as pets and NOT as decorations. I’m with Chris & Rachel. Goldfish need to be taken seriously.
December 17th, 2007 at 10:23 pm
Giving away any fish to people who don’t know how to care for them is not a good idea. There’s a lot more to it than putting water in a bowl.
Especially for goldfish since if well cared for they can grow a foot long or more. As you pointed out goldfish are mass produced and not generally in good shape when they reach the store. Giving them to people who don’t know how to care for them makes it almost certain they’ll die.
Bettas can live in uncycled bowls, however, they need to hold at least a gallon and the water needs to be changed to keep ammonia from getting to toxic levels. Heated tanks with good filtration are preferred.
December 24th, 2007 at 8:09 am
Thank you for this article. I am thinking about having a goldfish/beta fish centerpiece at my wedding. I have an empty aquarium which I plan to fill up with these new friends at the end of the event. I think this is a great idea, thank you!
February 15th, 2008 at 9:09 am
I have had several different types of aquariums over the years including fresh and saltwater fish. One of the aquariums I would keep was a pair of Oscars. As some “fish people” will know, Oscars EAT goldfish. These goldfish are even sold as feeders.
We all have different perspectives on how fish should be treated.
BUT……
I’m sure if you could ask some of these “feeder” fish which fate they would prefer…end up in the belly of an Oscar or take a chance on cousin Billy’s bedroom nightstand….I think they would choose the latter.
We’re not talking about Flipper the dolphin here people…keep things in perspective.
February 18th, 2008 at 1:05 am
I am also using fish on some of my tables at my wedding in July and have no problem with it at all. I think the comments about taking fish seriously and etc are a bit overboard… Relax people do you STILL really feel that bad about a fish you put in a bowl 20 years ago??
I love the fish idea I will use them, take them home and remember how great they looked on my wedding night!
February 18th, 2008 at 1:54 am
Thanks James and Stacy for your support.
February 22nd, 2008 at 11:10 pm
I’ve found the comments in this thread interesting, considering I was thinking about using gold fish bowls.
I have heard of a summer wedding where the fish bowls were placed out in the sun on the tables. The water got so hot the fish were jumping out of the bowls and onto the tables. Dead fish at any event would be a turn off for all guests, and an embarrassment to the hosts. Use care with a summer wedding if your tables are in a hot location.
When giving away the fish, to help new pet owners care for their fish, maybe a booklet on the care of gold fish could be given with the gift of the fish. People could read it and then decide if they want the responsibility.
Given the diverse reactions from people on this post, I would hazard a guess that if one were to use gold fish as part of their decor, that a fair portion (maybe even half) of the guests in attendance would feel the same way as some of the people here. In other words, there is a chance that perhaps half your guests would be appalled at your choice of decorations. Food for thought.
February 24th, 2008 at 3:03 pm
I think having living, beautiful swimming goldfish as wedding centerpieces is awesome! Our colors are bright pink, yellow and orange. So the orange little fish will coordinate perfectly
There will be A LOT of kids at my wedding in June & they will love them! I’m planning on letting people take them home at the end of the night & including little containers of godfish food for them to take home.
To the people who think it’s cruel… what the hell. Is anyone saying they want to torture them, sacrifice them or in any other way be “mean” to them… no. Get over yourselves. I kept my “feeder” goldfish I won at a fair when I was 7 in a ice cream bucket and it lived for SIX YEARS. Oh and I fed him nerds (the candy)!
March 1st, 2008 at 2:31 am
Does anyone ever think about what flowers go through at a reception? Poor creatures, torn away from their homes and exposed to crowds of people, who might even abuse them. . . no flower should be in a vase.Flowers should not be used for decoration. STOP perpetuating the cruelty!
signed Brooke
President of PETF
People for the Ethical Treatment of Flowers
March 1st, 2008 at 2:57 pm
Chris: I agree totally. With all the things people could use as a centerpiece, I just don’t understand why they would even consider using live animals. Goldfish don’t belong in bowls and they don’t deserve to be sent home with people who don’t know how to care for them. It is animal cruelty.
Also, they need at least 10 gallons of water per goldie and need a filter that moves 10 times the gallons in the tank per hour.
March 1st, 2008 at 9:18 pm
Well, there was no new posting today so I decided to look at some of your archive. I found this article splendid. I hadn’t thought of using Goldfish as a centerpiece but I can now see the appeal. I would be hesitant to have any living creature at my tables. Well to each his own. Great article anyways.
March 6th, 2008 at 5:08 pm
While I wouldn’t use goldfish at my wedding (as I know someone who had to rush out an hour before his own wedding to but 50 new goldfish) these do make lovely centerpieces and cheap even if you have to buy new fish. As for all of the cruelty comments, unless you are all having 100% vegetarian meals at your weddings, why complain about a few little feeder fish?
March 8th, 2008 at 3:58 pm
Maybe treating living things like mere decorations or objects contributes to ther “short” lifespans?? I own over twenty goldfish some well over 10 years old and they still have 20 years left in them. I could NEVER even begin to imagine just tossing them around as “centerpieces” for a day and then forgetting about them completely. This sickens me, to treat another living thing this way(and condone it no less!) with no thought as to their well being at all. At the time slavery was morally accepted as right too!
Another thing, a bowl is in NO WAY a suitable home for a goldfish. You could live in a port a potty your entire life if someone dropped by to give you food once in a while but it would be a short, miserable, tortured life.
Your goldfish could easily outlive 2 or 3 of your dogs so why not invest a little time doing research to learn how to care for him properly instead of falling for cons like this? The fish DIE because this is not a good idea, not because they have a 2 day lifespan. Think about it, how would they ever survive as a species if they all died within days?
March 8th, 2008 at 4:15 pm
[You can’t convince me that all goldfish have particularly long life spans. I’ve bought too many fish and had them die in the bag before they crossed my doorstep for me to believe that.]
wow, that is a astoundingly ignorant statement. Don’t you consider where the fish come from and that they are starved, stressed, and injured nearly 100% of the time, have changed hands 2 or 3 other times and have logged more air time on an airplane then you probably have by the time you see them in the pet store display tanks? All that trauma and only a few weeks old, that would be enough to kill nearly any human baby only a month old.
I have never had a goldfish die younger then ten years on me, I think that speaks volumes about YOU more then it does about the lifespans of the fish.
Also, bettas in bowls? They are tropical fish from the equator and even 3 years in a bowl is a short life. they can easily live 5 to 8 years or more if kept properly.
March 11th, 2008 at 2:21 pm
I am a fish lover and have been keeping goldfish for many years. I am being married this summer and plan to purchase one goldfish for each of the 10 tables for the reception. They will be in the large vases for a few hours (max) and then they will be brought to my home and placed into the very large pond in my yard.
I do agree that people need to treat fish as living creatures rather than disposable decorations but I think that some of the posts are a little over the top and judgemental. People need to relax a bit; there are more pressing issues out there.
March 15th, 2008 at 3:13 pm
Thats a great idea. I will do it at my wedding too!
March 29th, 2008 at 2:54 am
I really don’t think it’s a problem to have the fish in the vases for the wedding. What alot of people don’t realize is that alot of the fish die in the store as well. So I think why not give them a few more fun hours of life looking at fun human faces through a bowl, instead of a shelf!
April 20th, 2008 at 1:08 am
I am considering using Goldfish in a bowl as a centerpiece. Can I put some flowers in bowl with fish and have a dish that fits loosely on top with a candle? I do not want to harm the fish. This will be used inside not outside.
April 23rd, 2008 at 8:12 pm
It is sad and unfortunate that so many people see goldfish as disposable pets or cheap decorations. They are smarter than people give them credit for and can live long lives (20+ years) when properly cared for. Goldfish die in bowls due to lack of aeration and because they constantly produce ammonia, which quickly builds up to a toxic level in such a tiny space. Such a small volume of water is also more vulnerable to temperature fluctuations. As Betty said above, they require at least 10 (preferably 15-20) gallons per fish to even stand a chance. I strongly urge anyone who is considering live fish as decorations to have some compassion and find something else.
May 11th, 2008 at 9:01 pm
I am considering using Goldfish in a bowl as a centerpiece. Can I put some flowers in the bowl with the fish ? If so, what kind?
May 12th, 2008 at 2:04 pm
I think you can put a few flowers into the bowl without harming the fish, just be sure not to use a large bouquet so the fish still has room to swim around. Another thought is to get a few blooms and let them float on top of the water.
May 29th, 2008 at 3:17 am
You people are CRAZY! What I don’t understand is that people who use the fish as “centerpieces” are using them because of their beauty. Those of you who are posting saying that this is animal cruelty should get a life! You apparently have nothing else to gripe about. The centerpieces are for decoration and the “awe” factor. Why else would anyone have fish but to enjoy their beauty.
June 23rd, 2008 at 3:57 pm
This is a great idea, and I will be doing this at my wedding reception in August!
Some of you people need to settle down and find a REAL issue to get so worked up about! Goldfish will look beautiful as a centerpiece!
July 4th, 2008 at 9:37 pm
WOW! I’m not the type to respond to something like this, but people, there are worse things in this world besides using goldfish for decorations. It’s not like you can cuddle with them or teach them to play fetch or roll over, can’t use them in place of a seeing eye dog. If they are not appropriate for wedding decorations, then WHAT makes them appropriate for HOUSE decorations? I too have owned fish and love to watch them, but was not that overcome with sadness when we lost them. My son is getting married and we plan to use some type of fish for his decorations as he is a very avid outdoorsman. Where I come from we EAT Bambi and Bossie the Cow, and we use small fish for BAIT!! I was quite excited to find this great website for ideas. And by the way, it’s kinda like a TV show, if you don’t like what’s on it – SHUT IT OFF !!
September 12th, 2008 at 10:34 pm
Just a quick note: drunk people and fish don’t mix, I have been to a wedding where some of the guests were having too fun of a time and actually dared each other to eat the fish. GROSS I KNOW!
October 6th, 2008 at 10:43 am
Hello,
I really like the idea of having the Goldfish in the little bowls for centerpieces and as a matter of fact i came online to check out how to keep them happy and healthy in those bowls for the wedding and reception so that when the day was done they could be given away to people who would like to have them to take home and give them good homes. I mean really people, it’s not like we are going to offer them up as part of the meal at the end of the night. I love fish… and some have long lives ahead of them and some… well dont. Feeder fish are sold to be eaten by other fish… i seriously wonder if the people who are so negative about the use of these same feeder fish at a wedding are standing outside pet shops protesting the sale of feeders… If you really wanna save the feeder fish… brides and grooms are not the enemy here… we buy them in the effort to keep them alive… dead fish are not a goal at our weddings…. unless it’s sushi i suppose. I understand the desire to keep the little buggers alive by those who love them… heck I have bought feeders before as pets cause I’d rather save one of them than have it die in a belly of another fish…. but…. do not brand wedding goers as fish slayers… that truly is not the intent when they buy those fish. . . I am sure of that. The goal here is “try to not kill the fishes”. Anyhow, I love the article and if i do use Goldfish at any future wedding i may have.. I will be doing what every other bride has done… “trying to NOT kill them”. I respect all views expressed above and hope that my comment has been helpful and not insulting in any way.
October 27th, 2008 at 4:23 pm
I plan on using goldfish for my centerpiece on my tables and at home we have a fish that survives by eating other fish. As part of nature, and we plan on bringing home the fish to feed our other fish so its a win win for us. So they arnt only decoration but dinner for our pet
December 12th, 2008 at 10:40 am
I plained on doing this for my wedding. We don’t plan to give them away unless someone really wants one, we plan on getting a large tank to keep them in after the wedding at our home.
If anyone knows anything about fish, they know they have to make sure they don’t shock the fish or stress it out. There will be not alchohol at my wedding and very few children, so I think I’m safe. If it was my wedding and I saw someone treating the fish cruely, I would certainly let them have it. I would never allow someone to put two male betas in one container!!!!
January 12th, 2009 at 2:25 am
My fiance loves fish and i was a little more than happy to get him involved in the wedding plans. So when i told him my goldfish idea he loved it. We bought some vases that were much larger than an average fish bowl stuck a fake plant in there. Which will only be temporary till we can give them away at the reception.
January 15th, 2009 at 10:56 pm
We are having a Luau Wedding. I went to the pet store and talk to them about the fish. We will get the fish make the center pieces for the table and put a little tag telling the people. Something like{they got out of the store for the day to visit the wedding but have to go home in the morning) So People know they are not to take home. I will take them all back to the store. The store said they will take them back
January 18th, 2009 at 2:07 pm
Maybe this type should be kept indoors with a temp of about 70 degrees for the comfort of both. Instead of having 20 bowls of fish, there should be maybe 4 10 gallon fish tanks with a filter to hold a couple of fish for THAT DAY ONLY. Buy some extra 10 gallon aquariums with an appropriate for people who want them that have some experience or will research. For the extras, you should return them back to the store. I have. When getting the goldfish, avoid fish the have white spots, that float up when they stop swimming, or foggy or popped out eyes. I am still truly against them in bowls. make you you also in an air stone for oxygen and make sure that none of those drunk people get near those tanks.
March 16th, 2009 at 6:46 pm
“As Betty said above, they require at least 10 (preferably 15-20) gallons per fish to even stand a chance.”
Crikey, we’re talking about a goldfish here, not a SHARK! People like Chris seem to have the intelligence of a fish with the nonsense they’re coming out with. There’s nothing wrong with keeping a fish in a bowl for a day, as long as they are acclimatised to the water prior to entry.
I’ve got this cracking vision of you negative lot sitting in your front room with a 3,000 gallon tank with one, 30yr old very lonely goldfish swimming around in it… Maybe even with a pump so powerful he’s got swim muscles like Arnie…
Valid point was made though, if there’s a few people as crazy and bigoted as the PC lot in this thread, then I would worry about a negative reaction to my centrepiece. Right, worry over, I’m doing it!
April 19th, 2009 at 6:36 pm
I definitely have to agree with Richard and a few other people on here. These are goldfish we are talking about. Plus if you were so concerned about the welfare of the fish why are they sitting in your fish tank? You should put them in their NATURAL habitat, if you were so concerned for their well being. Half the posts on here are from hypocrites. Schools give them at “fun fairs” for prizes to kids, people use them to feed their other fish, and does anyone honestly expect a goldfish to live long (even though I know they can have a long life span)? I think that goldfish/bettas as a centerpiece will give my guests something to engage in throughout the reception, be something to talk about for years, and I LOVE FISH!!! I don’t think there is anything wrong with using feeder fish as decoration. I’m sure that some of you who have been sooooo appalled by people using fish as decorations eat beef, chicken, pork, etc. I bet you still stuff your face even though they abuse them, put them in poor living conditions, feed them hormone enhanced food, etc. I think it’s a great idea and am doing serious planning to ensure that the fish are not harmed before, during, or after the wedding. And if you are afraid of people eating the fish or pouring beer in the bowl maybe you shouldn’t be inviting those people to the wedding, and if your friends do those sorts of things what does that say about you? Oh and whoever had that post about the ethical treatment of flowers that was hilarious. Sign me up.
April 23rd, 2009 at 3:48 pm
I dont plan on even serving alcohol at my wedding, I know there is always those few people who will bring there own or whatever but I think if anyone was so drunk that they were pouring beer in my center peices, they would most likely be asked to leave, or driven to the nearest hotel to sleep it off. How many people can actually say they’ve been so drunk they destroyed someones wedding? If you can say you have, your most likely the person everyone regrets inviting or forgets to mail your invite. This are feeder fish, they have a memory that last 10 seconds to a minute, they wont even know they same in the same circle 10 times.
June 3rd, 2009 at 11:31 pm
I agree with Sarah and anyone else who is positive towards using goldfish/fish/feeder fish etc as a centrepiece.
Everyone is entitled to their opinion, so here is mine.
There are pro’s and con’s for using fish as a centrepiece (Sarah stated them previously) it’s all common sense people, plus I had well over 50 goldfish living in a bathtub out the back for years, the only thing that killed them was toads and cats.
Please consider what is to be done with them after the event, and maybe only put them on the “adult” tables as kids are very curious.
What about keeping sun bears for their Bile in Cages?
Using live dogs as bait for Sharks?
I’m going to use Fighting Fish (not 2 in the same Bowl of course!) my colours are Turquoise and Fuschia.. I’m sure I can find a teal/turquiose fighter!
Good luck with the thread!
June 28th, 2009 at 9:31 am
I sort of agree with Chris.. While fish don’t reason or remember anything more than about 7 seconds, they’re still animals.. and it seems kind of a sin to endanger them for the sake of a party.. I breed some fish and i considered this.. but i couldn’t put my fish in danger. The stress of that kind of change on my fish would be huge.. I might instead use this idea but with aquatic frogs. They’re hardy (i believe) and cheap and they only live in water so they won’t create havoc by escaping.
June 28th, 2009 at 9:33 am
I think, if I remember right, the aquatic frog could easily survive being a centerpiece for an evening. Fish are more delicate and all the change would freak them out..
July 6th, 2009 at 11:39 am
I love the frog idea, we were going to do goldfish but after researcher the temperture (its going to be much to hot for them) we are sticking with flowers only – no fish, but I love the frog idea
July 8th, 2009 at 4:21 am
I am having goldfish as my centre pieces at my wedding BUT only on our table (top table) I do not trust the younger guests with these fish (and some of the adults!)
When the night is over we shall be taking the fish home and add them to our collection of goldfish at home. I have been collecting ornaments of colourful fish for many years so i do have a reason for having fish at my wedding.
August 17th, 2009 at 9:35 am
I am the maid of honor at an October wedding and was very interested in the idea of the goldfish as was the bride, but since reading all the post of the people who are against it, I think we will have puppies on our tables instead!!!! and I would just like to say for the record, when my brother was 3 he had a goldfish he won at the fair and he used to walk it up and down the counter it sat on every day!!! it lived for 4 years… I don’t think it would be that evil to subject a 28cent goldfish to a night of people watching.
August 19th, 2009 at 11:07 am
MEL:
ROFL, That is so funny! I love your story about your brother and the goldfish, yes people go way overboard and I think it will do them good to hear about your puppy idea. lol, thanks
October 7th, 2009 at 5:51 pm
goldfish r not decoration!! they r living creatures!!
October 15th, 2009 at 12:50 pm
I LOVE the goldfish centerpiece idea. For all those Activists out there- Lighten up! Are you all vegetarians? Do any of you own a leather jacket or perhaps leather furniture? Do you stare at the ground outside when you are walking to avoid stepping on a bug? Honestly, perspective is needed here. It’s a goldfish for crying out loud! It’s okay to take them out of their natural habitat and put in a tank in your living room and if they die in that tank it’s okay, but if they die in a bowl @ an event it is not???? WHATEVER!
October 20th, 2009 at 3:26 am
# Richard Collins Says:
March 16th, 2009 at 6:46 pm
“As Betty said above, they require at least 10 (preferably 15-20) gallons per fish to even stand a chance.”
Crikey, we’re talking about a goldfish here, not a SHARK! People like Chris seem to have the intelligence of a fish with the nonsense they’re coming out with. There’s nothing wrong with keeping a fish in a bowl for a day, as long as they are acclimatised to the water prior to entry.
I’ve got this cracking vision of you negative lot sitting in your front room with a 3,000 gallon tank with one, 30yr old very lonely goldfish swimming around in it… Maybe even with a pump so powerful he’s got swim muscles like Arnie…
Valid point was made though, if there’s a few people as crazy and bigoted as the PC lot in this thread, then I would worry about a negative reaction to my centrepiece. Right, worry over, I’m doing it!
– Richard, I’m afraid to say this, but you are a very uneducated person. Did you know that Goldfish can get up to 24 inches long? Did you also know that a goldfish bowl is only 9 inches across? Assume you are 6ft tall, lets fold you up and let you live life in an overnight bag. Well throw food in there and clean out whatever feces you may produce once a week (or less). No, We aren’t dealing with a shark, but just because a goldfish is a fish, doesn’t mean it is a living animal that needs a few basic things to keep it healthy. Yeah, it’s cheap, but you know what? Most babies are free when you first get them (just donate a little sperm). So is it safe to say that just because a baby is free, doesn’t know anything, and doesn’t have much memory or attention span, that I can stick it in a parakeet cage and expect it to live? Oh, wait, maybe it’s just mammals that deserve to live? Who are you to say who or what gets to live and what doesn’t deserve even a chance? Are you God? I highly doubt it. And taking that into consideration, I think it’s a mighty pompous thing of you to decide that a shark deserves some more care than goldfish does. It’s a fish too, they are born fairly small too. And no, I don’t have a 3000 gallon aquarium with one lonely Arnold fish. I have a 30 gallon with two extremely happy and wonderful fish, who have personalities and love certain foods and don’t like others, they play tag and swim in their bubble sheet to get extra exercise, and when I put something new into the tank they investigate it (get curious).
To everyone else: Do you need to be a vegetarian to care about dogs? If I don’t throw my dog outside and let him live in a small pen with his feces and little food, If I let kids come and poke him with sticks and throw rocks at him, do I HAVE to be a vegetarian? Just because it isn’t cute and furry doesn’t mean it doesn’t deserve some fair treatment and respect.
October 20th, 2009 at 4:03 am
Goldfish are actually known to have long lives. The reason they die is stress, waste build up (poisoning) and a lack of oxygen. I know I’d be disgusted if I went to a wedding with goldfish bowls as a centre piece, it is basically animal abuse.
October 20th, 2009 at 10:13 am
I can’t believe some of the ignorance and cruelty around. I hate political correctness but that is not the issue here, it’s living creatures being subjected to cruelty.
There may be more important issues in the world, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try to stop the smaller wrongs and educate the ignorant.
Yes, they are often fed to larger fish and that’s the food chain- they’re eaten, snapped up by a larger fish rather than kept in a cramped bowl choking to death on their own waste.
With the correct care, goldfish live into their 20s and I value my goldfish just as much as my dogs and horses. They are not decorations and not ‘just’ goldfish.
October 20th, 2009 at 10:15 am
typical americans, buying animals with no knowledge of how to care for them and no desire to learn
October 20th, 2009 at 1:00 pm
To all those saying there are bigger things to worry about, it’s only goldfish etc… there are people starving to death. Does that mean your local animal shelter or woodland conservation project shouldn’t be supported, or that someone not feeding their dog correctly shouldn’t be told how to do it right? No. Every little helps. My two 22 year old goldfish mean the world to me and I am disgusted that people are dismissing these interesting and beautiful animals.
October 21st, 2009 at 4:38 am
KristyW says
“Richard, I’m afraid to say this, but you are a very uneducated person”.
You’re right to feel afraid. For your information, I’m a qualified accountant with a first class degree in Business & Accounting & I’ve qualified for Mensa with a higher than average IQ. I have kept fish throughout my life both in a garden pond and also in an indoor tank. You on the other hand I bet still believes in Santa.
JennyJ, I’m English, not American.
Babies free with sperm?
The issue here is that someone said that a Goldfish requires 20 gallons odd of water. That’s 90 litres. I have a Bi-orb tank in my office which holds 32 litres of water and they recommend no more than 3-4 fish in it. That would make it 2.3 gallons per fish. They’re the experts KristyW, not you with your knee jerk “oh my god won’t someone think of the cruelty” aspect.
If the fish have plenty of water and are undisturbed throughout the day of the wedding, they’ll be fine. After the wedding, if transferred carefully, it’s no different to buying one new and transporting it home in a sealed bag to put into your Aquarium.
Caroline says: “it’s living creatures being subjected to cruelty”.
No it’s not “luv”.
They would be subjected to cruelty if put into a small glass, or if they were lifted out the water and shouted at in a threatening manner. They would be subjected to cruelty if you banged on the glass, or if you put a photo of KristyW up against the glass.
Leaving them happily swimming around the stems of plants however ain’t cruel. Nor is transporting them carefully.
I’ve now had my wedding, and I’m delighted to say that no animals were harmed during the making of it. Well, apart from an estimated 30 lambs who contributed to the main course, but…oh.
Mwah!
October 28th, 2009 at 1:41 pm
Ew, why are you calling me “luv”? How vile.
Bi-orbs are notoriously bad for goldfish. It’s very well known. Like many companies they’re only interested in making money- almost as bad as Petsmart etc. Try visiting http://www.kokosgoldfish.com/ or another expert site instead of talking utter rubbish. Ignorance may not be intentional cruelty but it still causes the fish to suffer.
November 22nd, 2009 at 4:41 am
I find it funny how ignorant people can be about aquaria and still want to use them as a display. Goldfish can have a very long life. The problem with the little ‘carnival/feeder’ goldfish is that they are just that: FEEDERS. bred for quantity, not quality. If you were to buy a quality goldfish and let it grow in at least 12 gallons of water, I have known fish personally to be at least 15 years of age. If you put them in anything smaller once they reach the size allowed in the container they will die. Oxidation is also another problem in the small bowls.
Besides, gifts that are live are a bad idea unless you know the person wants the animal. Just think if you had birds as a centerpiece instead and expected the table guests to go home with them. Most people know just as much about goldfish as they do about birds and in either case I would expect the specimen to kick the bucket.