Table Top Decorations...

[rubysoho]

Well, I received an e-mail from my mom concerning the care of goldfish. I went home this weekend and brought it up at the dinner table. I asked if she was planning on starting a fish tank because they would need 10-20gallons per fish, blah blah blah.

"oh no, I just wanted to know how to keep them for a few days" 8O

I asked if she was going to be giving them as a present because that is a big responsibility...

"well, sort of..."

Well sort of what?? She finally tells me she would like goldfish as center pieces on tables at her wedding next week! That their colors are perfect and she had this great idea to have them in large vases with those "bubbly-tab-things" and then since there wouldn't be a lot, she thought one of the families with kids might take them home... or that I would rescue them!!!! Good grief.

I told her she would most likely end up with dead center pieces but if she had to... then she'd need to do lots of water changes... and that I couldn't condone it.

My mom was a bit upset that I wasn't backing her up... especially for her wedding (and even more since I am her maid-of-honor). I felt bad, but I just couldn't say yes to the idea. *sigh*

 

[fishyrican]

Wow. Tough position to be in. However, I have read about these before, and in many cases, you end up with dead goldfish in centerpiece bowls. Not very attractive.

 

[Zagz]

I've heard of betta's in bowls for wedding centerpieces. I find it to be horrific. If you can't convince your mom of something else for table centerpieces at least you have let her know that you don't condone them. Tough spot and good luck convincing her to use something else which would no doubt be less expensive.

 

[Jchillin]

Whatever happened to floral centerpieces? This fad has gotten completely out of hand. Since your mom knows you are a hobbyist, hopefully she will take your advice and toss this idea aside.

 

[Menagerie]

Find those floating glass fish. They come in tons of colors and are safe to give away as gifts.

 

[Meredith]

A friend of mine confessed to me that she looks at fish in the same way she looks at insects. And I am finding that a lot of people have this same point of view. That fish are just these brainless unfeeling things. Hopefully your mom will change her mind about the fish.

 

[rubysoho]

I suggested the floating glass fish, she said that she probably couldn't find them in the color she wanted and that the metallic orange of those cute goldfish would just be so perfect *sigh* The wedding is next weekend... lets hope I don't have to come home with a bundle of goldies.

 

[Meredith]

Whatever happened to floral centerpieces?

I know that live flowers can be very expensive, but silk flowers come in a rainbow of colors. Would she consider something like that?

 

[RoK]

A friend of mine confessed to me that she looks at fish in the same way she looks at insects. And I am finding that a lot of people have this same point of view. That fish are just these brainless unfeeling things.

Insects aren't really as dumb as many think.
Anyway, I hope she decides not to go with the goldfish.

 

[Guest]

At my 8th grade graduation ( a long time ago ) we had goldfish centerpieces and i took one home and i had that little goldfish in a 5 gallon tank for 6 years!!!! Now he lives in my Aunts outdoor pond and is about 6" long... so maybe some good can come of it eventually.

 

[krap101]

yeah i was going to say fake fish .

 

[verucaproduce]

I say let her have her centerpieces if she must, provided that she donates all of the fish back to the store where she bought them.

I would NEVER let my mother get away with anything like that. Let's just say your mother is lucky that she doesn't have me for a daughter. lol She wouldn't hear the end of it until I won. hehe

 

[rubysoho]

no, I think that would be just as bad as giving them away to whomever. Think about the stress from being sent to a fish store, picked up, living in vases for 3 days, only to be sent back to a fish store after long parties and people hitting tables, etc... back to a cramped, over stocked 10 gallon tank... then they are bought and sent to someone who can't care for them properly anyway. If she were to go ahead with this plan, I would much rather bring them home with me and I would give them a home and eventually find them a pond... but I don't have the tank yet.

 

[verucaproduce]

I just get the awful picture of the three-year-old who is going to adopt the fish and ends up putting hot water in the tank to 'give it a bath'. That is why I suggested giving them back to the store.

I say just put your foot down. You are very convincing in your arguement. You have all of the facts. Add a little dramatic flair and you should be able to change her mind.

 

[odobenus]

If your mother is really set on the color of the goldfish, maybe you could work out some kind of compromise. Instead of having a fish in a vase on every table, maybe you could set up one larger tank, like a 20 gallon, on the cake table or buffet table or some other piece of solid furniture. That kind of setup would require fewer fish, and probably be much less traumatic for them. You might even be able to camouflage a filter in there somewhere. (cover it with tooling?) It would also provide a temporary home for the goldies until she could buy you a larger one to house them permanently (hint hint ) or find other homes. (You could even have a little stack of cards with the address of this website on them "for more information" by the tank.)

 

[krap101]

you could get a pond that would be cool. having like a 200 gallonish pond at a wedding with a little waterfall and some blooming lilly pads.

 

[rubysoho]

I wanted to let you all know that no goldfish was harmed during the wedding My mom ended up not getting them and it all looked beautiful anyway.

 

[Zagz]

Good I am glad. I'm sure the wedding and decorations were beautiful!

 

[erik7]

Very good to hear. Glad everything worked out for the best! Congrats