Betta Centerpieces

[Taelen]

Hey all,

My fiancee and I are considering Betta centerpieces at the tables for our wedding reception.

We want to make sure that we do this by the book to ensure the health of the little guys, the question I have is about what type of plants to put in the vase/tank. We have a couple in mind and want to be sure that none of them would have any adverse affect on the fish with regards to toxicity. Or if they'd nibble on them etc...

They are:

1) calla lilies
2) peace lilies (aka spathiphyllum)
3) orchids
4) birds of paradise
5) anthuriums

If there's anything else we need to consider that we might overlook, please feel free to post any advice.

Thanks!

 

[Sicklid]

Not sure of the toxicity of all the plants, but the time they spend in those bowls should be kept to a minimum. They are only in those cups at the pet store till they are sold, then most of the people on this forum usually give them at least a 1 to 3 gallon tank to call home. Most people are mislead as to the proper care of these little fish, they claim a territory in nature of an area larger than a Dixie cup or a pint sized bowl.

Another thing is, you will have to put bottled water in the bowls, or treat the tap water before with some de-chlorinator. If they are in that water for more than 48 hours, it must be changed as well, try to match the temperature of the old water first.

Are you planning on giving them away as gifts afterward? A nice touch would be giving out a card with the proper care of Bettas to all those who would like to bring them home, at least then not ALL of them will die. If you are interested in that, I can help there, I am also a print/advertising graphic designer with a background in calligraphy!

Let me say while this sounds like a very cool centerpiece that CAN be done, I suspect there are going to be some nay sayers. Depending on how much of a conscience you have about the life of these little guys who will be participating in your wedding day, it's possible to do this...

 

[eah]

I'll bet that with a little work, you can find homes for the little guys before your big day. That way, there won't be any confusion as to who is going to care for the fish and people who are not prepared to properly care for the fish won't end up taking one home on impulse.

I'd go for vases that are as large as possible and put some aquarium safe colored marbles/glass chips that match the color scheme your going with on the bottom. When I got married, I was lucky enough to have my mom doing the flowers, so I had a lot of flexibility. I'm not sure how much leeway you have, but you might consider doing a nice floral arrangement around the betta vase in a donut/tire shape. It's easily achievable with florist's foam and the right shaped containers, but not necessarily an option if you're using a standard florist and trying to battle the already astronomical costs.

I have to say that Sicklid's idea of giving out a proper care card would be very humane. Combine that with pre-selecting the betta's new homes and you should definitely be well on your way to making sure that nothing bad happens to any of the bettas.

 

[Taelen]

The health of the fish is very important to me, hence we want to do it right. And yes we are going to be giving them away as gifts afterwards and were fully intending on giving care instructions along with the fish. =)

I would want the fish to be in the vases for the absolute minimum amount of time, no more than 24 hours if possible.

 

[Sicklid]

They will probably look their best if they were allowed to acclimate to the vase for a couple of days, there is a possibility they will just hide or lay at the bottom if they are stressed from too much "moving around". I understand with weddings, there are time constraints, so do your best. I would put them in their vases as early as possible, and then add your plants the day of. The adjustment period will really help them to get accustomed to the vase, and they will more likely than not be "up and about" for your guests to enjoy... It's not just the vase, but the water chemistry they will be getting used to. Transport them in the vases too. Just cover them tightly with plastic wrap with a few holes poked in for air.

Hoping to hear from anyone regarding the toxicity of the desired plants! (I suspect most of your choices will be okay for the short term... but, even though the designers on "Trading Spaces" say it's okay, I would not keep them in a vase with terrestrial based plants for long). You do understand these fish are carnivores that eat bug larvae, not orchid roots, right?

Good Luck and congrats on getting hitched.

 

[Taelen]

Thanks for the well wishes. =)

I should say that we are going to be doing a trial with one fish to maybe see how long it takes him to acclimatize to the water parameters so that they aren't all just moping at the bottom of the vase on the big day. We're hoping to do about 8-12 centerpieces.

I do admit to not having all the knowledge on bettas, that is why I'm here, I'm a little puzzled how they can live at all in their little "dixie cups" at the lfs.

 

[Mosaic]

Bettas can breathe atmospheric air, so their little cups aren't their main source of O2. It's not right, but they can survive.

I can tell you that the peace lilies are ok. I kept one in my tank for a while without any problems, so I would assume the roots would be fine in the vase.

Bettas are not herbivores, so they most likely won't nibble the plants. A lot of us keep bettas and plants together without either getting harmed.

 

[joannde]

Taelen - thank you for doing your research before doing the betta centerpieces. I'd bet that 90% of the people who do it don't even think about the animals.

If you need help with the care sheet let us know - I'm sure we either already have something in our "favorites" or could write something up for you. If you find anything that talks about using less than 2.5G for the betta skip it - they really active active little guys and I'd say 2.5G is the minimum, with 5 being closer to the ideal.

And congrats on your upcoming wedding

 

[Taelen]

Hey guys,

Just an update on this, we're under 2 months until the big day. I have been cycling a 10g to house the first of our centerpiece guests and give him a trial run.

On the day, there might be a problem with transporting the fish in the vases, the LFS suggested ziploc bags in maybe a mason jar box (with the dividers) to transport, but I of course defer to you guys before anyone at the LFS.

We were then planning on setting up in the morning, possible the night before to ensure that the little guys are happy. Also, we have since changed the vase we are using, the plants will not contact the fish water after all. We have also found some wonderful submersible lights:

http://www.theessentialscompany.co.uk/FloraLytes.html

Also, it seems my fiancee has fallen for the crowntails, they are beautiful fish, so we're likely going with those and wondering about any species specific considerations?

We are going to have likely 10 fish with one that we will be keeping and some of the others are already spoken for. Some of you mentioned a "proper care card". Does anyone have a fairly compact set of care instructions on hand maybe? Otherwise, I will dig something up, but it would be nice to get the perspective of a betta expert. =)

Thanks guys,