i want to purchase betta fish in bulk

**Tamica23** · 08-12-2008, 12:44 AM

I'm getting married in May 2009 and for our centerpices we'd like to have a betta fish on each table with a little vase/bowl set up. Does anyone know where I can purchase betta fish in bulk? rather than buying from a local petstore?

**Ryuu** · 08-12-2008, 12:51 AM

Well Tamica, I would like you to know that fish are not furniture, or enviroment enhancing objects. They are alive animals, that hurt and feel feelings. If you were to put them in a vase or jar, it would be like you living in a freezing closet. So I suggest you read up on bettas, and do the neccisary requirements for them. I shall try to help you though

Betta fish are labrynth fish which means they can breath from the surfaces air. This makes Airstones obsolete in there setup. Betta fish like at least 2.5 gallons to swim in, with a filter, and a heater set a 78 degrees or higher. They also like plants and places to hide. I suggest that you get a 5 gallon, find a hood with a light, buy some dark colored gravel and fake plants, and a filter and heater. They make great easy to care for pets, with annual water changes, and proper care they can become one of the family.

I know you are using them for your wedding, but still, what is going to happen to them after your wedding is over? Do you want 55 some betta fish? If you give them away, will they be properly taken care of?

**ladyoutlaw50** · 08-12-2008, 01:06 AM

If I remember correctly awhile back we had someone else asking about doing this!!
I strongly recommend doing something else as these poor fish will suffer!!
Once people begin to drink and so forth -- these fish will be used for laughs and will not be treated nicely.
I am sure there are many other ideas out there that would work for your wedding instead of using bettas.

**Jacko** · 08-12-2008, 01:43 AM

I could see the possibility if you were to buy enough minbow or eclipse tanks with filters and heaters to go on each table. Even a BiUbe would make a nice centerpeice display for a table and a single betta would make a nice look in there. Plus those things are the pitz to open, couldn't figure it out on the store models so I gave up. :P

In my view, giving out bettas at a wedding is the same as handing out puppies or kittens. You could put them in a cage all fancied up on the center of the table but that doesn't sound ethically right does it? Neither is doing the same with a betta.

There is a myth that they come fromrice paddies in thailand, teensy little things that make it okay to put in small containers. This in no way is true, rice paddies are huge fields of water, ranging from 6" to 2' deep and more.
Here's what their home looks like:

I'd recomend you read this entire page, it is very informative:
http://www.petstoreabuse.com/betta.html

**thejaegermonster** · 08-12-2008, 02:03 AM

I don't think there'd be a problem if they put them in the vases just for their wedding day and then perhaps donated them to a LFS they had already contacted about it. My perception is that they were to be ornamental and not to be distributed as pets, so long-term care isn't a consideration, so long as they find some place that could care for them or even sell them. I don't think that keeping them in a vases (if well watched and cared for) would be any worse than keeping them in the cups I've seen them in at the store.

**ladyoutlaw50** · 08-12-2008, 02:06 AM

I think the big problem is how they would be treated at the reception!! Unless it is an alcohol free reception -- once people begin to drink-- things will be put in with the fish -- vases will be spilled and broken and who knows what else can happen!! My opinion is not to risk it!!! Good Intentions are there, but you can't watch all the vases all the time and to me not worth the risk!!

**Jacko** · 08-12-2008, 02:22 AM

Not to mention children, if there are kids and the fish aren't theirs they really don't seem to have an issue with feeding the fish their own food or adding things to the tank.

I don't see the need to risk bettas (one of my all time favorite fish) when there isn't a need. The reason I thought she would distribute them afterwards was that I've never heard of that not happening, they become both ornaments and gifts in all the cases I have heard of. My sister-in-law had this same thing planned for her wedding but I convinced her against it and she settled with flower bouquets on each table and decorative candles. Alot cheaper that way is what she told me compared to the price of all the bowls, glass marbles, fake lilies and bettas would have cost.

**thejaegermonster** · 08-12-2008, 02:58 AM

You all make valid points. It would probably just be more trouble than it's worth.

**Abbeys_Mom** · 08-12-2008, 03:13 AM

Get floating flowers. Just as pretty and no fish suffer.

**labnjab** · 08-12-2008, 03:21 AM

My cousin did that for her wedding. I took one betta (who sadly died a few months later in a heater malfunction) but i don't think anyone else wanted the others, they just wanted the vases. I don't know what happened to the fish. i wouldn't recommend it. Everyone was harassing them and putting stuff in the vases.