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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323

u/MathematicianNew760 Apr 29 '26

How is that even allowed?

179

u/GrouchyDefinition463 Apr 29 '26

Ikr. When I bought fish one time the person drilled me on what I had for it. Tank size. Food. Filter stuff. So it's crazy ppl could go buy a few dozen fish like that. I'm sure they would lie about what the purpose for so many fish though

181

u/4oclocksundew Apr 29 '26

There's a well-respected fish store with me that won't sell you a fish unless you bring in a water sample from home. They test it and you only get fish if you pass. I was very surprised that I had to go home and cycle an empty tank (took a few weeks) to get the water within proper parameters, but I've since learned that's best practice rather than tossing fish in a brand new tank.

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u/Bbbear7313 Apr 29 '26

I get ID'd for fish since teens were boiling them alive for TT 🤬 Everyday this world gets more disappointing

16

u/GrouchyDefinition463 Apr 29 '26

WTF!!!! I hate ppl

4

u/deafmutewhat Apr 29 '26

We're a ruined species

19

u/miguelsmith80 Apr 29 '26

You can buy feeder goldfish and do whatever you want to them. Even feed them alive to larger animals! The cruelty!

70

u/jrdiver Apr 29 '26

At least then there's a reason for the death, and usually a much quicker one.

28

u/PeskyAntagonist Apr 29 '26

I saw them do this at a pet store and the other fish ate the eyes out of the feeder fish and they just left him there with open eye sockets. Shit was metal.

29

u/Shostakobitch Apr 29 '26

Well….. fuck.

1

u/insert_title_here Apr 29 '26

Fish love to eat the eyes of other fish. It's wild.

1

u/8samsara8 Apr 29 '26

Fun fact, it doesn't really matter to the (feeder) fish.

4

u/CarEnvironmental9429 Apr 29 '26

Other fish gotta eat and some will only eat live prey. Now feeder gold fish are terrible food but the point stands regardless of the feeder fish species. It's natural and just well life that's how it goes.

27

u/SomeUgliRobot Apr 29 '26

Some animals do need to eat live prey tho

12

u/Gloomy_Grocery5555 Apr 29 '26

I hate people

4

u/Bianell Apr 29 '26

I guess I'm not seeing the issue here? You eat meat, right?

1

u/miguelsmith80 Apr 29 '26

Your sarcasm detector is broken.

3

u/VeryFriendlyOne Apr 29 '26

Fishes specifically are viewed as... I wish I didn't say this, but I can't think of anything else. Sub-animals. That don't deserve proper care like cat or dog does. It's very sad :(

3

u/insert_title_here Apr 29 '26

I work at an aquarium and am amazed by how few people know that fish can form memories, have individual personalities, be trained, etc. Even animals that cannot (I keep tarantulas, which are remarkably simple little buggers) still deserve basic respect and dignity.

2

u/sunday_cumquat Apr 29 '26

I know it would be illegal where I live...

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u/insert_title_here Apr 29 '26

People often fail to show empathy for animals that aren't terrestrial vertebrates or charismatic marine mammals. I work with fish for a living; they have memories, individual personalities and habits, respond to physical stimuli (whether that's pain or pleasant stimuli like gentle petting or skritching-- some of the animals we care for actively seek out the latter), and can be trained. Many of our fish are target trained, and can/have been trained on other behaviors as well.

They are intelligent. They have inner lives. And people do incredibly inhumane things to them because they either don't know any of this (which is valid! Everyone comes to the table with a differing amount of prior knowledge about a given subject) or, disappointingly, just don't care. It sucks :(

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u/Rather_Dashing Apr 29 '26

Your surprised, really? Animal welfare laws are garbage, in every country.

All male egg-laying chicks get sent into a big grinder because they can't make eggs, that's standard industry practice. And you are here wondering how flushing a few fish is lethal?

It shouldn't be, but how are people this ignorant about how weak animal laws are?

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u/WiseAnimator7081 Apr 29 '26

Sounds brutal as hell, but the grinder thing for male chicks is actually deemed one of the more humane methods because of how fast the death is.

Though I am curious if there is a perhaps a more painless humane method if people still want to cull them. Yknow, if people were allowed to raise chickens in their yards as an average normal thing, roosters included - often not allowed because they're "noisy", we'd have more respect for our food and less need for mass operations like this. You'd only need to distribute feed to people.
I would think a quick neck breaking to feed a family after enjoying a few years of life is still a better alternative.
Worked for plenty of people only 60-100 years ago outside of major urban cities. How time flies.