How to Make Betta Fishbowl Center Piece
Male betta fish are remarkable, with their gorgeous colors and long, flowing fins. Featuring this graceful fish as a part of your wedding reception centerpieces, or the centerpieces of any special event, brings a quiet elegance to the occasion. And if you add the extra touch of a mirror beneath the fish's bowl, reflecting his every shimmer and movement, you can rest assured that your unusual centerpieces will not soon be forgotten.
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Things You'll Need
- Decorative mirrors (6 inches in diameter or larger)
- Attractive clear glass vases or bowls
- Gravel, gems or stones in your wedding colors
- Ribbon in your wedding colors
- Distilled water
- Water conditioner and fish stress reducer (e.g., Stress Coat)
- Betta fish
Instructions
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Find a mirror that pleases you for the base of the centerpiece, keeping in mind that it is an important part of this design. The mirror will catch and reflect the lights at your table and the movements of the fish. There are so many options to choose from in size, shape and design. Just remember that it should be 6 inches in diameter at the very minimum so that it reflects enough details.
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Choose a vase or bowl that is large enough to safely accommodate the fish, allowing him room to move. You must also consider the temperature of the location. If the location is going to be very cold or hot, choose a larger bowl or vase so it will take longer for the water temperature to change. Rinse the bowl or vase thoroughly to remove dust or chemicals. Do not use soap. Dry it with a lint free cloth, and center it on the mirror.
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Rinse the gravel, gems or stones thoroughly. Again, don't use soap--hot water alone will do the trick. Decorative colored glass gems work very well for this centerpiece, but choose whatever suits the look of your reception the best. Fill the vessel with about a half inch of the chosen medium.
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Cut the ribbon into lengths and tie a piece around the lip or rim of each vessel, finishing the ribbon into bows.
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Prepare the water well ahead of decorating time. Purchase gallons of distilled water, and add a water conditioner and fish stress reducer like Stress Coat to the water as recommended on the product label. While distilled water does not contain the chlorine that tap water does, something such as Stress Coat is still needed as it helps fish replace the slime coating that is disturbed when they are netted or handled. The water needs to be about 78 degrees Fahrenheit for the health and beauty of your fish. This is slightly warmer than room temperature, but not too hot.
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Pour water into the vessels when the time comes to decorate, but leave some empty space at the top. Some bettas will jump or flip out of their containers occasionally, especially if they can see a rival male. The empty space will provide a buffer if your fish does this and hopefully keep him inside.
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Allow the fish to adjust to the new water temperature. Keeping him in his container or bag, float each fish in the vase or bowl for at least 15 minutes before releasing him. Net him out and into the vase. Never pour the old water in as you do not want the old, unhealthy water to taint the new clean water. Try to do this as close to the beginning of the reception as possible, minimizing the time the bettas spend in the containers exposed to environmental variations.
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Tips & Warnings
Be aware that the centerpiece containers are only a temporary "show" container. A betta should be given one full gallon of water in its container to provide enough room for it to move around comfortably as well as to prevent disease and maintain water quality.
Male betta fish, while exceptionally beautiful, are extremely aggressive. They will kill each other if allowed to be in the same space. Absolutely never let them be in the same container together, even for a few moments.
Any extreme temperature will affect the behavior and health of the fish. If he is too cold, he will just sit at the bottom and be boring. Water that is too hot can "cook" the poor guy, damaging organ functions and ultimately killing him. So if you have an outdoor event, keep him out of direct sunlight.
Make sure you have arrangements made for the care of the fish after the reception. Either be prepared to care for them yourself, give them away to guests, or have someone lined up to buy or take them from you.
Resources
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/liquidlibrary/Getty Images
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Comments
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This is HORRENDOUS beyond description. Quite apart from the fact that the ideal conditions for a Betta is not an unfiltered, unheated bowl (but should ideally be a proper tank) putting a male Betta near to a mirror for long periods is highly inappropriate. Bettas are otherwise known as Siamise fighting fish, because they are exactly that - fighting fish. Two males will be aggressive and cannot be put together; when the male Betta is 'reflecting his every shimmer/movement' he is actually 'flaring' his fins in an act of aggression at the reflection which he thinks is another male Betta. He may even attack the reflection. Leaving him doing this (while you calmly sit eating at your reception 'stunning your guests') will actually cause him substantial tension and distress. WITH THE INTERNET AVAILABLE AS A RESEARCH TOOL, PLEASE DO YOUR RESEARCH ON FISH AND FISH-KEEPING BEFORE MAKING SUCH IRRESPONSIBLE SUGGESTIONS.
