Fancy Goldfish in Exotic Arrangement
What you need:
- 2 yellow Cymbidium Orchids
- several pieces of Fern
- 3 bunches Horsetail
- 1 pink Protea
- 1 orange Pincushion Protea
- 1 pink Decorative Pineapple
- 1 bunch small bananas
- 1 fancy goldfish (mine is a Veiltail White Pompom Oranda)
- 2 pieces large bamboo 1.25 inches D. cut 29.75 inches, and 26.25 inches
- XX Large rectangular vase 13.5 inches W x 5.5 inches D x 11.75 inches H
- Medium rectangular vase (found here)
- 1 piece of bamboo
- 5 or 6 large flat smooth black stones
- piece of raffia
- some water dechlorinator
- battery operated air pump (mine was made by Marina)
- fishnet
Supplies needed:
- hot glue gun and glue stick
- garden sheers
- scissors
Steps: 10
Cost of flowers: $22 excluding orchids & ferns
Rated: Complicated Arrangement
Yes, this arrangement has a fish in it. I used my goldfish for this arrangement because I didn't want to buy another one and he was only going to be out of his tank for a short time. (The fish can be in this arrangement for a few hours but then should go back into a larger aquarium.) I would recommend using a smaller sized fish. This one is 5 years old. He is a Veiltail White Pompom Oranda. Orandas are fancy goldfish that are a cross between a Lionhead and a Veiltail. You can read here about their care: http://aquariumandpondfish.com/Raising-Oranda-Goldfish.html You will need some special things for the fish. You will need two vases with separate water that will not mix, a fishnet, some dechlorinator and a clip on battery operated air pump. The fish will go in its own separate vase with its own dechlorinated water. You can buy a medium vase like this (click here)
The flowers, fruit and large bamboo will go behind the vase with the fish in it. The tiny bananas are edible, the pink pineapple is not, however my son planted the tops of grocery store pineapples and they produce delicious pineapples, but it takes about two years. They are very sweet. If you have your flowers, fruit, fish and supplies, we are ready.
Place M. vase inside the XX-L vase, flush to the front with extra space in back and on sides. Put rocks in bottom of Med. vase.
Pour water in the Med. vase to an inch and one half below the top.
Pour water into the back of the XX-L vase.
Put 8 drops of dechlorinator into Med vase. Let sit 10 min. before putting fish into water.
Here's the bottle.
Drill hole in under-side of banana stem...not all the way through. Hot glue bamboo end.
Put hot glue in hole. Put bamboo into hole and let glue cool.
Cut horsetail in half. (18 inches + -)
Place horsetail in space between M. and XX L vase. It pops up. Don't worry.
Put in large bamboo, pineapple, orange pincushion protea, and fushia protea to right.
Put in orchids and ferns on left.
Put in small bamboo stick holding bananas into corner with bananas hanging over.
All these go in the XX-L vase in the space behind the Medium vase. (Not in fish water.)
Clip air filter on back of XX-L vase and feed tube through horsetail to drop into Med. vase.
It's time for Mr. Fish. Carefully put him into Medium vase with a net.
Hi cutie. I like your hairdo.
Wow.
Here's a close up of the Protea.
And a close up of the Pincushion Protea.
You are finished with this very large dramatic exotic floral arrangement with a fancy goldfish. Enjoy!