The tropical fish in the tanks at Orange Rooms are to be re-homed after students deemed their habitat “inappropriate”.
You may have been too drunk to notice before but the Bedford Place nightclub, Orange Rooms, houses tropical fish among the drunk students, DJs and over-sized burgers.
The fish have been in Orange Rooms for 13 years now, since the opening of the bar. It is the Pacu fish that live in the tanks upstairs that have caused the most concern.
After seeing the fish in Orange Rooms while on an EngSoc social, Corinne Dugdale, Treasurer of the RSPCA society, decided to take action.
Corinne, a third year English student, described the issue of the Pacu fish:
The fish appear lifeless, staring straight ahead. There is nothing else in the tank – no distractions, places for the fish to hide.
Corinne said seeing the fish confined in a tank far too small for them “distressed” her. She went on to say:
I was outraged and distraught, I had an emotional breakdown in Orange Rooms. The fish are mistreated and this is wrong. Animals should not be used as entertainment unless they are in appropriate habitats.
Corinne has asked other people what they think about the fish:
Even my meat/fish eating housemate thought it was awful – proving the issue more universal. I asked people in the venue what they thought about it – people either had not noticed the fish or were distressed by them – thus, the fish seemed to be adding no value to Orange Rooms.
Corinne got 50 signatures on her petition in three days, proving that it is a hot topic.
Chloe Adams, Marketing Director at Orange Rooms told us:
We were trying to rehome them before Corinne started her petition, because they have started to outgrow their surroundings. We contacted places like Marwell and Aquatic Centres, but they can’t take them for new quarantine laws.
Corinne believes that the issue doesn’t end at the Pacu fish:
But for all fish present, the setting is inappropriate – the fish are used for entertainment purposes which is rather immoral. The bass music is far too loud, although Orange Rooms have informed me that tanks are ‘bass proof’.
Customers repeatedly tap tanks – no restrictions on that. Overall not a healthy situation for living creatures. It’s bad for the image Orange Rooms portray – immoral and lacking in human conscience.
Chloe from Orange Rooms has reassured us about the welfare of the fish:
We’ve had the RSPCA come and observe the fish on a few occasions and they were happy that the fish were out of danger and well cared for. The glass is re-enforced so it is essentially ‘bass-proof’, and we have a professional aquatic company who come and clean the tanks and condition the water once a week.
In fact, in the 13 years we’ve had them, we’ve racked up a whopping £42,000 on the care and welfare of our fish – they are a part of the Orange Rooms family after all!
Orange Rooms do agree that the setting is no longer appropriate and have agreed to try to re-home the Pacu fish.
Corinne is “ecstatic”, but she still has a long way to go:
I need help finding a suitable home for these Pacu fish so they can be moved ASAP. They are tropical fish who need a tropical tank of over 20 degrees, they can’t be kept in an outdoor pond. Please contact me if you know of anywhere I can ask – aquariums or various garden centres.
Tatiana Sieff, President of RSPCA Soc, told us:
I love fish but it’s awful seeing them so cramped in Orange Rooms. The poor Pacu fish look miserable – imagine living in those teeny tanks for 13 years! Corinne has done a fab job in convincing the club to set them free, now we’re just looking for a nice tropical home for them.
If you know of anywhere that will take the Pacu fish, or if you want more information, please email
What do you think about the fish in Orange Rooms? Let us know in the comments!
“An emotional breakdown in Orange Rooms”?
Woman up and get a grip.
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Don’t knock her because she’s passionate about something!
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It’s just like having a fish as a pet? That’s kind of having them for entertainment purposes?
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What a ridiculous story, get a grip.
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If the RSPCA said the situation is ok and Orange Rooms was already looking to re-home the Pacu fish, what’s the problem?
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Sounds like Corinne has a bit too much time in her hands. Agreed the pacu fish need to be re-homed. But it doesn’t mean that the others have to. I bet she’s a feminist as well.
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What the fuck does this article have to do with feminism?
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This has what to do with feminism?
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im sure the fish monger would love them!
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“I was outraged and distraught, I had an emotional breakdown in Orange Rooms. The fish are mistreated and this is wrong. Animals should not be used as entertainment unless they are in appropriate habitats.” id just like to look at that quote…you had an emotional breakdown looking at fish in a tank in a club, and yet somehow your seemingly potent view against animal cruelty still permits animals for entertainment provided they are in an appropriate habitat(such as a zoo say prehaps..because we all know these are great…)yes, the fishes situation could be conceived as cruel but you need to watch what you say when trying to make a valid point…or you’ll accidentily come across looking like a complete moron.
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They’ve been trying to re-home them for a long time before “emotional breakdown woman” got on her high horse…
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I loved those fish. One day me and Jubril watched them for hours blinkig at us and we blinked at them to see if they responded. AND THEY DID! It was then that I raelised that fish and not humans are the most intelligence lifeform on the planet. Those fish need to be set free! I have a paddling pool at home they could use.
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We spent a long time doing that.
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This is the most ridiculous article/petition I have viewed in a long time. Not because fish are irrelevant but because those fish have been situated in orange rooms for the past 13 years with no issues or severe problems to their wellbeing. As a previous customer of the venue I have witnessed with my own eyes specialist aquarists tending to the needs of these fish. This kind of care does not come cheap and if the owners of the orange rooms have been spending large amounts of money on a specialist service like that, then I think it’s pretty fare to say the care about the wellbeing of fish. I find it quite comical that somebody has put in so much time to campaign for an unnecessary release of fish, where it seem they don’t have any relevant credentials in this subject matter. There are other more important issues in the world that people could be focusing their attention on…. how about we tackle them and leave these people who have been providing the student population of Southampton with a ruddy good venue, to go about their business. #noshade
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Orange Rooms are struggling to find a home for the Pacu, hence the point of raising awareness… to try help Orange Rooms out with social media/news articles etc…
it’s an appeal, more than a criticism
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Even if Orange Rooms were looking to rehome the fish before Corinne’s petition she’s been a catalyst for it becoming a higher priority of theirs, rather than something to be sorted out at some ambiguous time in the future. Whilst her comment on animals used for entertainment sounds like she supports zoos etc., she’s written an article disagreeing with the petting zoo so I would guess she means animals used for human entertainment whilst undisturbed in natural habitats.
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swim softly yonder my sweet gilly friends, TO FREEDOM!
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