Pitiful.

[H2OPawesome]

Ok, I have always heard different things about beta care, and I'm sure there's some truth to each method. Some say they need a large tank with filtration and such, others say they thrive in under 10 inches of water, etc. I'll not go into my methods, I really don't feel like it, I know my beta are happy and healthy, and that's all that matters to me. I've only had 2 die on me, one after he got dropped down a garbage disposal while my mom tried to clean his tank out for me, another because instead of dechlorinating his water, I poured in eyedrops...I have no idea why...but I did.

Anyway, I went over to the pet store the other day, it's locally owned, well maintained, etc. The fish always look healthy, as well as all their other animals. My roommate a new fish for her 2.5 gallon tank that is on her nightstand, so I went in with her. They were running low on guppies, so we just kind of wandered around the store, and I noticed a pretty beta, and an employee came up to me and started talking to me about them. I said I had a few of my own, and he asked if I'd had any luck with them. I said yes, that they were healthy, and he said that they just have the worst luck with theirs...so I went over to the back wall where they keep their betas, and they were all in different style wine glasses and goblets, some of them with barely enough water to cover the fish! No lie! The water was crystal clean, but the depth was miserable. I mean, it's a small store, there aren't that many fish to take care of, you'd think they could at least put a little more water in their bowls.

Maybe I'm wrong, though...maybe some beta like being in an inch and a half of water...but somehow I doubt that.

Anyway, that was really just a pointless vent...

[tanyaj77]

That's sick.... Our walmart had betas in little plastic containers. One day I went in and one of the males didn't even have enough water to cover his back! I made a huge fuss and have never seen them so low again. I check at least every 2 days.

[H2OPawesome]

Walmart is our Mall here, basicly. There's not much to do in this town, so I'm in walmart all the time. I always go check on the beta. One day I went in, and someone had taken a 5 gallon tank off a shelf, and dumped every single beta in. I sorted them out and put them in cups, only 3 had died by the time I saw them. I called a worker over and told him about it, and he kind of shrugged and said "kids are so stupid" and put some stress coat on them and went off to do whatever his job was (he wasn't a fish guy or a manager, those are hard to find...)

[lancerland]

I was having a thought about fish stores in general. I am new to this hobby, but I am already fully engrossed by it. Wouldn't you think that a fish store that has employees there for on average lets say 10 hours a day, would have the most pristine water conditions, and fish?

Can you imagine what all of your fish tanks would look like if you had 10 hours a day to work/maintain them.

Those stories made me sick to my stomach, but the more people that we can inform the less the fish suffer

[kjr928]

Here's how I've gotten the attention of the right people in pet stores:

Bring a camera, and start taking pictures of the victims in VERY obvious ways. Chances are likely that someone will come over to find out what you are doing. Tell them you're taking pictures and sending them to the ASPCA (or better yet - PETA) because they are outright abusing these animals. If nobody notices you taking pictures, then find the manager or whoever and make sure you tell them what you're doing and show you the pictures.

If you can, get the store #, the managers names, & the pictures. Then find out what the # is to your local ASPCA and report them. This kind of ridiculous abuse has gone on long enough.

You'll be amazed at how fast they clean up their act if you just put a flame under their butts.

[Rbishop]

http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=82729&highlight=betta

[H2OPawesome]

...wow...that sucks. Poor things! My roomie worked for a local fish store for a while, and she said that was how theirs came in. She quit after a while, though.
That's why my beta collection is getting so big. I feel so bad for the walmart beta...Mr. Pickles is my only non-walmart beta. I just can't help but think "anything is better than this..."

[musho3210]

its sad, one of my lfs has cups like petsmart but also has a lot of bettas in the main display tanks (15 gallons) with other fish.

[tanyaj77]

http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=82729&highlight=betta

That is sickening.... isn't that against the law??!!

[Rbishop]

Nope.

[tanyaj77]

Well it should be... that's cruelty to animals.