Fighting bettas is it right?

[andyman98]

i was pondering if i got my betta and organized a fight would this be cruel or is it ok to fight them

(i am a devoted betta breeder and they are one of my favourite fish i do not wish to be cruel to them)

[Tetratastic]

It makes me sad that you would think about intentionally 'staging' a fight between any animal... what are you gonna do, sell tickets? Or are you just going to watch the poor things rip each other apart for your own private sadistic pleasure?

Even if they didn't hurt each other - isn't still a little cruel to overstress them in such away? The poor little things just want to swim around, eat, poop, get in the occasional shag, and be happy.

And forgive me if I'm over-reacting at all, it just bakes my biscuits when people treat animals like possessions and not what they are - living creatures. :(

[bizzy928]

Originally posted by andyman98
i was pondering if i got my betta and organized a fight would this be cruel or is it ok to fight them

(i am a devoted betta breeder and they are one of my favourite fish i do not wish to be cruel to them)

If you are a devoted breeder then you are breeding for all the wrong reasons. Find a new hobby.

[fishfrenze]

I can't even believe someone in the hobby would consider this! I can't even watch an aggressive fish chase another and nip its fins without getting upset. Of course its cruel!!

Melanie

[Dahlia]

I thought I would also point out that bettas don't just chase each other around aggressively like some territorial fish. They obsessively and deliberately rip each other apart. Most of the time there is no "winner", they sustain so much damage that both the fish die.

[aquariumfishguy]

You guys, at least this person is asking BEFORE doing such a stunt. I mean, he didn't say he WAS going to fight his fish, he just wanted others' opinion on the matter. I am sorry to say, but it is people like you all (the repliers) who turn people away from forums and if you did that to this guy, you might as well kiss his fish goodbye too as we all know what would happen.

How about 'gracefully' informing andyman98 without the theatrics...;)

[Dahlia]

I agree with aquariumfishguy here. If he was asking if it was going to hurt his fish then it's likely he just didn't know the extent to which bettas fight. Honestly, I'm not a fan of watching aggression, I've prodded an annoyingly relentless male guppy chasing a female with a net on occasion. But in a world of sports like wrestling and martial arts, where betta fighting is well accepted in some countries, it isn't that hard to understand why someone might ask if it is okay.

[aquariumfishguy]

Well said Dahlia! ;)


...We dont know where this person lives, who they are, or what their intent is so we should take them in and explain things to them. If they don't listen, then there is nothing more we can do but so far, I think this person has a legit question and he didn't deserve what some of you did, turning your nose up at him. :o

[SwedishFish]

what makes me mad is when people ask a question like him and then people go off like its a crime to ask that and everyone flames him. People just chill out he loves betta's and he just wanted to know our opinion. What made me mad is this post: by bizzy928
"If you are a devoted breeder then you are breeding for all the wrong reasons. Find a new hobby." ? he didnt fight them and who says he is breeding to fight them? You cant just asume that he is only breeding to fight them. :mad:

[andyman98]

i have decided that it is a cruel thing to do,it is correct i have never seen them get agresive i had be told that the males enjoy fighting and that the occasional fight was ok for them.and no i don't breed fish to fight.


I HAVE DECIDED TO NEVER FIGHT BETTAS so don't worry animal cruelty or anything else.
thank you for your opinons

[t_h_e_s_a_c_k]

enough said Dahlia and aquariumfishguy.... enough said

[bizzy928]

Originally posted by SwedishFish
what makes me mad is when people ask a question like him and then people go off like its a crime to ask that and everyone flames him. People just chill out he loves betta's and he just wanted to know our opinion. What made me mad is this post: by bizzy928
"If you are a devoted breeder then you are breeding for all the wrong reasons. Find a new hobby." ? he didnt fight them and who says he is breeding to fight them? You cant just asume that he is only breeding to fight them. :mad:

Did you not see the word "if?" So IF he was a breeder that comment was directed to him, IF not, all he has to do is disregard.

[MaryPa]

Horribly cruel just like dogs fight are horribly cruel:(

[PumaWard]

I wouldn't say that fighting bettas (at least the fights I have read about) as cruel as dog fights. The bettas used to fight are quite frankly pampered, and the fights only last until there is a clear winner... dog fighters starve, beat, and leave their dog's wounds untreated. The dogs fight to the death also.

Male bettas involved in fights are treated for their wounds immediatly after the fight is over, whether or not the fish needs it. Male bettas, it seems, are treated more like a boxer (not the dog breed) than a fighting dog.

Don't get me wrong, I don't agree with fighting male bettas. I just don't agree with the previous statement either.

[TKOS]

Aren't the bettas used for fighting totally different than the ones sold as pets? I thought they were much closer to the wild version, with small fins and dull colours.

Either way fighting them isn't a good idea. Putting a mirror up to them or putting 2 tanks side by side is fine as the males get to display with no chance of hurting each other.

[MaryPa]

Andy I`m so proud of your decision,if you just like seeing them flare hold a mirrow up to the tank.Just don`t leave it there or hi`ll forget to even eat,he`ll be so involved with flarring at the (other) betta in the mirrow:D

[Dragon_Lord_Tia]

in the wild when 2 males meet they will fight for awhile then one that is over powered will flea into the rice feilds or what ever they may be living in. i find betta fighting cruel and who ever does it should think about what its like imagion you put in a tiny room with a guy who wants to kill you and keep the room to him self and vise verser and get you arms and legs(fins in their case) pulled off not very nice.

and im sure that even though we told him not to he will fight them threw peer presure i might be wrong(and i hope i am but if he went to the trouble of asking he will to the full deed anyways

[OrionGirl]

Okay...Question asked, question answered, answer accepted. Topic closed.

I would like to add a request that when a controversial question comes up, please phrase responses so they at least sound constructive. Legitimate questions are not always nice, happy, nor restricted to common topics. Let's give everyone the respect we want ourselves. Golden rule and all, folks. I'm willing to leave any topic open as long as it doesn't appear to be flaming--this one doesn't meet the criteria. Whether the flames are intentional or not doesn't change a thing.

OG