Betta cruelty

I went to petcetra (i never shop there, i was just in the neighbourhood), and they had about 50 bettas in those little plastic drinking cups. Not even room to turn around in. I went through and picked 4(!!!!) dead ones out and gave them to an employee to take care of. There was about 1/2 cm of mushy rotten stuff at the bottom of each cup. Then i had to buy one to save it. I would of bought them all if i had the room.
Now he's in his 2.5 filtered tank with plants and is so happy constantly swimming around, going up, down, around..... and building the biggest nest i've ever seen!!!!
 
What do bettas build nests out of?
I have a 2 g and was thinking of getting a betta and a plant for it, but I was worried the tank was too small for "long term" use, and I will have to think on the light source issue also.
 
Bettas at Wal-Mart

My fiance and I have 4 of them in our kitchen. We have them in regular-sized fish bowls, but that's much better than the little cups at Wal-Mart. The last one we got was barely living. We also feel like we are "saving" them.


When we moved our community fish from a 10 gallon tank to the 30 gallon tank, we put one of the bettas in the 10 gallon tank to swim around for a few days. I bet he was having the time of his life.
 
'Saving' fish from poor conditions just encourages the seller to buy more of them, to keep in the same awful conditions, to either be 'saved' or die.

I prefer telling the business that I will not support them with my dollar, and why.
 
Hi- I'm new so if I overstep any etiquitte bondaries let me know- but I wanted to interject my two cents on Betta "rescue" I think Oriongirl is totally right on supporting the industry, however, I pick up bettas whenever I have the space. I don't like to support it, but at the same time it makes a difference to that fish. (sorry for the cornball) My betta Frank lived for three years, when I got him he was the most pitiful thing you have ever seen. I guess my point is, as awful as it is, not buying them is unlikely to change anything. It's a huge industry. If you decide to buy one, you've at least helped one.
 
Just so ya'll know, not all LFS's torure their bettas by keeping them in those small bowls. Now, the PetSmart here does, but the one I prfer to shop at has one male in each of their tanks that has compatible fish, which are many as we have seen here before. They do seem to have plenty of tanks for their stock as well. They must have 20-25 bettas at a time. I have seen one instance in which they didn't have room for a betta, so they put him a separter in one of their tanks to accomodate him. In addition, they don't even stock those little "Betta Bowls". They recommend a minimum of a five gal for a Betta.:)
 
Most LFS are cemetaries for bettas

Grassguy, that is a remarkable LFS you have there in Georgia. I definitely think that is the exception rather than the rule. I agree with Orion Girl's comments about supporting the industry by rescuing bettas. This approach just won't make a dent in the problem as the industry will produce more much faster than they can be rescued. I don't know what the answer is. Pointing out to store personnel what is going on elicits responses such as "They like it like that" even though some of them are dead in their bowls and the rest have clamped fins and look miserable. Another stock response is "I've been keeping fish for xx years and I know what I'm doing." Wrong. That's why I think there should be a regulation mandating minimum bowl size in pet shops. It has just occurred to me that an email to PETA might be worthwhile.
 
It has just occurred to me that an email to PETA might be worthwhile.
Click to expand...

I doubt PETA will care, their too busy going around harassing hunters, fur wearers, and similiar things. Not too mention their to busy running around with nothing but vegetables on...

A better action would to e-mail a news agency. If it ever was to make it on air, then a larger number of people would know that bettas don't like small containers and then that MIGHT impact the industry.

You have to realize that to many, many people think PETA is a joke. They won't listen to them.
 
I agree that calling PETA would be a bad idea. Most people, including me, think that they're liberal extreme wackos. My dad and I had some problems with several years ago while we were fishon. Two boatloads of em came and started hitting the water with cane poles. They left when a coupla Rednecks came in in a Fish'n'Ski. From what we heard at the Marina, the rednecks had been chasin em all day.

So, I don't think many paople will listen to PETA.
 
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