Betta Vase

[Chaos bringer]

I have recently on my travels come across a betta vase. it is 3 inches in diameter 5 inches tall and has no heater or filtration

HOW CAN A BETTA SURVIVE

 

[Idolz]

Well a betta can survive w/ out a heater or a filter.
Betta vases are horrble for more than one reason. They usually dont have a lot of swimming room, they usually dont have a lot of space for air at the top, and a lot of ppl put plants in them which really just makes the other two worse.

 

[yeeviabetta]

Get a 2.5 Tank at least. Don't think about the vase

 

[RandomWiktor]

Sure they can survive..... for a few short, miserable weeks or months, cold, weak, and cramped. Unfortunately, companies are capitalizing off if the species' relative hardiness and the general public's tendancy to regard fish as objects or decorations to excuse this massive suffering and killing of bettas in order to make profit. Sad stuff.

 

[BettaMomma]

I was in PetWorld the other day rescuing Archie when a woman at the checkout asked about one of the betta vases. The girls behind the counter were describing to her how to use it, and then that she could just go to the local plant store and put in a peace lily or something.

The girl behind the counter kept looking up nervously at me because I'm sure I was GLARING and mumbling under my breath as I stared over at the stupid vase.

I paid for my stuff and as I as passing by the clan of chicas who were discussing the betta vase I said (for ALL customers within ear shot to hear)...
"I wish you guys would stop selling those things - they're cruel and evil. Bettas CAN survive in them but they are not happy. It'd be like you living in your bathtub filled with cold water. And they'll die."

and walked out.

 

[BettasRFriends]

I wish I had your courage BettaMomma.

 

[GuppyDude]

my betta lives in a 1g bowl with sand substrate, no filtration, and the bowl rests on a heat pad. he is just fine, just gotta clean any do wter changes every other day, he is quite healthy, had him for 6 months now.

 

[BettaMomma]

I used to not have courage like that, but the thing that happens to me THEN is that all the way home I think about how I COULD have done something and chose not to. Then I cry. And then I think for days about how I SHOULD have done something.

I'm one of THOSE people who thinks and thinks and thinks about things, so now I think them thru before the situation passes me by, and think of what I should do so as not to look back and say "I wish I had........."

If that makes any sense.
I'm somewhat psychotic when it comes to animals - I am EXTREMELY passionate about them - cuz well, they don't have a voice, and while they might well be trying to scream at the top of their fishy voices that they're sick, or hungry, or dying, no one hears them. SO... sometimes I do their screaming, ranting and raving for them.

I think PetWorld hates to see me come in the door now, cuz I go up and down the fishtanks, thoroughly scanning them all and point out dead fish and fish that have other ailments, although they're pretty good there. The other night I pointed out a little cory whose eye was so badly infected with popeye that the whole thing had turned white. The poor dear was sort of bobbing around up at the top. The guy came over and was genuniely disappointed. He was dashing around getting things to scoop him up and take him back for treatment, although the fish was obviously going to lose an eye. If I had a place for a cory, I'd have taken him home with me that day. All my fish have some sort of oddball-ness to them, and I love it. I feel great knowing that these little guys wound up with me and they'll be loved dearly until they day they go on to a better place, but while they're here we love them all just the same, even tho they're a bit "different".

just fyi - the "differences in my fish" are:
Amos has a gill defect - only one side of his gills flare out when he flares.
Harvey has sunken eyes, always has
Archie has some odd colorings on his head - he sort of looks like a snake - but it also looks like he's got a green batman mask on, and right now his fins are so badly shredded he looks like the grim reaper swimming around (his body is black and his fins are red/blue)

I love 'em.

 

[OohFeeshy]

LOL.... I'm just waiting.... the day I turn 18 and am considered someone who is able to know a bit about fish, I'm gonna march into pets at home and.....

 

[tekknocolor]

The saddest thing I think I've heard about betta vases is that people selling them will tell customers that they eat the root

 

[BettaMomma]

Oohfeeshy how old are you?

The sweetest thing in the WORLD would be me seeing a kid (not sure how old you are, but you must be in your late teens probably??) anyway.... march into a petstore and go off about how they treat their fish in the store, and just knock their SOCKS off with facts and statistics and let them know what they're doing wrong -

That would RULE.
In fact, I think you should go this afternoon.

Oohfeeshy:


Pets At Home Employees:


Oohfeeshy on the way home:

 

[vanvran]

Bettamomma, you are awesome. Reading your post made me want to cry. If I had money, and didn't have to work, I'd fill a room with tanks and rescue all those poor little fishies that no one wants, or look sick, and of course, all those magnificent bettas that sit in those little cups. It makes me ill--if only there was something we could all do to stop that horrific practice! I saw a betta who was so ill that his entire body was white, and there is JUST NO EXCUSE for that!

Newbies buying their first fish just don't have any idea. I never realized fish had such personalities until I got my first betta and he showed his first sign of recognizing me! I was hooked! Keep up the awesome work Bettamomma, you're an inspiration!

 

[BettaMomma]

Why, thanks.
I just feel completely helpless in a huge world that's so cruel so I do what I can.

I just looked in at Amos and he came swimming over flaring like crazy at me. I could tell he was thinking "OooOoooh, she's lookin at me! She's lookin at me!"

They're such selfless wonderful creatures. It's really too bad we can't help them all.

EDIT: I also work with a local guinea pig rescue. You should see some of the horrors that little piggies are put though.

 

[bluebelle]

Besides Archies fins, he sounds like he looks normal in the face. I have seen alot of betta that look like that. I think they look like little old men. LOL. I don't like the vases either, but I will have to admit, that I do keep a betta in one. It is tall and flared, and holds a least a 1/2 a gallon to 3/4 gallon of water. I would never put a plant in it though. I know enough no to do that. I also do not put anything in the vase except a handful of colorful stones. The betta seems fine, and swims around all the time, and flares when he sees the betta in the bowl next to him or sees me coming near. 1/2 gallon bowl. He seems happy as long as the water is clean, and doesn't get really cold. I don't let the temprature get too low in the house with the little one here. I do frequent water changes, and take out any food they have not eaten with a half hour. I like to let the bits get softened up. I read they only have a stomach the size of their eye??? That's one betta bite. They absolutely love the blood worms. Chomper stalks the worms/larva. He comes up slowly under the floating piece, then quick as a flash he snatches it from the waters surface. LOL. They are absolutely wonderful fish, with great personalities. My husband says I have to stop trying to rescue all of them though. LOL. Can't help it. I'm sure they are alot happier in their 1/2 gallon homes, than that 1 cup bowl they come in. I have to say I do like the new vases that are about 18" tall and fat. They must hold at least a gallon. Now isn't that better than those so called betta sphere's they sell??? I sure think so. I also forgot to add that I do leave a two-three inch space at the top of the vase, as well as the whole 5-6" neck. I do not fill it all the way, and still manage to get in at least a 1/2 gallon.

 

[BettaMomma]

Yep, I'm sure they're lots happier than in the little cups at WalMart or other awful stores like that.

Do be careful, though, with open containers with bettas in them. I keep Amos in a styrofoam cup while I'm changing his tank out and there's a good 3 inches from the top of the water to the top of the cup. I put his grated tank lid over the cup, and the entire time I"m working on the tank I hear him bashing his head into the lid - he'd be flying out if the lid wasn't on.

I'm in the process of upgrading him to a heated, filtered 5 gallon tank (SPOILED rotten little thing, I know ) ) from a 2.5 gallon heated tank.

It's funny - my bettas all do that same "sneak up and attack" move on their bloodworms too. They slowly sneak up on it and pretend they're looking the other way and then WHAMMO they go for it. It's funny how they know the diff between that and their pellets. I wonder if it's just instinct to attack "live" (even tho it's now dead) food that way.

hmmph

Oh - and about Archie's face - I've never seen one like that before - especially with the green markings like he has. We almost named him Batman because of it, it looks like he's wearing a mast. His face is very pointy and skinny and he's all black in the body area. (his photos show otherwise but that's cuz of the flash, I guess)... but anyway, I love them all dearly.