Bettas In Cups In Stores

[solsed]

im somewhere between no 1 and 2 because the fish (in the wild) usually live in low oxygen, small environments(like puddles and rice feilds) (thats why they have both gills and tube lungs and need to be able to reach the surface to breathe), but their usually not cold water like the cups.

It would be realy hard to have 20 heated, filtered, and easily emptied containers in each shop. the fish usualy arent there for too long either.

but i still feel sorry for them

i want to buy them all!


but i havent enough room, or time to look after hundreds.

idealy i would like to say no 1
but realisticaly i would say no. 2

 

[OohFeeshy]

I much prefer them being kept on teir own than in tanks with other fish, but in, say, America where vast amounts of bettas are sold (compared to the UK) I think they should invest in someting the size and volume of beanie boxes. In the UK where you're lucky to see a shop with over 5 bettas, I think shops need to choose their tanks more carefully as they tend to plonk them in with anything (or go with some idea that they can't be kept with male guppies but can be kept with female guppies or platies or whatever...) and many of the chain stores use high current centralised systems which don't do them any good.

 

[ab420]

My LFS has a pretty good system imo. They are a small store, so their is no way they can store a bunch of them in larger tanks, but they realize that not every single one needs to be displayed. They may have 20-30 in the store, but only like 6 or 7 will be out on display in bowls (definitely bigger than the cups you usually see them in). The rest of them are in even larger bowls out back were they do have the room for them. On top of that, they change the water in all the bowls every other day. They always look clean and healthy and I've never seen a dead or sick betta there. They even keep one as a store betta behind the counter on a shelf in a very large vase (NO flowers, don't worry!) and that one has been there for a LONG time now.

It just goes to show you, that just because it is a business and you need to make money, doesn't mean the animals have to suffer.

 

[-Deano-]

2. I hate the cups, but they are alright for selling bettas in as long as people are told that they need a bigger tank.


I Dont Mind Them, Its Not Like They Have Room To Buy Huge Tanks To Store One Betta

 

[Joby]

Number 1 of course

But agree with what has been said, much better for them to be in a separate container than placed with inappropriate tank mates but those containers should be properly filled and maintained. Around here they just plonk them in with other fish almost without thought it seems and this is what can happen!

These two were rescued from separate tanks of tetras from one lfs earlier this year they are both now fully recovered and happy flaring boys

 

[xostrawberryox]

1, they look ever so sad and still!

 

[Htw]

I agree, I don't like cups. I prefer them to have some space to swim around. I've personally never seen one bullied in a LFS tank by other fish. It's usually the flow of water they have a problem with and get swooshed around.
However, one LFS does keep bettas in small cups, but these ARE attached to their main tank water filtration system, so their water is constantly being changed and heated. I didn't realise that in US the cups are just left with the same water in them until the fish is bought, probably.
I thought the cups here were bad enough, your guys have it 10X worse!

 

[92cw12]

I agree, I don't like cups. I prefer them to have some space to swim around. I've personally never seen one bullied in a LFS tank by other fish. It's usually the flow of water they have a problem with and get swooshed around.
However, one LFS does keep bettas in small cups, but these ARE attached to their main tank water filtration system, so their water is constantly being changed and heated. I didn't realise that in US the cups are just left with the same water in them until the fish is bought, probably.
I thought the cups here were bad enough, your guys have it 10X worse!

cups are accceptable for a fish shop if the fish are only kept in there for a few days but tanks with tetras and males dont go well the fighter will be attacked constantly.

 

[ZeeZee]

i'm more of a 2 1/2. The cups are okay. I like to stick my bettas in bigger tanks after I bring them home but I save the cups for emergency reasons.

 

[FishySarah]

I guess I feel the same as everyone else. But the store I went to tonight had bettas in cups so small they were barely covered by water. The fish hardly had room to twitch a fin! I wanted to cry, I felt so sorry for them.

 

[downsouth]

definately number 1. Why do the bettas always get the small cups?? They are not even the smallest fish, most of them I see can hardly turn around in there.

 

[Himmel]

dont give me its not practical to house them in large tanks on there own there is a store here In Edmonton that does that each Betta gets 5 gallons to themselves filtered heated ect

Ya it takes up more room but if the LF wants to sell anything they need to look after it properly and educate the customers properly. there is no excuse for abusing any animal be it fish reptil bird or mammal!!

I am sorry but excusing the abuse bettas suffer is not acceptible at all

 

[jfeld]

Bettas have been shipped in cups for YEAR and YEARS. It has been proven effective and cheap too. Yes it may not look pretty but it works fine. I doubt you would want to by a 100 dollar betta because of the size, weights, extra weight charges in the mail, importing fees, and the container it self. Economics is a funny buisiness. Not everything can be super hippy PETA. Its all about business and money and your demand for the bettas themselves.

I am not sure I can agree with this, Danno. Yes, this may be the way it's always been done, but "business" and "economics" are hardly legitimate reasons to condone the abuse of animals. In fact, it's exactly this attitude of "oh well, that's the way it is" that allows the abuse and mistreatment of animals to continue. Nor do I think it's unreasonable or "super hippy" to expect animals to be treated like living creatures rather than inanimate cargo.

 

[fishwatcher]

I am with #2, generally, but the local WalM*%& has them in "larger" cups than the Petsmart, but they are only filled 1/4 (yes, 1/4!) of the way, and they are always dirty looking! I really hate to see them like that. Atleast at the Petsmart here they are kept cleaned out and filled up.

 

[Synirr]

Keeping bettas in small containers temporarily does not constitute "abuse". The bettas were I work get fed live and frozen foods every-other day, and have their water changed every-other day. They constantly bubblenest and flare, and are beautifully healthy. They are medicated if ill. We are sure to recommend only 1 gallon+ containers as permanent homes. Yet, they live in mason jars at the store... oh yes, poor, poor abused bettas

It's all about the amount of time spent on their care, not the containers they are housed in. Ideally, they are only in the store for 2 weeks at the very most anyway. Hell, they live better than a lot of college students living in dorms, and are there for a shorter period of time!!