Some People Suck

[Kiarra]

I was at Petsmart today and just happened to take a peek at the Bettas when I noticed that one of them was missing many of his fins...and then I noticed that there were TWO Bettas in the same cup. I think that this was a deliberate thing, since one of the boys' cups was sitting up top, away from all the other cups, where someone would have just set it if they had just put one Betta into another's cup. Both boys are in SHREDS. There were pieces of their fins all over the bottom of the cup they were sharing. They had long ago stopped fighting, and one was sitting up at the top of the cup, with the other on the bottom, both of them just sulking. I immediately separated them, and just about walked off.... I admit it...I'm in college, and I don't have a whole lot of money to my name. But...I ended up walking out of the store with both boys. They're now both soaking in clean water, aquarium salt, and medicine. They both appear healthy, other than the many chunks of fins they're both missing. Poor boys.

I don't think it was any of the employees who did it, but I'm a little mad that they didn't rectify the situation. I think it was a couple of teenagers who must have done it LAST WEEK when I was there...I heard them talking about how they "did it all the time" and how "funny it is."

Anyway, I checked out all the other Bettas and made sure they were all in their own cups...and they were. And these two boys are now home safe and sound. I'm not sure what I'm going to do with them. I shouldn't have bought them, but I couldn't have just left them there. They're so torn up that there's not a single chance anyone else would have bought them, and I'm certain they would have died there of all kinds of nasty infections. Those poor, poor boys. They're happy now, though, all things considered.

I'll have pictures of them later, if anyone's interested. There were some taken of them in their cups immediately upon arrival home, and some taken in a clean photo tank.

 

[wuvmybetta]

I've found them like that before but they're usually both dead and rotting. One time at a nameless,faceless,souless corporation that shall remain nameless... I found a crapload of cups like that and after I threw my fit they began chunking the cups in the trash. One was heading for the can when I realized that one of the bettas was still alive. I could see him peering out through the murk. So of course I bought him and took him home. What really peeved me is that all of the employees thought he was too yucky to clean up and bag!

 

[Elise]

That's so terrible! I'm always on the look out for things like that because some people are so terrible....those boys you heard talking about putting the two bettas together sound like they're suffering from testosterone poisoning.

 

[Haiku]

OMG how awful! People's capacity for disgusting cruelty never ceases to amaze me . Then there's all the people who just don't care because it's "just a fish." As if fish can't feel pain and misery too!

I'd love to see pictures Kiarra. I know it was difficult but you can't help but follow your heart sometimes. Poor little guys. I hope that you will be able to nurse them both back to health and happiness.

 

[Betta_man]

In every pet store i have been in all bettas are in with "suitable" tank mates for temp housing or in small bags, Fair enough the bags arent big but all have enough water. And in one place they keep them in breeding cages floating in individual tanks so they arent stressed by seeing other males.

I live in Scotland btw...

 

[FishyLoveBug]

Word can not describe.

 

[Synirr]

I've seen this on more than one occasion at my local Walmart. I always separate the poor things when I find them that way, and usually add meds and clean water to their cups. Yes, I take meds off the shelf and add them to the cups... come on, that's what they get for not having a safety seal on Melafix bottles

 

[BettaMomma]

OH my god - heaven help whoever the hell the closest person in the store is if I ever find 2 fish in one cup in that condition, a dead betta in a cup, or some punkass kids dumping 2 of them together. There would be HELL to pay.
I also have yet to even see someone shaking one in a cup or just beating them around in general. I will go ballistic and someone will most likely have to escort me out. This makes me INFINITELY FURIOUS. I'm tempted to call the store you found them at and complain to a manager. UUUUUUGH grr

Anyway -
Bless you for taking them home.
They probably would not have had a chance otherwise.
I can't wait to see photos of them.
They're lucky, lucky boys.

Have you named them?
You could maybe call them Rip and Shred.

 

[Kiarra]

I was absolutely furious when I found them. It was all I could do to just put them back in their own cups, instead of taking them to the store manager and raising hell. They weren't even fighting anymore! They must have been like that for quite a while for them to not even be fighting anymore!

I haven't named them yet, and I don't know what I'm going to name them. There will probably be pictures tomorrow, or the next day.... I don't have the pictures. Styx does, but I think they'll be coming to me before they come here. But they'll be coming here.

They were at the Petsmart on Redwood Road in Taylorsville, Utah. You can raise all the hell you want, BM. The cups at that store are usually in reasonable condition, but today, they were filthy, and at least one of the Bettas was really sick. The boys having torn each other to bits is the final straw as far as I'm concerned. They deserve whatever crap they might get, and those remaining Bettas deserve some clean water.

Forget WAS absolutely furious. I'm STILL absolutely furious. Looking at my new pair of boys...they didn't deserve any of this, and their fellows at the store deserve a whole lot better than what they're currently getting.

 

[cation]

It was all I could do to just put them back in their own cups, instead of taking them to the store manager and raising hell.

Why didn't you? It would have been the best thing to do for all the fish that will come through the store.

"Be the change you want to see in the world" -Gandhi

 

[Kiarra]

I didn't know what to say. I was just angry, and anything I would have said would have been out of anger, and would have been taken as simply anger, not as that of a rational being who meant what she said. I did make clear my discontent at the register, and made absolutely sure that the cashier noticed the condition of the fish being purchased, and described how I had found them.

 

[Synirr]

I've never complained to the manager about finding two bettas in the same cup because I know the employees didn't do it, and I understand that they can't watch the fish aisle 24/7... but heaven help any poor soul I ever find dumping two bettas together or shaking their cups, because I will go absolutely freakin' ballistic.

I went to Walmart with a "friend" of mine and her boyfriend once, and he dared her to shake a betta. To my shock, she actually did it... and I very nearly slapped her across the face. After we had a good long "talk" (aka a verbal reaming,) she realised the error of her ways and bought the little boy she had shaken. He still lives with her today

 

[Kiarra]

Here are the boys, in their cups, almost immediately after being brought home.

Boy #1...a green & white butterfly who's going to be simply GORGEOUS when he grows his fins back. You see all those debris, though, at the bottom of his cup? Those are his fins and the fins of the other boy.

Boy #2...a boy who thinks he wants to be blue. He's missing a lot of scales near his head.

 

[Kiarra]

In clean water:

Boy #1, the green butterfly:

Boy #2, the blue one:

 

[Allie]

I'm always happy to hear of these rescues! These are lucky fish to have you.