here's the letter I sent to ebay...
Dear eBay representatives,
This letter is to inform you of a few items on your site that are cruel to betta fish as a whole. The item numbers are as follows: 4386631933; 4386107398; 5980261680; 4387289166; 4386694399; 4385968834; and 4386673674.
In all of the above mentioned, the size is unacceptable to keep a healthy betta. If a person doesn’t give them a fresh change of water every week, the animal could suffer greatly due to the rising amounts of ammonia. Also, bettas can grow to be around 3’’ and a 3’’ fish will not be able to move around in these tight quarters. Another problem with them is the oxygen consumption compared to the amount of oxygen in the water.
In a few of these items, there isn’t a lid. Bettas can jump from bowls like these, and if the owner is not around, the betta will die b/c they will jump out.
In one in particular (the very first one) the way he goes about placing the betta in the container is the worst part. He placed a funnel in a small hole in the lid and poured him through it like he was liquid. This not only stresses the fish, but also tears them, creating an opened door for bacterial infections. The meds for these type problems will also cause unneeded costs for the owner.
In the wild, bettas live in rice fields and other larger bodies of water. They don’t, however, live in half an ounce of water. I would like for these members of eBay to be informed that their products are not betta boxes, but death boxes, and are unacceptable. I would like it if you took this a step further and removed these products from your site (and others I have not found), and give the owner/creator a stern warning.
Thank you for your concerns,
(signed)