This store....they care or they don't!

[GrullaQuarters]

The place where I picked up the CT today....just as soon as you walk in the door, they have a display for "Easter Basket Bettas." It's everything you need for a betta, including the betta itself, but comes with a tiny little bowl....not much bigger than a cup. I hope they aren't selling too many of these.

However, when I was checking out, they have all sorts of 'tanks' in the check out area for storage of dog/cat toys, etc. They had a little square tank, I think it was a 2.5 gallon, with two dividers in it, with dog bones and such. I was inspecting the dividers, seeing how they worked, and fit in there just out of curiousity, and this was as I was buying my new betta. The gal helping me tells me that these divided tanks like this are not a good idea for bettas especially, because there is no way to block view of the other ones, and the bettas get extremely stressed out because they feel they need to flare to protect themselves all the time. Makes sense. But a teeny tiny bowl being sold for an Easter Basket Betta will NOT stress them out??

Just wanted to share....

 

[BettaMomma]

I live in the same town as GQ - and I have seen them, too. The best way to describe the teeny bowls is that they're about the size of a softball. They're kinda round with a small opening up top.

Oh, and they also have baskets with the SpongeBob tanks in them, which actually make the other ones look small.

Oh, and this is also the same store that tried to tell me that bettas PREFER to live in little plastic cups rather than something bigger.

 

[OohFeeshy]

Well, its complaining time again! I know I would complain. And when they tell you they like living in small containers say 'OK then. Can you help me with something else? What size of hamster cage do you reccomend for a dwarf rabbit? I figured since they are dwarf rabbits, they must like living in small cages?'.

 

[eudielynn]

The best thing we can do is try to educate other fish lovers. I have two friends that have aquariums but really know nothing about fish. One informed me that I needed to take my betta out of the 20 gal community tank he has been in since the day I got him. He told me that Jericho would be much happier in a small bowl with a piece of bamboo. When I almost had a stroke, he said "I had one for about three years and he did fine." I asked him what was fine about a fish that couldn't swim for three years.

Another friend told me pretty much the same thing. When I told him about my new betta's tank he said I should have just saved my money and kept him in a little bowl. He knew it was okay because the pet stores kept them that way.

They are both animal (and fish) lovers and would not intentionally harm any animal. They just believed what the lfs or lps told them. Bottom line, the stores are out to make money any way they can. We just have to spread the word about proper care for fish. We're their only hope!

 

[BettaMomma]

Well said!

 

[Raechal]

I'm surprised they aren't selling bettas in clear plastic easter eggs. I feel bad for bettas, especially the males. Most LFS around here keep females in a community in like a 10-15 gallon while all of the males are forced to be in a cup.

I think all LFS that decide to sell bettas should just invest in like a 55 gallon tank and split it into sections for the bettas. That way they wouldn't have to dump the cups and re-fill their water everyday.

When I worked at a LFS my first task of the day was to empty the betta cups (although the LFS I worked for did keep their bettas in these cups that hung on the wall they were bowfronted and probably held a half gallon so they were better than cups, but not as good as a tank.) I would spend like 20-30 minutes emptying them out, refilling them, adding dechlor, and feeding them all. The manager complained that I was taking too long with one task (the bettas) I guess she expected me to just dump out the whole cup along with the betta in it and hope he doesn't flop out into the sink.

That was my favorite part of the job though. the days I would come in, after having a day or two off, the bettas would be in smelly water that was full of crap. The other guys who worked the fish dept. didn't really change their water, they just checked it off like they did. But they would always get fresh water when I worked and food!