PhunFishGuy
New Member
It's almost as bad as Petsmart and Petco having fish.
Walmart - Why do they have fish
- Thread starter rdd1952
- Start date
redtailblackshark
Fish Fanatic
I thought pet-smart and petco were made for having fish?
OP
OP
Now that you mention it redtail, they didn't have any gravel in their tanks either. The only thing on the bottom of the tanks was dead fish. Of course, they covered it pretty well.
BettaMomma
Fish Aficionado
I always keep the following meds on hand, not in too big of quantities, cuz if you're lucky enough not to have sick fish they'll expire.
I keep:
Maracyn
Maracyn Two
Tetracycline Tablets
BettaFix
I always treat with whatever the current ailment is. Right now Harvey and Archie are going through Tetracycline Tablet treatments - they both have fin and tail ailments. Harvey also has odd eyes, so I was treating them with BettaFix, although it did nothing for them, so I switched them to Tetracycl. tabs after their water change last night because it's specifically for fin/tail problems, gill diseases and for popeye. I thought I'd at least use something that in case Harv's got the start of popeye going that would help it too.
I'm dosing up Jasper with Maracyn Two. Not sure how he's going to come out of his lethargy, but his color has brightened SIGNIFICANTLY in the last few hours since I started the meds. He did start flipping out after I dropped it in at first - he would make short darts around the tank and ram his face into plants and things, but now he's just resting on the bottom of the tank. He has turned into a gorgeous electric blue and red color from his charcoal gray color.
Wonderfully, Amos is meds free right now roaming around his new 5 gallon tank. he is in HEAVEN in his new lhuge tank - it's got a palm tree, natural gravel and large river rocks. it's like he's gone on a tropical vacation
Oh, the walmarts here don't bother with gravel, either.
I'm sure it's because it's way too much work to try to keep it clean.
I keep:
Maracyn
Maracyn Two
Tetracycline Tablets
BettaFix
I always treat with whatever the current ailment is. Right now Harvey and Archie are going through Tetracycline Tablet treatments - they both have fin and tail ailments. Harvey also has odd eyes, so I was treating them with BettaFix, although it did nothing for them, so I switched them to Tetracycl. tabs after their water change last night because it's specifically for fin/tail problems, gill diseases and for popeye. I thought I'd at least use something that in case Harv's got the start of popeye going that would help it too.
I'm dosing up Jasper with Maracyn Two. Not sure how he's going to come out of his lethargy, but his color has brightened SIGNIFICANTLY in the last few hours since I started the meds. He did start flipping out after I dropped it in at first - he would make short darts around the tank and ram his face into plants and things, but now he's just resting on the bottom of the tank. He has turned into a gorgeous electric blue and red color from his charcoal gray color.
Wonderfully, Amos is meds free right now roaming around his new 5 gallon tank. he is in HEAVEN in his new lhuge tank - it's got a palm tree, natural gravel and large river rocks. it's like he's gone on a tropical vacation
Oh, the walmarts here don't bother with gravel, either.
I'm sure it's because it's way too much work to try to keep it clean.
Even fish stores have crappy conditions, let alone Wal Mart. I wandered into a new fish shop this week-end to find nice clean healty tanks for most fish but miserable conditions for the bettas. They were almost all diseased and barely covered in dirty water in tiny cups. I feigned ignorance and asked about the requirements of a betta. I asked if I should get a tank with a filter. The person working there said anything bigger than 1 gallon would be wasted on it and I should get a small bowl because they're "not active and they only need a drop of water on their gills to survive."
I swear to God those were her actual words.
I've never seen a betta, even in stores with sparkling clean water, in more than 16 oz water, those tiny "betta bowls". Because that means more space and more prepared water. Which means more money and less room for other products. People still buy so what do they care?
The outrage and policing definitely help at any fish store. Boycotting all Wal-mart products except their fish doesn't help. That just reinforces their bottom line. Wal Mart's success is mass selling at tiny profits for each item. 6 cents on the dollar to be exact. They don't care if they only make a few cents on a betta because everyone still comes by, feels sorry, and keeps buying tons of them. I'd like to stand by and watch how many bettas are sold in a day. The only thing that will stop it is if everyone gets thick skinned enough to STOP buying fish from these places, keeps spreading the word, keeps leaving fliers, keeps bugging management. Tell them you're going to write an editorial in the newspaper about Wal-Mart practicing animal cruelty. And then go do it. Once people stop buying, that will be the end of the selling. Stores don't supply something that doesn't sell. Period.
There is only one way to stop this and that is to make a huge stink. It has happened for other products. Wal-Mart doesn't sell dirty mags anymore because the religious fundamentalists put up such a stink. K-Mart doesn't sell bullets anymore because of Michael Moore's film. A big enough contingent of people complaining about the conditions of the fish would force Wal-Mart to stop selling fish or to better the conditions. One week of a local Wal-Mart selling no bettas - or any fish in bad condition - and I guarantee you they'd stop selling them altogether.
OK I'm going to get off the soapbox now.
I swear to God those were her actual words.
I've never seen a betta, even in stores with sparkling clean water, in more than 16 oz water, those tiny "betta bowls". Because that means more space and more prepared water. Which means more money and less room for other products. People still buy so what do they care?
The outrage and policing definitely help at any fish store. Boycotting all Wal-mart products except their fish doesn't help. That just reinforces their bottom line. Wal Mart's success is mass selling at tiny profits for each item. 6 cents on the dollar to be exact. They don't care if they only make a few cents on a betta because everyone still comes by, feels sorry, and keeps buying tons of them. I'd like to stand by and watch how many bettas are sold in a day. The only thing that will stop it is if everyone gets thick skinned enough to STOP buying fish from these places, keeps spreading the word, keeps leaving fliers, keeps bugging management. Tell them you're going to write an editorial in the newspaper about Wal-Mart practicing animal cruelty. And then go do it. Once people stop buying, that will be the end of the selling. Stores don't supply something that doesn't sell. Period.
There is only one way to stop this and that is to make a huge stink. It has happened for other products. Wal-Mart doesn't sell dirty mags anymore because the religious fundamentalists put up such a stink. K-Mart doesn't sell bullets anymore because of Michael Moore's film. A big enough contingent of people complaining about the conditions of the fish would force Wal-Mart to stop selling fish or to better the conditions. One week of a local Wal-Mart selling no bettas - or any fish in bad condition - and I guarantee you they'd stop selling them altogether.
OK I'm going to get off the soapbox now.
BettaMomma
Fish Aficionado
I hate to disagree with you...
But by us few people who really do care about bettas, the 3.84 that we're not spending on one betta isn't going to make a difference. Some other schmuck who doesn't know any better about bettas will come along and buy.
I can't deal with the whole conscience aspect of things, and for that reason I will buy bettas from WM or any other place who are going to be left to die a lonely horrific death. At least I will try. I can't turn my back and go on thinking that the last person or thing that a poor little fish might have seen before it died was MY back as I walked away.
I have caused fusses, raised ruckuses, emailed & called, even yelled at a person who was thinking of putting a betta into a death trap vase in front of several store employees. I have had fights over the phone with pet stores, and I do have to say - conditions of fishes in the area have improved. It's not singly because of my policing, but I'd like to think I have helped. My next step is to photograph these sick conditions and I'm also going to sick the SPCA on some of these places. I am just doing my homework and I'm going to go about it the right way.
I will also probably be the woman who (When I die) leaves her children with 100 bettas to deal with, rather than cats.
And how does the fact that we've stopped buying all our toiletries and such at WM not affect their bottom line?!?
But by us few people who really do care about bettas, the 3.84 that we're not spending on one betta isn't going to make a difference. Some other schmuck who doesn't know any better about bettas will come along and buy.
I can't deal with the whole conscience aspect of things, and for that reason I will buy bettas from WM or any other place who are going to be left to die a lonely horrific death. At least I will try. I can't turn my back and go on thinking that the last person or thing that a poor little fish might have seen before it died was MY back as I walked away.
I have caused fusses, raised ruckuses, emailed & called, even yelled at a person who was thinking of putting a betta into a death trap vase in front of several store employees. I have had fights over the phone with pet stores, and I do have to say - conditions of fishes in the area have improved. It's not singly because of my policing, but I'd like to think I have helped. My next step is to photograph these sick conditions and I'm also going to sick the SPCA on some of these places. I am just doing my homework and I'm going to go about it the right way.
I will also probably be the woman who (When I die) leaves her children with 100 bettas to deal with, rather than cats.
And how does the fact that we've stopped buying all our toiletries and such at WM not affect their bottom line?!?
BettaMomma
Fish Aficionado
I just decided to send my thoughts to WalMart.
Here's what I said:
I would first like to start off by saying how thoroughly disgusted I am that your company has now decided to try to suck in even MORE money off the general public by selling fish. I am a fish hobbyist and I must say, at best the conditions these poor creatures are kept in at your stores is horiffic. I was in your east side Madison, WI store 2 times in the past few weeks. Here is a summary of what I saw when I first cruised through the fish section:
- 1 tank of beautiful (probably 12 or so in the tank) silver tetras COVERED in ich, every single one of them
- 1 tank where one pleco was dead & upside down - another one had latched onto him and had eaten a good bit of him
- 1 tank where a fish (so decayed & eaten that i couldn't identify) was laying upside down and was being feasted on
- 1 tank w/a ghostly white dead pleco bobbing around the bottom as other fish swam by
- 1 tank where a beautiful fish (not sure what it was) but it was the shape of a cichlid, but a little taller, and kind of a seafoam green/black/orange spotty color with feelers hanging down was laying on his side dead
- 1 tank where a poor little goldfish was struggling to get off the bottom of the tank
- 1 betta cup with a betta in it that had some sort of parasite so bad it looked like his gills were 2 large scabs
- 2 betta cups (each containing a female betta) with pretty little gals in them, but both of them were floating in there nose down, tail up
FYI - I did call the store when I got home cuz it was bothering me so much. The manager claimed they take "very good care of" their fish and their tanks were clean every day. I gave her a few suggestions, including the fact that whoever cleaned the tank that day must have inadvertently "missed" all the dead ones, and forgot to clean the betta cups.
UUGH
all of this was going on within about 15 tanks.
The second time was just 2 days ago - I went in and saw a betta in a teeny tiny little cup, and he was so bloated up and sick that his belly looked like it would burst any moment. The poor thing was knocking on death's door - and I decided on my way home (after having left him at the store because I couldn't justify buying ANOTHER fish) that the next day I would go back and get him. I went back the following day and he was gone, however i purchased another fish from your store which was equally as sick. He's now laying sideways on the bottom of his little tank and too, he is knocking on death's door. It's heartbreaking.
Your stores have a monopoly on, well, just about everything else - why step into the ring of fish? Obviously you don't require that folks know ANY thing (And i do mean ANYTHING) about fish to work in that department in your stores. For example, the other night when I noticed the fish with the huge belly, I pointed it out to a worker (who, by the way was flirting in the fish aisle with a female coworker, and doing NOTHING else) and he said "Maybe it's pregnant". Um, it was a male fish.
I also tried to point out a tank of tetras that was infested with a disease that would wipe out the tank in a matter of days, and the only person I could find in the store was working in toys and he said he had no clue what to do.
As a fish lover, I PLEAD AND BEG you to PLEASE stop selling fish. The outcome of your store is just that there are so many animals that are not being treated right, and then many of them die.
Because of the horiffic conditions of your fish, your name has become mud around several well-visited fish forums where several people come for advice. Several of us have completely stopped shopping in your stores, and most of us don't even go into your stores anymore except to check on the well-being of your fish, which most times we are completely apalled by it. I used to purchase mostly everything at your store, including groceries. I buy NOTHING at your store anymore and I'll ask my family to do the same. I would hope that if nothing else, YOU, the person reading this email will feel some compassion and feel compelled to at least share this info with someone who would consider that you stop selling fish. It's just not humane and you are losing customers over it. AND, unfortunately not by any fault of their own, several fish are dying horrible deaths due to your own greed.
Oh, and I plan to start documenting every time I see an animal being housed cruelly and I'm also going to be visiting a local television station to see if some exposure on the evening news would help my cause along in any way.
Thanks for reading.
Sincerely,
Someone who will never set foot into your store again except to police your fish.
Here's what I said:
I would first like to start off by saying how thoroughly disgusted I am that your company has now decided to try to suck in even MORE money off the general public by selling fish. I am a fish hobbyist and I must say, at best the conditions these poor creatures are kept in at your stores is horiffic. I was in your east side Madison, WI store 2 times in the past few weeks. Here is a summary of what I saw when I first cruised through the fish section:
- 1 tank of beautiful (probably 12 or so in the tank) silver tetras COVERED in ich, every single one of them
- 1 tank where one pleco was dead & upside down - another one had latched onto him and had eaten a good bit of him
- 1 tank where a fish (so decayed & eaten that i couldn't identify) was laying upside down and was being feasted on
- 1 tank w/a ghostly white dead pleco bobbing around the bottom as other fish swam by
- 1 tank where a beautiful fish (not sure what it was) but it was the shape of a cichlid, but a little taller, and kind of a seafoam green/black/orange spotty color with feelers hanging down was laying on his side dead
- 1 tank where a poor little goldfish was struggling to get off the bottom of the tank
- 1 betta cup with a betta in it that had some sort of parasite so bad it looked like his gills were 2 large scabs
- 2 betta cups (each containing a female betta) with pretty little gals in them, but both of them were floating in there nose down, tail up
FYI - I did call the store when I got home cuz it was bothering me so much. The manager claimed they take "very good care of" their fish and their tanks were clean every day. I gave her a few suggestions, including the fact that whoever cleaned the tank that day must have inadvertently "missed" all the dead ones, and forgot to clean the betta cups.
UUGH
all of this was going on within about 15 tanks.
The second time was just 2 days ago - I went in and saw a betta in a teeny tiny little cup, and he was so bloated up and sick that his belly looked like it would burst any moment. The poor thing was knocking on death's door - and I decided on my way home (after having left him at the store because I couldn't justify buying ANOTHER fish) that the next day I would go back and get him. I went back the following day and he was gone, however i purchased another fish from your store which was equally as sick. He's now laying sideways on the bottom of his little tank and too, he is knocking on death's door. It's heartbreaking.
Your stores have a monopoly on, well, just about everything else - why step into the ring of fish? Obviously you don't require that folks know ANY thing (And i do mean ANYTHING) about fish to work in that department in your stores. For example, the other night when I noticed the fish with the huge belly, I pointed it out to a worker (who, by the way was flirting in the fish aisle with a female coworker, and doing NOTHING else) and he said "Maybe it's pregnant". Um, it was a male fish.
I also tried to point out a tank of tetras that was infested with a disease that would wipe out the tank in a matter of days, and the only person I could find in the store was working in toys and he said he had no clue what to do.
As a fish lover, I PLEAD AND BEG you to PLEASE stop selling fish. The outcome of your store is just that there are so many animals that are not being treated right, and then many of them die.
Because of the horiffic conditions of your fish, your name has become mud around several well-visited fish forums where several people come for advice. Several of us have completely stopped shopping in your stores, and most of us don't even go into your stores anymore except to check on the well-being of your fish, which most times we are completely apalled by it. I used to purchase mostly everything at your store, including groceries. I buy NOTHING at your store anymore and I'll ask my family to do the same. I would hope that if nothing else, YOU, the person reading this email will feel some compassion and feel compelled to at least share this info with someone who would consider that you stop selling fish. It's just not humane and you are losing customers over it. AND, unfortunately not by any fault of their own, several fish are dying horrible deaths due to your own greed.
Oh, and I plan to start documenting every time I see an animal being housed cruelly and I'm also going to be visiting a local television station to see if some exposure on the evening news would help my cause along in any way.
Thanks for reading.
Sincerely,
Someone who will never set foot into your store again except to police your fish.
OP
OP
As soon as I got off work, I went back to Walmart to get the betta that was in such a nasty cup. When I got there, they only had 2 left as someone had apparently bought one since I was there at lunch. I picked them up and realized that their cups were also filthy so I bought them both. I went to the petshop in the same shopping center and bought a 2.5 mini bow for the second one since I only had 1 empty 5 gallon at home.
I seeded the new tank with the filter from my established betta tank and some plants from my 29 gallon. I'm sure I will have to fight the water parameters while it cycles but he's got to be better off in there than in the cup.
They actually had the bettas in nice big cups. When I got the first one in his tank, I measured the cup he was in. It held 16 oz with about 1/2" left at the top. I realize they can't fill them completely because of spillage but there was only about 6 oz of water in the cups, about 1". It wasn't even close to half full. The bettas were barely covered laying on the bottom of the cup.
Sorry this is so long but I wanted everyone, especially BettaMomma, to know that 2 of Walmarts bettas now had good homes. I think they are going to be beautifully colored too as soon as they get acclaimated and their colors come out. Now I've got to come up with names. My wife named our first betta (it is hers) Seventies because he is multicolored and almost looks tie-dyed/psychodelic.
I seeded the new tank with the filter from my established betta tank and some plants from my 29 gallon. I'm sure I will have to fight the water parameters while it cycles but he's got to be better off in there than in the cup.
They actually had the bettas in nice big cups. When I got the first one in his tank, I measured the cup he was in. It held 16 oz with about 1/2" left at the top. I realize they can't fill them completely because of spillage but there was only about 6 oz of water in the cups, about 1". It wasn't even close to half full. The bettas were barely covered laying on the bottom of the cup.
Sorry this is so long but I wanted everyone, especially BettaMomma, to know that 2 of Walmarts bettas now had good homes. I think they are going to be beautifully colored too as soon as they get acclaimated and their colors come out. Now I've got to come up with names.
My wife named our first betta (it is hers) Seventies because he is multicolored and almost looks tie-dyed/psychodelic.
OP
OP
Speaking of what the bettas are kept in, The place I bought the mini-bow actually had their bettas in the tanks with the other fish, one per tank. They were just swimming around looking pretty. They didn't have any in the cups. If they did, I didn't see them.
BettaMomma, before I left work, I went to Walmart's website and I also sent an email to them complaining about the condition of that store. I'm sure nothing will ever come of it. It will probably end up in some Spam folder and get deleted but at least I felt better.
BettaMomma, before I left work, I went to Walmart's website and I also sent an email to them complaining about the condition of that store. I'm sure nothing will ever come of it. It will probably end up in some Spam folder and get deleted but at least I felt better.
BettaMomma
Fish Aficionado
YAY! good for you!!!!
I'm so super glad you got two. I bet they are too! Do you have any pictures of them?? I'd LOVE to see them.
I think several of us sent emails to walmart in the past few days - maybe they'll start to see a pattern and at least think about their fishes. Probably won't do anything about it, but at least someone (if only the person that actually gets and reads these emails right off the bat) will be made aware of it...
I'm so super happy for your fishes!
Mine is still hovering near the bottom, but I can't believe how much more color he's gotten. He still hasn't eaten but he's cruising around looking things over, finding new spots to rest - most of them are near the heater.
I love rescued fishies - they seem like they KNOW that you saved them. Somehow.
I'm so super glad you got two. I bet they are too! Do you have any pictures of them?? I'd LOVE to see them.
I think several of us sent emails to walmart in the past few days - maybe they'll start to see a pattern and at least think about their fishes. Probably won't do anything about it, but at least someone (if only the person that actually gets and reads these emails right off the bat) will be made aware of it...
I'm so super happy for your fishes!
Mine is still hovering near the bottom, but I can't believe how much more color he's gotten. He still hasn't eaten but he's cruising around looking things over, finding new spots to rest - most of them are near the heater.
I love rescued fishies - they seem like they KNOW that you saved them. Somehow.
OP
OP
I don't have any pictures yet but will try to get some. My wife named them Clark and Ty after 2 of her favorite movie characters, Clark W. Griswold III and Ty Webb (Caddy Shack). I hope I don't have too much problem with water quality on the brand new tank. I'll check the water morning and night and use chemicals if I have to. With the filter from the other tank and the plants, it should be ok though. I will be up to 5 tanks once the 75 gallon delivers on Friday. I sure hope my raise and bonus are big this year so I can support my habit.
BettaMomma
Fish Aficionado
I just got promoted yesterday (YEAH) and my first reaction was...
YES - now I can get a big fish tank at home!
Sad.
We're all so sad.
lol
Oh, and tell your wife i love the names of the fish!
YES - now I can get a big fish tank at home!
Sad.
We're all so sad.
lol
Oh, and tell your wife i love the names of the fish!
OK, let me explain. There's no connection whatsoever from toiletries to the fish section of the store. Wal-Mart doesn't say, "Hmmm, people have stopped buying toothpaste, toilet paper, and laundry detergent at store # 1532. Geeez, I guess we should shut down the fish tanks there!"BettaMomma said:
OP
OP
You're right about there not being a connection but I choose not to give them any of my money. The lose of my money isn't going to bankrupt Walmart either put I feel better. It would be kind of hypocritical to boycott their fish section but continue to buy everything else there.
BettaMomma
Fish Aficionado
They're sure the heck going to MAKE the connection by us writing to them and telling them we have stopped buying all that stuff because of the fish.
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