Stop betta abuse !!!

[CPryor]

Ah! My betta setup looks so dinky compared to you guys posts...but he's 5 1/2 years old and still going strong, so I guess it's good enough he refuses to pose for pics and I'm the worlds worst photographer

I'm working on getting his tank fully planted...those things floating at the top and the little leaves at the bottom are baby java fern. I got lazy last maintenance day and didn't remove all the algae from the Anubias nana

 

[Dwarriors65]

Thank you for this post betta abuse is a big problem

 

[dcutl002]

I agree. The smallest I put mine in is a ten gallon tank. I know others use small bowls which is better than the "torture chamber" of the pet store. I once came across someone that had a Betta/Plant kit where supposedly the betta does not have to be fed....it's just madness. Anyway, I digress: an aquarist with a 1-gallon bowl that does frequent water changes, feeds and takes care of a Betta Splendens is better than an Ammonia Toxic pet store 4 oz. cylinder.

 

[Atticus]

My betta is in a 20g planted community tank and he seems pretty happy

 

[coywolf]

My first betta was in a 20 gallon community tank and did very well. That was years ago. I dislike them being in small cups. I went to one pet store that kept majority of the bettas- one per community tank. If I get another betta, probably from them.

 

[MonkeyMonk86]

I saw a horrible Betta set up today. It was 3 small tiered chambers all hooked together and cascading downward. I think it was supposed to look like a waterfall. B/c of the coral like ornaments in the chambers, I thought it was a super nano for baby corals. I was horrified when a poor sick Betta came out from behind a coral ornament. The chambers were tinnier than a coffee cup. ( took 10 diff google searches but I found a pic of the torture chamber aquarium and the Betta in the pic must be babies b/c the Betta in the store took up a lot more room).

This is horrible!!! A 3 torture chamber "aquarium". Grrr!!!!

 

[Kittykat364]

I saw a horrible Betta set up today. It was 3 small tiered chambers all hooked together and cascading downward. I think it was supposed to look like a waterfall. B/c of the coral like ornaments in the chambers, I thought it was a super nano for baby corals. I was horrified when a poor sick Betta came out from behind a coral ornament. The chambers were tinnier than a coffee cup. ( took 10 diff google searches but I found a pic of the torture chamber aquarium and the Betta in the pic must be babies b/c the Betta in the store took up a lot more room). View attachment 233682

This is horrible!!! A 3 torture chamber "aquarium". Grrr!!!!

I saw one of those for sale at petco

 

[Magic mike]

question for anybody willing to help.

i have a betta that i take care for (its the wifes....).
she had him in a 2.5gal tank that i used for sick fish.
after i noticed she wasnt taking care of him i started to.
i already take care of 3 tanks, whats one more.
I have a 20gal thats planted, has a lot of fish now, but ill be moving them to my 75gal tank. So ill have a 20gal i can put the betta in.
Hey's very healthy and happy now, loves the aquaponics setup i made on top of the tank, so i know he'll love the plants.
Im worried about the 20gal's filter though, dont want to tire him out with too much water flow/currrent.
will that water bottle waterfall stopper trick be fine enough? its just a whisper 20gal filter.
do i neeed to remove the air stone? i rather not since i dont have co2 onthis tank yet.
figured id leave the frogs, shrimp, my two catfishs and whatever smaller fish i have in the tank now.

am i missing anything? thanks!

 

[Kittykat364]

Well I see one problem, if the fish is aggressive it could kill the other animals, my betta doesn't even tolerate a snail. Just might want to keep that in mind.


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[Magic mike]

There won't be anything that looks like him in the tank. I'm not worried about him messing anybody up at all, I'm more worried the tank will have too much current/suction from the filter to tire him out and kill him.

 

[Kittykat364]

If it's a 20gallon tank then it should have plenty of places to hide from the current and he will be fine.


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[Meggieelala]

Sadly when I first bought my betta my only choice of tank was a small one gallon, I'd read that they could live in one but knew it could not be happy in there. My betta was surviving in its tank but most certainly not living. After showing my parents that state of its tiny tank we went out and bought a real tank with heater, filter, lighting, live plants and plenty of space to swim and hide. I now have a lovely community fish tank with my betta, two African dwarf frogs, a bumblebee snail and a small shoal of bandit corydoras. I also made a point to condition the water and feed my fish with frozen blood worms and couldn't be happier with my choice. What started as a guilty conscience has turned into my new hobby and I am now looking at setting up another tank.


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I would just like to add to those that say their betta is scared of a big tank, mine was at first, I just planted the tank a little more and now he rules the tank!
Also, here in the uk a major pet store is "pets at home" who refuse to sell a fish to an unsuitable tank condition and most people will not go out of their way to lie about a tank just to purchase some fish. Great way of informing newbie owners like myself.

 

[Patsy47]

what a GREAT story!

 

[Andy Sager]

You might be interested in this piece. basic betta care 101

 

[Jill Marie]

The only way to stop the abuse is to BOYCOTT all pet shops that sell betas in little cups and also give misinformation to the masses. If betas were only sold by breeders who would then give the correct information, that would reduce the abuse. I see a lot of "I saved him from petsmart" types of posts here, as I love betas and went through the ENTIRE "show off" beta thread yesterday. You are not saving them. You are supporting the very people we need to stop. Petsmart type places will not change until they see it as a way of loosing customers and money. Then they will change the way they do things and the type of info they give out. But too often salespeople will say what you want t hear so you will buy (I recently went through this too) Sadly, too many humans have no regard for the "other people" we share this planet with.

 

[Meggieelala]

You might be interested in this piece. basic betta care 101

I see what people mean about they can survive in these conditions, mine did. However many people believe that if you can put them in a real aquarium then you should. When I first tried to set up my community tank my betta made it very difficult but with perseverance I finally made it work and my betta is much more active now and behaving "normally". Many everyday people who use the small bowls will leave the betta in a corner, feeding it a bland diet with no heater or interaction to speak of. These fish are such characters it seems a shame to limit them.


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[Meggieelala]

The only way to stop the abuse is to BOYCOTT all pet shops that sell betas in little cups and also give misinformation to the masses. If betas were only sold by breeders who would then give the correct information, that would reduce the abuse. I see a lot of "I saved him from petsmart" types of posts here, as I love betas and went through the ENTIRE "show off" beta thread yesterday. You are not saving them. You are supporting the very people we need to stop. Petsmart type places will not change until they see it as a way of loosing customers and money. Then they will change the way they do things and the type of info they give out. But too often salespeople will say what you want t hear so you will buy (I recently went through this too) Sadly, too many humans have no regard for the "other people" we share this planet with.

Here in the uk I am happy to say I have never seen a fish sold they way they do in America. If I'm honest I was appalled when I knew that betas are on a shelf in cups! The smallest tank I have seen a betta in here is a mini tank which is still heated and filtered or a small plastic box which is attached to the inside of a big aquarium to stop the fish from becoming aggressive but still allows them the water quality and food needed.


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[Aliray]

My betta, Big Red, a red crowntail lives in a 2 gal bubble bowl on my kitchen counter under a 4 ft. florescent light, with a basal plant next to him. He has about a 14 inch piece of cabomba, a good sized marimo moss ball, and riccia, and water spangles floating on top and a small piece of hornwort. He gets fed pellets twice a day and on water change days he has frozen bloodworms for breakfast and supper the day before and again on the morning before the water change. I am in the kitchen a lot and he loves to keep me company and watch everything I do, and follow my finger around the bowl. He takes the pellets out of my fingers. He is a great little fish....Alison

 

[preyas1207]

I'm sorry to say I keep my betta in a 0.5 gallon +5gallons ;3 I love bettas they were one of my first fish my oldest one was only 2 1/2 years old though but long live the bettas in great homes!!



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[obedey]

Hey Andy the only thing I would change about that link would be the once a week water change. I can't help thinking about them sitting in their urea for a week. Thanks for that advice you gave me an age ago. I never did thank you.