Andy Sager
Aquarium Advice Addict
Well I must say....
Thank you all for this spirited discussion. As was posted in an earlier post, "there are many opinions on the subject" and you all are entitled to yours. However, what has also come out is how uninformed a number of you are. (No offense intended.)
Let me quote my breeder's "Bible" about Bettas that was copywrited in 1971:
" For several hundred years the fish has been used locally for sporting purposes, and for more than 100 years it has been domesticated and cultivated. Cultivation has increased the size, improved the colors and enhanced the fighting qualities.
In a wild state the fighting fish is an inconspicuous, retiring little creature seeking protection from the glare of the sun and from fish eating birds by hiding beneath and among water plants.....The fish does not loiter at the surface where, in a wild state, it is exposed to attack by birds and other fish-eating animals.
Up to the year 1850 or thereabouts, the use of the fighting fish for sporting contests in Siam was confined to fishes obtained from open water; but, in order to insure a regular supply for fighting and betting purposes, domestication and cultivation were then instituted and have since been conducted on an increasingly large scale...."
The piece goes on to say regarding the fighting that "the 2 fish are put together in the same bowl..." and that the losing combatant " terminates his fighting career and sometimes his very existance because of his futile efforts to reach his adversary kept in a separate jar." (This is just a small portion of a 6 page discription of the history and breeding habits of the fish.)
People, these fish have been kept in BOWLS and JARS since the 1850s. You can call it cruel, you can call it insane, you can call it anyway you'd like. This fish, as we know it, was "made" to be kept in a bowl/ jar. In fact, if you have purchased a Betta that was imported from any country outside the US, and even some in the US, it was raised in a BOWL and like it or not, that's a fact. If it was healthy and you bought it, it got or was healthy in a bowl.
So my point from the very beginning of this thread was that you need to be more informed before judging the actions of your local pet store. If you think they are performing a cruel act on their animals, call P.E.T.A. (People for the ethical treatment of animals.) I'm sure they would like to know. HOWEVER, I can tell you, there are very few pet stores that P.E.T.A. could justifiably shut down. And I'm sure they all would have Bettas in bowls.
You all can feel free to discuss this as long as you like. I got what I intended and will no longer be posting to this thread.
Fish keeping can be a very informative and wonderful and educating experience. It has taken me to many parts of the world and has introduced me to many wonderful people. Do your homework, ask your questions, get informed. If you think you know it all, I guarantee you I know people who know more than you. It's not bragging when its the truth and I'm not bragging
Now I need to change some water in my Betta bowls
Thank you all for this spirited discussion. As was posted in an earlier post, "there are many opinions on the subject" and you all are entitled to yours. However, what has also come out is how uninformed a number of you are. (No offense intended.)
Let me quote my breeder's "Bible" about Bettas that was copywrited in 1971:
" For several hundred years the fish has been used locally for sporting purposes, and for more than 100 years it has been domesticated and cultivated. Cultivation has increased the size, improved the colors and enhanced the fighting qualities.
In a wild state the fighting fish is an inconspicuous, retiring little creature seeking protection from the glare of the sun and from fish eating birds by hiding beneath and among water plants.....The fish does not loiter at the surface where, in a wild state, it is exposed to attack by birds and other fish-eating animals.
Up to the year 1850 or thereabouts, the use of the fighting fish for sporting contests in Siam was confined to fishes obtained from open water; but, in order to insure a regular supply for fighting and betting purposes, domestication and cultivation were then instituted and have since been conducted on an increasingly large scale...."
The piece goes on to say regarding the fighting that "the 2 fish are put together in the same bowl..." and that the losing combatant " terminates his fighting career and sometimes his very existance because of his futile efforts to reach his adversary kept in a separate jar." (This is just a small portion of a 6 page discription of the history and breeding habits of the fish.)
People, these fish have been kept in BOWLS and JARS since the 1850s. You can call it cruel, you can call it insane, you can call it anyway you'd like. This fish, as we know it, was "made" to be kept in a bowl/ jar. In fact, if you have purchased a Betta that was imported from any country outside the US, and even some in the US, it was raised in a BOWL and like it or not, that's a fact. If it was healthy and you bought it, it got or was healthy in a bowl.
So my point from the very beginning of this thread was that you need to be more informed before judging the actions of your local pet store. If you think they are performing a cruel act on their animals, call P.E.T.A. (People for the ethical treatment of animals.) I'm sure they would like to know. HOWEVER, I can tell you, there are very few pet stores that P.E.T.A. could justifiably shut down. And I'm sure they all would have Bettas in bowls.
You all can feel free to discuss this as long as you like. I got what I intended and will no longer be posting to this thread.
Fish keeping can be a very informative and wonderful and educating experience. It has taken me to many parts of the world and has introduced me to many wonderful people. Do your homework, ask your questions, get informed. If you think you know it all, I guarantee you I know people who know more than you. It's not bragging when its the truth and I'm not bragging
Now I need to change some water in my Betta bowls