Walmart betta anyone?
- Thread starter BettaTony
- Start date
The friendliest place on the web for anyone with an interest in aquariums or fish keeping!
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
Cichlid Kid
Aquarium Advice Addict
I have mixed feelings about walmart fish in general. I feel so bad for them but on the other hand i dont want to support walmart by buying them either. Know what i mean?
jetajockey
come get me tang police!
It seems like a benign effort on the surface but when you really think about it you'll find that it just makes things worse overall, since it supports them to stock even more fish like that.
jetajockey
come get me tang police!
Well every change starts with one person.
Many walmarts have reduced or eliminated their live pet sections.
Many walmarts have reduced or eliminated their live pet sections.
pixelfinger
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
- Joined
- Apr 12, 2012
- Messages
- 18
Well like that little story of the kid on the beach says, to that one fish it makes a difference as well. I guess it's just a catch 22. IMO saving that one betta makes a bigger impact than not buying it when it comes to one person.
tarpon
Aquarium Advice Addict
My walmart doesnt stock bettas. Go support a local privately owned fish store if you have one. They need your money, wal mart doesnt
jetajockey
come get me tang police!
So it's good to save one fish even if it dooms twice as many in the process?
pixelfinger
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
- Joined
- Apr 12, 2012
- Messages
- 18
jetajockey said:
Exactly I'm glad you see it my way ^_^.
No, what I'm saying is if every serious fish owner boycotted Walmart, which most probably do, it wouldn't make a bleep on walmarts fish sales cause there's so many uninformed people that just buy fish on a whim. So every once and a while if you can make a difference in one fish's life, then why not.
jetajockey
come get me tang police!
Because the difference you make is bigger than the life of 1 fish, it impacts the lives of many fish. When they sell more betta, the more they will stock and keep that way. So overall it hurts more bettas than it helps.
For me, saving a single betta may make me feel like im doing a good thing, but also knowing that because of my purchase they will put 2 more in its place, it makes the whole idea seem rather self serving.
Saying that a boycott won't make a difference is incorrect, as I already mentioned, many of these stores have reduced or eliminated their live pet sections. As consumers we should be putting our money into places that have similar ideals as we do, so why not get a betta from a place that keeps them in good conditions?
pixelfinger
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
- Joined
- Apr 12, 2012
- Messages
- 18
Your probably right,and I'm not saying I think buying fish at Walmart is a good idea. Just trying to say that it's not as black and white as saying by not buying one fish your helping in the long run. Even if its true, the betta you might have bought and put in his own 10g tank might end up in a vase with 2 other bettas because there "pretty".
I agree with pixel. People like bettas and they aren't going to stop showing up in stores. Saying that buying one betta condemns another may be true, but not buying the first one certainly condemns the one that is presently in the cup in front of you. The biggest problem lies within how people keep them. People go home with a betta and one of those 4 x 4 inch betta pens, so when a serious fish owner buys a betta and puts it in a proper tank that is what you are saving it from.
a.tetreault
Aquarium Advice Freak
My walmart has gotten rid of there live fish section from lack of interest, so i personally agree with avoiding shopping there. Just like any store that has bad stock or mistreats there fish. If your buying fish from them you are supporting them, which will condemn even more fish in the long run. one person will make a difference actually, all changes starts with one person
The Walmart in my town has also pulled all the Bettas off of the shelf as of last week. Nope, I do not want to know what happened to them all, I am just happy that one less store is selling them while being confined to horrid conditions.
Fishandmusic81
Aquarium Advice FINatic
Walmart here too
This is good it was never a good home for any fish
This is good it was never a good home for any fish
No. I don't agree with their practices when it comes to keeping fish in general so I wouldn't buy them there. If you buy one they order two more so, unfortunately, that would only add to the problem. I'd rather pay another hobbyist for a betta they bred and/or kept in clean conditions.
We have one Walmart by us that carries fish and one that doesn't. I've seen some pretty horrid fish sale centers, but nothing even comes close to walmart. I have never bought a fish at Walmart and nor do I condone it. That being said, I think you guys are deluding yourselves if you think that people like us not buying fish there and customer complaints about dead or dying fish in unsightly tanks are the reason some stores are no longer carrying fish. The only thing that motivates Walmart are their profit margins and they just weren't making enough money for it to be worthwhile. For every informed fishkeeper there is a mom with 2 kids and 2 fancy tail goldfish and a 2.5 gallon mini bow front tank coming home from petsmart.
SiameseCat
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
- Joined
- Apr 16, 2012
- Messages
- 35
I rescued a red crown tail from a Walmart shelf about a year ago. The plastic container with dirty water was labeled male betta with a black marker. There were about 10 in all on a shelf with the catfood(!?). All of their water was gross and a few were dead. My daughter named him spike. Either spike was really a female or his growth was stunted by some means of being at Walmart. Spike passed on about a week ago after losing his color. I feel good about my decision but I wont do it again.
