Just bought a betta, and people should be ashamed...

[looniebirds]

...to keep living creatures in such filth! I had been debating for a while, and finally went to Walmart and bought one of the worst looking betta fish I have ever seen. Pale, in a filthy cup of water. Didn't look like it would be around much longer.

This fish was almost white, since being installed in my betta bowl, small, yes, but not the smallest I've seen, he has already changed color, darkening to a kind of reddish color. Or brownish. Is eating and checking things out. At least he has a chance now.

Usually when I have gotten a betta, I mix the water in the cup they came in into the new water. Not this time. Too dirty.

People really ought to know better...or perhaps I should say care better!


I'm calling him Lucky.

 

[waterfaller1]

Thanks for helping him. I find they do best in a tank of at the least 3-5 gallons.

 

[meaggiedear]

The keep the bettas on the same aisle as the bird stuff and I always hate to walk by them because it makes me sad.

You are good person for going to get the weakest one and giving him a chance.

3-5 gallons is a good suggestion... And if you can- Get him a filter as he will do better with one. All fish do.

 

[looniebirds]

I may do something with a filter later on. Though he is in a better place than he was. Now I think he's gonna be a greyish blue. I swear, he was rather flesh colored when I first got him.

 

[waterfaller1]

He was probably very stressed from high ammonia and nitrates..low PH. He is very lucky you came along when you did.

 

[Mizzely]

Yeah they definitely change color based on how they feel. A well fed, well taken care of fish will be much more beautiful then a stressed out one!

A hint for color - bloodworms Sounds gross but you can get them in the freezer section of the pet food (at pet/fish stores) or you can get the freeze-dried. I feed these to my fish at least twice a week and they looooove them. Gives variety and fantastic color!

Thanks for helping this guy out! I also recommend a 5 gallon for them, but until then I'm sure he enjoys just being able to move!

 

[AmberMuffinz]

Good on you for picking out the weakest one! I would have done the same thing. So glad he'll have a much better chance at life.

When I was living at my moms and a bit younger I would go to the pet store and buy about five feeder goldfish for my fishtank. Usually only one survived out of five though. But I felt terrible for them and wanted to give them a chance at life. Plus they were cheap so it wasn't hard to just buy quite a few. I also won a goldfish at high school when I went to one of their fair things. My goldfish lived quite a long time (even my favorite after he got stuck in the filter. I didn't know where he was but saw his tail and opened it up, he was just fine.) I believe one or two are still living and are still pretty large, although I can't remember if I saw them or not last time I was over.

Also on bloodworms - All of my moms fish love them. I haven't seen a fish turn a fin up at those!

 

[looniebirds]

I went and got a 1.5 gallon tank with filtration for him this evening. I think this will work out nicely for him. He still looks pretty rough, but he's still hanging in there.

 

[DQTimnehs]

The last time I saw fish at Walmart here the tanks were green, no stones in the bottom or anything, bare bones. I don't even know if they were feeding them, as they eventually got rid of them all.
It wasn't much better at Petsmart. A bunch of dead fish floating. I told the staff and they just shrugged and said they'll clean them out later! Great advertising and it can't be very healthy for the living to have to be there with a bunch of dead fish! So gross!

 

[Mizzely]

The last time I saw fish at Walmart here the tanks were green, no stones in the bottom or anything, bare bones. I don't even know if they were feeding them, as they eventually got rid of them all.
It wasn't much better at Petsmart. A bunch of dead fish floating. I told the staff and they just shrugged and said they'll clean them out later! Great advertising and it can't be very healthy for the living to have to be there with a bunch of dead fish! So gross!

It's pretty bad here at our Wal-mart and Petco. Thankfully, the nearest Petsmart is AMAZING with their fish department. All of the tanks are pristine, and the 3 people I've seen working in that area have been extremely knowledgeable about fish (and actually persuaded people to not get fish they shouldn't a pet store rarity!)

 

[AmberMuffinz]

The last time I saw fish at Walmart here the tanks were green, no stones in the bottom or anything, bare bones. I don't even know if they were feeding them, as they eventually got rid of them all.
It wasn't much better at Petsmart. A bunch of dead fish floating. I told the staff and they just shrugged and said they'll clean them out later! Great advertising and it can't be very healthy for the living to have to be there with a bunch of dead fish! So gross!

Walmart should not have fish. PERIOD. I saw a small fish in petsmart that was in the wrong tank, one tank over from where he should've been. The fish in the tank he was in were aggressive and so I told the fish guy that I felt bad for him and asked if he would please put him back where he belonged.
"You feel bad for a fish? " He shrugged after saying that and moved the fish per my request. That fish guy was the most emotionless boring employee ever too.

 

[cosmolove]

Thankfully my walmart stopped carrying fish completely

I try to walk away from the cup bettas. As sorry as I feel for them when they are bought they are just replaced with another one and the cycle keeps going. I say this when just a few days ago I finally gave in because I found a gorgeous halfmoon betta that looked half dead. I wish companies would stop selling cup bettas. I would pay so much more from a store that kept them in the tank.

 

[AmberMuffinz]

Thankfully my walmart stopped carrying fish completely

I try to walk away from the cup bettas. As sorry as I feel for them when they are bought they are just replaced with another one and the cycle keeps going. I say this when just a few days ago I finally gave in because I found a gorgeous halfmoon betta that looked half dead. I wish companies would stop selling cup bettas. I would pay so much more from a store that kept them in the tank.

I completely agree. I don't understand how those cups can even be legal, it's definitely abuse. Along with being ridiculously tiny, there is no way to control the water quality in those. It's so small even a slight change would affect it drastically.

 

[Lauren]

You should see how they're shipped..

Imagine a triangular dorito chip, but smaller, filled with less than 1/2 an inch of water..

Thank you for rescuing the poor guy <3

 

[snackies]

Poor fishie, I'm glad you bought him.

 

[Cinnyluver]

Poor guy! There is a petco near me that I NEVER shop at because of how horrible they keep their pets. They have way overcrowded birds and reptiles. There are always TONS of dead fish stuck in filters and floating around. One tank was completely full of goldfish...half of them were dead or just barely twitching, and the alive ones didn't have any room to swim in the filthy tank because of all the bodies. It made me sick. How does that not bother people?

 

[kcbee]

I hope he pulls through!

 

[Cathy AZ]

I bought two Betta's for my office at work and my co worker liked them so much, we bought a two gallon tank with filter and light, gravel, plants and the office takes care of them and they have been doing great for 1.5 years. I think everyone in the office enjoys them too. My co-worker even named them. One is Appe and the other one is Tizer.

 

[AmberMuffinz]

I bought two Betta's for my office at work and my co worker liked them so much, we bought a two gallon tank with filter and light, gravel, plants and the office takes care of them and they have been doing great for 1.5 years. I think everyone in the office enjoys them too. My co-worker even named them. One is Appe and the other one is Tizer.

Is the tank split? They don't fight?

 

[cosmolove]

You should see how they're shipped..

Imagine a triangular dorito chip, but smaller, filled with less than 1/2 an inch of water..

Thank you for rescuing the poor guy <3

Around here they are shipped in the cups they are actually displayed in just with about half of the water. So I mean its not AS bad, still bad tho.


I love all of my bettas I have four now. All in their own spaces. The one with the smallest tank still has her own 2.5 gallon thats filtered and heated.