Good day everyone! So I am a fish enthusiast. I love aquariums and everything about them. So I'll give you a little back story here.
My first job ever was at petco. Didn't know anything about animals honestly. After a year, they moved me to manager and also aquatic specialist. While taking on these duties, I always noticed people complaining about how the betta Fish are kept until sale. Now that I'm more aware of fish, I wonder to myself, "they come from crappy dirty ponds, do they really care that much about being in a cup?".
That's what I'm here to ask. What are your inputs? Personally I think it's a bit more on the inhumane side. Especially since they come in bags of water with literally no space to even turn around. Needless to say, I no longer work there for multiple inhumane reasons towards their animals.
It is inhumane. They might come from crappy, dirty ponds, but those ponds are cycled with plants and shit. A cup of water, is well, a cup of water. Eventually, a betta will slowly die and suffer a cup of water that won't ever be clean until he dies. It's just full of shit. He's breathing his shit, swallowing it, swimming in it. It's disgusting. Bettas are resilient, but they need proper care just like any other animal.
This is how they're shipped and they come all thrown into a box and crammed up.
>>2111425
I totally agree with you. He is literally his own filtration system being confined to that cup.
Wondering if there's anyone out there who thinks this is humane. Not to bash you but I just want to hear your side on why you think it's acceptable.
>>2111430
I don't think there is such a group. It's either one of three:
A. I don't really care. They're cheap and still alive. Why waste money.
B. This is inhumane!
C. What's a Betta?
>>2111435
Gotta admit... you nailed it with this post lol
>>2111430
Fucking.
How the hell is that even possible.
Singapore also breeds and sells these fish, and even bettas get more water AND an inflated bag when transported. AT LEAST.
>>2111450
Transhippers are assholes I would assume.
>>2111420
The puddle meme again.
They don't live in tiny ponds, the ponds are huge. Probably bigger than any commercial tank. Worst case scenario there is a long drought and they need to live in a puddle for a short time before it rains again. The puddles are still bigger than those cups, and if not, bettas are known to jump in times of need. They don't thrive in puddles, they can't live in puddles, but they can survive for a period of time in puddles. Saying they do fine in those small cups because they can live in puddles is like saying a dog can do fine with one meal a week, borderlining starvation because stray dogs have done it before
>>2111420
I'm really glad that germany has very tight regulations when it comes to housing and care for animals in the trade. In german fish stores, each betta gets it's own tank.
>tfw every single fucking time you want to talk about inhumane treatment of small/exotic pets you have to start with the "hurr fish can't feel pain" or "who cares if dumb things feel pain" shit-flinging contest
Most people think that fish need a tiny amount of water, no filtration, and no toys and they'll be fine because they don't have complex brains or whatever. Imo, most people can't bother to properly care for a cat or a dog (neglecting cats and never cleaning after them, training dogs poorly and them developing emotional problems etc) much less an animal they think is a living decoration
Cartoons have probably caused the deaths of more fish than overfishing and toxic chemical dumping combined. God damnit why are fish bowls even legal? Nothing but brine shrimp can even live in them safely.
>>2111426
What the fuck? At PetSmart they're just shipped in the same cups they go on the shelves in.
>>2111520
Shitty small tanks are still available for sale on some German sites, like Amazon, but literally none of the comments are positive, which is amazing from an American's perspective.
>In german fish stores, each betta gets it's own tank
Like a betta barracks? Do you have pics?
>>2111666
>Cartoons have probably caused the deaths of more fish than overfishing and toxic chemical dumping combined.
m8
>>2111762
>Like a betta barracks?
They are in the bigger tanks with other fish. One Betta per tank.
>>2111762
If they grown up, bettas get their own tank, sadly I have no pic but in all the fishstores I was, it was at least a 5-10gal tank of their own - if I happen to go shopping I could take a pic.
In general, we german aquarists are often negatively amazed what americans do to their pets and tanks on youtube. Like clipping off a crawfishs pincers just so you can house it with fish or putting baby alligators together with a freshwater mish mash that will get eaten soon by them into a tiny tank. Don't wanna generalize but thats a big stereotype we got here.
Maybe its because we have a comparitively big green party and many animal activists here. Hard to say how it comes that sentiments towards the hobby differ so much.
>>2111666
Satan, you can keep isopods in them without water, or harvestmen, as the shape is inescapable for them.
You know as well as I, that the dvertisements for the tanks, are always fucked in stocklist.
>>2112134
The PetSmart I work at used to do that, but one day the bettas started dying faster in the tanks than they would in the cups. Nobody could figure out why.
When I used to work the pet section at Walmart id always change out their water every day.
>mfw quit job
>go to buy shit
>they're all dying in yellow water
>someone took one out of its cup and smushed it all over the shelf
>>2111420
well they arent dead are they? I've had a $200 N. Robcantleyi shipped to me in a little bag. You could argue that that was inhumane to the plant. After they're bought they'll be taken better care of.
>>2111420
Fish aren't capable of suffering.
>>2112430
>After they're bought they'll be taken better care of.
Barely. The store is setting a bad example for customers, who just buy a half gallon bowl for the fish.
