There Just FISH!!!!!!!!!!

[Rosy_Red]

I work in a pet store normally I work as a cheshire but I do other thing to. I was helping may manager feed the fish and she told me to feed the beta fish. She told me to feed then and take off the dead fish off the shelf. I had to be the cheshire and feed the fish both so I when up to the register to get this guy checked out. There where some dead betas on the shelf that I haven taken them off the shelf yet. This lady comes up to my register with 2 dead betas in her hand and says to me I want to speak to your manager now and then she walks off. My thought is I do want to deal with this she comes back up to the register (the crazy bata lady) I shut down walmart for selling batas and I'm going to do the same to you. The betas look like they been dead for a week because of the water conditioner that get put in makes them look like they been dead for a week. they Have been dead for a week and we not taking care of the fish. there fish they get old and they die.

[Shengirl]

This made me think of someone in a Cheshire Cat costume (like in Disney's Alice in Wonderland) feeding fish in a petstore. XD Which is far more amusing than it should be.

[i4wolves]

I have had people yell at me when I worked at a Petstore. I was too a cashier and they would yell at me b/c the Beta's were dead. The funny thing was, not one of the beta fish that they complained about was every dead. Beta fishes swim very odly, sometimes they will float upside down on top of the bowl like they are dead but as soon as you move the bowl they are up and moving again. Everytime I would love to say to the customer, Before you yell at someone you might want to get a clue.

[LewisLegion]

To play devil's advocate (and I certainly wouldn't have come up and yelled at anyone like that) but I would have felt the same as the woman did. Those cups are far too small for bettas. Yes, they live in rice patties...but have you seen the size of rice patties? They're larger than tiny little cups. As for them getting old, most of the bettas sold in petstores are fairly juvenile...they've JUST reached adulthood or are about to. Considering a properly cared for betta can live ten years and more, I doubt they're keeling over from old age at only a few weeks.

That's the same mythology that gives us the fact that goldfish only live very short lives (they can live 30+ years) and that fish will 'grow to the size of the bowl' (a small bowl will stunt their growth and warp their organs and lead to an early death, but given enough room a fish will grow to the size that type of fish is supposed to be at, then stop).

And I sincerely don't mean this to be upsetting or rude, but the term 'it's just a *insert any type of animal here*' drives me batty. Life is life and should be cared for to the best of anyone's ability. The fact that they are merely fish shouldn't excuse cruelty and carelessness in humans. Mostly its ignorance on the side of a lot of people. People and pet stores genuinely believe those tiny cups are adequate for bettas. And until education changes pet stores are going to continue tossing cups full of dead fish in the trash.

[auntiem]

I always feel sorry for those poor betas (we are talking about the red ones in the tiny cups right?). We have a few more social betas (tuxedo) in a 28 gal. tank and they zip around the large tank like nobody's buisness. I can't imagine that the red betas are happy in those tiny novelty tanks they sell for them.
If the fish at your store are dying at such a rate something is wrong.

[Listerfiend]

To play devil's advocate (and I certainly wouldn't have come up and yelled at anyone like that) but I would have felt the same as the woman did...

I agree. I would've said something to the MOD or department manager (I wouldn't have been bitchy about it, of course) because I could see one being dead (stuff happens), but two or more is suspicious. I hate going to pet stores and seeing the betta all in tiny cups because they're actually very inquisitive and lively animals, and I see keeping them in tiny cups as being abusive.

I also hate it that people hear the rice paddy tidbit and assume they can throw the fish in a tiny bowl without circulation or anything and expect it to thrive. I think that if you're choosing to take care of an animal you should do the best to your financial and personal ability to ensure that adequate care is provided for it. My boyfriend often comments on how I "spoil" my pets, and I'm proud that I do because I see it as my job to do the best for them. /end rant/

[Saydrah]

To play devil's advocate (and I certainly wouldn't have come up and yelled at anyone like that) but I would have felt the same as the woman did. Those cups are far too small for bettas. Yes, they live in rice patties...but have you seen the size of rice patties? They're larger than tiny little cups. As for them getting old, most of the bettas sold in petstores are fairly juvenile...they've JUST reached adulthood or are about to. Considering a properly cared for betta can live ten years and more, I doubt they're keeling over from old age at only a few weeks.

Quoted for truth.

I am a dead fish complainer. I don't do it so rudely, nor so presumptuously, and my dead thing phobia prevents me from picking the cups up, but if I see dead animals, betta fish included, in a pet store, I ask politely to speak to the MOD, explain that I am the owner of over twenty pets and that I shop for them frequently, and tell them in no uncertain terms that seeing dead animals in a store is not acceptable. I also explain that I used to work at a pet store and understand that, to a certain degree, death is inevitable; however, when the natural lifespan of a betta fish can be several years, having multiple dead bettas due to insufficient space or care in the store is a huge turnoff as a shopper. Even more so if an animal like a rodent is dead- if that's the case, I add that I will no longer be shopping at that location due to the hazard of contagion to my own rodents, and that I will be filing a complaint with corporate. I stay polite, but I'm sure some employees feel that I am an SC for that- I always remind them that I am aware of their policies and duties, and that I understand the pressure of managing a pet store, but make it clear that I am a knowledgeable animal owner who knows that yes, it IS possible not to kill half of the animals you're trying to sell.

[ChanceNCinny]

Op: I agree with the above about bettas not being suited for those small bowls. I always use atleast a gallon tank for a betta. My oldest one ever was with me for 6 years when he passed away from some growth on his side (tried medicine's but nothing worked).

There are many animals that the habitat in a pet store is not how they should be cared for. In general the rabbit cages are too small, repitle tanks are small and sometimes dangerous to the resident (like sand in Leopard Gecko tanks), birds need more space to fly, less fish per gallon of water, etc. I get for space reasons the pet store use it but they really should tell people that how to care for them and how they are displayed in the store is different.

[Listerfiend]

There are many animals that the habitat in a pet store is not how they should be cared for...

It's also sad that it isn't until things get really bad that action is taken (usually at the prompt of customers, and not employees). I'm very proud in that my boyfriend made a complaint about a local pet store regarding the condition of the birds' cages (he and I are parrot enthusiasts) and we found that it made a difference when visiting the store after he made the complaint. I was also very happy to see that another local pet store no longer sells birds (with the exception of budgies) because as long as I've visited the store the birds were in terrible conditions. It's not enough for pet stores to cater to the physical needs of animals; they need to aid in the animals' mental and emotional needs as well.

[Horsetuna]

As a pet store worker, I confess to sadly keeping them in little cups, but only cause Corporate wants us to. I dont like it either.

BUT, I do make sure they're well taken care of - Water changes every two days or necessary so they ALWAYS have clean water, fresh food, and we use TALL cups so there's a little more water than usual. I also direct people to various betta-friendly websites and encourage them to get BIG tanks (at least 1 gallon) for a betta, and most of them like the idea.

We do take care of our animals at my store at least. I even have taken to ensuring the marine fish get frozen food and snails and the like, they're getting quite friendly with me (The purple wrasse will eat from my hand, but hide from others).

[HappyFun Ball]

A Beta can live a long time.. I had one who lived for several years..

A fish, is not just a fish.. It's a living creature.

[AnqeiicDemise]

Just slightly off topic (but on topic on size and life span):

When I was thirteen, my sister won a goldfish at a fair. We took him home, trated him for some fungus he had and plopped him in a bigger fishbowl, along with our OTHER goldfish.

By the next year, *all* the other fishies had died/commited suicide (kamikaze buggers kept jumping out of the tank!) except for this fish. By the time, mom had named him Paco and had become her favorite (and mine) fishie. We thought he'd already reached his full growth, a lovely six inches.

We were wrong.

We bought a thirty gallon tank on a whim, and set Paco free in this huge tank.

A year later, he was almost an impressive foot.

He's been in that tank for the past ten years, sometimes with company, sometimes alone (maybe he kills the other fishies and tosses the bodies out of the tank?)...and to this day he responds to his name. I mean, seriously... stand in front of his tank and go 'Paco!" and he'll swim up to the surface and sometimes jump out of the water in greeting. Also, if you stick your finger into the water, he'll swim close to it and proceed to rub himself against it as if he were a cat.

So yeah.. 'its jus a fish' bothers me... but I can see your point, though.

[justZu]

My boyfriend often comments on how I "spoil" my pets, and I'm proud that I do because I see it as my job to do the best for them. /end rant/

I agree. I feel that my critters(2 dogs, 1 bird, 1 snake, many fishies) did not get a choice of where thy wanted to spend their lives. I chose them and therefore it is my responsibility(and pleasure) to give them the best life possible. They are more than my pets, they are a part of my family.

[Fawn]

I never figured out why they would place betas in a tiny cup?!
Its hazordous and the reason they die so quickly at the store is because of poor treatment and tiny space. The Beta fish that are around today were not bread in rice patties and were bread in a filtered environment. The fish aren't even close to what the originals used to be.

I had a Beta for 3 years until I got a new cat that decided it was a fun idea to slip the tank over (no idea how he did it, it was a big tank). Took 5 times before he died. I miss my Beta and he had a favorite fish rock he'd lay in and he'd even wiggle up to the glass whenever I got near him. So cute! I wish my cat didn't like killing things or I'd get another one. :/

[ShockQueen]

I love my fish too, but alas the one I bought was not meant to be. I'm not sure if it was just my fish or what, but we bought two goldfish and a blackmoor. The guy in the department said they'd be fine and live well together. Turns out the blackmoor made a pig of himself and died of constipation. After he passed on, the other two seemed more healthy - I'm assuming it's because the blackmoor was a bit bigger, and did the "alpha male" thing.

Poor little blacky........I'll miss him so.

Makes me wonder if the guy in the fish department knew what he was talking about, or if I should have just held off before doing some more research between the two types. Maybe someday we'll just get a bigger tank for the other two and leave it at that.

Now back to your regularly scheduled topic .........