# DESPICABLE NEW "TANKS" for keeping Betta's



## anasfire23 (Jan 19, 2005)

I was at my local Aquarium shop yesterday and was disgusted to find these pathetic excuses for tanks to keep Bettas in for sale! The poor things barely have enough room to turn around and the few that I observed in these "tanks" seemed like they were fretting coz they couldn't swim freely!

I saw a woman talking to her friend about buying one and I just had to say something. I explained to her that a "tank" of that size was inhumane for these beautiful fish (she went into the standard 'rice paddie' speel, I explained that rice paddies are shallow, but not in any way small) I then explained that if she were to get one that she would have to do a 100% water change daily just to keep the fish from dying in it's own waste (which she didn't seem to keen on) and at the price she was willing to pay for this tiny thing she could buy a decent sized Vase and some decorative stones (which isn't the best thing, but the next best to these tiny tanks) which would be better for the fish in the long run. So she left the shop with just the fish that she wanted and assured me that she was stopping off on the way home at her local discount store to get a vase and some stones. I got some major filthy looks from the staff as I was buying my Guppys but one of the guys actually said to me 'I'm glad you said something, we're not allowed to but those tanks should be illegal, or atleast out of this store' 

YAY I saved one fish from a terrible life in these pathetic excuses for tanks but I'm not sure how to save the others. Perhaps I shouldn't care so much but I love these beautiful magestic animals.


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## Puffer Pita (Jun 16, 2006)

Not the worst I've ever seen. How about this one?
http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-OH-BETTA-RO...hZ003QQcategoryZ20757QQtcZphotoQQcmdZViewItem


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## Ringo (Apr 10, 2006)

I was into petquarters yesterday (getting dog food) and they had these four little glass bowls just hanging in mid-air, like them hanging plant pots, no substrate, no nothing just hanging there.
It was sickening, you know how much stress that must be on the bettas? then all the little kids coming up and looking at them, moving em all around.
People and there ideas now-a-days, I'd like to know where they get them


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## Puffer Pita (Jun 16, 2006)

Someone at work wanted to get one of those stupid "port hole" tanks before I talked her out of it. Then she wanted one of those stupid hanging bowl things that hangs like a lamp. Then there's the other woman at work who was keeping one in the small plastic tub she bought it in and never changed the water. The idiot that sold it to her told her they like living in filthy water. She couldn't understand why the one on my desk, in a filtered 3 gallon tank with decor and substrate looked so much healthier and was a lot more active. She now has hers in a 2.5g filtered tank and says its doing a lot better now. Go figure. 

There's also this stupid thing that has a couple of cups of water.
http://cgi.ebay.com/PURPLE-ACRYLIC-...Z003QQcategoryZ134749QQtcZphotoQQcmdZViewItem


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## IloveCichlids (Jul 11, 2005)

I guess you have to blame the manufacturers of these so called "tanks" These people should know wnought that these are not humane! I guess the big wig corporate guys don't really care though, They are just looking at their bottom line.


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## Sable (Nov 6, 2006)

My LFS sells little glass bowls that are about 1/10th of an inch larger than the plastic containers Petco sells their bettas in. It makes me really mad....

That and the people at my LFS who will sell you a redtailed black shark and a 2.5 gallon tank to keep it in... :chair:


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## anasfire23 (Jan 19, 2005)

Boxerman, that O shapped one is terrible! poor thing barely has room to move and what about when it needs to breathe! Has to go through all the trouble of traversing its maze to get there!

At least there is this forum to educate people, all we can do is hope our messege spreads.


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## Alisha (Aug 5, 2005)

yeah anasfire23, I saw something like what your talking about at walmart. It was sad, and yet I'm not shocked. It seems like everywhere you go bettas are being mistreated. I've seen them in those tiny vases overgrown with plant roots at doctor offices and manicure and hair solons. It's horrible.


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## anasfire23 (Jan 19, 2005)

My local bank has them on their tellers desks now in oversized barndy balloons, but at least they have floating plants for them and I spoke to the teller and asked how often they get a water change and fed and she said they get a water change once a week and fed twice a day so at least they know how to look after them properly.


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## Ice (Sep 25, 2006)

Wow ! Talk about Betta mistreatment in big box pet shops. I, too have seen those wall hanging "orbs" tanks on ebay. They are THE most stupidest invention I've ever seen.

I bought one of those small betta BF bowl at Walmart for $3 and it came with some waste absorbing gravel (recommended to replace every month), a plastic plant (I don't put in) and a plastic removeable screen on bottom to make water changes without taking the gravel out. There is a small plug on bottom of bowl for water changes. 

So far, I have had my betta for almost a month and have faithfully done complete water changes and a gravel rinse-out (not too much but just enough to rinse out some excess fish waste) every week. I do feed him every other day, although I hear different opinions. He is still very active and everytime sees either me or my 3 year old son, he just swims all over the place flaring his fins like a little puppy happy to see us. 

I was fortunate to come upon a new shipment of new betta arrivals due to they were in pristine clear clean water containers They were extremely active and healthy with no fish waste present nor leftover food on bottom of the containers.

Come to think of it. why does PetSmart have their bettas in blue water on their shelves ? Is it for to reduce stress on them ? I just thought it was kinda strange that they do that.


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## Puffer Pita (Jun 16, 2006)

The blue stuff is supposed to help with the stress and ammonia. You should see how they actually get shipped. Think of a one gallon ziploc bag. Now think of it divided into about 9 sections. Each section is a pocket of blue water containing a betta.


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## FishObsession (Oct 5, 2006)

All of that is disgusting. My bettas don't have the most space in the world but I have them in 2.5gs (About to move into a 5g once I finish quarenting and cycle it again). Anyway, those tanks are horrible. I know petsmart has a martini glass for bettas and the workers were talking about how cool it would be to have a betta in there. I almost screamed, (my first betta was in a decorative vase, and it didn't do so hot until I found out that I should move him). I'm a sucker for getting bigger tanks for things, but now that I live in a dorm..... Well, I am currently breaking their rules by about 30 gallons 

Anyway, I'm off topic. BAD TANKS, BAD! LOL


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## aaa (Jan 19, 2005)

there must be a market there for those people to keep making those kind of crap. obviously not us, but if we want to stop this stuff, the only way is to educate others that those tanks are no good for fish. until those people realized that is the wrong way to keep fish, we will see more tiny tanks.


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## anasfire23 (Jan 19, 2005)

OMG I can't belive I found ANOTHER disgusting "tank" for sale! Ebay is just full of them isn't it!? Check it out http://cgi.ebay.com.au/BETTA-BOWL-T...hZ018QQcategoryZ20755QQtcZphotoQQcmdZViewItem
And there is a whole range of different themed ones in his ebay shop!


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