"They live forever" -TapTapBettaCup-

[hannah16]

Have you guys ever been to a petstore and hear someone say "Want to get a betta? They live forever." And then they tap the little plastic cups e.e...

Does that bug anyone else? Because bettas do no live forever, if they did, they wouldn't ever die in those little cups e-e;

ON THE OTHER HAND....
I was talking to a PetSmart employee today (Went to both petco and petsmart today lol) and she was honest enough to tell me, that if I wanted to buy any of the fish in the filtered glass tanks, they may not be very healthy as the filters have been blowing out.

She was removing the dead fish from the tanks ;w;... It was sad seeing a GIANT bag full of dead fish. But at least she was honest with me.

[DragonFyre14]

I actually haven't heard that before. However, I have heard people say that Bettas have about a 50% chance of surviving the first week at your house... And I've heard plenty of stories of people buying bettas only to have them die within a day or two. My first betta lived about 2-3 years, which at the time I thought was a decent amount of time for them live, especially once I realized that for last half of a year or so he had pretty bad SBD (IE he swam on his side and had a really hard time swimming towards the bottom of the tank)

[registereduser]

My petco usually does a good job keeping the bettas healthy but the last time I went I stacked up over 10 dead ones for them .......to be fair they had been severely understaffed for about a week with sickness but still.....

[Jessa24]

I haven't heard that one. Personally I love Petco's prices and items better, but my Petsmart takes better care of their betta fish. My Nemo I got from Petco and he lived for two years...I thought that was good...I have learned so much already since joining here only like a week or two ago. Splash is living any better than Nemo did so hopefully he is around longer.

[hannah16]

Really? No one has seen that before? I've seen it twice, and it bugs me in all honesty. -w- It's just like, Would YOU want to be in a little cup on a shelf, waiting for someone to buy you and HOPEFULLY provide a good home.

[Darth]

For all the would be "Recuers" just remember the more fish you "Rescue" the more they will replace them with equally horrible bad genetic, disease ridden fish.
If you really want to help the craft stop rescuing!!!
Buy from a breeder, can't afford it you say?
Many breeders cull thier fish, by far the culls you will recieve will be ten times better than the best "Rescued" fish.
I am sure there are many breeders here that would gladly give you thier superior culls than have you buy the stuff and support a market that will never change due to corperate policy.
Also you should know that 90% of the bettas from places like petco and petsmart have Mycro..a very nasty disease that infects everything it touches and is very hard to get rid of, so if you do have any bettas worth anything chances of killing him or her are very good.
Resuce the culls and forget about the sad fish in the cups that are near death and opt for the good ones you will be helping a breeder find homes for.
How many breeders here agree?

[Tikibirds]

I have seen kids mess with the cups at walmart.

Also you should know that 90% of the bettas from places like petco and petsmart have Mycro

Really? Then why are all 17 of my rescues alive? And we are talking near death - not something simple like fin rot.
Sorry but I am not willing to take a breeders defective fish especially if they are going to charge me $35 to ship it here.

[Butterfly]

never going to buy another fish from petco. I can't. I want a beautiful 'show-quality' gorgeous fishy(but not to breed or show since there are no shows here...I'm just a hobbyist! hehe :3) And if I buy another fish from them I won't have room for my dream fish. I already got fred from there.

It really really irks me to see the little children running around going I'm gonna buy this betta! Do you have .83 more cents because I don't have that much money!
what. >.< Merr. Those kids were talking about buying a BABY betta. yeah like that would stand a chance.

I had one before I knew anything about bettas for about a year. He passed at a year and probably would have lasted longer if I had taken better care of him and was actually educated :( sad sad sad panda. I named him blueberry. But I guess all I can do is learn right? I feel like I'm doing as best of a job I can with Fred.

I think petstores should be a place for education rather than teaching that animals...LIFE=$$$.

I knew they didn't ''live forever' but I always knew they were pretty hardy fish.

[Darth]

Most folks mean well, but the sad fact is that the well meaning folks are contributing to this problem.
Please buy from a breeder or check with someone here on the forum before you feel the urge to "rescue".

[veggiegirl]

well I haven't ever heard the 'live forever' thing but yes I have seen many customers not just kids banging on the side of the jar...... Once there was a yellow crowntail in a petshop and these people were in there looking at the bettas, they saw the yellow crowntail and said hey lets get this one and then started banging on the poor things tank so hard that the water was sloshing around. The betta was sick and didn't respond but I couldn't stand it, the guy who banged on the tank turned his back for a second to look at something else. I saw my chance and practically ran up to the free assistant and told her I would take the yellow crowntail, when the guy turned back to look at the betta he wanted I was already hurriedly carrying him out the door. He saw me and was majorly angry that I got the betta but I was gone before he got a chance to say anything.

I am not a rude person and would never barge in to buy something that someone else had decided to buy but I could not stand the thought of how short and miserable that bettas life would have been if he went home with those people, I didn't really want another betta at the time, let alone pay for a ridiculously overpriced sick fish but I couldn't stand by and do nothing. The betta 'Monty' I called him recovered fully and lived to about 3 years old.