My boss needed to get a filter for his wife today, so I went with him to help him find it (since he's clueless about fish). While we were in this pet store I've never even heard of, I saw this:
It's not even a half gallon. :evil: Have you guys ever seen these? Urgh...
Not only that, their betta were ALL sick and floating on their sides.
There was a kid who was buying a betta and I made sure he overheard me telling my boss about proper tank sizes. Needless to say, the kid walked back and picked up a tank that was -at least- a one gallon...
Uggg I know!! We have ones like this: http://www.walmart.com/ip/Aqua-Culture-Betta-View-Aquarium-With-Base-.5-Gallon/17248150 and even worse at my Wal-Mart we have 1/4 gallon "Betta" Cubes....sick. We also have similar ones to that one in your picture at our Petsmart/Petco's. It sucks but there's not too much we can do about it without people stuffing us in an insane asylum ><
Too be honest... I have that first .5 gallon... but I only use it for water changes and moving. :lol:
Hopefully no one buys this and stuffs a poor betta into it. I'm sure most people will look for bigger and cheaper tanks? D: I don't see how people could think they'd be comfy in it...
I've always wondered how do those tanks even sell? Like who looks at the picture of the betta on the front of the box and thinks that is an adequate sized 'tank' for a fish to spend its whole life in?
Although I was surprised how many people have told me bettas die if you put them into bigger tanks because 'they live in puddles in the wild!'
I had heard that myth as well, the puddle myth but I was thinking more a small shall pond so at least they had room to move around. And then I found out about the rice paddies.
Even when I was a novice I did scoff at the small tanks, I went and got Aqueon's 1 gallon Bow tank which I still have for a QT tank because it fits everywhere. But yeah, it's really amazing to see how ignorant (whether chosen or just unknowing) some people can be!
I always think that the poor betta whose .5 gallon puddle was in the full sun would be pretty much cooked by the afternoon.
The only thing you can fit in that tank (I don't even think it is big enough to qualify as a tank personally) is what they show on the box. No space at all for a heater, which I think it often the biggest failing of these smaller tanks.
@LBF-
I guess if you need to have a temporary house while you clean or something happens it's ok for a few days... but you're right on the heater and decor issues. However, None of my tanks have heaters because my room is just naturally warm enough to keep the temp at a steady 80-82 degrees, so for some places the heater thing might not be an issue. I'm baffled that people believe these guys would like small spaces regardless of the myths they hear... when I first got into taking care of betta the "shallow water" thing just didn't sound right..
Why anyone would think it is ok to keep a living animal in a freaking double shot glass, I don't know. Good for you, making sure everyone knew about proper care.
A lot of the time small things sell because "I don't have the space for a large tank", and sometimes, that's all that's available in stores. It doesn't help that the tiniest tanks are right next to the bettas. All the good tanks are usually a few aisles over.
People think that just because it has a betta (or hamster/guinea pig/ferret etc) that it must be okay.
Awesome! We can get a team together 'round our area's and get to work people! You'll be receiving your Secret Betta Mission coordinates in a few minutes! Good luck and God speed!
Lol, That would definitely be some crazy Betta Missions! I think we actually have enough people around here to actually achieve that if we went through with it! lol
Hey I want in on that secret Betta mission ! I did see that my LPS is switching the Bettas over to these smaller type tanks or bowls whatever you call them instead of keeping them in the tiny cups so that was a plus but still they have these right on the shelf next to the Bettas so people are going to think its okay to keep their Bettas in them...sighs
And when I say keep their Bettas in them I mean like forever, I had one of these too when I first got Perseus and he was in for a week till I got the 5 gallon I ordered on line. Now he seemed happy in the half gallon bowl but I used my better judgement in knowing he needed more room to swim and play around in.
I actually had my boy in a .5 to start, before I knew much. I had a crappy heater that kept breaking, too. But I moved him to a 3 gallon in the end and he's HUGE!!! Not big enough to be a giant, but large nonetheless. He only makes bubble nests when he has shalow water, though, so he must like the "rice paddy" feeling. I have a 10 gallon that I want to turn into a 'rice paddy', with sand, and live plants and shallow water, and I want to divide it 4 ways to house my bettas in the future. But first I need more bettas to house in it.
Even rice paddies are usually about 3 feet deep if I'm not mistaken
Some Betta's are afraid of large spaces lol, I know my boy Rembrandt is XD While Mercury loooooves his 5.5 ALL to himself! he's a greedy little butt, that's for sure ^^
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