[Bikeridinguckgirl14]

I agree, fish are easiest to care for if you care for all your other pets properly. Theoretical examples: woman a has a cat. Every day she refills the dry food and freshens the water bowl twice, feeds wet food at 10am, brushes or pets the cat for at least half an hour, and cleans the litter box. She picks up the cat puke and fur balls without complaining, and takes her beloved noodle to the vet twice a year. She also gives noodle flea medicine twice a year. She probably will be able to care for a fish.
Woman b has a cat. She doesn't think she ever took it to the vet, complains about why it sprays all over the house. She fills the food and water of she notices they're empty, and cleans the litter box when it starts to smell. Noodle has a flea collar, but it's a few years old. Damn cat smells. This woman will undoubtedly complain "what do you mean I have to clean he fish water once a week? It's water, it's clean, and besides it's just a fish." She will later complain that the damn fish smells

 

[Tolak]

I hate how they say "easy to care for". Fish are NOT EASY TO CARE FOR.

I'd bet it's easier to care for 200 fish than 200 dogs. Never had 200 dogs, 3 is more than enough. No doubt 200 fish are easier than 3 dogs. The problem lies in education more than time money or space, ignorance is bliss.

People know the yearly vet visit for a dog is going to cost, grooming will cost, dog supplies will cost, because they've taken the time to educate themselves on this, in most cases. Same goes for cats & such, people don't educate themselves on what the fish they have really needs.

How many people do we see on here who don't have a proper quar/med setup ready to roll out? How many drop money on yet another betta, rather than put that money towards some gear that would be to the future benefit of the stock they have? At some point it becomes a matter of perspective, when used 10 gallon tanks regularly go for $5 or less, as mentioned being resourceful you could probably get a quar/med setup for $10.

I've found that looking in a mirror gets one through life better than pointing a finger. There's always room for improvement with animal husbandry, no matter how well versed the individual is.

 

[PurpleJay]

I guess. But I am one who gets easily stressed and having lives depend on an easily stressed person is not a good idea because they will probably screw something up.

I hate how people only clean their pet's things when they're "noticeably smelly or empty". My guinea pigs tend to try to cannibalize each other once the food runs out, and I guess shrill siren calls can tell you it's time to fill up the food bin or water bottle. But people who don't have loud firetruck rodents shouldn't just wait until they can see the dirt. Like, I mean you do laundry all the time even when you don't see the dirty stuff on the shirt.

I don't get why people don't understand that when they get a pet they also get responsibility. It's not like you're just gonna sit there and wait for your pet to do the stuff themselves. YOU got them so YOU should do it. Yeah I know wild animals care for themselves but last time I checked wild animals ain't cooped up in some fat ol' cage with a built in water bottle and a food bin. THEY FREAKIN' HUNT AND EAT GRASS AND STUFF. OUTSIDE. WHERE NATURE TAKES COURSE.

Well in the summer I guess you can just set your rabbit or mouse or somethin' outside in a big fat playpen, but that's just in the summer. You can't possibly put them outside in the winter and expect them to do everything themselves. Remember, they're also domesticated. There's a big diff between domesticated and wild.

Some animals are okay with being outside (like goldfish- my friend put hers out for the whole summer and he grew like three inches), but that doesn't mean you stop caring for them. If you can't care for a pet, then you shouldn't get one. Simple.

 

[Sadist]

I found that my fish are easier to care for than other pets. Water changes 1-2 times a week are super easy. They don't need shots. They don't require training to not chew wires or destroy furniture, etc. I can give them attention whenever I come into the room, and they won't follow me around and trip me while I'm cooking or need to be locked up somewhere while I use cleaning chemicals in the bathroom.

After writing all of that, they are harder than I expected. My daughter asked for a fish for her 4th birthday, so I decided to get a betta because I'd seen them living in bowls and such. I did research and found out how much work they are and almost bought a sea monkey kit instead. Except for heating in the winter (our house is in the 50's, so the normal 50 watt heater isn't enough), the 10 gallon tank I got is super easy to maintain.

I hate seeing the poor bettas in stores, though. Most of them, even if the cups are clean, mostly lay there. They look excited if they notice me looking, and I always want to take them home. I've run out of outlets in the computer room, so I can't get any more tanks right now

 

[shooter]

Ugh. I stopped by Petsmart on my way home tonight. Their bettas were in such bad shape. Some floating on their sides on the surface in their cups, some laying on their sides on the bottom, others just clamped and limp looking. Makes me want to cry.

 

[PurpleJay]

Same! I've been to my PetSmart and at least they take care of their bettas. Only rarely there's a dead one, which I guess is okay. Petco on the other hand is TERRIBLE. All the bettas are dull and half of them are dead or almost dying. I haven't visited Walmart yet but from the reviews I really don't want to.

 

[PurpleJay]

Went back to the PetValu to pick up some pellets for the guinea pigs. Bettas were worse than ever.

Apparently the store people think that if you get a filter you never have to clean out the tank. Makes me want to punch their stupid faces.
Anyways I took a couple pictures. Here they are-

 

[Crossroads]

As others have mentioned, the general public doesn't want to learn. They shut down the enthusiasm of others to believe the myths and lies they've been fed. This is true of most pets.

Rats get kept in glass cages, and usually alone despite being social creatures.
Fish get kept in "tanks" way too small for them and people still try to keep bettas together as if somehow, theirs will be different.
Dogs get thrown out on a leash in the yard with no concept of shelter.
Lizards and leopard geckos get kept on poor substrate(sand, dirt, etc) and without proper lighting.
Snakes get housed without proper hides, proper substrate or humidity. People feed live and wonder why their snake gets badly injured or dies.

Pets are impulse buys more often than not. A cute puppy or kitten, a sick fish in need of help, a wiggly little noodle(ferret) bouncing all over the enclosure. People don't stop to see if they had the time or money for a proper set up.

I didn't either at first. Mako came home with me with a 1.5 hex, no heater, an airstone, no filter and sharp edged plants.
Until a friend of mine on Skype jumped my butt on it and I went out and got a 5.5, a heater and a filter. Now all of my tanks are planted, heated and are 5 gallons and up.
The public is massly uneducated and few care to learn.

 

[Ilovebettasbk11]

Here is what we can do SPREAD THE WORD educate others on proper care for them

Purplejay it stinks those tanks are very filthy

 

[Alyssalovesbettas]

I went to Walmart one weekend to get some cat food with my mom. I decided I should look at the fish section just for the heck of it. I was shocked, there was a small blue VT in a nasty yellow colored cup he was on the bottom gasping and would float to the top. So I decided to go find the fish supervisor and ask why the cups weren't cleaned. He was a nice guy and all and said he couldn't do anything and had to wait until Wednesday until the "Cleaning" guy came. So I asked him if I could clean the cup and he looked at me like I was crazy, apparently they have a whole stash of supplies in a cabinet above the sinks. Looked in there and found stress coat. Found a small cup they used for "Cleaning" and put the poor fish in there. Cleaned out his cup and tried to make the temperatures the same, and tried to acclimate him. As soon as he got in the cup he looked like a different fish. The guy saw a little crack in the cup tapped it up and wrote on the tape: "Please help me!" My mom told me I couldn't get him, but the next day I went back to see if he was still there but was gone. So hopefully someone saved him!
It seems like to me that most people who work at Walmart have no authority to do anything or actually "Help the fish".

 

[Ilovebettasbk11]

I dont understand why walmart have fish if they cant take care of them? Who the heck brings in the fish?