nmwierman1977

That's pretty cool that you found that. Maybe we should send it to the vase lady. It's all very true.Natalie

Butterfly

Excellent information! And excellent crediting your sources
Why can't I see the pics?
Carol

chickadee

I love the information and I noted the size of the tank that the article recommended as a smaller tank. It works out to be 27" x 16" x 12" and will hold about 22.5 gallons. Boy, would our little friends have fun in those! I have always argued with the P***o and P******t clerks (I refuse to call them experts) that the bettas that are sold in stores have never lived outside, let alone in MUD. Thank you for giving me a new reference to prove my point. I am copying it to carry in my purse when I shop there and shall have it enlarged so they can be sure to see the pictures.

Rose

sirdarksol

Awesome information.
I'd love for PetSmart, Petco (especially Petco) and other purveyors of pet icthyoids to see this information. They remain intentionally blind to the facts, however. Maybe I'll make a couple of packets of documented info and snail-mail them to the two big companies.
I especially like the pictures. Gives me a better idea of size/amount of vegetation for when I get into a discussion about the conditions that Bettas live in.

Tom

That's very interesting. Why don't you sticky it or merge it with one of the pots at the top so beginners can find it easily?
Tom

COBettaCouple

maybe other places will be more open-minded but our deathco employees just ignored us when we tried to tell them how large the water areas were that the wild bettas live in and continued mis-informing customers. the corporate "lalalala i can't hear you" attitude is sad and ridiculous.

chickadee

Consider this topic stickied as I do believe it is very important for the betta board and newcomers to see and have it available to read.

Thank you for the information and for the suggestion.

Rose

Amorinthe

Good idea! On first glance I thought this article a bit inappropriate for the Betta forum. I mean, if there is one group of people who don't really need to be educated on betta care it's this group - but keeping it as a beginners reference is a great tool.

Phloxface

IMO you can never know everything about a subject. Just because some of us aren't beginners, doesn't mean we don't still have a lot to learn.

Amorinthe

I agree, but I also felt that this was presented (initially) as a correction. I was merely making the point that most people in this forum are strong advocates for the proper care of bettas, and aren't under the impression that the fish live in puddles/mud, or are happy living in vases.

It's an excellent article, but probably won't make much impact. The people that would benefit the most from reading it, would never take the time.

armadillo

Thanks for dispelling the myth, Fishface

chickadee

I certainly learned from it and continue to learn every day in one way or another. EVERYDAY one or another of my four teaches me another fact that I have not ever thought of before and THEY are the experts..... they let me know it every day of their existance.

Rose

COBettaCouple

they also let us know everyday who's the boss.

chickadee

Very true.

Allie

You learn something new everyday...someone I bought fish off had wild caught betta in their tanks. They do look different.

COBettaCouple

wild bettas are wonderful fish and so many species of them.

Windchaser

Great read.

I am a Manager at a Petco here and I just wanna slap which ever ****tard came up with such BS as they're fine to live in a 2 oz mudball.

I got into trouble for telling the regional animal guy that humans can live in a closet so does that mean someone should lock his kids up in one? :P

That did not go over too well lol.

COBettaCouple

wow.. WAY different than the manager at the store in St. Augustine.. he made us VERY happy to go online to shop with the things he did and the worst advice i ever heard was him telling a customer than a bloated male betta was pregnant. we're in denver now, which store are you at?

chickadee

Yes, I got escorted out of the store in Lincoln, NE. for getting into a rather lively discussion with a rude little employee over the care and treatment of bettas when she was trying to sell some poor people some equipment that was totally inappropriate for the fish they were buying. I was totally surprised that they did not call the police, but I did not lay hands on anyone, just gave them some factual information. They did not buy anything either, by the way. The person who took me to the store said they would never take me back but I had a good time and kept the poor little fish from being put into a half gallon container to live for a couple of weeks. I may not have saved its life but at least it had a chance at going to a good home instead of to a place that I knew was going to be bad for it.

I will have to say that I have a lot of respect for you, if you can hold your own at Petco. I have not seen any store in this area since Walmart is finished with fish that treats their fish worse, and if you can do the fish in your store any favors, I think that is great! I, too, would like to know the location of your store so we can give you the credit you deserve.

Thanks for being a friend to the bettas, they need all the help they can get.

Rose