My boyfriends little sisters have a betta. The poor thing is in rough shape. They said they'd had it for 2-3 years already. They used to keep it in about a half gallon - gallon plastic bowl. The fish is always laying on the bottom, it doesn't even seem to get excited with interaction when being fed or anything. They recently bought a new bowl for it, trying to do better. However, they seem to have bought a SMALLER bowl. http://www.petco.com/product/13395/M...Aquariums.aspx
I took some pictures with my cell phone. I'll post them when I can. I just feel bad. I noticed they clean the bowl more often.. treat the bowl with some sort of seachem or kordon (I can't remember which) "betta bowl conditioner".. and feed it little pellets by the same brand.
I know the betta is old... but in the 2 years I've known it, it just makes me sad that I can't really do anything to help it. I do think, unfortunately or fortunately, that it's getting to the end of it's life.
Aw, poor little Betta. Did you suggest maybe getting him something bigger? Is there anything strange about his appearance? Fading in color, bloated, fin/tail rot,etc. Maybe try to direct them to Fishlore. Was this change of bowls recent? He maybe depressed because he's in something smaller.We would like to help them out if they will allow us too. I'm glad you shared the story. Natalie
It sounds like a perfect reason to give bf''s little sisters a surprise present! Why not pick up a 2.5 tank set up for them and wrap it up for them and once you give it to them, they will want to move the betta to the new tank? Any special occasions coming up? Bday... holiday?... cuz you're great kids?... that you can use as an excuse for the gift.. if one is needed? Sounds like the poor guy needs some swimming room.
~ kate
I know that bowl you are talking about...it is really small. I mean honestly the kit is really just for show. It has a pretty light and gems that come with it. The best interest of the betta is not kept in mind with that product. So if you are going to get them a bigger one I would probably get one that is spacious and has bells and whistles. That way the betta doesn't suffer and they still have a pretty lighted tank to look at. I like the Minibow. It is a 2.5 gallon tank with a power filter and its pretty cool looking. I hope this was helpful. Your a good person for being concerned. Take care now
These are the pictures I took (sneakily!) with my cell phone...
I'm going to try and buy them a new set up.. but they just bought this one that I know his mother will be offended if I buy a new one right away. Hopefully the little guy makes it by the time I can do it...
He/she does look pale.. fins are in awful shape.. but I don't know if it's fin rot? or the poor thing has just been kept in such a small environment that it's just not looking so good... or old age. It is 3 years old.
I asked if I could feed it yesterday. I shook the little bottle, gave him a few pellets.. and he didn't even get up from the bottom. Pretty much, the only action I saw was every 10 minutes or so the fish would go up, breath a few seconds at the surface, then go down and lay on the bottom.
It's hard to tell from the pictures, but it looks like his dorsal fin is rotted away?? Poor little guy isn't going to last much longer it seems without drastic intervention...
Well, it if is fin rot, he needs medication. So how about you suggest that, but that it's MUCH easier to dose the medication in a larger tank? They make the 2.5 mini-bows that two of mine are in, not great but much better.
Also you could print out the information from the betta care guide that shows bettas need heating and filtration to be happy and healthy. You need at least 2 gallons to heat safely...
Tough situation for you to be in, I know it is hard to just sit back and watch it happen.
poor little guy.. i think we see right there why deathco ignores the truth about bettas - so they can sell these little death traps and pretend to care about pets. shove her in a tiny box and leave her there - that's my suggestion.
that little guy does need some help though, water treated with Prime AND Novaqua+, VitaChem daily and probably Triple Sulfa for the finrot to start with and a 2.5g minibow with heater at least to move into. maybe there's some way to get her to see that the Betta NEEDS that, especially if she thinks it's her idea
Buy the tank anyways. The fish is more important than than mommy's feelings. Try to present it in a non-judgemental way. It's heartbreaking to think of a poor fish having lived his whole life in a small cold bowl and now that he's close to the end of his life they stick him into something even smaller??!! No wonder he's depressed. I could cry just thinking about it. I hope they never get another fish after him if that's how they treat them!
I sure can understand the situation you are in. Offending future mother in laws is not a great idea! Is it possible you can really explain the situation to her to get her to understand that the betta is truly depressed in that tank? That it is sick... that you can appreciate her buying a 'pretty' bowl but its not practical for the fish? Of course, Im sure her argument would be that it has lived for three years as it is, so they must be doing something right. It is a tough situation to be in and understanding your concern because you know the truth for that poor little guy would be to move into a bigger tank. I also have a mini bow for the female betta and she loves it!
BTW... that little bowl its in now is only a 5.5 by 6.5 by 8 inches are so.. what a shame! How can someone think that a betta would be happy not being able to move around... its truly a shame. good luck...
~ kate
Oh dear the bowl is really small! Shame the poor guy...
Yes Amna, you could suggest that it needs medi, and to treat it you need something bigger. You could try and explain to the girls that it doesnt make the fish happy to swim round and round in such a small place, like they wont like staying indoors for days.
Its really a hard position for you! Good luck!
I was too late. :-( Boyfriend called me today and said that the betta died this morning....
At least it's over.
I had made up my mind, too. The daughter's birthday was last Saturday, I was going to go to the store today and buy the minibow and meds and stuff for it and wrap it up as a birthday present. I'm so sad!
I just hope they aren't even considering buying a new Betta to torture! If they do, PLEASE step in no matter how it upsets his mommy and help keep another innocent creature from suffering a life of misery.
That's a shame. i hope you can show her how much happier and interactive the bettas are when they're in a tank with room to swim.. they may have had a betta last 3 years, but really lost out on seeing the little guy's personality and the fun of interacting with him and there's a difference between living and existing.
I think it's a little harsh to say that they were torturing the Betta. I don't think they were intentionally doing that. They didn't know just like half the people on this site didn't know in the beginning either. I didn't know. When I bought my first Betta I had him living in a 1 gallon unheated tank. I wasn't torturing him.In fact I loved the little guy to death and when I found out he wasn't happy I was pretty upset about it and changed it as soon as I could. Then when I found this site I learned a lot from it and bought him a 5 gallon tank with a heater and all. If her daughters want to replace it that's fine, just direct them to fishlore to learn how to properly care for them.
I mean everyone is entitled to their opinions on this site, but to say that someone is intentionally torturing the Betta is wrong, especially when it sounds like to me that they really didn't know any better. Torturing the Betta's to me is when you see those ridiculous videos on youtube of idiotic people swallowing one whole or putting 2 or 3 in a small bowl and watching them fight it out. That to me is torture, not putting them in a small bowl not knowing any better especially when they may have gotten the advise from a store associate like many of us have had in the past.
Well that's my speal. Sorry if I offended anyone, I just don't like it when people accuse other people of doing something when they aren't intentionally doing it, but rather doing it because of some advise that was given to them or whatever. Natalie
True.. the ones at fault are the greedy pet stores out for high profit margins on betta prisons and moving as many bettas as they can.. it is in their best interest if your fish die after all.. so you can come back and buy more. They are like the betta vase woman or anyone else lying about betta space needs to sell merchandise. The truth is well documented and i know we've personally informed customers of the truth at Deathco after they were told the usually mud puddle lie.
Im sure that these people didn't intentionally torture their Betta fish... But lets face it, unintentionally or intentionally the Betta was mistreated and some folks here take it to heart.
Amnagria... be prepared for the worse.. and thats when they decide to replace the dead Betta for their daughter and go out and get one to put into the new tank/display that they bought. Some folks cant be told or shown the way..
Good suggestion on leading the mom or family member to this site to find out for themselves the proper way to care for the Betta.
As for myself... common sense tells me that NO fish no matter what species wants to be in a tiny bowl... enough said!
I think it's a little harsh to say that they were torturing the Betta. I don't think they were intentionally doing that. They didn't know just like half the people on this site didn't know in the beginning either. I didn't know. When I bought my first Betta I had him living in a 1 gallon unheated tank. I wasn't torturing him.In fact I loved the little guy to death and when I found out he wasn't happy I was pretty upset about it and changed it as soon as I could. Then when I found this site I learned a lot from it and bought him a 5 gallon tank with a heater and all. If her daughters want to replace it that's fine, just direct them to fishlore to learn how to properly care for them.
I mean everyone is entitled to their opinions on this site, but to say that someone is intentionally torturing the Betta is wrong, especially when it sounds like to me that they really didn't know any better. Torturing the Betta's to me is when you see those ridiculous videos on youtube of idiotic people swallowing one whole or putting 2 or 3 in a small bowl and watching them fight it out. That to me is torture, not putting them in a small bowl not knowing any better especially when they may have gotten the advise from a store associate like many of us have had in the past.
Well that's my speal. Sorry if I offended anyone, I just don't like it when people accuse other people of doing something when they aren't intentionally doing it, but rather doing it because of some advise that was given to them or whatever. Natalie
The difference between you and them is that you were willing to change when you heard that your pet needed more. If this woman is so stubborn that she would get offended over someone buying a bigger bowl than she deserves my wrath. Sorry if this is offensive but I will always be harsh with people who don't even care enough about an animal to listen and makes changes. In my family the animals came first always, even before us kids and my brother, sister and I wouldn't have had it any other way. I'm glad my mother taught us to care so much for animals.
This woman cared more about having a pretty toy for her kid than whether the fish was suffering. Obviously she didn't even seem to notice him enough to see he was depressed. That's terrible neglect at the very least...
Im sure that these people didn't intentionally torture their Betta fish... But lets face it, unintentionally or intentionally the Betta was mistreated and some folks here take it to heart.
Amnagria... be prepared for the worse.. and thats when they decide to replace the dead Betta for their daughter and go out and get one to put into the new tank/display that they bought. Some folks cant be told or shown the way..
Good suggestion on leading the mom or family member to this site to find out for themselves the proper way to care for the Betta.
As for myself... common sense tells me that NO fish no matter what species wants to be in a tiny bowl... enough said!
~ kate
yea, some people refuse to listen even when they see the results. We know someone who got their little boy a betta and put him in a vase despite our advise, then did the same with a 2nd when the 1st died within a week.
SO far.. she has decided to wait. I think now is the time for me to jump in. I'm going to go get the minibow or something like it with a heater and a filter and wrap it up as a late birthday present. The little girl had an under the sea theme so I'm going to "pimp" it out for her. I'm actually kind of excited. I'll probably get it started with some of my filter to jump start the tank. Then they can go get a new betta when it's all set.
And for everyone that's been discussing whether this was torture... Here is my opinion:
They have multiple dogs and love them very much, take care of them.. to the point where I am now a dog person. At the end of the school year, all the kids were sent home with a common guppy in a jar. A science project, I couldn't believe it. The mom was upset that the fish was in the jar so she went out that day and bought the new betta bowl.. gave the guppy some gravel, a bridge, and the bettas old bowl. She tried for that guppy... but seeing as there was no filter or anything, it didn't survive more than a couple of weeks. She has good intentions. I think in buying the new bowl, she was also trying to spark the kids interest in the betta again. She bought it with that light on top but never plugs it in (not enough sockets) so when I go over, I've been plugging it in for a little while. She actually goes over and plays with it for a few minutes and talks about how he's seen better days, really old, probably not going to make it.. She was the only one who cared/did anything for the betta. She changed the water and fed it..
She didn't know any better. Yes, the betta was mistreated by lack of heat and a tiny bowl for the last couple weeks of it's life.. It doesn't mean it wasn't loved.
Fortunately, things will be better for the next one.
SO far.. she has decided to wait. I think now is the time for me to jump in. I'm going to go get the minibow or something like it with a heater and a filter and wrap it up as a late birthday present. The little girl had an under the sea theme so I'm going to "pimp" it out for her. I'm actually kind of excited. I'll probably get it started with some of my filter to jump start the tank. Then they can go get a new betta when it's all set.
And for everyone that's been discussing whether this was torture... Here is my opinion:
They have multiple dogs and love them very much, take care of them.. to the point where I am now a dog person. At the end of the school year, all the kids were sent home with a common guppy in a jar. A science project, I couldn't believe it. The mom was upset that the fish was in the jar so she went out that day and bought the new betta bowl.. gave the guppy some gravel, a bridge, and the bettas old bowl. She tried for that guppy... but seeing as there was no filter or anything, it didn't survive more than a couple of weeks. She has good intentions. I think in buying the new bowl, she was also trying to spark the kids interest in the betta again. She bought it with that light on top but never plugs it in (not enough sockets) so when I go over, I've been plugging it in for a little while. She actually goes over and plays with it for a few minutes and talks about how he's seen better days, really old, probably not going to make it.. She was the only one who cared/did anything for the betta. She changed the water and fed it..
She didn't know any better. Yes, the betta was mistreated by lack of heat and a tiny bowl for the last couple weeks of it's life.. It doesn't mean it wasn't loved.
Fortunately, things will be better for the next one.
Hi Amnagria~
Bet you didnt think you would have to defend your future mother in law on this post/topic. Im sorry if any of my posts may have offended you. Like your future mom in law, a good friend of mine also had a betta for over three years in a gold fish bowl. She really loved that guy and fed it, changed the water and gave me the argument that it lived for so long without the heater, filter etc etc. It did seem to be doing well everytime I saw it. Tho the gold fish bowl was a bit bigger that those orbs for sure. Your mom in law sounds like a good women who loves her animals, just didnt have the right information to base what was the best for the betta. I do hope that somehow you can show her some good info on their care and how they really are mistreated in those little orbs with no room to swim, if she is as good a care giver of animals as you say Im sure that she will change her mind. Your idea of the present of the mini bow and is a great one ! Good luck with that. And I hope in my case anyway that there is no hard feelings!
I bought them a tank. :-) A little 5 gallon. I have it running in their house right now. I also bought them Prime, the proper food, and gave them some of my gravel and a small piece of my filter. And oh yeah, they don't want another betta (for now)... they want a couple of my guppy fry! :-)
Once it cycles, I'll bring them over the fry and make sure everything is good. I'm typing up a little care sheet for them and my cell phone number if they need help.
Hi Amnagria...
what wonderful news and that was such a great thing you are doing for them! Im sure they will be very happy with the guppy fry.. and keeping them in the family!
Similar Aquarium Fish Forum Threads 
Is it possible you can really explain the situation to her to get her to understand that the betta is truly depressed in that tank? That it is sick... that you can appreciate her buying a 'pretty' bowl but its not practical for the fish? Of course, Im sure her argument would be that it has lived for three years as it is, so they must be doing something right. It is a tough situation to be in and understanding your concern because you know the truth for that poor little guy would be to move into a bigger tank. I also have a mini bow for the female betta and she loves it! 
good luck...
