LaughingOutLoud

For some reason, stores have been putting bettas in vases (with flowers), telling you that you never have to feed the betta or clean the vase. WHO WOULD BELIEVE THIS?

Tom

I know some people that would believe that. But they don't really want to put them in a tank since they are not really compatable with other fish.
Tom

LaughingOutLoud

Such a pity...

capekate

It really is a pity.. and ignorant as well. Guess it takes all kinds to spin the world eh? But those kinds should NEVER own a Betta or any fish for that matter.

Tom

But what can you really do? Informing people can only go so far. Most people would just shrug off the info.
Tom

capekate

Yes they do most often shrug off the information, but those are usually people who are thick headed and believe they are right and will not change their opinions on most things anyway. I know folks that I have explained this problem to who actually will listen and take the new found information and advice. Other than that, maybe more fish articles written to fish magazines, will eventually prompt someone to take another look at this subject.
~ kate

lovemyfroggies

??People do anything for money evan if it means cruelity to fish.

GothicCandle

thats just evil. where did you see this at?

Isabella

"Never feed" ... ? That's a good one !!! I mean, WHO in their right mind, will ever believe that you don't have to feed a living creature in order for it to live? LOL ... yeah, just don't feed it, and it will live without food, just like that. Makes sense! Yup! As for the "vase" part ... oh please, another good one. Every person and fish store that keep Bettas in vases and other small containers of the sort, should be asked one basic question: "Would you want to spend your entire life in a small closet?" That's all.

P.S. We'd all be witnesses of a biological miracle if there was actually a Betta that lived its entire life in a vase WITHOUT food. Well, unless it only lived a week or so (before it starved to death).

Angela_96

This is so cruel!!
You know I have a fish id book.. and it also gives water type and tank size for 300 species of fish...
I def would love to copy the page w/ the Bettas.. I love the phrase that says keeping bettas in small glass containers/glasses is just animal cruelity... it literally says that!! animal cruelity!!
This author gets a from me!!!

angelfish220

My grandmother wanted one. She was like 'the betta can just eat the little plant roots and the plant will keep the water clean so I dont have to change it' I got her to leave the betta out of the picture. so now she has a really cool plant in a vase with no animal cruelity.

sirdarksol

The theoretical idea is that the betta eats the growing roots, the roots suck up the betta's waste. It's supposed to be a little biological cycle.
Of course, a betta produces more waste than a single small plant can suck up. The betta needs air, and the plant gets in the way of that. Then there's the fact that bettas are carnivores, and a plant doesn't provide them with the nutrients they need.

There are some places that sell little "bio-orbs" that contain "self-sustaining life cycles," with a shrimp, a little bit of a plant, and water. You're supposed to very carefully control the amount of light it gets, as well as its temp, and it will survive for years.
Really, what's happening is that the shrimp is a type of shrimp that can survive for years by consuming its own body. Each time it molts, it gets a little bit smaller, until it's too small to support its own life. This happens over such a long stretch of time that most people don't notice it happening.

Shawnie

grrrrrr..I just got two more betta boys because THEY WERE IN A VASE!! petstores are putting them in with that chinese bamboo which im not even sure what its called...these two barely looked alive!!! I couldnt stand it...so now I have them in my 3 gallon breeder tanks until I can rush tomorrow for a 10 gallon ...hopefully it will cycle fast from the filter media of my cycled tanks...who knows what colors they are, im keeping them dark and closed up for the nite as they looked almost dead...although they did each eat a bloodworm and an omega one pellet, im still hoping for the best come morning...

Lucy

Oh, that's so sad

sirdarksol

Shawnie, it's lucky "bamboo." Neat stuff. Great to go in tanks where it sticks out of the water. It's actually not bamboo at all, though it looks kind of similar.

Shawnie

ahhhhh ok...so great stuff if used in the proper way....gosh knows we all could use some luck!! ty sir!!

sirdarksol

Yeah. Using it the proper way is the important part. I've got some in a freshwater refugium right now. It's working out really well. I put three bare stalks in, and now all three are growing leaves.

Isabella

Believe me, a 3 gallon tank is a heaven better than 1/2 cup of water that most bettas sit in at fish stores. Even better: your 3 gallon tank is only temporary - your bettas will no doubt be very grateful for that 10 gallon tank .

Shawnie

the boys did amazing over nite!! THANK YOU BETTA GOD! one of the boys is in a 5 gallon and the other, which im assuming is a baby betta, as he is so tiny, is still in the 3 gallon..LFS has some 20 gallon longs coming in tomorrow and said I could HAVE one if I wanted to wait...never seen them long so should be interesting...boys are doing so much better...still not sure on the colors as they look different everytime I peek on them...both still eating...I stuck with bloodworms and one pellet again today...cant wait to see and interact more with them...but im afraid to overdue it for now and just letting them adjust more to life being outside a cup...

Shawnie

im a VERY NAWTY MUM!!!!!! I just snuck a cpl pics of the new kids in town...wanted to have a pic for now and then later as I feel/hope they make a full recovery to see all their colors and true finage...


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now both these fish were almost totally skin colored white of death with a hint of blue/red/peach all mixed in one...still not sure how they will end up ...the first two pics are of the tinyest boy ive ever seen..although the pics dont look it...the second 3 are of the most spunky betta ive ever seen..hes really pumped up all the time like hes on steroids...still prayin to the betta gods to keep them going strong!!

angelfish220

they are perrrttttyyy!!! They will be happier in a twenty long than in a vase, way to go

Isabella

Wow! They're so beautiful!

shellbell4ever

Very Nice Betta's!!! Way to go Shawnie Good luck with them

Shawnie

ty for the compliments..the boyz say thanks a ton also!

20 longs were all gone by the time I got back their ...so they are going into a 10 gallon seperated...its cycleing now...

my baby, which i wish I knew how old, hes approx 1 1/2 -2 1/2 inches from end of tail to nose...really small compared to all the bettas ive had...looks peach colored with red half way thru the tail n fins...is doing AWESOME ...he wouldnt eat for two days but today, got him to eat some 2 pellets soaked in garlic juice.....

my other feisty boy, with the purple body and blue/red fins, has always been soooooo full of it, but totally damaged fins...he has always eaten since day one...both are still in breeder tanks 3 gallons each, until the 10 gallon finishes cycleing (picked that up at a yard sale for 10 bucks on the way home from my dissapointed 20 gallon failure)

ordered vita-chem off the site rose and dave gave me..that fishplace...in meantime, doing 50% water changes daily with stress coat...

Martinismommy

They look very healthy...You are doing a fantastic job Shawnie!

Shawnie

pics do wonders...because the feisty one has some bad fins ...but ty im trying hard!!

Annabelle

Ive seen Bettas in vases in some places as a decoration. They shared the vase with cut flowers like geraniums and the like. I always wondered if the sap from these cut flowers had any impact on the fish as they arent aquatic plants. Could these poor babies be getting slowly poisoned on top of the other horrendous conditions?
Shawnie, u r doing an awesome job. I really think those boys will come good and im sure the Betta Gods are thanking you as well for rescuing them. They really are beautiful boys!

sirdarksol

It would depend on the flower. Some plants are poisonous, and this would definitely be bad for the fish.
Or, if a flower had excessive sugar in its sap, it could cause a bacterial bloom (and not a good kind)