Betta Rant about my LFS

So I touched on this briefly in another thread, but was so irritated, realized others probably had stories to tell like this and rants to share......

My darling fiance sought to cheer me up after a trying week at work and I came home to indigo on my bookshelf in a teeny little bowl. Now, I've kept fish before, and know what a slippery slope this is. You buy a 5 dollar fish and suddenly you're in for over $100 of equipment. :-\ But Betta's are so charming, I couldn't say no.

Having never kept them before I started my research - which led me here. Reading the guides and tips and stories of so many of you here dispelled myths and educated me as to what my new friend needed, and so this morning I set off to by him a new home and start it cycling so he could be warm and Ph balanced and (eventually) have some friends.

Thankfully you all are here, as all of my suspicions were confirmed. I went to the most reputable fish supply in Sacramento (Capitol Aquarium) and was stunned when the salesclerk tried to explain to me that Betta's were happy in "cups", that these horrible habitats were what they had in the wild.....and then, when I told her she was wrong, tried to sell me kits that would have closed the tank off from fresh air, used undergravel filtration, and noisy filters. When I pointed out to her that Betta's need heat (coming from tropical climes - duh!), and that they live in vast paddies she actually rolled her eyes at me and said, "no, they live in puddles". When I pointed out to her that they don't live in puddles, but get stuck in them sometimes when the paddies dry out (and that's when they get caught or die) she popped her gum. >

*sigh*

I gritted out a smile, thanked her for her guidance and when on about my way. found a lovely tank (still treating - pics coming in a couple of days), heater, filter system, and some soft silk plants (I want real, but one step at a time). A billion dollars (!!) later I'm home, still annoyed by her assumption I didn't know better, and her condescending attitude and excited about getting my indigo's home ready. ;D

Any similar tales of fury?

 

lol.. i've got plenty of them in our dealings with Petco (ie: "DeathCo") and the complete lack of knowledge, concern for their fish and their double-charging practices.

they're the only game in our little town, but we still only give them 'urgent/emergency' business after finally having had enough of their .. and all the rest goes to .

 

Oh yeah! I've been haunting several LFS (all of them 'general pet stores' : ) looking for variety of fish and appropriate test kits etc and it never ceases to amaze me how these business owners (as opposed to pet lovers - much less fish keepers!) want to sell you everything on the shelf and insist that if you don't have it then your fish will simply die!!!!!
One particularly ignorant fellow even tried to persuade me to buy his salt water master test kit (seems he had run out of fresh water ones) saying that they're the same thing.
Yet another was trying to sell me his guppies after explaining to me that he'd put that gourami in the same tank with them because he was very sick and being harrassed by the other gouramis in the other tank and the guppies were more peacefull - yeah mate, no worries, now I'm gonna give you my money so I can take home your disease tank fish
Then I found a genuine fish shop - 2 hours drive from home - that had been in business for 30 years with the same owner, he assures me that the reason many people have problems in their aquariums is that they change the water settings too much. He believes that you should never adjust ph/hardness/add salt etc because the fish adjust to your local water and prefer a stable environment! at last a guy who knows what he's talking about right?! maybe.... he then went on to tell me how he'd only just done a water change in one of his display tanks that he's only ever changed the water in every 6 months or so! (no plants - just rocks and gravel and the most violently filtered water I have ever seen, I mean these guys were living in surf conditions!)
Anyway, after reading this forum extensivly and chatting with some members via MSN I've come to the realisation that each and every fish needs to be selected carefully - one at a time - after observing their behaviour for a while. No more "I'll take 6 of those please" fish shopping ever! /end rant

 

Petsmart is terrible with their fish too. The sales people vary from somewhat knowlegable to completely clueless. I find that NO fish store I've ever seen really understands Bettas and their needs. I argue with anyone who dares to tell me that Bettas in the wild live in dirty stagnant puddles. First of all, there are NO Betta Splendons (our type of pet Betta) in the wild! These fish have NEVER lived in anything but tanks and jars. I pick out specific fish that I can clearly see have finrot and show them to the sales people and ask them to treat them. They just tell me "oh that's nothing, he's fine".  : It took me a week of DAILY complaining before they finally treated a tank of poor glass fish that were covered in ich and fungus. They thanked me for noticing and gave me the lame excuse that they are usually too busy to really look at the fish.  The animals and their well-being should be their TOP priority!!  > Petsmart does a good job with dogs, cats (they help get millions adopted from rescue shelters) birds and small animals. It's just fish that don't seem to be loved and cared for the way the furry and feathered creatures are. I love all animals and don't want to see any mistreated or neglected. The tanks with zebra danios and neon tetras are so full of fish they can't even swim without smashing into each other! This has to be extremely stressful!
If any salesperson gives me any attitude and tries to make me feel like I don't know anything you can be SURE I will be talking to their manager or head office if need be. As a customer the very least they should do is listen to you and not contradict everything you say. Offering suggestions is one thing, but talking down to you is unacceptable! After all, you are the pet owner and you probably do know more about the pet than they do.

 

you're right phloxface.. petsmart only looks good compared to DeathCo.. I love/hate going in them.. if we move back to denver, i'm going to do my best to find a good LFS that treats fish right. I want to give NO business to Deathco and as little as I can to petsmart, so now it mostly goes to the DFS site.. but a LFS that cares for their fish would deserve our business.

 

Walmart..........dah............when I found Wink Jack Sparrow, white with green and blue tail............teeny tiny..............so sweet, the girl said, "Oh ya, we don;t get albinos in very often!" :-[

I couldn't argue with her, so I took Wink home with me so a kid wouldn't get him and kill him.....................albino indeed...................so dumb, so very dumb................... >

It is sad, I only started to learn about Bettas in January..................I think I know more, and for sure I care more, than most fish selling people in these places. I hate it........................ >

Val

 

we started in jan.. well 12/28 too.. and I still find it hard to top the deathco manager here who thought a male betta could be pregnant. :

 

The last few times I have been to my walmart there have been NO bettas in the fish department. Even though I got two of mine from there I am really glad to see there aren't any on the shelf wasting away in their cups. BUT what they have in place of the bettas in their cups are flower vases with pics of bettas in them with the plants! > GRRR!

I'm with you Val, I only started to learn about bettas in February, but I already know so much more than the people at the fish stores that I visit (at least about bettas lol). It seems like the "puddle of dirty water" myth is so ingrained that people refuse to even hear any other thoughts about it.

 

The last few times I have been to my walmart there have been NO bettas in the fish department. Even though I got two of mine from there I am really glad to see there aren't any on the shelf wasting away in their cups. BUT what they have in place of the bettas in their cups are flower vases with pics of bettas in them with the plants! > GRRR!

quick.. hide them behind the cat food!

 

Yeah, Petco actually has "bettas like the little cups" propaganda printed on their betta shelves.
Here's another shameless plug for . This is a thread giving anyone who wants it the info for contacting Petco and Petsmart about this. It doesn't directly affect the LFS, but if the big chains change, the little stores will be forced to change with them.

As for the LFS, I would suggest finding a betta book that the store sells and show the employee what the book says about the natural habitat of the bettas, as well as size/heat of tank. I would also contact the employee's manager, let him/her know that the employee is giving out incorrect information. List references for information.

In one of my local fishstores, I have seen one of the most horrible things. It's a donut that's standing upright. There's just about enough space in the tube for a betta to turn around, and there's a little hole at the top for the betta to come up to breath.

 

Walmart here has taken to doing a Pirates of the Carribean theme for their bettas............they have themed tanks ( very small) , all kinds of to go in them, wallpaper background, etc, etc. The betta cups have a colourful betta with a pirate hat on.........................ok, so I had Wink Jack Sparrow before that...........anyway, this is certainly marketing to very young kids, who may not be aware ( parents) of needs of a betta fish. >

Let's get the message out.............I am even happy at the number of non betta owners who visit this site and then post that A) they had no idea bettas required heated, filtered tanks and B) that betta owners are a bit crazy!! LOL

 

yea, i've seen those little q.tanks being sold all over as permanent betta homes.

 

> :'(

So, today I was at both Petco and Petsmart looking for fish food, dechlor and meds I needed. Of course I had to glance at the Bettas. BAD idea. I saw more than one dead Betta at each store...one at Petco looked like he'd been sitting dead in the cup for a day. And I don't think I saw a single healthy looking one at either store. If they weren't visibly sick, they were all clamped up and listless. I also saw one or two poor little guys who were going insane in the tiny cups, dashing back and forth as if desperately trying to escape the tiny space. It makes me so mad they treat the Bettas like that.........

I also took a copy of Petsmart's Betta care pamphlet (shoulda gotten one of Petco's care sheets too...will another day). I think I will write to them outlining all the mistakes in their care guide and ask them to please change it. I think there were more incorrect "facts" in there than correct ones. And of course to get the Bettas out of their little torture chambers and at least into bigger bowls. Even half gal or gal bowls would be a lot better than the tiny cups.

 

yea, I hate going in there.. it's always miserable conditions and I don't like to give those stores any of our money unless I absolutely have to - because of their treatment of bettas and other fish.. and deathco's double-charging practices.

 

Yeah I know what you mean. Unfortunately I have to shop at Petco and Petsmart because they're the only stores here that sell fish supplies. I do have an LFS and another Not-so-local FS that have wonderful fish, but their supplies are limited and super expensive. So while I never buy fish there (especially since I found that Petsmart's guppies carry TB) I kinda have to buy all my other fish stuff there. Oh well. At least they're good with their other animals. They just need to start caring about the fish too!

 

Why not purchase your fish supplies from on of the multitude of online stores? sure it can take a week to arrive - but at least you're not financing fish torture! I often find web-prices to be far cheaper than in store prices too  ;D

 

Why not purchase your fish supplies from on of the multitude of online stores? sure it can take a week to arrive - but at least you're not financing fish torture! I often find web-prices to be far cheaper than in store prices too ;D

that's been our solution.

 

Mind if I add a rant of my own in here......
I went to my lfs today and got the shock of my life!!!
Generaly before (today) they kept siamese fighters in small 18cm jars, at least the fish could swim then. When I went today they had each fighter in 5 by 7 cm packets!! About 10 of them in the packets floating in a goldfish tank, they couldnt even swim! Gee, I asked the guy 'how on earth do they survive in that', he merely said 'oh, we give them oxygen three times a week' like his teaching me something!! If I was one of those ppl who can tell ppl off, I would have probably made him run, but i'm afraid i'm not one to just open my mouth...
Shocking I tell you! poor,poor fish.....

 

Mind if I add a rant of my own in here......
..... each fighter in 5 by 7 cm packets!! About 10 of them in the packets floating in a goldfish tank, they couldnt even swim! Gee, I asked the guy 'how on earth do they survive in that', he merely said 'oh, we give them oxygen three times a week' like his teaching me something!! If I was one of those ppl who can tell ppl off, I would have probably made him run, but i'm afraid i'm not one to just open my mouth...
Shocking I tell you! poor,poor fish.....

That is awful!! Someone else had pics on here of little packets with Bettas in. Ya, I bet they get oxygen when someone remembers to do it. Well I sure could have said something...( I am actually very sweet, really..no really...LOL ). Val

 

that's a store that wouldn't see any of our money.

 

that's a store that wouldn't see any of our money.

Wish I could do that too.That's the only tropical+saltwater aquarium fishstore close to here. There are others abt 1 hour away and my dad sometimes takes me there weekends but then, they keep the bettas in jars....seems no one cares to keep them in tanks.

 

that's a store that wouldn't see any of our money.

Wish I could do that too.That's the only tropical+saltwater aquarium fishstore close to here. There are others abt 1 hour away and my dad sometimes takes me there weekends but then, they keep the bettas in jars....seems no one cares to keep them in tanks.

That's what I like about my LFS...they actually put all their Bettas in the 10-20 gal tanks along with all the other fish. Too bad Petco and Petsmart won't do the same thing.

 

The funny thing is that they'd probably sell more if shoppers could see that they get along with some other fish since the current perception is that they must be kept in solitude - if they're kept in a community tank from the start everyone wins!

 

One LFS in my area keeps their males in breeder boxes on the sides of the tanks and their females in small individual tanks ... but they might change their practices. They had a bunch of school kids come in and dump the breeder boxes into the same tank to watch them fight. The store owner noticed them giggling on the way out and went to check. I think he managed to get to the fish before there were any casualties, but their fins all got pretty torn up. That's how we got our latest betta, actually. My partner went in to pick something up for me, and fell in love with one of the little guys.

 

That sucks. The fish store owner should press charges for destruction of property.
To those who want to get their supplies without having to pay a whole bunch, Walmart, Petco, and Petsmart are not your only options. Drs Foster and Smith is actually far cheaper than going out to the pet store, as long as you buy a bunch of things at once. They usually ship the next day (I live in Minnesota, one state over from their shipping, and I get my stuff in one to two days without paying extra for express shipping)

 

Sorry to hijack the thread, but how much do Drs Foster & Smith usually charge for shipping Sirdarksol? I live in MN too.
The only reason I don't shop online more is because the shipping costs *usually* seem to make it just as expensive as buying at a store, and also I can't always wait for things to ship to me.

 

- they charge shipping by how much you spend.. overnight or real heavy items can alter that.

 

Sorry to hijack the thread, but how much do Drs Foster & Smith usually charge for shipping Sirdarksol? I live in MN too.
The only reason I don't shop online more is because the shipping costs *usually* seem to make it just as expensive as buying at a store, and also I can't always wait for things to ship to me.

As FLBettaCouple said, they charge by how much you spend. It's 9.99 for shipping when you spend up to 40 or 60. Heavy items like sand actually don't affect their normal shipping (or didn't the last time I ordered), but it does affect express shipping. However, I've found that everything that I've purchased is 20-50% less than in the stores (depends on what you're buying). So if all you're buying is a single can of Tetra fish flakes, you're better off going out and getting it. But if you do a bunch of shopping at once, and if it's something that can wait a couple of days, it ends up being cheaper to buy from Drs Foster & Smith. Example, I paid $60 for all of this:
Water pump (found same one for $30 in store), Two bendable bubble walls (found them for $8 each), One small and one medium three-in-one filter cartridge, with refills (have never seen this in stores, but regular refills for these sizes would be $10-$15 for the number I got), Two of the compact fluorescent bulbs with incandescent bases (I see these go for anywhere between $10 and $15 each in pet stores, when I can find them at all), one small container of filter feeder food (have never seen this brand, Cyclopease, but most filter feeder food is really expensive).
Add the stuff up, and you come up with quite a bit more than the $60 I paid. I have shopped at Drs Foster and Smith three times, and each time I went to nearby pet stores and found that it was cheaper to order the stuff than to buy it, even if I run around the Cities to get the best price for each item.

 

You would think these chain stores would be trying to keep our business, not make us so angry with their treatment of fish and disregard of customer feelings that they send us hunting online to find sites with much cheaper prices.

 

You would think these chain stores would be trying to keep our business, not make us so angry with their treatment of fish and disregard of customer feelings that they send us hunting online to find sites with much cheaper prices.

One would think...

Heh. That just reminded me of a great TMNT quote.

April: "One would think that with all of their ninja training, they would have been taught some manners."
Splinter: "One would think."

 

exactly.. well, at least they add to the fun of putting in a DFS order, knowing that i'm NOT spending the money at deathco. ;D

 

Drs Foster and Smith's shipping sounds cheaper than I would have expected. Hehehe looks like I get to start shopping online! No more of MY money is going to lousy chain stores. ;D

 

Drs Foster and Smith's shipping sounds cheaper than I would have expected. Hehehe looks like I get to start shopping online! No more of MY money is going to lousy chain stores. ;D

lol.. yea, we order a bit at a time and with them being sometimes less than 1/2 of the deathco price, shipping is made up for pretty fast. Usually orders get there in under a week and we've always been pleased with their shipping.

 

besides, when you shop online you don't have to wear shoes! or pants for that matter! ;D

 

besides, when you shop online you don't have to wear shoes! or pants for that matter! ;D

lol.. yea, an important plus for online shopping!

 

I sense a prank coming on.

The target; Petco

The point; Betta's don't like baggies, or cups, etc., etc.

The plan;
1. Innocently enter local petco
2. casually browse fish aisle
3. Hang a variety of signs on, near, around betta displays, foods, vitamins, melafix

Signs will read;

PLEASE HELP ME - I BREATHE AIR FROM THE SURFACE AND I'M DYING IN HERE

BETTA FOR SALE - NEED LOVE AND A HAND OUT OF HERE BEFORE I DIE

MISINFORMATION KILLS - BETTAS DON'T LIVE IN PONDS

FISH - $5.99
PROPER TANK & SUPPLIES - $100
SAVING A LIFE - PRICELESS

Fight the man - Viva la resistance!!

 

That's just beautiful. I love it.

 

he he he. Shame there are cameras everywhere. We could maybe start a t-shirt? If it becomes huuuuugely popular, it'll become common knowledge. No? Nevermind...

 

he he he. Shame there are cameras everywhere. We could maybe start a t-shirt? If it becomes huuuuugely popular, it'll become common knowledge. No? Nevermind...

lol, yea.. t-shirts.. the way to get the word out in america.

 

Nope, the new way is to print it on booty shorts.

Which brings to mind a whole new rant.
Why is there a company that makes booty shorts that say "JUNK" sized for six year olds? For that matter, why make booty shorts for six year olds? Why do the kids' aisles at Target have thongs/g-strings? Why are there micro-bikinis (or near-micro) made for pre-teens? Or crop-tops? Who buys this stuff for kids?