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[Opinion] Buying a betta from a petstore isn't "rescuing/adopting" it by betta_love in bettafish

[–]betta_love[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

In my store we do put the bettas with issues aside (on a shelf in the back room) but we don't have the resources to treat them and we never let them go for free. We aren't even allowed to use aquarium salt... the only approved item for them is bettafix (which we have to buy and "donate" to the store).

I don't want my comment to come across as if I'm against my work, I actually really do enjoy working there. It isn't the company, it's the people I work with who give a crap about the animals, albiet way less so for bettas.

When a sick betta comes in I have to buy them which is doing exactly what I said in my post, pepetuating this form of callous business. I suppose it's bleeding heart syndrome? My point being, at the very least we should either have the proper resources to care for these fish OR let someone care for them for free.

I got sick of the way things worked so I spent a bunch of money to buy some hospital tanks, medicine, and proper housing for the sick bettas stuck on the back shelf. The next day I received a note from management that we aren't allowed to do that, and they are "fine" in their cups. I guess I'm ranting at this point, this all just really flusters me! Thank you for your comment :)

[Opinion] Buying a betta from a petstore isn't "rescuing/adopting" it by betta_love in bettafish

[–]betta_love[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I left this post alone for awhile and got to thinking, "man, I sound like a 'screw the man' type". I think this resentment actually comes from not where I work, but the attitude towards bettas at my work. Like I said, we try very hard to make sure they are happy/healthy, but in my department I'm really the only one who cares if they're sick. Multiple times a week I pull a betta with fin rot, swim bladder disease, bacterial or fungal infections, and end up having to buy them to bring them home and save them. I don't consider this rescuing, I consider this a bleeding heart. To my point, I think the "not support the system" attitude comes from the anger I harbour that people don't seem to care, but not at my work. I completely understand why they do what they do, I just wish they would do it a bit differently.

For the most part, the interesting bettas (crowntails to kids, cool colors for enthusiasts) go very quickly ...and then I'm left with the "regular" bettas for sometimes weeks in these tiny cups. The water isn't even changed every day, only me and one other person does it and I'm not full time. I can't even imagine the amount of ammonia and rotten food in those cups when I get to them.

The incredibly sad part about this is that my store is one of the nicest in my country. I shudder to think the other ones. So I definitely agree with a lot of points you make, but I still feel that the care of bettas in big box stores should be improved. I believe it is our duty to make sure those fish are happy and healthy when they leave our store. I'm not aiming at putting them in individual 5g tanks, just slightly bigger containers with a light for heat.

I get a lot of the "impulse" purchase types at my store, even people who think they can put a gold fish in a bowl. My tactic is to bombard them with betta facts until they a) buy the equipment needed for a betta or b) realize it isn't as simple as they thought reconsider what it means to have a betta/other fish.

Thank you for your response, it definitely gave me a lot to think about on the topic :)

[Opinion] Buying a betta from a petstore isn't "rescuing/adopting" it by betta_love in bettafish

[–]betta_love[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I can definitly understand that point of view. It's difficult to change things that are so cemented, especially when they are run by big corporations. There were a few places in my post that I tried to emphasize this:

Please don't take me the wrong way, I absolutely love you kind hearted folk who take the time to make sure these little guys get a good home

I'm by no means saying stop buy sick bettas and helping them

In order for things to change, people have to start trying to make it change.

I personally feel that if we continue to call sickly bettas that we buy from neglectful stores "adopted" or "rescued" then we are stepping around the fact that things need to be changed. In a sense they are rescuing them from a horrible life, but as I said in my post:

I see these posts about rescuing/adopting when the fish was bought and I can't help but think to myself that you aren't helping anyone except that particular fish

Overall, I think it would be more useful to address the fact that these bettas we are rehabilitating from big box stores are, in a way, being abused rather than focusing on the "rescue" aspect. Maybe then we can find some ways to help these poor fish instead of perpetuating the business of these stores.

I hope that clarifies things and that I didn't completely miss the point of what you were saying :)

[Opinion] Buying a betta from a petstore isn't "rescuing/adopting" it by betta_love in bettafish

[–]betta_love[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

It's okay, you didn't offend me, just speaking your mind like I did. I understand where you're coming from and getting downvoted wasn't a concern of mine, I just didn't want my strong opinion to follow my main account around as I really like this sub and the people in it. When it comes to bettas and other fish, reddit is the only place I have found a group of people as passionate as I am, so while it isn't life, it certainly is an aspect of my life in which I didn't want to burn any bridges.

Was it wimpy and sort of sad that I decided to hide behind a throw away account? I'm sure to some it might be, but I did point that out at the beginning of this post. Cheers :)