Banning Betta Cups

[three-fingers]

I know... BUT I can dream cant I? lol

You can do more . The way to do it is to stop people actually buying the bettas in cups, and to do this you should raise awareness as to why they are bad.
Do research on keeping them in cups, write a letter or two about why they are bad to your local fishkeeping magazine and/or local papers and magazines. You could put up a poster explaining why they are bad somewhere people who shop at the pet store are likely to see it, but make sure your putting the poster up legally.
Most importantly, never buy 'rescue' bettas, and try to dissuade people from doing so where possible. If you really want things to change, buying them is just silly .

This is the way my local PetSmart houses bettas, and thus it is the only place I will buy bettas from locally.

And that is exactly the attitude that will actually bring round change .

-While I agree it is a noble effort, I dont think it will be succesful
-I work at my lfs and can tell you that space really is the issue. You could set up a tank with a tiny of dividers but you would have to use so many dividers for it to be "worth it" that the swimming room would be just as limited. The filtration and heating would be a big plus but TBH our store actually changes the water in the cups everyday, which I am really happy we do.

Where I work, seeing the bettas in cups actually dissuades lots of people from buying them, it generally isn't a very good image for the lfs.

We do have bettas in cups from time to time, but generally only when there is no available tank space or only for a very short time so people can see them better.
They are usually only in there a day or two until a tank or breeder box is free for them.
IMO there's nothing really all that wrong with keeping the bettas in the cups just until they are sold, so long as it's warm and the water is clean - but filtered heated water with more space is obviously better .

 

[knt5005]

Holy crap, I read about 5 posts and was flustered. Let her dream, and by all means, let her try! You people come on here and whine and complain about the atrocities of these cups...well...put your money where your mouth is and support someone who wishes to see it come to an end!!!

Go for it, FBT. You never know who's mind you may change. You don't know if it's the one person who will see the error of his/her ways and change it. Cause, ya know, maybe he does give a crap about his fish.

 

[FBTgirl]

The manager seems nice. I already have four people signed. 26 to go

 

[afishdude]

Holy crap, I read about 5 posts and was flustered. Let her dream, and by all means, let her try! You people come on here and whine and complain about the atrocities of these cups...well...put your money where your mouth is and support someone who wishes to see it come to an end!!!

Go for it, FBT. You never know who's mind you may change. You don't know if it's the one person who will see the error of his/her ways and change it. Cause, ya know, maybe he does give a crap about his fish.

think about it as your the manager and trying to make money. would you buy $10 fishbowls to sell $3 fish in? wheres the profite in that? and as bad as it seems most of there sales come to people that buy them in those cups to keep them in. so if you look at it from the managers side, its loosing money and he will never change that.

You people come on here and whine and complain about the atrocities of these cups

who does that? i havent seen anybody do that on here.

 

[garethusa]

i have seen dead bettas in those cups. that was actually what inspired me to buy my first two!

i was on a betta rescue mission without even knowing what a betta was or how to keep one!!!! but i couldn't let some die.

i have actually also seen dead fish in the normal fish tanks. it kinda is gross. some fish will be eating a dead fish or is just floats there with it's head or body not in tact.

ick!

 

[kittytehpirate]

Perhaps you should change your petiton a little bit. Instead of advocating a no-cup housing for your bettas, why not advocate better education for those potential buyers. The first betta i had, Mischevious, i kept in a little 1 quart cup because that's what i was told they lived in. I kept it clean and he lived for 3 years but still...its inhumane and please realize that i was only 11 at the time. Perhaps if the stores will change thier "living requirements" for bettas from 1 quart to a gallon or so would be a fantastic start for helping these poor babies.

Rascal is currently in a 5 gal with two mollies and i think that's like a mansion compared to where she might have endedup.

But guys, leave her alone. Let her try. C'mon you pessimists.

 

[JamieBailie]

Walk into the shop, Buy a few tanks, Then say "They are yours, Put the bettas in them"

 

[Mikaila31]

Walk into the shop, Buy a few tanks, Then say "They are yours, Put the bettas in them"

I agree this would be the best way to solve the problem quickly and talking to them about proper betta care. You could also try large breeder boxes and tell them to recommend a larger tank to the people who buy the bettas.

Mikaila31

 

[starrynightxxi]

my first thought on reading the original post was that 30 signatures isn't going to mean jack to a store. Why did you settle on that number? It seems kind of random. Most petitions I know of try to get a couple hundred to a thousand signatures.

Secondly I've never been against the betta in a cup PETSHOP housing. It's not the cups that are bad, it's the lack of care that they recieve at many petshops. In fact, the shop i frequent most literally keeps them in little plastic drinking cups, but the fish eat bloodworm and blackworm and get their water changed every day. I've never seen one so much as look a bit ill.

What I think is sad is the myth that this is the natural home of a betta. It isn't, of course, as we know, but the average person has no idea and the idea that fish aren't real pets is so pervasive that its easy to purchase one without doing the research and never think twice. It can't escape whatever container it's in, and it can't make any noise to display distress, so how is a person who knows nothing about fish to understand that it is suffering?

Shops exist inherently to make money and I have no problem with their doing so, however I do think that they should act more responsibly towards their charges as they are, in fact, living creatures regardless of our uncertainty about what level they experience pain and/or unhappiness. I think it would be wiser, then, to attack not where these bettas are housed, but instead to change attitudes about how they are treated otherwise, and where they will end up after being sold.

 

[knt5005]

Holy crap, I read about 5 posts and was flustered. Let her dream, and by all means, let her try! You people come on here and whine and complain about the atrocities of these cups...well...put your money where your mouth is and support someone who wishes to see it come to an end!!!

Go for it, FBT. You never know who's mind you may change. You don't know if it's the one person who will see the error of his/her ways and change it. Cause, ya know, maybe he does give a crap about his fish.

think about it as your the manager and trying to make money. would you buy $10 fishbowls to sell $3 fish in? wheres the profite in that? and as bad as it seems most of there sales come to people that buy them in those cups to keep them in. so if you look at it from the managers side, its loosing money and he will never change that.

You people come on here and whine and complain about the atrocities of these cups

who does that? i havent seen anybody do that on here.

Considering you could reuse the tanks to sell more fish as you would most likely have fewer betta deaths, yes, I would do that. I've read so many people complaining about how dirty the cups are at their lfs.

The point was, and is, that FBT is trying to do some good in her town, and the first thing you do is bash her. Nice.

 

[FBTgirl]

I was thinking I could buy 7 1 gallon bowls or at least 1/2 gallon bowls and donate them to the store and say "Keep them in hear till someone wants them and then put them in a cup so the person can take them home".
knt5005 I do not think they are bashing on me. They are just sayingout that it most likely wont make much of a difference. Trust me I have been bashed on before Anyway I am going to try and next time I go to the pet store I am get 1/2 gallon bowls for the pet store, Once I get the list filled I will take the bowls the list and my big mouth and try to get them to listen

 

[vancouver]

Why not just have a conversation with the manager about it. I really don't see why a petition would do any good, it's just going to irritate the manager.

 

[FBTgirl]

I irritate everything Why should the manager be any different. LOL! Plus the Petition is like a goal for me too. It would make me feel proud of myself

 

[stang1]

I agree with having a chat with the manager and explaining why these cups are so awful. My lfs used to keep Bettas in with fish that would nip them or in tiny little dividers. I spoke to the manager and explained that it wasn't fair on the fish and also that it gave the wrong impression. People seeing Bettas in such small places assume that it's fine to keep them that way when they buy them. They now either house the fish in suitable tanks or use a decent sized breeding net. They are also planning on having a Betta barracks built at some point.

 

[afishdude]

I was thinking I could buy 7 1 gallon bowls or at least 1/2 gallon bowls and donate them to the store and say "Keep them in hear till someone wants them and then put them in a cup so the person can take them home".
knt5005 I do not think they are bashing on me. They are just sayingout that it most likely wont make much of a difference. Trust me I have been bashed on before Anyway I am going to try and next time I go to the pet store I am get 1/2 gallon bowls for the pet store, Once I get the list filled I will take the bowls the list and my big mouth and try to get them to listen

y dont you use that money to buy yourself a test kit you you dont loose anymore fish, i meen come on your averaging a death every 1-2 days.