Is This Healthy?

[Aleydis]

The librarian at my school told me today that she has loads of experience with Bettas. I ran into her while trying to teach my teacher about proper Betta care (She decided to get one as a class pet...) and she was all 'Oh, honey! I used to BREED Bettas! I know a hecka lot about them!'

She told me her Betta lives in a bowl with bamboo shoots sticking in it. There is no filtration. The Betta would eat/nibble the roots of the bamboo and she changes the water once every month. Apparently this Betta has been healthy for 3 years? =O

I made a face when she told me that, and she was all like

She says that Bettas can survive in much worse, and etc etc etc... I just explained to her that I KNOW they can survive in small amounts of water and somewhat bad quality, but simply surviving doesn't mean that they're HAPPY.

She got so pissed off. D:

Thoughts? Was I wrong?

 

[vancouver]

Some people believe that obviously.. Personally I don't think it's an ideal life for a betta.

I have seen it done a few times, but mostly in places like dentists/drs offices.. Places like that.

I wouldn't do it!!

 

[Syphoniera]

The librarian at my school told me today that she has loads of experience with Bettas. I ran into her while trying to teach my teacher about proper Betta care (She decided to get one as a class pet...) and she was all 'Oh, honey! I used to BREED Bettas! I know a hecka lot about them!'

She told me her Betta lives in a bowl with bamboo shoots sticking in it. There is no filtration. The Betta would eat/nibble the roots of the bamboo and she changes the water once every month. Apparently this Betta has been healthy for 3 years? =O

I made a face when she told me that, and she was all like

She says that Bettas can survive in much worse, and etc etc etc... I just explained to her that I KNOW they can survive in small amounts of water and somewhat bad quality, but simply surviving doesn't mean that they're HAPPY.

She got so pissed off. D:

Thoughts? Was I wrong?

Good for you, Aleydis!
Even if she doesn't listen to you, if enough people speak up, maybe she'll learn.
Sometimes the worst abuses are committed in the name of "I know best and nobody can tell me different.'
People have survived decades in horrible dark dungeons on bread and water, endured concentration camps and appalling poverty in the midst of starvation.
They've even managed to laugh sometimes, and find some semblance of normalcy in the midst of privation and restriction of all kinds.
Maybe they could even survive worse.
I wonder if that librarian could, and call it adequate, when better could be so easily provided by someone 'responsible' often only an armslength away.

 

[Honeythorn]

The librarian at my school told me today that she has loads of experience with Bettas. I ran into her while trying to teach my teacher about proper Betta care (She decided to get one as a class pet...) and she was all 'Oh, honey! I used to BREED Bettas! I know a hecka lot about them!'

She told me her Betta lives in a bowl with bamboo shoots sticking in it. There is no filtration. The Betta would eat/nibble the roots of the bamboo and she changes the water once every month. Apparently this Betta has been healthy for 3 years? =O

I made a face when she told me that, and she was all like

She says that Bettas can survive in much worse, and etc etc etc... I just explained to her that I KNOW they can survive in small amounts of water and somewhat bad quality, but simply surviving doesn't mean that they're HAPPY.

She got so pissed off. D:

Thoughts? Was I wrong?

No you certainly weren't wrong. She was probably more pissed off at the ( correct) suggestion that she was keeping her fish in entirely unsuitable conditions. Pretty much all living things have a survival instinct. The betta survives because it has to. It has no choice but to try like anything else. The bamboo is probably going a little way to soak up some of the nitrates, which is slightly helpful, but as for the rest...well, show her a few pictures of bettas being kept properly and see what she says then. And don't fall for the " oh but I have no space for a bigger tank " crap if she say's it ( a common excuse ). anyone can find 12 square inches of space SOMEWHERE in their house or even an average flat/apartment .

Her setup and care sounds horrendous to me.

 

[Neon.Tetra]

I'm glad you said something to her. I'm sure she was probably embarassed more than anything else. Perhaps she'll rethink the extent of her care.

 

[SharonCC]

Maybe while teaching your teacher about Bettas, she'll do a little reading to check it out. I am a retired teacher, and would have loved to have you in my classroom...