Petition Plan

[FBTgirl]

OK so hear is my plan. In about 1 week I am going in there with my computer petition and my old 1/2 gallon bowls for the fish. And explain to them about it.

 

[mommyof2bettas]

Well, good luck to ya!

 

[heymickey94]

Tell us how you make out. Good luck!

 

[ArauraDiscus]

What? I'm confused by a lack of info. lol

 

[FBTgirl]

OK Well I have an online petition to ban Betta cups in my pet stores. So thats what this is all about

 

[Squidman]

God luck! Even though i dont understand what this petition is about.

 

[roseK]

you are so brave. good luck

 

[rdd1952]

While I applaud your effort and goal, I wonder if you have thought about exactly what you will be asking them to do. Have you considered what is involved from a space, maintenance and risk stand point? I actually think cost is a minimal item as they could probably get the bowls I've linked to below for 50 cents each if not less.

I went by the Petsmart near my office today. They keep their bettas in 3.5" diameter cups that are about 5" in height. They had 71 bettas in stock (too many in my opinion but that's another story) and they were on 2 shelves, 4 cups deep. Each shelf was 3' long, 16" deep and there was about 6" between the shelf and the next one above it so the total space used to stock these bettas was about 4 cubic feet. If they switched to a 1/2 gallon bowl like this one which is 6.75" wide x 4.25" deep x 7" high, they would only be able to get about 15 bowls per shelf as opposed to 36 cups and would need at least another 2 to 3 inches between shelves so it would take 5 shelves at 9" in height or about 15 cubic feet of shelf space. That's 4 times more space and they don't make their money off selling bettas. They make it off selling the tanks, bowls, filters, etc. so stock space used for fish isn't really profitable.

The bowls would also need lids for a couple reasons. First, bettas are jumpers and without a lid, you would end up with dead fish on the floor and shelf. Second, no lid would mean everyone that looked through the shelf to find the betta they want would slosh water all over the shelf, the floor and themselves. That could create a injury risk if someone steps in it and falls.

Next there is the risk of someone dropping a heavy bowl (1/2 gallon filled with water is about 4 lb allowing for it not being full). There would be flying glass or plastic and water which could injure someone or damage other merchandise or get on people that just happen to be nearby. That is a risk that the don't really have now with a cup that only contains a tiny amount of water.

Once again, I commend you for trying to change things for the better but bettas have been sold that way for years and until some sort of laws are passed that states that the cups are inhumane (most people have the opinion that they're just fish) then the fish breeders and fish stores aren't going to change the way the sell them. If PETA (and I am definitely not a fan of theirs) hasn't been able to force change, a few names on a petition won't matter either.

Edit: Just a side note, FBTgirl, you and I have the same birthday on June 4 although mine was many years before yours.

 

[CruX]

Just a point made by someone else in the other thread, but I have never come across bettas in these cup things in the UK in any shop I have ever come across and I wouldn't buy from a shop that did this. I would also make it clear why i stopped buying there.

 

[rdd1952]

It's great that they don't keep them like that over there. What are they in and I wonder how they receive the in? They couldn't ship them like other fish with 6 or 8 in a bag. Each bag would have to contain only one fish. Maybe they still get them in the cups but take them out after they arrive.

 

[stang1]

When we get male Bettas in, they are delivered in single bags measuring no more than about 3" squared and the tiniest amount of water. It always amazes me that they actually survive the journey.
Crux is right though, you never see cups here in the UK and most Betta barracks aren't a bad size. Although, I have been to one store that had Betta barracks that were so small, the fish couldn't turn around in them.

 

[Matty P]

Hey good luck with the petition!

 

[rdd1952]

It really boils down to space and temporary housing. Most all fish in the fish stores are kept in tanks that are overstocked or too small by normal standards simply because it is temporary. In a perfect world they would be kept in tanks that truely represented the size they should be kept in permanently but as we know, this isn't a perfect world.

All in all, bettas are pretty resilient. They live in terrible conditions in most stores (and in a lot of the bowls they are put in after being bought) and from what I understand are sometimes shipped from overseas not in water but wrapped in wet papers. Since they can breate from the air I'm sure that is possible.

 

[CruX]

It's great that they don't keep them like that over there. What are they in and I wonder how they receive the in? They couldn't ship them like other fish with 6 or 8 in a bag. Each bag would have to contain only one fish. Maybe they still get them in the cups but take them out after they arrive.

I have little doubt they are shipped in unfavourable conditions. But it's good to know that most shops will give them some good space one they arrive. I am sure most fish shipped en masse are not shipped in great conditions but unfortunately the way of the trade is exactly that, a trade. To that end margins must be made as high as possible and it is probably more cost effective for the trader to lose a few fish en route than to provide healthy shipping conditions. That being said at least for the majority of fish sent their less than ideal conditions are only temporary.

As for what they are housed in in the shops, they tend to be kept in tanks (singularly of course) of peaceful community fish. Although I have seen them in tanks of fin nippers such as tiger barbs. I asked a LFS worker why he did this and he said that they usually sell fast and the barbs tend to only worry about themselves. He was quick to point out that it was a last resort.

 

[rdd1952]

To that end margins must be made as high as possible

Actually, I had mentiond on the other thread about the petition that maybe bettas and other fish should cost more. That may sound like a strange thing to say but if you think about the cost of fish as compared to the cost of our tanks and equipment, most are very inexpensive. If bettas were priced at $20+ rather than $4 or $5 like they are at the local Petsmarts, then people would think twice before shelling out the money for something and then not learning enough about it to keep it alive and healthy. As it is now, spending $5 for a fish is no big deal.