PLEASE close this topic

[BettaMomma]

Have taken the photos down.
Breeders were feeling attacked by them.

Sorry I offended all you breeders, but hey - we "non-breeding typical run of the mill betta consumers who don't know how this stuff all works" have every right to know what goes on behind the scenes.

God, I hope this topic gets closed down.

 

[wuvmybetta]

This should open some eyes..

Whose? Anyone in particular?
And when the eyes open...what's to be done,a betta boycott?

I'm not trying to attack anyone but if the betta industry is too much to bear and it brings more pain than joy...well, find a new fish It seems we emphasize on the bad more than anything around here lately.
All fish are cramped during transport. We have a terribly cruel hobby.

I find joy in betta keeping, it outweighs the bad things that can be found by scouring the internet and lfs's by ten fold.

 

[D Chia]

Prior to shipment these bettas are fasted to reduce their stomach content. They are placed in such bags (small triangular or rectangular bags) to minimise their movement (i.e. reduce the chance of them chewing on their tails) during transportation.

Once they have arrived at the shop, they need to be transferred to larger accommodations and allowed to stretch their fins after the "economy class" trip.

They should not be displayed or sold in such bags.

 

[Sorrell]

Many thai breeders don't even ship in water they're just wrap them in java moss

The fact is that we want these fish over here and bettas can be shipped that way. As the thai have learned, as long as their wet they will survive.

 

[Bettaman]

They are not from a proper breeder that is something thats massed produced on a farm even the bags have been heat sealed...i took 120 fish yesterday all shipped in double bags..covered in newspaper and packed in a poly box all arrived in good health and excelant condition and you could tell packed with love and care....But i agree that dont look good not even covered from the light they would flair all the time at each other

 

[OrkyBetta]

Wouldn't half of the fish they ship that way die of starvation or stress? You would think they could at least ship them in those little bowls, where they could at least be semi comfortalbe, and at least turn around.

 

[Sorrell]

The less water they have the better off they do in shipping because they slosh around less and as dchia said they aren't able to eat their tails and flare and blow them. Fish arrive healthier and recover faster in less water.



clarification-when I say fish, i am speaking of bettas as they are the ones I have experience shipping myself. However, my show guppies arrive the same way

 

[Sandusky]

Can we get off these negative topics like Wuv explained. They ship that way, they CAN be shipped that way and they WILL continue to be shipped that way. Sampson came shipped that way, but with much more thought and care, by Linda and arrived in perfect condition. As did Chris, Akihiro and Yukiko by Kelly. (Wuv)
Tsunami, Malaysia, Seychelles and Tigerclaw came shipped with care also by Frankie. (Yeevia) It might look cruel but it's in their best interests to be shipped in those conditions. I know you love and feel for these bettas but please, really it's not harming them much if they've been shipped like this for quite some time so can we not have anymore negative posts please?

 

[Synirr]

I'm honestly not seeing what the problem is.

Think of it this way: I've been on 24 hour flights before and I sure as heck wouldn't want to live on a seat in a small cramped plane completely surrounded by other people, but it's a fast and economic way to travel.

What you have to understand is that sometimes it's ok for conditions to be less than ideal so long as it's temporary. I honestly don't believe that shipping them in that manner is an overly cruel practice, and I certainly don't think it's anything to get worked up about. Sure, it's not perfect, but it gets the job done and the vast majority of fish survive the trip... they wouldn't ship them that way otherwise.

Besides, what's the alternative? Shipping them in one gallon bags complete with live plants and stops along the way so they can all be fed live bloodworms? We can't all fly first class.

 

[BettaMomma]

This should open some eyes..

Whose? Anyone in particular?

Nope.
Nobody in particular.
I just meant that in the way that we all should really appreciate the journey our fish had to go to get to where they are once we find them.

I will continue to keep them and I'll probably end up with SEVERAL more - I just think the way they're shipped (in the pictures above) is still horendous, but there's not much I can do about it.

I just wanted people to realize how they're sent.

 

[OrkyBetta]

I think it was good info, since I really had no idea how bettas were shipped. Thanks, bettamomma, even if some are not happy with this thread, it is a good place to get info.

 

[BettaMomma]

Hmm...
Interesting. (I hadn't read the rest of your posts before I made my prior post)...

I've been attacked 2 times in 3 days about voicing my opinions on how betta fish are treated. Both times I had the fish's best interest in mind.

Maybe it's the only way they can safely get here, but I still don't think it's fair.
I focus on trying to make the negatives positive.
Hence, the reason I bought a fish whose tail had been taken off.
Also the reason I brought home a fish who is blind.
Also why I buy fish that I think no one else will buy, yadda yadda yadda...

Yup, the hobby is cruel - very cruel. Sometimes I wish I had not EVER discovered it. Sometimes it's just completely heartbreaking. It downright disgusts me most times, and I have been doing everything I can possibly think of to try to make it better.

 

[LoachLover]

Wow! That's sick, I can't believe they ship the fish like that......

 

[red_fish_blue_fish]

No wonder why they come to us in such poor shape. I wonder if the reputable breeders end them out that way? If it makes you feel any better BettaMomma, they don't some to Petco that way. They come in there cups, in these huge boxes, and we unpack them. I know ppl hate the cups, but I think it is better than those little baggies. They let you take a picture of that...wow, I am surprised!?!

We do get the feeder goldfish in huge bags though. Must be from a good breeder though, or maybe it is because we still have cool weather....but in the other petstores I have worked at they used to come in half alive and half dead. Most of them were alive in the shipment I saw. It was good to see. I think shipping fish must be hard work.

 

[Synirr]

Maybe it's the only way they can safely get here, but I still don't think it's fair.

I don't think it's fair that we took them out of the wild and bred them for traits that harm more than they help. I also don't think it's fair that veiltails are so inbred now that they are prone to disease. I don't think it's fair at all, but I still own them.

As I've said many times before, man is a strange beast.

I admire your fire BettaMomma, I really do, and I think you're doing a wonderful thing by taking so many otherwise unwanted fish into your home and nursing them back to health... I just think that sometimes your passion is misplaced is all
No offence intended, I swear.