# I am very appauled.



## BettaMiah (Sep 12, 2011)

On PetSmart's website, I just saw a Betta starter kit for 2 Betta fish with a divider. 


It is half a gallon. No heater, no filter. 

So each fish gets what, 0.025? That is horrible.

http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=11107656


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## Laki (Aug 24, 2011)

I saw those actually shopping at PetSmart last night. I couldn't believe it either. There are people stupid enough to use it though. Not that they have low IQ stupid, they are just ignorant. And ignorance is NOT bliss.


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## BettaMiah (Sep 12, 2011)

I see fish in those all the time. To make things worse, they had a huge moss ball in there. The poor baby couldn't even turn around.


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## Laki (Aug 24, 2011)

You seen people keep them with a divider!? o.o oh dear. I haven't seen them in use but for a store that sells them, people will buy. People put all kinds of trust into pet stores.


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## BettaMiah (Sep 12, 2011)

Oh yes. They had the whole thing set up and for sale. Divided, too. 

Each Betta wasn't apparently even worthy of half a gallon.


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## Aquarianblue (Aug 26, 2011)

Now, I had a male that lived in one of those before. He had no aeration, but I put a little heater in there. And he got 50% water change at least everyday. if not a full 100% when I got wiser abit later. Anyhow, I had moved Blaze into a 5 gallon, with a heater, some aeration. and he FLIPPED. moved him back into his little home like this, happy as could be. blew bubbles all the time, ate better, and was active. But I do agree, as a rule these are not good unless you change the water daily, it's a bad thing for your fish. And to divide it, is bad.


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## BettaMiah (Sep 12, 2011)

I know, but this thing is DIVIDED.

And you should have left him in the 5 gallon. He would have gotten used to it and thrived.


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## fishy friend2 (Aug 28, 2011)

I was at petsmart and looking at Betta fish and the dude was trying to sell it to me and he said that he had sold like 11 of these in the past couple of days and after that I just walked out


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## BettaMiah (Sep 12, 2011)

Good for you.


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## fishy friend2 (Aug 28, 2011)

I can't believe so many people would buy those for 2 betta fish they even had it on display with the divider and 2 Betta fish


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## LaLaLeyla (Aug 17, 2011)

IMO I dont think bettas need filters.
I think that tank is good for one bettas as long as you keep up with water changes


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## tabster1 (Sep 10, 2011)

My roommates is currently living in a 1/3 gallon cube but like half the water has evaporated....people just don't know any better. Although I've told her and she still thinks he is "fine".


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## BettaMiah (Sep 12, 2011)

Yep. 

I would buy them if I had another tank.  Poor dears need saving.

LaLaLeyla- No, it is a horrible home for Betta fish. Just awful for even one. 

tabster- Oh, poor thing. Maybe you could sneak some water for him?


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## LaLaLeyla (Aug 17, 2011)

BettaMiah said:


> Yep.
> 
> I would buy them if I had another tank.  Poor dears need saving.
> 
> ...


My betta lives in a 1/2 gallon.-shrug-


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## BettaMiah (Sep 12, 2011)

Oh, well. I don't know. I really don't want to argue. 

But, that little tank is all your Betta has, don't you think he would be happier in a bigger tank?


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## LaLaLeyla (Aug 17, 2011)

BettaMiah said:


> Oh, well. I don't know. I really don't want to argue.
> 
> But, that little tank is all your Betta has, don't you think he would be happier in a bigger tank?


My betta has all the signs of a healthy betta. I cant afford to get him a 20 gallon tank with heaters and filter like everyone wants me to.


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## BettaMiah (Sep 12, 2011)

Who needs a 20 gallon tank? I'm sure even a 1 gallon would be better. Anything bigger, and with a filter, too.


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## tabster1 (Sep 10, 2011)

Well she doesn't use a water conditioner she just has the special super over priced betta water (or possibly distilled) so I definitely would give him more if I knew where she kept it. Once I get my betta I will have my water conditioners and her fish will be getting water changes a LOT.


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## BettaMiah (Sep 12, 2011)

What about just using fridge water? It has no chlorine in it. I use it all the time when I run out of water conditioner.


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## LaLaLeyla (Aug 17, 2011)

BettaMiah said:


> Who needs a 20 gallon tank? I'm sure even a 1 gallon would be better. Anything bigger, and with a filter, too.


Well not a 20 gallon. but people say they need huge huge tanks.


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## BettaMiah (Sep 12, 2011)

They tell me that too. It is total Bull.

But still, I think a Betta would appreciate a little more room to swim.

Lots of people on Yahoo! tell me that 1 Betta needs 5 gallons minimum, and they tell me I am a horrible fish keeper and that my fish will die.

Pfffff.....


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## Laki (Aug 24, 2011)

Oh undivided I kept Lakitu in one. 1/5 gal is fine while sick or fresh-from-the-pet-store fish learn to swim with all their fins. I've seen bettas plunked into a giant tank after living in tiny tanks to grow up and they cannot even swim. You wanna talk about cruel! Some betta's even feel more secure in smaller spaces. I doubt a 5 gallon is crucial for the well being of a betta. I keep Laki in a 1 gal now and clean it every second day. Couldn't be happier.


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## Leeniex (Aug 14, 2011)

I have a 2.5 and a 3 gallon. No one here said that you need a huge tank for happy bettas.


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## ForbiddenSecrets (Aug 15, 2010)

Man I hate tanks like that :/ [OP post] 

I've never had a problem with my fish in larger tanks. My three currently are in 14/14/10 gallons and it doesn't stress them at all. [In fact my boy lost all problems after first moving to a 10 but he's a roamer] Not saying that they need quite that much room [I personally enjoy the larger size and lower maintenance] but I could never justify to myself anything under 2.5 gallons personally and 1 gallon as a final minimum if I had to. Yes I could keep the water clean but my fish explore so much and roam their whole tanks that I couldn't imagine keeping them so bored. But maybe that's just me.


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## Littlebittyfish (Jan 5, 2011)

3 gallon critter keepers are pretty cheap..easy to heat and give a betta a nice amount of room..but it doesn't take up much space. I love mine. A lot of the smaller kits cost more than bigger tank setups or about the same price sometimes. I think a lot of people buy those tiny divided tanks because they see the bettas on the box and they just don't know any better...


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## Bresn (Sep 1, 2011)

I know a pet shop that so far have good info(I know his right!!)!


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## dragonflie (Aug 5, 2011)

ForbiddenSecrets said:


> Man I hate tanks like that :/ [OP post]
> 
> I've never had a problem with my fish in larger tanks. My three currently are in 14/14/10 gallons and it doesn't stress them at all. [In fact my boy lost all problems after first moving to a 10 but he's a roamer] Not saying that they need quite that much room [I personally enjoy the larger size and lower maintenance] but I could never justify to myself anything under 2.5 gallons personally and 1 gallon as a final minimum if I had to. Yes I could keep the water clean but my fish explore so much and roam their whole tanks that I couldn't imagine keeping them so bored. But maybe that's just me.


Nah, it's not just you, lol. I feel the same way. I tend not to get involved in such discussions on tank size in this forum because it seems that many here believe the small containers (less than or equal to 1g) are fine for them, and I wish not to ruffle any feathers.

My own personal minimum is 2.5 gallons. And the reason for that is space availability. I realize that it is entirely possible to keep tanks smaller than that clean and healthy for our bettas, provided maintenance is never slacked on. But having seen how inquisitive these creatures are and how much every one of the ones I've had seems to absolutely love swimming through all the nooks and crannies leads me to wonder how one could decorate a tank smaller than 2.5 enough to keep them entertained, when even I can't be next to my bettas 24/7 to make faces at them and talk to them...and I'm a stay at home mom and home all day.

To each his own, I'm not knocking what everyone else does. But those are my reasons for saying 2.5 gallons is a good minimum.


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## BettaMiah (Sep 12, 2011)

I know, they tell me I am way overstocked.


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## Littlebittyfish (Jan 5, 2011)

Look at this one
http://www.petco.com/product/109885/PETCO-Dual-Betta-Bowl.aspx?CoreCat=BettaHPFishTanks

D:<


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## BettaMiah (Sep 12, 2011)

Oh my gosh! It is not even half a gallon!!!!!!!

Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, OH MY GOSH.

How horrible. How utterly disgusting. Each fish gets .018 gallons. 

:'( Poor Betta fish. So mistreated.


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## tabster1 (Sep 10, 2011)

Also notice how with that one they have the "special lid" so you can make it a vase. 

Now you want cruel look at http://www.amazon.com/Bubble-Wall-M...EG/ref=sr_1_21?ie=UTF8&qid=1315965000&sr=8-21


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## BettaMiah (Sep 12, 2011)

Meh, that one actually isn't that horrible. It is about a Gallon.


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## Anitax3x (Aug 26, 2011)

I tried moving my female flora into a 20 gal, by herself, she flipped for 3 days. I tried her in my 10 gal, she kept striping and losing her color. Finally I found a nice little 3 gal filtered(very VERY lightly) with a hood. She's Happiest in there. I agree I love keeping my fish in big ole tanks , but some of these fish freak out and never get used to anything big. I hate seeing those tiny cubes they sell for betta tho. I get so upset it makes me want to take those bettas home with me before they end up dying in a cramped lil space


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## ForbiddenSecrets (Aug 15, 2010)

Even if it's about a gallon its sold as a wall fixture. That fish will never get a heater or even proper cleanings.


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## Anitax3x (Aug 26, 2011)

thats def true^ :-( poor fish. They aren't decorations, they're living things!


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## Pitluvs (Jun 22, 2011)

And at the risk of looking like a witch, if you can't give a betta the minimums, don't get one at all. Filters are not needed, but good to have. But heat and something for to add oxygen to the water is a must. I have a male in a 1g and he is quite content, but I am sure he'll be tickled pink when he's upgraded to a 2.5g. No need to go crazy on 10-20g tanks. Even 2.5-5g is fine. Anything under 1g should not be sold as permanent homes imo.


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## Anitax3x (Aug 26, 2011)

my 1 gal is my hospital tank. Originally my first betta was housed in a 1 gal. it was divided no filter nada, it was a gift. Needless to say after a couple weeks of feeling terrible and constantly changing the water I upgraded to a 10 gal. now the smallest tank I have is a 3 ish gal and i have a 10 and 20 gal. I love watching them enjoy themselves.


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## ManInBlack2010 (Sep 7, 2011)

i was at petco the other day and i saw a woman and her looked to be 4 year old sun. the boy was holding that dinky barely 1/2 a gallon divided bowl and the woman had two bettas, one was a beautiful CT... i came very close to saying something to them but there were petco employees all over and they were already angry with me for bringing my dog in and unintentionally advertising for the dog training facility i work for....

and one of the reasons i love this forum is because no one yells at you for having a small tank. on yahoo answers i used to always get yelled at that my tank was too small. but on here everyone is very pleasant and i have yet to see any bashing - kept my original betta Cash in a 1.5 bowl when i first got him but soon upgraded to a 3.5g tank with heater/filter and he's now in a 10g divided tank


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## Luimeril (Dec 29, 2010)

i'd have said something anyways. if the employees complain, you could say something along the lines of "do you want bettas returned almost constantly, and lose money because you have to give replacements or money back, or do you want happy customers? if you complain about me telling the nice lady that her bettas would be happier in a slightly more expensive, but better home, then you clearly don't care about the animals you sell, and i will take my business elsewhere."

Lulu is in the smallest tank i'll willingly put anyone in, which is a gallon. my largest, if it can be considered mine, is the 10 gallon my mom's CT, Counter Buddy, lives in. he LOVES the space, and is always exploring the plants i have in there. there's alot of plants, but i want him happy. :3


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## Anitax3x (Aug 26, 2011)

only .25 gal per fish makes me sad


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## cherrybello (Aug 8, 2011)

I guess the volume of the current tank I have my latest CT in is about .5ga, but I am nursing him for ammonia burns. As soon as he's better, he's going to have at least 2.5ga or another 5ga tank with filter and heater. 

I have seen tiny containers like that (divided, with 2 bettas inside) for sale at my LPS, the shop keeper looked like a nice lady, but I couldn't bring myself to say anything as they sat on the counter...


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## adamxaotmic (Aug 24, 2011)

WTH? I wouldn't even put my Ghost Shrimp in that thing.
Stuff like this makes me want to slap someone.


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## Anitax3x (Aug 26, 2011)

Agreed^ it makes me wanna throw those tanks in the garbage lol.


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## Tropicana (Sep 11, 2011)

Is it that difficult for humans to use their common sense? How does a 1/2 gallon aquarium look like it's fit to put a fish inside? There's so many questions I'd like to ask people who purchase these torture chambers.

People at Petco know me as the girl who scolds people like crazy for putting small tanks on display. Not only are they selling 1/2 gallon tanks, but they're also selling 1/2 gallon bowls to put bettas in. That is so inhumane and they should be charged for supporting animal cruelty!


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## ollief9 (Mar 16, 2011)

> Is it that difficult for humans to use their common sense? How does a 1/2 gallon aquarium look like it's fit to put a fish inside? There's so many questions I'd like to ask people who purchase these torture chambers.


+99999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999

I bought a half gallon bowl and took my Betta out of his six gallon tank and into the bowl. After seeing how little space he had, it only makes me more angry when I see people keeping these fish in what can only be described as death traps.


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## adamxaotmic (Aug 24, 2011)

If I see anyone buying that thing. I'm gonna tell them to try living in their bathroom from now on.


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## Anitax3x (Aug 26, 2011)

^ and they aren't allowed to flush for a week straight an they have to eat in the bathroom. Sounds insane? BECAUSE IT IS!!


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## hmckin20 (Jul 30, 2011)

i don't see how PETA isn't already all over this :/


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## BettaMiah (Sep 12, 2011)

Did you guys see that last one?

0.18 Gallons per fish.


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## missm83 (Aug 23, 2011)

i went to petco today to get a new plant for my new boy..(my bf got him at petsmart since i lost Prince last night he felt so sad for me lol)anywayz...so the girl that worked at the fish dept was talking to me..she asked what kind of fish i had..i said a betta...she said oh they can live in .5gallon and be very happy..i said WHAT...A .5GALLON??!i said to her thats cruelty to animals to keep a betta in a little fish bowl...i said i had a 1gallon and moved up to 2.5 ...i just wanted to slap her!!!:twisted::twisted:


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## CrowntailTwitchy57 (Jun 25, 2011)

well i have a tank its about that size but it is heated and it is not divided, i would never divide it.


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## Aquarianblue (Aug 26, 2011)

Yeah, same here. I have my very small female living inside one of these,and it is heated, and cleaned 100% daily. However, once a buy a new sorority tank, Garnet will be moved into that. I usually kept this as a "hospital" or a place for any new fish to live in for a few days, before being introduced to any community. Quite frankly, even though my VERY tiny female lives in it, I feel bad. she just isn't being accepted by my other sorority, so it's important she lives, and sadly it's all I have for her. 

But taking care of these daily, and heating it isn't such a bad fate, for a single, young betta. But to divide two into this, is just a cruel, sick thing to do. and there's no excuse for that. I will admit, when I bought my first betta I had 0 idea of what he needed, until I read about him, and his needs. and ever since, all my babys (save little little Garnet) have appropriate homes.


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## toughcookie (Sep 12, 2011)

I know exactly what you are talking about! i was at petsmart earlier today and one of the workers there actually recommended it! i was about to say something but it was too late =( I feel bad keeping my bettas in a 1 gal but that will soon be taken place with my 10 gal that i will divide into 2 or 3 sections.


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## missm83 (Aug 23, 2011)

nice!! how many bettas you have?


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## Tropicana (Sep 11, 2011)

hmckin20 said:


> i don't see how PETA isn't already all over this :/


PETA better not show their face on this site or I'll freak out. I hate PETA with a passion and I have a lot of proof that what they do is just as inhumane as the people who force the poor bettas into "tanks" like the the one posted here.


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## ninjaofthe9seas (Jul 6, 2011)

LaLaLeyla said:


> Well not a 20 gallon. but people say they need huge huge tanks.


I've never heard ANYONE say they NEED a huge huge tank. Its just bigger tanks are much easier to take care of.


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## Anitax3x (Aug 26, 2011)

Its alot easier with bigger tanks  I love having filtered heated water ESP after having to do all those water changes all the time.


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## Aquarianblue (Aug 26, 2011)

*Petsmart/Petco are starting to really irk me.*

So I go to Petsmart today to see the new shipment of Bettas. They get them usually every Monday, or Wednesday. and I take it upon myself to be there and take the time to view all of them. I always have to find the ones who have nasty water, fin rot/finmelt/ick and take em to the clerks (they know me WELL, and a few of them actually like that I do this, btw) and show em what's wrong, and I tell em how to treat them. I understand Petsmart here at least can't control the water they come in, but I'm gonna mention to them. hey instead of Mons/Fridays cleaning the cups, and what not. do it the day you get em. I had to show the clerk 2 REALLY sick bettas today and how to care for them. both beautiful, beautiful HMS. This Petsmart is getting better about there Betta care, thanks to me. Let's move onto Petco, because these jerks REALLY piss me off. 

I go to Petco, to see there bettas, see if there's any really pretty ones I might want. I find 2-3 dead ones. IN THE DISPLAY. a few with yellow tinted water. needless to say, I'm giving the manager an earfull, and taking it higher up then the manager to. I really think Petco should be boycotted. They have the prettier Bettas, yea. but they treat em REALLY bad. Anyways it just made me sick, and is really on my nerves, so I felt this should be put here.


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## ManInBlack2010 (Sep 7, 2011)

Aquarianblue said:


> So I go to Petsmart today to see the new shipment of Bettas. They get them usually every Monday, or Wednesday. and I take it upon myself to be there and take the time to view all of them. I always have to find the ones who have nasty water, fin rot/finmelt/ick and take em to the clerks (they know me WELL, and a few of them actually like that I do this, btw) and show em what's wrong, and I tell em how to treat them. I understand Petsmart here at least can't control the water they come in, but I'm gonna mention to them. hey instead of Mons/Fridays cleaning the cups, and what not. do it the day you get em. I had to show the clerk 2 REALLY sick bettas today and how to care for them. both beautiful, beautiful HMS. This Petsmart is getting better about there Betta care, thanks to me. Let's move onto Petco, because these jerks REALLY piss me off.
> 
> I go to Petco, to see there bettas, see if there's any really pretty ones I might want. I find 2-3 dead ones. IN THE DISPLAY. a few with yellow tinted water. needless to say, I'm giving the manager an earfull, and taking it higher up then the manager to. I really think Petco should be boycotted. They have the prettier Bettas, yea. but they treat em REALLY bad. Anyways it just made me sick, and is really on my nerves, so I felt this should be put here.


its the same at my petco/petsmart. my petco has fairly clean water in the cups but they seem to know nothing about fish. my petsmart has the blue water in the cups... but they seem a lot more knowledgeable about fish... but still not to the point where i would go ask them for help lol


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## pinkcupid765 (Aug 14, 2011)

I have one of those but i only bought it to use when im changing the water :/


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