# Betta's at Petco WAY Underweight



## LadyVictorian (Nov 23, 2011)

So when I went to petco to get more stuff for Hollow's recovery and everything I did what we all do. I stopped to look at the betta they had for sale. Of course unlike before i didn't expect to see what I did. I saw every single betta they had was reduced to skin and bones. Spines visible from their sides, bodies sunken in, and fish too weak to swim. They were all withering away. Not a single one of them was well feed and it made me wonder if petco feeds these fish at all. I can't imagine they feed the betta assuming they can do just fine without food for a month but if they arrive like that they won't survive and was clear they weren't from the 10 dead thin betta I counted in the cups.


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## pittipuppylove (Feb 23, 2012)

Jeez. Makes you want to break open a bottle of food on the shelf and give them something  In all honesty, I'd say something to an employee.


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## Laki (Aug 24, 2011)

I am generally passive but when something really gets my goat I will approach an employee. Makes you sick to think the stores see bettas as dollars.


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## LadyVictorian (Nov 23, 2011)

Laki said:


> I am generally passive but when something really gets my goat I will approach an employee. Makes you sick to think the stores see bettas as dollars.


+1 I told the employees this fish looked underweight. They removed the dead ones off the shelf and i told them they might need to be fed twice a day. I'll go back and see if any are doing better but I'm betting they don't feed at all to save money. I bet they don't even have access to fish food to give their fish.


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## sainthogan (Sep 27, 2012)

One of my cousins worked for a petco, and she told me that they have a list of responsibilities that they are supposed to do when caring for the animals, but unfortunately, most of the people there were in it for a paycheck and didn't really give a flip about the animals, so most of the chores went undone, including feeding them. She hated that about working there, and did report them to management, but it didn't always help.


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## ao (Feb 29, 2012)

the petco bettas should not be fed twice a day... they probably should be fed every other day, due to a few reasons:

1) cold water, slower metabolism
2) small cup faster ammonia build up. more food = more poop = deadly amounts of ammonia

my petco feeds theor bettas fd bloodworms. this is really sad since the babys cant eat such big foods


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## rubinthebetta (Oct 9, 2012)

I am _extremely_ mad now....just came here from reading the thread about that teddy tank thingamabob,so I picked a random thread with my eyes closed, hoping it would be happy but ended up here. So much for that. I feel so bad for the bettas at that store! There's too much betta fish abuse in this world....:-(


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## LadyVictorian (Nov 23, 2011)

There is and it's sickening. Honestly there is abuse in all the animal species i love most, betta, mice, and rats. Human beings are just an abusive race who gets off on the suffering of smaller animals and petshops shouldn't be allowed to carry any live animals unless they are specialists. (But 100% NO puppies or kittens, shelters are a better place for that sort of thing). Like have an only fish store where the fish are cared for properly and the workers are knowledgeable about them.


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## betaTHE betta12 (Nov 8, 2012)

I bought my betta from petco and they told me to feed him every 3 days. So me not being fish smart I listened and I think that's a factor in my poor fishies death


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## betaTHE betta12 (Nov 8, 2012)

I am definitely doing more research to care for a new fishy


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## Silverfang (Mar 25, 2011)

I hate our petsmart. They don't change the bettas water. I know they don't. The same piece of decomposing crap is in it from one week to the next >.< There is no wonder they look so terrible.


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## Perry the platypus (Aug 20, 2012)

You can check on them once in awhile. Maybe feed them.


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## LadyVictorian (Nov 23, 2011)

heh heh heh...wouldn't that be wicked? Go in once a week and drop them some nls. No one is ever over by the fish anyways. No one there seems to care about them, they even leave half living goldfish out of the water to die slow deaths o.o


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## Laki (Aug 24, 2011)

The shelves are on so that you have to take out cups one by one at our petsmart. They're set so close together you cannot just drop in stuff from above. Probably why they're not fed regularly.


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## SinX7 (Oct 20, 2012)

I'm really considering of resigning from my job just to work at Petsmart and help those poor Fishes (Including Betta's) and Pets there. I found 1 dead betta a couple of days ago and It was depressing. Plus the guy that work at the Fish station was suppose to be the "Guru" or something cause everyone goes to him for questions, and I did listen to him and I don't think he knows much at all (Talking about Betta's, I could go and learn more about the other fishes if I want too). I probably know more then him about betta and for other fishes I can go and learn if I wanted too and properly educated the customers. I even sometimes educate them when I'm there for daily supplies or ever now and then.

I just hope I can get the job when I apply for it lol.


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## Laki (Aug 24, 2011)

Do it. 

Now, some places have policies in order to keep sales up but try your best


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## TorukBetta (Nov 11, 2012)

I just went to a Petco today and the Bettas there seemed very unactive and sad to be in those pathetic small plastic cups. I felt bad for all of them since they were beautiful fish !


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## finnfinnfriend (Feb 3, 2012)

Around where I live it seems like my petsmart takes better care of their bettas than petco...


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## Viva (Oct 18, 2012)

LadyVictorian said:


> There is and it's sickening. Honestly there is abuse in all the animal species i love most, betta, mice, and rats. Human beings are just an abusive race who gets off on the suffering of smaller animals and petshops shouldn't be allowed to carry any live animals unless they are specialists. (But 100% NO puppies or kittens, shelters are a better place for that sort of thing). Like have an only fish store where the fish are cared for properly and the workers are knowledgeable about them.



So true! I've owned 5 rats, 4 together at a time in a big community cage. I once went into a small pet store and saw a small 10 gallon tank filled with about 20 rats, one had its back completely broken and it couldn't even walk. I'll never get another rat from a pet store again, especially since 3 of mine died of respiratory problems and the other 2 from tumors which caused them to get sick. I know those are both very common but if they just took some time and research to breed rats with healthy immune systems they would live longer than just 2 years...
Unfortunately animals are just equal to dollars and cents for most pet stores


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## LadyVictorian (Nov 23, 2011)

finnfinnfriend said:


> Around where I live it seems like my petsmart takes better care of their bettas than petco...


I know in **** Rapids Petsmart takes amazing care of their mice and rats but poor care of their betta's. I want a job there when I move back to MN because then they could be perfect all around...and they are perfect with their rodents because I trained half the staff in proper care of them. Every mouse and rat is now socialized by a few of the girls who work their, cages cleaned appropriately, proper nutrition (not that dried 'fresh' food crap that slowly kills them, they bring REAL food from home), and daily health checks. All there rat, mice, and hamsters are energetic and friendly. I just hope when I go back those same three girls still work there or i'll have to work on retraining again.


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## Laki (Aug 24, 2011)

Viva, http://www.ratsrule.com/diet.html there are articles and diet suggestions to prevent tumors. My sister has had rats for like ... over 10 years I think and she has tailored a homemade diet (bulk barn and sunseed lab block mix) to suit their exact needs. She doesn't get tumors in her females. Actually, she never has medical problems with her rats. She's like a goddess. lol


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## candymoon (Nov 8, 2012)

I know, I just came from petco because I had to get Bellerophon some daphnia. The shelves are so empty now because I think so many have passed away. :[ One of my favorites, a brilliant red king betta, had hole in the head I think...and I did not see him there today. But there was this sweet little female, however, I am doubly worried for her since it seems not many people get females and I often find them dead there. There was also poor betta with his fin badly ripped and floating in the water. It was just... a very sad scene. I almost want to just go ask if I can take care of them for free. I told one boy there a while ago they all needed a water change, and he agreed...but I don't think it happened. :[


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