# Diary of a Petstore Bystander



## PetMania

This is a chat thread for all of the ridiculous things you hear whilst shopping in the fish department. 

I have so many stories to tell. I might start off with the Wal-Mart experience. 
Customer: "Uh, sir? Could I please have some help getting my fish set up?" 
Employee: "Why yes. Let's start with the tank" *looks at a 0.5 cube tank*
"Oh, this should do."
C: "How about some decorations?"
E: "Oh, we have some plastic plants. They should be okay."
C: "Food?"
E: "Feed them these pellets once a month and he should live a year or so."
C: "Anything else?"
E: "Use this pre-made betta water."
C: "Thank you!" 

Probably the most ridiculous I have seen. I did see someone buying two male bettas and one of those divided 0.5 tanks, no food, some gravel, and no conditioner.


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## Olympia

"Can I put food colouring in the water to make it pretty??"


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## BettaGeek

Most recent visit to petco

"yes, id like to buy some of your male dragon scale bettas."

Employee offers assist and I notice he's walking towards their female betta rack...

Me -??? Wth

after he stops, theres an akward silence before he asks me
"So...uhumm, which one?

Dude....for real?? Yep, I made sure he learned a few things before I left and his manager.


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## PetMania

A PetCo story:

I go up to the current employee asking for companions good with bettas. 

Employee: "Guppies, barbs, OH and we have these really pretty new cichlids!" 

Me: "I think I'll just take a look at your platys."

Employee: "Goldfish?" 

Another customer walks up with a HUGE comet goldfish and a small bowl.

Customer: "Is this good?"

Employee: "Perfect!"


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## PoissonsMom

Olympia said:


> "Can I put food colouring in the water to make it pretty??"


WHAAAT?!?! Food coloring??? Lmao.... 2 funny! I seriously hope the answer was NO!!!


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## PoissonsMom

I actually heard a Walmart employee tell a customer that 2 male bettas can live together in a 10g w/ 3 oscars, a frog & several neon tetras & an angel fish! I stepped in real quick, and informed the customer about the poor judgement & lack of knowledge the employee displayed. That was total tank annihilation waiting 2 happen!!! The lady was so grateful for my advice. In the end she bought a blue CT and the 6 neon tetras, a 10g starter kit, water conditioner, ph kit, crushed shells (prettier than gravel I guess), aquarium salt, stress coat, a heater & decor (incl fake plants). She also bought a 2nd betta, but on her way out, handed the cup to my 2yr old son.... her way of thanking us, she said. The employee was so miffed, lol! It kills me how they put someone in the fish dept, that doesn't know the 1st thing about aquariums, or which fish are even compatible! I made sure the store manager was aware he had an flaming idiot working in pets.... Ugh!!!


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## Rana

"Of course a betta can live in an unheated bowl with three goldfish! Make sure to change the water once a month!"

Ugh. I was this close to stepping in, but the customer was so rude to the salespeople already I knew that I didn't stand a chance.

*Holding one of those divided 0.5g 'tanks' and a healthy-looking betta* "Well let's see if this one lives for a week, and then we can think about getting another" *Walks out without conditioner, heater, etc*

At this point I just block out what everyone around me is saying; I have to look after my own sanity.


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## PetMania

C: Excuse me, but can I get one of these oscars to go with my betta?
E: Sure! He'll love a companion!


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## BlueLacee

oh god. it sounds terrible. thankfully, my pet store only has semi-educated people there when I'm there. they are not perfect, but nearly as dumb as the ones you have.


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## Sathori

Customer: I would like to add something to my son's betta's tank.
Me: Sure! We have some great betta safe plants over here and a little hide for him to go into for some privacy.
Customer: No, I mean I'm looking for a frog or something to go in with the betta.
Me (skeptical): Oookay, how big is your betta's tank?
Customer: About this big *Uses hands to make a small square, likely 0.5gallon*
Me: With a tank that small there is NO way you can add any other living thing in there. I'm sorry, it will make your ammonia spike and will kill anything living in there.
Customer: Oh, well my son is so bored of his betta, all it does is sit behind the one plant it has.
Me: Well that's not normal for a betta, they're usually very lively. How often do you change the water?
Customer: I think about once a month.
Me: Well there's your problem right there, a tank that size should be cleaned AT LEAST once a week, ideally twice a week! Do you use water conditioner?
Customer: No. Just tap water.
Me: Well you will need some water condition to take out the toxins and chlorine in the tap water. Your son's betta is probably not feeling good since he's in such poor water conditions.
Customer: Oh. Well we will just buy the food today and see what happens...

I wanted to slam my head against the counter repeatedly....


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## PetMania

At that point I would have said, "Well, since this isn't working out, I wish you luck." 
Once, someone left Wal-Mart with a 6 inch goldfish, a 1 gallon bowl, and NOTHING ELSE. No food, no decor, or water conditioner. I think I saw her at the same Wal-Mart buying another fish a few weeks later. :evil:


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## Sathori

PetMania said:


> At that point I would have said, "Well, since this isn't working out, I wish you luck."
> Once, someone left Wal-Mart with a 6 inch goldfish, a 1 gallon bowl, and NOTHING ELSE. No food, no decor, or water conditioner. I think I saw her at the same Wal-Mart buying another fish a few weeks later. :evil:


People see goldfish as cheap, replaceable pets. I regularly have people coming in asking if we sell goldfish since a betta is "too expensive for a fish that the kid probably won't take care of anyways". :|


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## Sathori

On a non-fish related note, I've had a customer come in wanting to buy live mice for his snake (which is common in our area unfortunately. Not many feed frozen here.) When I told him we didn't have any available since we've been having trouble with our supplier, he asked if he could have one of the hamsters instead. I told him we had only one hamster and it was extremely friendly and would only be sold as a pet. He then asked if he could have a finch or a budgie to feed his snake. 
When I refused, he burst out accusing me of letting his snake starve. I said "We have frozen mice, but if you're that desperate for live, go drive 2hrs to the city and get a live mouse! YOU chose to have this pet knowing full well that if we ran out, you would be out of luck!!"


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## haveyouhadyourteayet

I'm pretty sure the snake will be fine... I do find it odd that big box pet stores sell snakes... but no 'feeder' mice, only pets. Seems a little irresponsible, or just willfully ignorant. There's a point where the snake's gonna need live food... don't sell it if you're not willing to own that fact. Idk.


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## Ezzie

I can't believe some of these employees & their lack of knowledge.

When im on a shift im not out to sell a fish to anyone, especially if the tanks too small / over crowded or what not, i usually give advice to save the fish they might already have. Thats something i told my other employees, if i can give them advice & save a fish then that makes for a happy customer (cause it has less chance of dying) and it means that the shop spend less money buying stock!

Lucky we don't have too many issues with bettas (except for a few) and most people have bought the proper tank with it (we sell a 2.5 gallon kit with everything included)
The biggest problem in our shop is the goldfish. People are so stupid when it comes to them.


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## DBanana

Fairly recently I heard a woman talking to these two young women, probably in the early teen range 'Well ok we can get you like...a five gallon and stuff but we should pick out some goldfish' 'Well if we are going to get goldfish I want three of those ones over there.'


...three goldfish in a 5g. *Claws at face*

And THEN they wanted to know how little they could get away with for betta. No filters right? No heater, no gravel, no nothing right? You never see that stuff on the aquarium pictures!


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## PetMania

How about someone buying plecos? 

A small girl loved it, and her parents grabbed a *I believe it was a 1 gallon corner tank; or it might have been smaller* small tank, the fish, FLAKE food, and a "pretty" castle. Nothing else. 

Anyone's fish store sell colored fish? As in artificially colored tetras? Well, someone bought a huge group of those, a yellow cichlid, a crab, and a few guppies. *Face palm + pinch myself to make sure I'm not in a nightmare*


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## PoissonsMom

Ugh!!! I wish it was legal 2 slap the stupid out of ppl sometimes!! Lol


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## PoissonsMom

My LFS does sell the "black-light" tetras.... What kills me is that customers and employees both seem 2 think they are that way naturally!! U remember the painted glass fish that were really popular a few yrs ago? Well, for those of u who didn't know, the color fades after a while. My eldest son got 3 (a blue, a green & an orange) for his birthday when he turned 7... In about 4 mo, they were plain old glass fish. He was sooooo mad, and swore we got rid of his colorful fish (or killed them), and replaced them with "stupid invisible fish with eyes". I felt so bad that I had 2 tell him they had been injected with dye & were really just clear fish. U wouldn't think that it would b so difficult to explain, but it was. To this day, I won't even look at those poor fishies, when I'm browsing their stock. I think it's cruel 2 "enhance" the fish with dye anyway!


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## bettacrazygirl86

At least the employees you've all had run ins with have tried selling things. The MANAGER of my local Petsmart came up to me while I was looking at heaters and trying to decide what wattage I wanted. She asked what type of fish it was for, and I told her a betta. Her response? "They really don't need heaters." Like, what? Are you trying to keep me from buying something? I thought employees were supposed to sell things, not tell customers they don't need to buy something they already planned on getting.  I simply told her "They actually do," grabbed the heater I was looking at, and went off to look at other things. She doesn't talk to me anymore. xD;


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## PoissonsMom

Wow! At what point do ppl 4get that "Tropical" fish means they come from much warmer climates, and require warm water to live?? The tropics are warm, hence warm water!! Whether freshwater, or marine species.... makes no difference if the water is 2 cold 4 survival!!


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## BlueLacee

Wow, I'm pretty sure my chicken is smarter than these people, and let me tell you. One of them was stupid enough to get its head stuck in the fence between their area and the space the dogs (a hyper active black 125 lbs dog with jaws that turn full logs to wood chips in minutes) were. It escaped with its head, barley


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## Sathori

haveyouhadyourteayet said:


> I'm pretty sure the snake will be fine... I do find it odd that big box pet stores sell snakes... but no 'feeder' mice, only pets. Seems a little irresponsible, or just willfully ignorant. There's a point where the snake's gonna need live food... don't sell it if you're not willing to own that fact. Idk.


We carry "fancy mice" that double as feeding mice. Most of our mice go as feeders for snakes. Our supplier is a pain in the neck to deal with though, so there are a week or two where we are out of them, but we are always stocked of frozen mice/rats. I think a lot of these snake owners got their snakes from the small pet store guy from the next town over who shut down last summer. All his costumers have come flocking to us, increasing demand that we are trying to keep up with now that we are the only pet store within a 2hr drive. We don't regularly carry snakes, only order them when people make a special order, which is extremely rare.


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## haveyouhadyourteayet

Hey thanks for the reply Sathori!! 
All I know of snakes and the purchasing of their food, I know for a friend who has a little ball python... She has a stack of 'How to care for your new pet mouse!!' pamphlets, from the store that sold her the snake. Every time she goes in, the employees guilt her about feeding live food, they're supposed to be pets, aw look how cute... You get the idea. It seems real irresponsible to me!!
Obv, if a store sells no snakes, then of course they're not obligated to sell feeders!!!


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## Ezzie

Helped a couple that had bought a 21 liter tank (our most popular seller) & had it running for a week. They wanted to get a comet and a fantail.

I ended up talking them down to just the single fantail but i made it VERY VERY clear that they would have to upgrade or the fish will have a short life and eventually die, whatever comes first.

Usually i tell customers that the fish "stunt" which means they stop growing physically but their organs continue to grow, weather or not that's true, it certainly makes them look at fish differently since it sounds so bad


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## Ezzie

This. Is. So. Frustrating. 

Really aquaone? A tiny tiny bowl, no filter or anything and you say its suitable for 'small goldfish' its horrible how a major company can get away with such stupid 'advice' and we wonder why customers believe what they are doing is ok when big brands are telling them the totally wrong thing.


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## Sathori

haveyouhadyourteayet said:


> Hey thanks for the reply Sathori!!
> All I know of snakes and the purchasing of their food, I know for a friend who has a little ball python... She has a stack of 'How to care for your new pet mouse!!' pamphlets, from the store that sold her the snake. Every time she goes in, the employees guilt her about feeding live food, they're supposed to be pets, aw look how cute... You get the idea. It seems real irresponsible to me!!
> Obv, if a store sells no snakes, then of course they're not obligated to sell feeders!!!


I don't guilt trip snake owners when feeding live mice, but when they have a snake that will eventually need rats, I do encourage trying to switch to frozen prey, simply because rats can be more aggressive and can harm the snake. Plus we don't have the room for multiple live, large adult rats in our store. We do have a number who feed frozen, some customers have snakes that refuse to eat frozen, then there's some guys who feed live because "it's more entertaining". I get the snake needs to eat, like every other animal, but when you feed live because you think it's more fun than frozen, that's when I get frustrated. Fancy mice make better pets than hamsters - far less aggressive. I always encourage feeding frozen prey if you can, but I understand some snakes refuse to. 

That's my rant for the day lol I love all animals, big and small. I wish that all pet owners (whether it be fish, dogs, rodents, reptiles, cats, etc) would actually do the research into the animal they chose to bring into their home rather than blindly rely on what some unknowledgeable store employee tells them.


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## haveyouhadyourteayet

That's the issue my friend has, her snake will just snuggle the frozen ones. Feeding something for entertainment is pretty sick, esp with something as aware as a rodent, but I'm sure it's better for the snake, more instinctive etc. Or at least it would make sense if it was better.


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## Hollis

I went to the pet store to get another betta and was looking at them when an employee walked up. 
E: can I help you with anything?
Me: no thanks I'm just picking out a betta
E: well can I help you with a tank? (Picks up one of those horrid things that holds like two drops of water)
Me: no thanks I have a six gallon all ready at home. 
E: what?! That's way too big! The poor betta would be miserable in something that big, they need something small so they don't get stressed, in nature they live in puddles you know. 
Me: actually those puddles are serval gallons and they also live in streams. 
E: I just don't think you should get a betta until you know more about them
Me: (trying to keep my calm but about two seconds from blowing up) can I talk to your manager please?
So he goes and gets him and I tell him what's going on and in the nicest way he basically tells the employee that what a complete moron he is and maybe he would be better stocking shelves and that he has a betta at home and he's very happy in a ten gallon tank and not stressed at all. I was really aggravated and none of the bettas were screaming pick me so I decided to wait until another day to get one. The manager was really nice and kept apologizing for the employee, I think he could tell how mad I was.


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## FishyWater2525

These are some of the craziest stories I've ever heard!! I would be horrified if this happened to me, although it kind of did....
My Story:

Me: *walks over to look at walmarts fish*

E: *girl about 18ish walks up* Hello! Would you like to buy some fish today?
Me: No thanks, I'm just looking.

E: Oh, well you should get one of these little sucker thingies for your tank. *points at pleco* I have one in one of my little tanks.

Me: *trying not to laugh* No thanks, I was actually thinking of maybe getting some cories.

E: *Looks at me like I'm speaking jibberish*

Me: *Walks away like nothing ever happened*

It might not be as crazy as some of these stories, but I thought it was quite funny the way she looked at me when I mentioned cories! :lol:


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## PoissonsMom

I was in Walmart last nite... On a whim, I decided 2 walk past their live fish. I noticed that several fish, of every species they carry, were sick (some ick, some dropsy, some SBD, some fin rot, some clamped fins, some just plain dead & stuck 2 filter intake & not just 1 or 2... numerous fish were plastered 2 them in nearly EVERY tank!!) Now, being the aquarium enthusiast that I am, I took it upon myself to find someone working in the dept, & address the problem. I informed the man that he needs to quarantine the entire tank system and treat each tank w/ aqua salts, fungi clear, ick guard & the blue antibiotic drops. Here is what ensued:

Me: excuse me sir, but I need to talk to you about some fish. You have a large number of sick and/or dead fish. 

E: they are all sick

Me: ok, so quarantine & don't sell any more until they are healthy

E: They are only fish, who cares

Me: (pointing out an albino oscar that was swimming vertically) look at this oscar.... 
Does he look normal to you? (If eyes could kill, I'd be dead, lol) This fish very obviously has SBD. Look at the goldfish... You have several dead or dying fish literally stuck to the filter! This is not right. They need immediate treatment sir!

E: The department manager will be here Monday. He'll take care of it then. 

Me: Monday? These fish need 2 be taken off sale, and given medicine now! Many of them will die this weekend if the problems aren't addressed now! You can't keep selling diseased fish.... It looks bad on your store! 

E: I really don't care if they live. Not my problem. If u don't like it, take it up with the store manager.

Me: ok, then page him

E: (rolling his eyes) I'll have him paged (then walked off)

They did page the manager, but 15min later I still hadn't seen him.... I finally gave up & decided to leave, feeling I'd lost the battle. It irks me how unconcerned the man was about the entire stock in their live tanks. They have no business selling fish if all they want to do is feed them, never addressing the health of the poor creatures! As for their employee being so nonchalant and refusing to address the problem? Shame on him! Yes, they are "only fish", but they are living, breathing animals. They didn't ask to be shipped to walmart, and certainly don't deserve to be treated the same as a car battery, a t-shirt, or a roll of duct tape! WTF?!?!


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## Waking Buddha

PoissonsMom said:


> My LFS does sell the "black-light" tetras.... What kills me is that customers and employees both seem 2 think they are that way naturally!! U remember the painted glass fish that were really popular a few yrs ago? Well, for those of u who didn't know, the color fades after a while. My eldest son got 3 (a blue, a green & an orange) for his birthday when he turned 7... In about 4 mo, they were plain old glass fish. He was sooooo mad, and swore we got rid of his colorful fish (or killed them), and replaced them with "stupid invisible fish with eyes". I felt so bad that I had 2 tell him they had been injected with dye & were really just clear fish. U wouldn't think that it would b so difficult to explain, but it was. To this day, I won't even look at those poor fishies, when I'm browsing their stock. I think it's cruel 2 "enhance" the fish with dye anyway!


A lot of the GloFish sold today aren't injected. They are born that way from genetic modification. It's not natural but I've always been under the impression that they don't dye or inject them anymore...


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## PetMania

Some do, some don't. I guess it just depends on the store. 

So I went to PetCo a few days ago, and they were selling bamboo shrimp, lobsters(?), and telling people a 5-10g would be perfect.


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## cheekysquirrel

PetMania said:


> Some do, some don't. I guess it just depends on the store.
> 
> So I went to PetCo a few days ago, and they were selling bamboo shrimp, lobsters(?), and telling people a 5-10g would be perfect.


Yeah, maybe it is. If you're only keeping the lobster in it until you cook him.

The place I go to is really good, except for the info sheet that says bettas like water between 20-30 degrees celcius. The problem being the 20. For those who don't know celcius, room temp is roughly 25.
Also there's a LFS I go past on my train. Their walls declare "fish are easy!" and I don't think that's quite right.


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## 2muttz

Waking Buddha said:


> A lot of the GloFish sold today aren't injected. They are born that way from genetic modification. It's not natural but I've always been under the impression that they don't dye or inject them anymore...


You are correct! Glofish aren't and never were injected. They were originally genetically modified at the egg stage to carry the dna color gene from either coral or jellyfish ( I'm not very scientific so pls. pardon the oversimplification... ). The fish sold today are all reproducing naturally with these colors. The colors don't change throughout their life.

The "mixed" fruit pastel colored tetras I believe are and were dyed in various ways . The only place I've personally seen these still being sold in my area is.... Walmart...(no big surprise.sigh)


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## mawriealert

Ohoho my experience has also been quite silly.

This lady and her child were looking at a few betta fishes and I was there first trying to look at some betta fishes. The lady was saying how pretty they were and that she wanted the bold blue and red veiltail. I, then, started to speak with her about some information for betta fishes until:

Petsmart employee: "Hi ma'am do you need any help?"
Me thinks : "Wow rude.. But hes trying to do his job"
The lady: "Oh, uh, I was looking in buying betta fishes"
Petsmart employee: " Well there are different types of bettas. Lets see here.. Here are some crowntails and oh, veiltails. Over here is a female and male. Apparently males are bought more than females and I don't know why females are not as beautiful as males."

I was walking away and when I heard that i cringed...


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## PetMania

And the ridiculous convos are not just about fish. I see people buying reptiles, or mice, or birds, and the employees send them off with a small critter keeper, small thing of food, pine shavings, and a water bottle.......


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## 16kehresmann

All these stories make me cringe. People are so freaking dumb sometimes. >.>


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## Sathori

Today I had a customer tell me that his brother put in a young piranha, no more than 1.5" long, in a tank with a few 1 foot goldfish.... Surprise surprise when the goldfish ATE the poor piranha....


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## Sabina88

Poor goldfish and piranha.
I personaly have two goldfish, one comet and one shubunkin who ended up being best friends and love all the space of their 50 gallon. 
I used to have my comet in a bowl (I didn't know any better back then) and wanted to get another one, luckily the girl working there was somewhat knoladgable and told me "we don't recommend having any goldfish in a bowl" unfortunetly she forgot to mention how much room long bodied goldfish really need.
Its weird and sad how places like petco and petsmart hire a lot people who now nothing about they what there selling, and there selling living animals, regardless of size or species.


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## PetMania

There actually was a guy at PetCo who owned many bettas, and he told me that my 1.5 was not big enough, that I needed a water test kit, and a heater. He was so helpful, and looking back I wish more employees were like that.


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## MiriamandMoonlight

OK, here's the stories I can think of:

THE FIVE GALLON TANK EPISODE

E: Can I help you with anything?

Me: Do you have a five gallon tank?

E: What's it for?

Me: A betta.

E: *acting annoyed* Oh, well! A betta can go in basically anything!
You don't need a FIVE GALLON TANK, do you?

Me: I want one 'cause I love my betta and she needs a GOOD life.
They live longer in bigger tanks.

E: We actually don't have one right now.

Me: OK, do you have 10 gallon?

E: You need another fish for that big a tank!


THE SPHAGNUM MOSS EPISODE

Me: Do you carry sphagnum moss?

E: no, we don't. 

Me: Are you SURE?

E: Yes, We REALLY don't, im sorry!

Me: Really? You sure?

E:Yep. I'm sorry again, but we don't , I garrantee!

Me: *walks away, about to give up, and right in front of me
is the sphagnum moss!!!


THE FIRST TIME I BOUGHT A BETTA:
I am walking out and the employee is "educating" me!

Me: So, do they need a lid?

E: No, they are too slow to jump. But, the good thing about
them is if you want a lid, all the other fish need air, but with bettas,
you can have a lid without oxigen and they will be FINE!


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## VivianKJean

i posted this story in another thread but I will share here as well.

Me: *walked into Petco, noticed that there was a new employee so I decided to test him to see how much he knew*
Me: Um hi, I really want a betta but like know nothing about them *using my best dumb college kid voice I could*
E: oh sure. bettas are super easy to care for. *hands me a .5 gallon tank* This tank is the best since larger tanks kill bettas.
Me: oh i didn't know a larger tank could kill a fish....
E: yeah, also get some gravel and a plastic plant
Me: cool, thanks. Oh do they need a heater, filter or anything?
E: no, bettas cannot have a filter. They also don't need a heater, they do best in cold water
Me: um so I saw this thing called "cycling" online. How do i do that? I'm confused by it.
E: Oh it's very simple. Just fill up your tank and wait 24 hours and then do a full water change and your tank will be cycled.
Me: oh so i don't need a filter?
E: nope. good luck with your new friend. *E then walks away*


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## Reccka

These are all the reasons why I don't even talk to the employees in pet stores. When they ask me if I need help, my response is always "I'm just looking."

Works every time. Saves me the rage.


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## VivianKJean

Reccka said:


> These are all the reasons why I don't even talk to the employees in pet stores. When they ask me if I need help, my response is always "I'm just looking."
> 
> Works every time. Saves me the rage.


I usually do the same. But when I see new employees I'm always like "maybe they will know what they are doing!" and then I am disappointed...


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## EvaJupiterSkies

Reccka said:


> These are all the reasons why I don't even talk to the employees in pet stores. When they ask me if I need help, my response is always "I'm just looking."
> 
> Works every time. Saves me the rage.


My stock response is "No, I know exactly what I'm looking for, but thank you for asking." They just let me wander after that.


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## MiriamandMoonlight

The petstore brocure said that females and males can *always* go together,
all you need is a five gallon tank, two females and a male, and *done!*


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## Reccka

EvaJupiterSkies said:


> My stock response is "No, I know exactly what I'm looking for, but thank you for asking." They just let me wander after that.


This only works for me 50% of the time. They either leave me alone, or push on with "What are you looking for? I can help you find it!" if they think I may not be buying anything at all, they don't care what I'm doing lol


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## ao

Speaking of petshop employees there are always some pretty awesome ones. There was one petsmart lady who refused to sell me a school of albino corys until I convinced her that they would receive proper care  I felt she deserved an award!


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## MiriamandMoonlight

It's so sad that the "pet experts" so rarely know a thing about the pets they are caring for, that when you find one that is ACTUALLY knowledgeable, it's a big surprise!
I once was testing someone's knowledge on fish:
Me: how many goldfish can fit in this tank? *holding up one of those 1 gallon kits for goldfish*

Him: Oh, I don't know why they sell those things; they're really too small for any goldfish.
Why don't you pick out 10 gallons or up, they're much better!

Me: OK!

That is about the only person I ever met at petsmart who knows anything!


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## Vergil

Well, hereabouts, whatever sells, is better. At least if most shops can't market bettas as zero maintenance fish, they're more than happy to help me out with picking a filter for my small tanks.

The LFS's here know each other and their products. If I ask any random store where I can find say Stresscoat+, they'll direct me to the person who sells it the cheapest in the area. ^_^


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## hrutan

I don't think I've ever been asked if I needed help from any pet store in the area, except the LPS where I get my bettas. Seems like poor customer service is a blessing in disguise, LOL.


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## spaceyJC

When I was at the pet store last, one employee asked me three times if I needed help with anything, and every time I said, "No, I've got it." I should have asked him a question to see if he actually knew anything, but I didn't 

Also, I took a look at the goldfish tank, and it was so overcrowded it was sad. People think that they are just disposable and need zero care.


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## averyecho

THIS conversation was the reason I no longer have any hope for humanity. (Note: At the time, I only had 3 bettas, and not 5 and a guppy.)

So I'm walking through Petsmart, looking for some more Stress Coat, when an employee sees me and asks what I'm looking for.
Me: Oh I'm just looking for some API Stress Coat, I can find it myself.
Employee: What kind of fish is it for?
Me: Um, all of them. I use it as water conditioner.
Employee: But what kind of fish do you have?
Me: Just 3 bettas.
Employee: Are you crazy? You shouldn't be giving bettas water conditioner! What kind of tank are they in?
Me: Well two of them are in 5 gallons and one is in a 3 gallon...
Employee: That's WAY too big! You'd better get them into something MUCH smaller or they'll die!
Me: Um, dude, bettas are supposed to have a minimum of 2.5 heated, filtered gallons. I'm not going to downgrade them.
Employee: They have a filter and heater too? That's INSANE! They're definitely suffering in there!
Me: No they're not.
Employee: Listen, whoever told you that you have them in the right habitat is WRONG. They will die. Bettas can only be in 0.25 gallons max. How much are you feeding them anyway?
Me: They each get 2 pellets a day.
Employee: No, no, no, NO! You're only supposed to feed them half a pellet, once a month, or they'll explode!
Me: Who even told you this?
Employee: Doesn't matter, becuase it's all correct. If you follow my advice right now your bettas could live up to 6 months! Wouldn't that be great? The average lifespan of a betta is 3 months, but if you care for them like the way I just said, you can double that. 
Me: I'll have you know that one of my bettas is nearly five years old.
*silence*
Employee: Um... well... you're still doing it wrong!
Me (really frustrated at this point): No, I'm not! I'm doing everything right! Go look up some proper betta care and see for yourself.
I walked away after that. Never went to that Petsmart again.


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## MiriamandMoonlight

I cracked up at the six month thing! So weird!


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## VivianKJean

That reminds of when I went to get my girl (over a year ago now, who is still alive). (keep the over a year thing in your mind).

I saw a mother with a boy and a girl twins and she was shopping for bettas (one for each other them). She noticed that i had a 2.5 gallon tank (the Aqeon Betta Bow, its like Mini Bow that has a divider in it). She come over to ask me how much the tank was so I told her and she goes oh thats kinda expensive but I guess it is isn't if you can put 2 fish in there. I said no you can't put two fish in there, 2.5 gallon is smallest size for one betta fish. She goes oh really? I then went on to explain how I kept fish for years before coming to college and couldn't have them in the dorm but now I have an apartment so I was getting a fish. She asked how long they live and I said i've had fish that live over 2 years. 

Then an employee walked over

E: Can I help you?
Mother: yes, I need to get two betta fish. I also need tanks and anything else that they need. 
E: oh well here's a .5 gallon tank and its really cheap
Mother: oh okay. well money isn't really a concern. I want them to have the best lives. 
E: They can't live in tanks larger than .5 gallons. They will die. .5 gallons is like a mansion to them. 
Mother: oh....so how long to do they live?
E: oh only a couple of month. Here. this .5 gallon comes with a divider so you can put two fish in it. 
Mother: oh.... okay then.
E: *walks away*

After this I tried to tell the mother that the employee was wrong and she basically told me off by saying I was a "stupid" kid and it they were "just fish".


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## Ilovebettasbk11

Really she called you stupid??? Just fish??? Idiotic employee he is


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## VivianKJean

yes, mind you I was also 20 at the time. So I was not a "stupid kid".


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## Ilovebettasbk11

I cant believe she didnt listen to you and said that people are hard headed but hey their fish will die anyways 

Large tanks killing a betta is the stupiest thing i ever heard!


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## SheCaMo

6.30 am, my co-worker and me are at walmart, looking for a airpump for the 14g at work. 
There is 1 very pretty Red Vailtail, well why not get him for the office, the 3g is free anyways.

We snatch that boy and are getting stopped by one of the Employees..
E: Do you even know how to take care of that?
M: uhm what ? ( sorry im not a morning person)
E: That Betta in your hand
M: yeah i think so
E: You know you will have to let them out of that cup once a week to clean it, i always put mine in a bowl and our cat loves it
M: ( still not awake) You are doing what????
E: yes, they love it, they will live for at least 6 month if you do so
before I could answer, my Co-Worker answers:
Well he has a heated and filtered 3 G waiting for him, im pretty sure he will be fine, he is not her first Betta..
E: Thats totally wrong, you might as well kill that poor fish right away

We just walked off... before i went crazy german on that Lady..lol..

LTC Big Red ( i did not name him, lol our Captain did, since we are working for the "Big Red One") is actually doing pretty well in his "deathtrap"..lol


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## averyecho

Hm, I think the junk the fish guy at the pet store was telling me when I got Spirit (a plakat I had who passed about a month ago) would go nicely here, too.

So there I was, holding Spirit's cup in my hand, and a 5 gallon setup under my arm, and walking very slowly and carefully towards the checkout. Then that guy just has to notice me.
Employee: Oh hey! Do you have a tank for that fish at home?
Me: *gestures towards the 5 gallon* No, that's why I'm buying this.
Employee: Wait, you're telling me that tank is for a betta?
Me: Yeah. It's what he needs.
Employee: Uh, no. Bettas can't live in heated tanks. They can only live in unheated bowls. After all, that's how they live in the wild in Antartica.
Me: You're honestly trying to tell me that, in Antartica, there are tons of little plastic bowls all over the place, with each one having a betta in it?
Employee: Yes, except there are three bettas in each one. In the wild bettas live in groups with one male and two females. Your betta should also have some females in with him.
Me: There is no way in heck I would put two females and a male together in any tank, let alone a tiny bowl.
Employee: Then your betta will die from loneliness.
Me: Where do you people even come up with this crap?


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## Ilovebettasbk11

I am laughing my ass off at their stupidity! Antartica! -cracks up laughing-


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## Jonthefish

Loving this thread ! 

Well have you every heard of a _FRATERNITY_ tank ?! Yes ! As explained to me by this amazing Petsmart employee , like you could have 6 female BETTAS together you COULD ACTUALLY KEEP 6-8 MALE BETTA FISH TOGETHER !!!!!????

Genius . Pure Genius .


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## Jamarrix

I couldn't contain my laughter when I read the part about Antarctica.


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## VivianKJean

Antarctica... clearly someone knows NOTHING about tropical fish....


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## farmgirl82

Lol. Right their called SIAMESE fighting fish because they come from antarctica. What!?


----------



## TouchMyBetta

I was looking for a betta fish at petsmart, the employee approached me, first time i said im fine, she came back if i needed help, i said yes this time since i was there for 30 minutes just looking for 1 betta! They were all beautiful, cant decide!!! So i told the lady employee "can you pick out any 5 betta halfmoons or dumbos" and she picked out 2 dumbos, and 3 halfmoons.. And she was like they are all beautiful and healthy!!! Both dumbo looked sick, in dirty water, 1 with pop eyes!! 3 halfmoons were all in dirty water, all with fin rot, and 1 halfmoon eye was missing.... Like wth??? 
I told her thank you for your help, i will pick one of these now. But i put them away and found this rosetail butterfly halfmoon betta fish!!! It is yellow with neon shiny blue around the tail!!!! So beautiful!!! It was in perfect condition, but water was dirty. Also it was in a halfmoon cup, they dont even sell rosetails, so i was suprised and lucky!! I went to the cashier, and that employee was like(with an attitude), you didn't choose any of my choice, and i just said oh sorry, but i really like this one better than your choice.... I also bought a led aqueon betta bow 2.5 tank, and when i unboxed it, there was scratches, and bumps.... So i will hopefully go tomorrow and return it.... The fish rightnow is in a .5 gallon ): sorry guys!! Only for a couple of days i promise!!


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## Crossroads

I've got a couple for this thread .I apologize in advance if there are weird typos, grammatical errors or otherwise weirdly structured sentences. I celebrated my 21st a day early with my parents so I'm writing and remembering this on a half-buzzed and tired brain while trying to touch type in the dark.

The Bad
Walmart incident
After I (impulse) bought Vincentius, I realized that I had forgotten the key thing I had walked into Petsmart for. Stress Coat.
So I went back to Walmart to pick a bottle up.
While there I saw a guy trying to help a lady get more fish, which is a heck of a rarity.
Here's where the ridiculousness starts.
The guy grabbed the cold, untreated water from the tap rather than from their designated treated water. However, none of this was realized until he got frustrated with trying to catch the fish and got a guy from *Garden Center*, who, get this, cared for the fish and was trying to talk corporate and the store managers into caring for them better! So I'm chatting with the customer while the frustrated, young high school kid goes and gets the Garden Center guy. I ask her what kind of fish she's getting and she points out some fruit tetras, clown loaches, and red eye tetras. I get hopeful that I may have found a knowledgeable aquarist. She asks me what I was doing back there, and comments how hard it is to get help back there.

I agree and comment on how often I come back to look at the bettas and see all of the fish in sorry shape. For emphasis I trailed my finger across six tanks to have ALL of the fish swarm the top, jumping and in a frenzy just for food. She agrees that this is sad, and the Garden Center guy arrives right as I'm saying it and begins to speak with us about how horrible he feels about the fish. None of us realized the predicament with the water.


This is the rest of the conversation, asterisks indicate my thoughts:

Me: I always feel so bad for the fish, it seems everyone thinks that they're throwaway pets.
E: I'm always trying to clean them out and help but this isn't my department, there's not much I can do all the time.
*At least you're trying buddy. That's more that can be said for half the employees here.*
Me: I never see anyone back here and half the time, when I come back here the lights are off.
C: I never see anyone either.
Me: I've stood here looking at passing employees, waiting for an offer of assistance to no avail.
E: That's ridiculous, this is exactly why I've been talking to managers.
Me: Good on you. I'm glad to see someone who cares.
I get a smile out of the employee and frankly I was hopeful, a seemingly knowledgeable customer and a caring employee in one store? I must have been dreaming. The guy begins trying to catch the ladies tetras.
The conversation shifts back to fish.
C: So you said you come to look at bettas, why bettas?
I explain that I had bought my favorite of my guys, Mako, from this store and "rescued him" from a dirty ammonia filled cup. Seeing him brighten up and become a friendly guy with so much personality and life had really made me happy. 
C: Friendly? Aren't bettas supposed to be mean?
Me: To each other yes. I've had no trouble with "aggression" from my boys. Half the time they're more eager to come see me than my dogs.
E: Sorry to interrupt but which colors did you want
C: Oh! A blue, two pinks, and two peaches. I have some more at home, its so great to watch them school. I'd also like some of the red-eyed ones. About four and some of the orange guys(clown loaches) at the back of this other tank.

I wander off for a moment, looking at lights, needing to replace my incandescent bulbs and hoping for a divider, having seen this gorgeous mustard gas.
I come back to see the employee struggling to catch the loaches and just chasing them around the tank with the net. I offer the advice of using two nets, and tricking the fish into thinking one net is a safe hideaway while the other its the pursuer. It works like a charm. However, while the employee is catching the loaches the lady wants, conversation restarts. I mention how rewarding it is to see bettas that are sick and pale almost get reborn from TLC. 
C: I never buy sick fish. In fact I can't seem to keep them alive.
My heart drops.
Me: Well do you know why? Is it heated? What size tank do you have
C: Of course it's heated. Tetras are tropical fish I have a 55 gallon tank. I used to have a saltwater aquarium but it got too expensive and was too much work. I've gotten too old to maintain one.
Me: Well what about water changes?
C: I have a filter I don't need to change the water
Me: Is it planted?
C: You mean with real plants? No, I don't have time for that.
My mouth nearly dropped open.
C: What about you? You keep bettas don't you?
Me: Yeah, all my boys are in 5 gallon and up. (This was before I got Agrius)
C: 5 gallons?! For one fish? That seems like a waste of tank space. Why don't you go get schooling fish?
Me: I fell in love with bettas. Everyone of my boys has a heated 5.5 or 10 gallon tank to himself and I've started planting them. I find it to be a lot of fun actually. Especially feeding them frozen foods. I love watching them zoom about their tanks and flare up.
C: That's not happiness that's stress. You think you're spoiling them with all of that stuff, don't you?
Me: No? I'm giving them proper care. I don't think I'm spoiling them. Spoiling suggests that I'm ruining them somehow when all of my fish are, for the most part healthy. At least not with the tank, heater, and plants. They may not NEED the variety of frozen foods I give them but I've yet to see them turn it down.
C: They don't need all of that! They're bowl fish like goldfish! That's why they keep them in cups! 
Me: ...Bettas are tropical, just like tetras. They do ne-
Customer is about to get huffy when she notices the Stress Coat in my hand.
C: You know that kills your fish right? It's horrible! You shouldn't buy that product!
Me: Strange.... I use it, aquarium salt and frequent water changes to repair fin damage and used it as a water conditioner for months now with no problems.
C: You shouldn't use AQ salt either it killed my fish!
The employee interrupts us.
E: Hey thanks for the tip I was able to grab all of them after using two nets!
Me: You're welcome!
He slowly adds all the fish to a bag after switching them without acclimatization from their water to the cold, untreated water. Naturally, they begin to act erratic and some start going belly up. The employee freaks and The lady points to where the water was gotten from. I quickly realize its not treated and not right and urge the employee to add conditioner, it will save the fish. The customer insists that she won't be buying those anyway and the employee is sitting there dumbstruck and apologizing to the customer. She insists on getting more fish.
About that point is when I walked away.

Moral of this Story and TL;DR:
According to this customer:
Bettas and goldfish are bowl fish
Bettas do not need the same amount of care as tetras.
Filtered tanks don't need water changes
Stress Coat is a horrible betta killing product
So is AQ salt
Giving a betta a proper home in anything more than a bowl is spoiling them
A betta on patrol is stressed. 
A betta flaring at things in his territory is stressed.

The Good (just to restore faith in humanity. Cause this thread needs some help with that.)
Petsmart Conversation
I was stalling for time waiting for my parents to get home from dinner with friends so on the way over there I stopped at a Petsmart closer to them. This Petsmart I knew to have some knowledgeable staff due to me working at the Arby's across the parking lot. I walked in and went to look at the bettas. Most were lethargic but otherwise I suppose they were in okay shape. I might mention it was really cold in that particular store. As I'm looking an employee walks up, a cashier actually and asks if I need help. I explain that I just like to look at the bettas and that I had, at that point, 5 at home. She seems surprised and then looks kind of appalled and quickly verifies they aren't in the same tank. I laugh and explain that they all have separate 5 to10 gallon tanks. She seems relieved, we point out some pretty ones and she goes back to work. I got to look at the cories, since I had wanted to get some. This is after my tanks were planted. Looking at the tanks, I finally find the tank with cories. Another employee asks me if I need help, I look up to see an older lady and explain that I was looking at cories for after my 10s were fully grown in. 
She asks me what I have and I say that I have 5 male bettas, each in seperate, 5 to 10 gallon tanks. She seems shocked. But not in the typical manner. She starts asking me a slew of questions about my tanks, as if testing me. I soon find out she's the fish lady. And that I love her. I notice a barb that she's introducing back into the tanks. She explains the poor guy was getting bit a lot because he was so small when the store got him so she put him in a back stock tank to let him heal and get bigger. I was elated to hear that. So happy guys you don't even know. We talked for two hours about fish and I found out that she ran a heated, filtered 50 gallon freshwater community tank with a female betta in it! The conversation went about like this:
E: Oh I have a female betta! When I first started here, I got a big tank to learn on. I got some tetras and other easy schooling fish and got it set up. the poor girl got dumped on me by a friend so I put her in my community tank. She's doing so great!
Me: Heated I hope?
E: Of course, I love caring for it and besides its so beautiful to see a planted tank!
Me: Yeah I just got a big plant pack in to plant mine.
E: Your fish will love it!
Me: I can't wait for them to grow in actually.
E: It just takes patience. I'm sure they'll look great!
I watched her care for customers and show a little kid how to carry a fish bag and the parents what to get the fish and how to care for them. And doing it right. I was so proud and happy that I left in a good mood and will probably be getting my cories from that Petsmart. But then again that whole store is good for fish. Even the reptile guy has fish! We were talking and he said that he had some big oscars he'd raised since they were itty bitty. Another employee was testing Cichlid foods to see which the store cichlids liked the best and comparing foods before buying. I might also add that in that entire store I saw 2 dead fish which were immediately removed before I even realized that they were there. I only knew because the fish lady seemed so upset and it drew my attention. I found out later that they had been shipped to the store in bad condition, she had cared for them in the back stock tank and had regressed and ultimately died despite attempts to save them.


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## sharkettelaw1

where i am, in the chain stores, ALL the male bettas are given their own 10 gal tank with other fish. Heated, filtered and cleaned every week. Even the females are given big tanks. There was only two big tanks there (about 100 gallons+) where 2 males were kept together and heavily planted. Petshop where i work, people keep their bettas in tanks. And they usually buy bigger tanks if they dont have. The point is, not every petstore mistreats their bettas and not every employee is a dumbass. If i do come across other employees who try sell me on to the idea of mistreating bettas, i tell them straight where bettas originate from, how big their rice paddies are, how long they can live for in with proper care and etc. I dont bother with petstores that mistreat their bettas because they're in such bad shape that nobody buys them. Not even the people who dont know a thing about bettas will buy one in bad shape. Yes, i feel sorry for those mistreated bettas, but if nobody buys them they'll stop selling them and wont be given the chance to mistreat them. And its for that reason that i dont rescue bettas, because thats still supporting the shop mistreating them. Sometimes it may pay off, and a lot of times it will not.


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## MikeG14

On a recent trip to Petsmart I noticed that all the betta cups were filled to the very top so the only place they could get air was through the little hole.

Me: "Yo, the water in these cups is pretty high, it should be half that. They need to breathe air. Your gonna have a bunch of dead fish tomorrow."
'
Store Clerk: "Yeah. Looks like someone filled them up too high." Then he walks away.

So I say to myself "whatever", turn the corner to look at some decorations that'll probably kill my fish.

As I'm walking out I noticed said store clerk with a five gallon bucket carefully removing the water from the cups.

Me: :"Thanks man."
Store Clerk: "No problem, have a nice day."

They aren't all idiots.


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## averyecho

OK, last story, I promise. But I just had to post this one alongside the other two. Just so you guys know, this actually happened a few days ago when I got Tiger Lily. 

I'm looking at the bettas, some lady with a little kid is next to me. I assumed she was getting the kid a betta.
Me: Oh hi! Are you guys getting a betta too?
Lady: Yes, his died a few days ago. *gestures to the kid*
Me: Oh. Well that's too bad. How long did you have it for?
Lady: 2 weeks. That's how long the pet store guy told us it could live at the max, so clearly we did something right. I'm sure we can get this one to live 3 weeks.
Me: Actually, the average lifespan of a betta in proper care is 5-7 years.
Lady: You must have been mistaken, then.
Me: No, I even have experience to back it up. One of my bettas is at least 3 years old, and there's this one betta I gave to someone else, named Amethyst. Amethyst is now 7.
Lady: Oh wow, I had no idea. How do you get them to live that long?
Me: Well first of all, you need at least a 2.5 gallon tank with a heater and filter.
Lady: WHAT?! There is no WAY that's true! The pet store guy told us that if you put them in anything bigger than 0.125 gallons, they would immediately drop dead.
Me: Wait, your tank is only 0.125 gallons? No wonder your betta died. I'm assuming you didn't give him any water changes either?
Lady: Of course not! The pet store guy told us that bettas thrive best in dirty water, so we had to add dirt to the tank before we put him in.
Me: That poor fish...
Lady: He wasn't poor, he was happy. We gave him the best habitat possible.
Me: The best habitat possible would be a rice paddy in Thailand. 
Lady: Oh you mean those mud puddles? But not in Thailand, bettas are coldwater fish.
Me: Rice paddies are not mud puddles. They're shallow bodies of water that span for miles. And bettas are tropical fish, not coldwater fish. Hence, Thailand. Bettas originated from rice paddies in Thailand.
Lady: That's not possible. The guy at the pet store told us they come from mud puddles in Mexico, and that they are coldwater fish.
Me: Um, Mexico? Seriously? That's not exactly a cold country.
Lady: Well that's what the expert told us, so it must be true.
Me: What has become of this country...?
Lady: What? Well, it looks like he picked out his betta now, so we're going to go get his tankmate.
Me: Wait, WHAT? Tankmate? In a 0.125 gallon tank that the betta shouldn't be in at all?
Lady: Yes. Bettas live with clownfish in the wild.
*Lady walks away*
Me: That... was the most outrageous series of myths I have heard in my life. Humanity is done for, no doubt.
*Employee walks up*
Employee: Those weren't myths, that was all true!
I took Tiger Lily and hid in the shelves until he went away.


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## Ilovebettasbk11

Bettas live with clown fish??? Lol lol i would had snatched that betta out of her hand


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## Jonthefish

Omg are you really not making this up are people really this stupid ?! XD


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## Ilovebettasbk11

Jon thinking this as well like how can people be this stupid??? 

Clownfish - salt water 

Betta fish - fresh water 

Those cant mix employee this stupid?


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## averyecho

I am seriously not making this up. I wish I was, though, no matter how good a laugh I've gotten from looking back on all this...


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## Jonthefish

I would have been laughing so hard when they left !!! Two weeks ?! Does she live under a rock ?! XD


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## Ilovebettasbk11

Ah the stupidity of some people antartica now mexico lol whats next? The jungle?


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## Jonthefish

Ilovebettasbk11 said:


> Ah the stupidity of some people antartica now mexico lol whats next? The jungle?


Didn't you know they originated in the Atlantic Ocean ??!!! XD


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## Ilovebettasbk11

The ocean? Omg i thought they were freshwater!!!! Lol jk 

Yo once i read in yahoo answers this dude wanted to release the betta in the ocean lol


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## Kim

Ok, here's mine:

I walk into Petco to rescue a betta and find 3 in need of help: one floating, one sinking, and a little female covered in velvet. I bring this to the attention of the employee.

Me: I noticed that these 3 fish are very sick.

E: (Looks at them with a blank (ie stupid) stare.) Oh, yeah I'll take them to the counter to "treat" them.

Me: I'm actually a prevet student and I'd like to help. Do you give away or discount sick fish?

E: (Gives me a "you're obviously crazy" look.) Um, sure...I can give you like a 75% discount on all of them.

Me: Thanks. Unfortunately I can only take one. (Now I'm trying to decide which one will certainly die if left with her). How are you planning on treating them?

E: (Total look of confusion passes over her face and she rummages through a cabinet.) Well, I think I'll Clout these 2 (points to the "floater" and the "sinker"). She then dumps some clout into the filthy, ammonia filled water.

Me: Thinks to myself: Yup, that should do it. *sarcasm* Don't bother addressing the cause of the problem by changing the water or anything, just dump some chemicals into that toxic soup!

Me: So what about that one (points to the female covered in velvet).

E: (Again, a look of total confusion passes over her face as she rummages through the cabinet, obviously getting annoyed with me by now.) She pulls out some Maracyn-II and says: I'll treat her with some of this.

Me: Oh, well to me she looks like she has velvet (duh, the fish looks like she is wearing a gold suit), which is a protozoan disease.

E: (Looks at the Maracyn packet). Well, this says it treats bacterial infections, so it'll probably work.

Me: (Wishes there was wall that I could bash my head into and thinks: bacteria are NOT protozoans!!) Um, I saw some better medications on the shelf over there. I've treated velvet before and they work really well. I would definitely try those instead of Maracyn.

E: Shrugs off my advice and does nothing.

So, from this lovely conversation I realize: they will all die if I leave them here. Thoroughly disgusted, I pick up the "sinker," as he seems to have the best chance out of the 3, and leave. My resolve lasted all of one night, and I came back for the other 2 the next day. Unfortunately the female was gone, but I found another female in really bad shape and also managed to find the "floater" from the day before.

In case anyone is wondering, the "sinker" recovered well. He's actually watching me type this and has been dubbed Wormy (can you guess the cause of his issues haha). The "floater" hung on for almost 2 months, but I finally was forced to euthanize him to end his suffering...he was just too far gone  The little female died overnight right after I brought her home, but I did go back and rescue another with SBD and he is now chilling in his nice cycled 10 gallon tank. His name is Dexter (I've watched a little too much of this TV show lately!).

Moral of the story: Have some manner of stress relief ready if you plan on talking to a pet store employee!!


----------



## Kim

averyecho said:


> OK, last story, I promise. But I just had to post this one alongside the other two. Just so you guys know, this actually happened a few days ago when I got Tiger Lily.
> 
> I'm looking at the bettas, some lady with a little kid is next to me. I assumed she was getting the kid a betta.
> Me: Oh hi! Are you guys getting a betta too?
> Lady: Yes, his died a few days ago. *gestures to the kid*
> Me: Oh. Well that's too bad. How long did you have it for?
> Lady: 2 weeks. That's how long the pet store guy told us it could live at the max, so clearly we did something right. I'm sure we can get this one to live 3 weeks.
> Me: Actually, the average lifespan of a betta in proper care is 5-7 years.
> Lady: You must have been mistaken, then.
> Me: No, I even have experience to back it up. One of my bettas is at least 3 years old, and there's this one betta I gave to someone else, named Amethyst. Amethyst is now 7.
> Lady: Oh wow, I had no idea. How do you get them to live that long?
> Me: Well first of all, you need at least a 2.5 gallon tank with a heater and filter.
> Lady: WHAT?! There is no WAY that's true! The pet store guy told us that if you put them in anything bigger than 0.125 gallons, they would immediately drop dead.
> Me: Wait, your tank is only 0.125 gallons? No wonder your betta died. I'm assuming you didn't give him any water changes either?
> Lady: Of course not! The pet store guy told us that bettas thrive best in dirty water, so we had to add dirt to the tank before we put him in.
> Me: That poor fish...
> Lady: He wasn't poor, he was happy. We gave him the best habitat possible.
> Me: The best habitat possible would be a rice paddy in Thailand.
> Lady: Oh you mean those mud puddles? But not in Thailand, bettas are coldwater fish.
> Me: Rice paddies are not mud puddles. They're shallow bodies of water that span for miles. And bettas are tropical fish, not coldwater fish. Hence, Thailand. Bettas originated from rice paddies in Thailand.
> Lady: That's not possible. The guy at the pet store told us they come from mud puddles in Mexico, and that they are coldwater fish.
> Me: Um, Mexico? Seriously? That's not exactly a cold country.
> Lady: Well that's what the expert told us, so it must be true.
> Me: What has become of this country...?
> Lady: What? Well, it looks like he picked out his betta now, so we're going to go get his tankmate.
> Me: Wait, WHAT? Tankmate? In a 0.125 gallon tank that the betta shouldn't be in at all?
> Lady: Yes. Bettas live with clownfish in the wild.
> *Lady walks away*
> Me: That... was the most outrageous series of myths I have heard in my life. Humanity is done for, no doubt.
> *Employee walks up*
> Employee: Those weren't myths, that was all true!
> I took Tiger Lily and hid in the shelves until he went away.


THIS makes me more angry than I want to admit. The really sad thing: this woman reproduced!! And the employee too.....oh my gosh I would've exploded...seriously. Those people need to be put on an island and studied - perhaps we could identify a cause for such extreme stupidity. A virus that invades the cerebral cortex...an embolism blocking bloodflow to the brain...damage from drugs....or perhaps a brain deformity. I saw a documentary once on a man who was born with a rod-shaped brain. It was literately just a brain stem with a tiny bit of additional brain matter on top. I'd say that man probably had more synapses than these 2 put together!


----------



## Jonthefish

Kim said:


> THIS makes me more angry than I want to admit. The really sad thing: this woman reproduced!! And the employee too.....oh my gosh I would've exploded...seriously. Those people need to be put on an island and studied - perhaps we could identify a cause for such extreme stupidity. A virus that invades the cerebral cortex...an embolism blocking bloodflow to the brain...damage from drugs....or perhaps a brain deformity. I saw a documentary once on a man who was born with a rod-shaped brain. It was literately just a brain stem with a tiny bit of additional brain matter on top. I'd say that man probably had more synapses than these 2 put together!



Omg lol !!!! XD


----------



## huckleberry77

Lady with 2 little toddlers who each want a fish, but lady only has 2.5 gallon minibow given to her by a "friend" who was hoping the single remaining danio glowfish residing in it "would just die like the rest">> "Could I put a little fish in a bowl like this?", holds up 2 liter bowl. 

Me: "Yes, you could. But that would be called animal cruelty."


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## Tree

I have read all of these stories......Where in the HECK are these employees getting their information!? everyone of them are saying that 1 gallon and up tanks with a heater will kill a betta? I think when I go back to petsmart/petco I am going to ask where they get there knowledge. =/


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## Jonthefish

We'll this was what my friends genius brother told me on how he wanted to get ferrets , here are just some of his highlights of this beautiful convo .

- ferrets don't bite , they lick 
- ferrets are only like 200$ to fully take care of 
- he wants two first ( not gunna get one I know how to take care of them )
- they only pee and poo in a litterbox 
- they don't chew anything that isn't food 
- you only clean the cage twice a month

The reason he wants one is because his cousin has one and he has slept over their twice . So he is obviously a professional .

Note this is a person that has had three dogs at different times and brought them back to the store .

I have never wanted to pull teeth more than in this conversation .


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## Deadflwr

I was looking at bettas and found a beautiful white plakat male. He was marked as a double tail half moon plakat which is a few bucks more. An employee walks up.
E: can I help you?
Me: Yes. this Betta is not a double tail plakat. Could I get him for the halfmoon plakat price since that is what he is.
E: let me go ask.
She leaves and I continue looking at the Betta's. I notice quite a few marked wrong. She finally comes back...
E: I just talked to our Betta expert and he says that it is a double tail. Is there anything else I can help you with?
She hands the Betta back to me.
Me: no thanks, Dont need anything else.
She leaves. I really wanted him so decided to get him anyway. What's a few bucks more when its your dream Betta. 
So I walk up to the man at the cash register. He sees the 3 bettas im getting and he starts chatting with me about all 7 of his Bettas and how they are kept in vases with a plant so they can hide in the roots....
I just found their Betta expert...


----------



## Tree

Jonthefish said:


> We'll this was what my friends genius brother told me on how he wanted to get ferrets , here are just some of his highlights of this beautiful convo .
> 
> - ferrets don't bite , they lick
> - ferrets are only like 200$ to fully take care of
> - he wants two first ( not gunna get one I know how to take care of them )
> - they only pee and poo in a litterbox
> - they don't chew anything that isn't food
> - you only clean the cage twice a month
> 
> The reason he wants one is because his cousin has one and he has slept over their twice . So he is obviously a professional .
> 
> Note this is a person that has had three dogs at different times and brought them back to the store .
> 
> I have never wanted to pull teeth more than in this conversation .


OMG! x_x I have had Ferrets in the past, 7 to be exact. XD


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## BettaStarter24

Sabina88 said:


> Poor goldfish and piranha.
> I personaly have two goldfish, one comet and one shubunkin who ended up being best friends and love all the space of their 50 gallon.
> I used to have my comet in a bowl (I didn't know any better back then) and wanted to get another one, luckily the girl working there was somewhat knoladgable and told me "we don't recommend having any goldfish in a bowl" unfortunetly she forgot to mention how much room long bodied goldfish really need.
> Its weird and sad how places like petco and petsmart hire a lot people who now nothing about they what there selling, and there selling living animals, regardless of size or species.


What always gets me is that they hire people who don't know what they're doing and then turn away people that do.


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## Sivanus

Once upon a time, in the great lands of Wal-Mart, a young girl and her mother ventured through the fish section only to find rows of Goldfish tanks filled with nothing but rotting carcasses. The mother was disgusted and called a manager to the scene, the daughter was horrified at the conditions of the tanks, but couldn't help bursting into laughter when her mother began to scold the employee. Unfortunately, the manager wasn't thinking and stated “We don't have anyone to fill the position at this time,” prompting the mother to respond in a venomous tone “Well then, you _find_ someone who knows what they’re doing and hire them! There are no excuses for murder!” Leaving the abusive store, the duo felt quite satisfied with how things went; the daughter had a great story to share with her friends.


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## farmgirl82

Go mom! Bravo!!!


----------



## Tress

Where I am, there is only one pet store, a PetValu and as much as I would like to test their knowledge and fire back with knowledge I've gathered here, I'd rather not get banned xD 

So first little story was actually an educational one for a newer employee. A friend of my mom's got me a betta for my birthday, leaving me completely unprepared with a tiny sickly crowntail and the shattered remains of the plans for getting a betta only after getting everything I needed. After spending the whole night up scrubbing my old 5.5g, rocks, filter, etc. I made a shopping list and just hoped the LPS would have some of the things. After picking up Stress coat, AQ salt, Filter sponges, and the only heater made for tanks under 50g they had, I cashed out. The employee looked at the heater confused for a minute.

E: What kind of fish are you needing a heater for?
Me: A Betta
E: oh, you don't need this then. *goes to set it aside*
Me: Actually betta do need heaters seeing as they are tropical fish from Thailand. They need to be kept between 76'F and 80'F.
E: *stares at me for a minute* oh... really?
Me: Yup *grabs stuff and flees*

I'm kinda antisocial so as much as that felt good I needed to get out of there before it felt awkward. Apparently that guy (who was kinda spacey to start with) must not of lasted long, haven't seen him since. ((btw that heater stinks, replaced it with a Hydor Theo 50W and I regret nothing. Sadly have to use it for my newer betta since my mini heater doesn't regulate the temp like this one and my weather is really whacky atm. Also had some flaking/slimeing issues with it, seems ok now))

Last month I popped into the store for something, I think just to look at the bettas and maybe guilt myself into saving another from the tiny cups of doom. I turned the corner and actually walked *past* them and had to literally double take. Where once a dark end shelf of betta cups was now stands that fancy Elive betta center. I was so shocked cause I live in a tiny northern town and we never get anything new and fancy xD. 

Thus began a secret love affair with a cute & active white betta. I ended up going to the store for various things (more meds for my crowntail's never ending needs) over like 2-3weeks. Everytime he was still there and while others were succumbing to finmelt/rot and pop eye, he seemed so healthy. Finally, while picking up supplies for my then 2 week old stray kittens, I gave in. Since I didn't know how to remove them from the set up a lady (the manager I believe) helped and we went up to cash.

E: Do you already have a tank, water conditioner and such?
Me: Yup, I have another betta at home so I already have supplies.
E: Good! *checks out items and takes a moment to look at betta* little expensive ($13), you sure about him?
Me: Very, I've been eying him up for a while now. *eager to leave but she is stalling*
E: Cool, he's a dumbo just so you know (I noticed he was a combtail, but was still figuring out the whole EE/Dumbo and all the other short forms and nicknames for fin types) 
Me: Interesting. *holds out hand waiting for her to hand him over*
E: I have a betta that was white like this with just a spot of purple and now he's all purple except for his head. Your guy will change too, you better get over him being white cause it wont last. What's your tank like anyways?
Me: Uhh... I'm fine with that... Right now this guy will be in a temporary 1g till I fix my 20g (didn't want to mention my intention to divide and naturally plant it) *mother is also getting impatient*
E: You going to put anything else in that tank with him? Personally I have 2 goldfish in with my betta and they get along just fine.
Me: *really just wants leave, manages to get fish back* haven't decided yet, anyways thanks bye.

As soon as we left the store my mom (who hardly knows much about bettas and caused the death of my first betta) was like "urgh, she's so arrogant, I can't stand her." And was like "yea...and you shouldn't have goldfish and bettas together.. I feel bad for them."

Everytime I go there I check out the bettas. It's still really bad there, despite the better set up. actually I think it spreads the illnesses faster seeing as 80% of their fish have Finmelt/rot and/or pop eye. I've seen a few even missing eyes. 

Not getting anymore fish from there, just my supplies. Not that I have any more tanks ready... >.> yet.

PS: 2nd betta has yet to turn purple, even after a month. Actually he seems to be an opal or maybe an opaque


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## Jonthefish

Love this thread bumping it up ! Does anyone have stories ? xD


----------



## CopperBell

There are a few stores that sell fish in my area and some are actually aquatic specific but still I occasionally hear nonsense like this in even the supposed "fish specialty" places:

Customer(eyeing one of the betta apartment things) "I see it's got a built in filter, is there a built in heater too?"

Employee: "Male bettas don't need heaters." 

Customer: "Oh.. really? That's weird"

Employee: "Yeah."

Me(after the employee walks away) "I know he just said they don't but yeah, the males need heaters, just as the females do. These don't have heaters though and they're probably too small anyway."

Customer: "Why would he say they don't then?"

Me: "I wish there was a definitive answer for that."

I've also encountered an entire Petsmart with no clue what a sponge filter is, a Petco employee that thought bettas would eat duckweed, and a guy who planned to buy 8 bettas of different genders and tried to tell the employees with enthusiasm that he wanted to put them all in a large bowl since they were small enough. This thankfully did not end the way he originally planned.

The list goes on.


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## Aqua Aurora

I thankfully don't encounter much employee on customer stupidity.. but I usually go to pet stores at the dead times on weekday mornings(since my stores let you bring leached dogs and mine LOVES sniffing around in and outside.. don't feel like dealing with a lot of people with him (he's fine with people but they'll slow me down on my bee-line to the bettas haha so pathetic ^^"'). 

While at a Petmart looking at the main fish section (bettas are way far away by the front door.. which is pretty bad in winter for them..) I was just setting up my 20g long again and wanted to see what local options I had to research needs and compatibility at home after. While taking some photos and typing fish species names into my phone to look up I over hear a male customer talking to a female employee about setting up a cichlid tank and getting a test kit... 
E: You don't really need that.
C: Actually I'm just setting up the tank so I need to be able to test ammonia (good for you for knowing something customer!!!) I want an API master test kit.
E:Oh you don't want that, they're expensive and will expire before you use it up, you should get test strips"
C:Well I want to cycle my tank fi
E: *cuts off sucomter8* Oh you can just get all the fish now and put them in, they'll be fine.

THAT'S IT! I'm going in!

I swiftly walked over and forced myself between the employee and customer (scared her into backing up with my dog.. seriously? you work at a petstore and are scared of a black Labrador?)
ME: Actually test strips are notoriously inaccurate, you could use 2 at the same moment and get different readings, they are just a waste of money. The API liquid Master test kit IS the best AND CHEAPEST (said slightly louder) accurate and commonly available water test system. 
C: Yeh that's what I'd read.. (oh thank goodness you've done some reading first!!)
Me: I've actually had a few tanks for over a year and have already gone through* 2 sets of Master Test Kits**turning my head slightly to glare at the employee as I said this* by API, they're incredibly helpful when doing fish-less cycling.
C: That what I was planning to do but she said *points at employee behind me.. he sotps as he can see I'm ready to fix what _she _said*
Me: You want to do a large cichlid community right?
C: Right.
Me: They have to all be put in together, if you do put in 2-3 at a time to slowly cycle a tank the dominant one will kill the weaker, and newer ones will be attacked by those who already established territories.
C: Yep! (yes he has indeed read up on keeping African cichlids!)
Me: I've done pure ammonia fish-less cycles for 2 tanks now, it builds up the needed beneficial bacteria strong enough that you can put in all the fish at once IF you let it fully cycle first.
C: I was going to try fish-less cycling, how does pure ammonia work?
By this time the employee had huffed in frustration and walked away to do whatever bs she does that doesn't deserve a paycheck.
I explained pure ammonia method, explained how it take a little before ammonia readings show, and that you have to keep dosing ammonia once it starts going down to feed the bacteria, like how you feed a fish. I told the man to use a web search for pure ammonia fish less cycling and ammonia calculator (didn't want to whip out my phone for this.. too hard to show with a dog pulling as he wants to go check out other stuff), and directed him to get Ace hardware janitor strength pure ammonia as it had worked for me. He thanked me and left without buying anything (went home to research more I presume).
Before I left the fish section I walked by the incompetent employee who gave em the stink eye, I looked down on her with a smirk like an a hole I admit it.. Wouldn't have had to make her look like such an idiot if she'd bothered to learn anything before opening her mouth.
Btw SAME idiot employee was there a few months later (how the hell she wasn't fired yet?) I was back looking for cories as I'd upgraded my 20g long community into my 55g and with all my plants my nitrates were lower than ever so I could happily put more fish in. Of course they didn't have a proper school size (#s) of any cory but I witnessed the moron trying to catch some in a tank with large fake rock decor that she did not remove first!! Was just pushing it all over while trying to catch fish with the net, I saw 2 float up dead (crushed by the rocks) a tetra and an oto. I told her to remove the rocks or let me catch the fish "I can actually catch them without _killing _them." She glared at me and said "Customers aren't allowed in the tanks." and refused to remove the rocks..
I was too appalled to deal with this. I would have gotten a manager.. but I think she's in an inappropriate relationship with one to still be there (seriously don't see how she'd not be fired yet otherwise) so no point possibly arguing with her 'lover' over her stupidity.. I won't be shopping at that store ever again.

I will say that at the same store there was an older woman (who sadly wasn't around for the two moron encounters) that *did *know about fish. I heard her refuse to sell a common pleco to someone with a 10g, saying she's only sell a smaller breed for that size tank(bristelnose which needs a 20g.. but common needs over 100 so..that's still better though not perfect), but they were out of stock. I'd also talked with her briefly about the mislabeled fish at their store (African leaf fish which was actually a 'leopard gourami', and a hongkong pleco (if you don't know: pleco is a species of catfish (many members in its family) that come from South America.. NOT Asia) which was actually a rivestream loach (different member of the catfish family- don't know its exact sub species it was though)) and the loach was labeled as brackish water fish.. seriously? its freshwater! She looked over with a frustrated sigh (not at me but the fish) and said "I know, they're all idiots at corporate. But I'm not allowed to correct it." Its a shame this woman couldn't teach the moron about fish.. but maybe they're never on the same shift. I wish I'd found a manager I could guarantee wasn't a perv for the young idiot employee and tell them to fire the moron and give the older woman full time (all the idiot's hours).


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## Ilovebettasbk11

So i was checking petsmart online to see if they got betta dial a treat in the store turns out they do so i go to petsmart 

Me: excuse me can you help me find betta dial a treat?

Emplyee: no sorry we dont have that

Me: i know you have it i saw it online i will ask some one alse


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## Tress

Many times the products online are not available in store. Sometimes that particular store can't get those products. Also sometimes employees don't work in that section of the store so they wont know about what they do/don't have. Did you find it there anyways?


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## Ilovebettasbk11

Um i know it was there and yea it was there lol i had to ask the other guy


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## Littlefin

*facepalming so hard right now*


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## Ilovebettasbk11

Littlefin said:


> *facepalming so hard right now*


I feel ya like dont tell me its not there when it is :roll:


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## MiniMango101

you'd think people wouldn't try to discourage customers from buying their products "heater, filter, etc..." but maybe they want people to come back and buy more fish so they tell their employees this stuff...


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## Magickarp05

This thread has made me headdesk for the first time in my life. I, seriously, cannot believe some of the people they allow to work in pet stores. SMH.


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## Kim

Magickarp05 said:


> This thread has made me headdesk for the first time in my life. I, seriously, cannot believe some of the people they allow to work in pet stores. SMH.


Never mind being allowed to work, it's amazing they can even manage to drive their car to work....actually, I'd say it is a pure miracle (but not the good kind) they survive at all.


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## givemethatfish

This is why I'm so glad (and lucky) to have quite a few very good LFS in my area. We went for some angelfish over the weekend, and before they would even bag them up, the guy grilled me about my tank size, cycling status, etc. I *almost* got annoyed for a second before I realized that this guy has no idea about my level of fish care knowledge and he was just trying to do the right thing for me and the fish. I made a point to thank him for being so conscientious. The owner of the store came over to talk to me at one point (we were there for over an hour, as I ended up buying about $200 worth of fish yikes) and told me all about his philosophy and how they try to never let any animal leave the store without knowing it will be cared for properly. They have their own breeding room, and most of the fish I bought were actually bred right there in the store. Sometimes there are good stories


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## Aqua Aurora

givemethatfish said:


> This is why I'm so glad (and lucky) to have quite a few very good LFS in my area. We went for some angelfish over the weekend, and before they would even bag them up, the guy grilled me about my tank size, cycling status, etc. I *almost* got annoyed for a second before I realized that this guy has no idea about my level of fish care knowledge and he was just trying to do the right thing for me and the fish. I made a point to thank him for being so conscientious. The owner of the store came over to talk to me at one point (we were there for over an hour, as I ended up buying about $200 worth of fish yikes) and told me all about his philosophy and how they try to never let any animal leave the store without knowing it will be cared for properly. They have their own breeding room, and most of the fish I bought were actually bred right there in the store. Sometimes there are good stories


Wow you lucky s.o.b.!!! Having such i relevant store eoyees and in store breeding is great! Much less chance of deformed or sick fish from mass breeding and fish farms.


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## Bikeridinguckgirl14

Yesterday afternoon at petco I saw an OHM black boy with no red or blue or irids but he was swimming on his side due to sbd. Still he was active, so I asked the girl to add Epsom salt and she told me she adds 1/2tsp of Epsom salt mixed with AQ salt and then a couple drops of tea tree oil for good measure. I didn't know how to reply. Then I saw a (kinda large) baby which was lighter than baby blue but definitely a solid white blue color, he was so cute and active <3 so I went back that night to see about the baby and it was dead. So I thought maybe someone on here would like a cheap black halfmoon and guess what? Dead. In the afternoon (5pm?) there were 2 dead betta, by 9pm there were 4 dead babies, a dead girl, and more than 5 dead males. Part of me is wishing I got the baby when I was first there but I didn't go home after petco, I went to staples, walmart, grocery store, Sally's, ect. I wonder if I could have saved the baby, he was $1.99, so it's not like a $20.00 fish, but either the cup water was so bad he died, someone did something to him, or he was sick. *sigh* at least I got anubias nana that was healthy, I wanted the amazon swords but I'm too wary of brown spots, and the anubias was just too healthy to pass up. (Unlike the fish)


----------



## ChattyFish

Hello! This is my first post, I am a long time lurker!
I work in a petstore that sells Bettas, and I just had to have a little rant.
My bosses boss (headoffice) visited the store and was giving out all this incorrect information on Betta care, including that they didn't need heaters and that you can use distilled water for their water changes... It's so frustrating. 
They really need people up in the high places to know what they're talking about so that they can correctly train staff, and to avoid preaching incorrect information to customers!
It's also heartbreaking to me dealing with customers who want to buy fish but don't really class them as 'animals' - please, tell me what a fish is then?! Some just don't want to know about slowly introducing your new fish to the new tank water, they want to do it right away and will search for ANY shortcut. I tried to convince a guy to buy a thermometer for his tank today and he just laughed at me!
OK, rant over. Needed to get these off my chest!


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## Reccka

If you REALLY ask these people...Most of they will look at you and say "It's a FISH" when you tell them it's an animal...I think those types tend to get the term "animal" confused with "mammal". It's pretty frustrating.


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## Tress

That's exactly why I could never work at a pet store. To those of you that do and know how to really care for animals, I applaud you for dealing with so many nincompoops day in and day out. Between the head office, staff and customers, I don't know how you do it!


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## sharkettelaw1

I actually quit my job there. I couldn't stand the treatment of the bettas. One of the customers has tried to breed them but doesn't know how and kept males and females in one big tank, so I'm buying all of them from him.


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## Nova betta

ok here is one 

so i was lookingat my petsmart's half moons and a dad walkes in with 2 kids.

C: hi im looking for some fish.
E: ok we have some bettas and other fish what is your tank size,
C: um maybe half a gallon.
E: that is to small for any fish even some shrimp.
C: well whatever they are only fish.
E: well what were you planning on getting?
C: i was thinking some of these (points to betas) and maybe 5 of these( point to fantail goldfish) and 3 of these ( point to Oscars)
E: bettas need a least 3 gallons so no you cant get those and goldfish need 20 gallons each plus ten gallon for each new one and oscars need like 50+ gallons.
C: wow you have lame fish.
E: so would you like to buy a tank today.
C: no fish are so stupid who cares if they die ( walkes away)

so not all petstore employees are stupid i later said thank you for not letting him buy the fish.


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## Tress

Dad of the year there... Not. I'd like to nominate that employee for Employee of the month.


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## Nova betta

yea he was really helpful when i got into bettas he has a female sorority at home in a 20 gallon filtered and heated.


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## Tress

Nice, sounds like the kind of person you want in all pet stores!


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## MaeLily

A Petco employee tried to talk me out of buying an $8 gravel siphon for my 5gal. I still don't understand that one. It's not like he was saving me from breaking the bank, it was under $10! Weird.


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## Nova betta

i wish all petstore's employees were like that.


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## Nova betta

more good new  today i went to my local fish store and every single one had a gallon!!!!!  and guess what else the tanks were heated and filtered!!!!! IM SO HAPPY!!!! i decided i would test them on betta care annnnnnddddd guess what she told me bettas are tropical and need filters and heaters and at least 2.5 gallons!!!  VICTORY!!!!!


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## ChattyFish

That's amazing Nova betta! What a step in the right direction! If only all pet stores demanded those conditions...


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## Nova betta

i know right it was amazing infact i picked up a red and blue crowntail and im getting some pictures  and i took some pictures of their planted tanks for the some of the females  so ill post them that is why i love our local fish store


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## Bikeridinguckgirl14

Bikeridinguckgirl14 said:


> Yesterday afternoon at petco I saw an OHM black boy with no red or blue or irids but he was swimming on his side due to sbd. Still he was active, so I asked the girl to add Epsom salt and she told me she adds 1/2tsp of Epsom salt mixed with AQ salt and then a couple drops of tea tree oil for good measure. I didn't know how to reply. Then I saw a (kinda large) baby which was lighter than baby blue but definitely a solid white blue color, he was so cute and active <3 so I went back that night to see about the baby and it was dead. So I thought maybe someone on here would like a cheap black halfmoon and guess what? Dead. In the afternoon (5pm?) there were 2 dead betta, by 9pm there were 4 dead babies, a dead girl, and more than 5 dead males. Part of me is wishing I got the baby when I was first there but I didn't go home after petco, I went to staples, walmart, grocery store, Sally's, ect. I wonder if I could have saved the baby, he was $1.99, so it's not like a $20.00 fish, but either the cup water was so bad he died, someone did something to him, or he was sick. *sigh* at least I got anubias nana that was healthy, I wanted the amazon swords but I'm too wary of brown spots, and the anubias was just too healthy to pass up. (Unlike the fish)


Went back today, the same fish were dead. The blue baby was he only one to have been removed, there was a black double tail baby in it's place. I told the (different) lady that there were dead fish, she said they weren't dead, and that they just lay on their side when they're bored. If they were dead theyd be upside down. There was a healthy mustard gas king. Wish I had room for him


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## FishWhisperer

Wow! These people are not cool at the stores w/ misinformation. My store gave me the care sheet and some things are rediculous!
Betta fish live in small dirty puddles
Filters and heaters in under 5 gal. tanks should be avoided
Gravel will provide adequate biological filtration
Bettas can adapt to adapt to a colder temp.
An hyperactive betta means the water is too warm, unless feeding time
Other than that they provide great info
They recommend getting 
A ph test kit and ammonia test kit
Conditioners and meds
Siphons
Tank 1/2 gal+
Plastic plants
Also said
Water between 72-82 degrees F. is ideal
Buy a thermometer if you buy a heater
Bigger tanks are better! :-D
Under 1 gallon bowls either clean once a day or 3x a week
Impossible to over clean tanks/bowls under 1 gallon
Vary diet
Bettas will keep eating once full so don't over feed 
Rinse gravel
Acclimate fish
Bettas live from 2-4 yrs.
Don't feed garden worms
Change 25% water in 1+ gallon bowls once a week
Good to skip feeding one day a week
They keep their fish in small cups temporarily but all of them looked healthy if listless from cold (also mentioned on the sheet, means water is too cold). Not perfect but it's better than chain store employees say. This means they care at least! That makes me happy


----------



## CopperBell

The caresheets are outrageous! Why do they try and tell these things? Wouldn't they make more money if the told the truth? It really confuses me how there is this dissonance between true information and what pet stores carry and tell people. I really don't understand it. Where do they get the information from? They must get a lot of money from pushing the bad products and care because I cannot understand why they would do it otherwise. So more fish die and they can keep selling them? 

Anyway, my story today stems from needing more stresscoat and filter cartridges. The cartridges are across from the service desk of an Aquarium Adventure north of me. The people who work there are generally more knowledgeable than most places with the exception of a few.... and 2 of the managers.

This place has 4 managers.. 2 are great two are.. less so. They don't even have the saving grace of at least being nice. They're kind of bitter, condescending people. Especially one of them.

So I'm looking and a customer walks up to the service desk with a question about kanaplex for her discus. The employee there doesn't have access to it and calls up one of the managers. One of the better ones shows up and after a few questions, gets the kanaplex out and hands it to the lady. 

She takes it to the checkout nearby and I followed shortly after. There are two people in front of us. Another customer walks up to the service desk. I can't hear him very well and am not really paying attention. All I know was that the scariest of the managers was called and after talking to the guy at the desk and then to the other manager, she walked up to the checkout line and starting talking to the lady with the Kanaplex in the curtest tone imaginable:

M: Hey, you don't need that. 
C: What? 
M: You don't need Kanaplex.
C: ....The manager just gave it to me... from the cabinet.
M: Yeah, well, I'm also a manager and from what I heard you don't need it. 
*The manager puts her hand out to take the canisters from the lady. She doesn't give them*
C: My breeding female discus has an internal infection, I've tried everything else. This is what I was told to get. 
M: By who?
C: A forum I am part of and now the other manager.
M: I'm going to talk to him and those forums always give wrong information. Don't listen to them. Your fish is probably constipated. 
C: She is not, or if she is, it's led to an infection now. She's extremely swollen and this is what I was told to get for her.
M: Have you bred discus before?
C: No, but I've researched. 
M: Maybe not enough. If you think you need Kanaplex for this, you shouldn't breed fish.
C: Ugh.. why not then? Why shouldn't I use it?
M: Because Kanaplex isn't used for discus
The customer got mad fast and told the manager she was getting it for her fish and would be complaining. This shut the manager up.

I don't know anything about discus but I'm pretty sure I've heard Kanaplex is safe for them. I couldn't really tell what possessed the manager to do that but it was a weird exchange to say the least. Whether she was right or not, I don't think that was the best way to handle that situation.


----------



## SiameseFightingArt

*Speaking on Live chat (They have better information than in store. Also I'm pretending to be a newbie in the chat)*

Thank you for choosing Petco! One of our representatives will be with you shortly.
You are now chatting with ****.
*Worker*: Hello! I am a Petco Customer Relations Representative. How may I be of service today?
*Me*: hello! I would like to buy a betta fish, but I do not know what I need. What would be good products to get for my future betta?
*Worker*: I'd be more than happy to assist you with that!
*Worker*: We have a betta kit that you may consider.
*Worker*: May I know the gallon size of the tank that you are planning to purchase?
*You*: under 4
*Worker*: We have this Marineland Silhouette Glass 3 Gallon LED Aquarium Kit that includes hidden 3-stage filtration and a built-in LED lighting system.
*Worker*: Let me send you the link for it so you can check.
*You*: It looks lovely. I have seen people have betta fish in vases. Are vases alright to put betta fish in?
*Worker*: I am glad that you like it! Actually, betta fish can survive in a half gallon size, but we always recommend to get 3 to 5 gallon tank.
*You*: That's good to know. Do they need heaters or filters?
*Worker*: Yes, purchase a heater with a thermostat. Betta fish like water temperatures between 76-82ºF/24-27ºC. Bettas may require a heater in some cases. For example, if you live in a cold country or if you have an aquarium below room temperature, then a heater is required.
*Worker*: Filters are always necessary but make sure the current is not too strong for your Betta. Bear in mind that the long-finned varieties do best with as little current as possible. Some experts recommend the use of sponge filters, to protect the fins.
*You*: What if my betta gets sick?
*Worker*: Let me send you a link to provide you more information about betta fish care.
*You*: Thank you

(She sent me link to www.bettatalk.com! +1!)

*Worker*: You're welcome! Did that open for you?
*You*: Yes it did
*Worker*: Awesome!
*You*: That will be all. Thank you 
*Worker*: You’re most welcome and have a wonderful Holidays! We truly value your feedback. Please click the "End Chat" button at top right to answer a few questions about your experiences with us today.


Other than the fact she said they can survive in .5g it seemed like she knew what she was talking about.


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## Bikeridinguckgirl14

Not at petco but remember the woman at petsmart told me betta sleep on their sides when theyre bored, made me think of that


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## ChattyFish

That's great SiameseFightingArt!
I actually have a quick question for you guys (I wasn't sure if I should start a new thread), but when I clean the fish out at work (in the tiny cups) I do a 100% water change, as I feel like the ammonia build up is too much to do a partial. However, some of my coworkers have suggested leaving some of the old water in. I feel like this would be great if the cups were larger, but as they're so tiny it may not remove enough of the build up.
What do you guys think? I just want to know what's best for the fish!
Thanks


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## Bikeridinguckgirl14

100%please, and remember not to mix Epsom salt and AQ salt


----------



## ChattyFish

Bikeridinguckgirl14 said:


> 100%please, and remember not to mix Epsom salt and AQ salt


Excellent, thanks!


----------



## Magickarp05

I am really depressed. I went to my local LFS to ask about lowering the ammonia levels in my tank and the store was absolutely horrendous. The windows had been boarded up and painted over, so it was all dark inside. Most of the fish looked healthy, except for the bettas. The guy running the store was keeping them in plastic drink cups, uncovered. None of them were very active, except for one with a really noticeable white spot on it. Another was floating on its side. I was so furious, I left without buying anything or even asking for assistance. 
Then I decided to go to Petco later. The fish there were in way better condition, and the guy sort of knew what he was talking about. He recommended I use Seachem Prime and a siphon (I am) for regular water changes, and to just keep changing the water until the ammonia goes down. He said after that I'd only have to do water changes once every two weeks or so, and to only feed the betta every other day because they have slow metabolisms T.T


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## FishWhisperer

Ha! I know where LP/FS get their care sheets!This is it!


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## Tress

FishWhisperer said:


> Ha! I know where LP/FS get their care sheets!This is it!


"When searching the web for tips on taking care of your new aquatic friends, remember to search for "betta fish", not "beta fish", which is a common misspelling. Adding that extra "T" will ensure you get the search results you need"

and yet two sentences up..

"Occasionally place a mirror in front of a male beta fish for some entertaining exercise."

Aside from a few issues - like tank size, temp, and no heaters needed for tanks under 5g - its better than my lps. Next time I'm at my store, I'll pick up a pamphlet.


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## averyecho

Ran into this crap at the local Petco while buying a new heater for my 10 gallon...

So here I am, searching for a heater, when this guy walks into the fish isle with this little kid, who was maybe 3 years old.
Employee: *notices the guy* Oh, hello there. Is there anything I can help you with?
Guy: Oh yeah, I'm looking for a pet for my son here... I was thinking maybe a betta, I hear they're easy to take care of.
Employee: Well they're good beginner fish, since they're quite hardy, but they do require some work. I personally reccomend this 3 gallon here with this heater. *Motions to said items.* It's a relatively small setup and will keep the fish healthy. You have to change the water twice a week, though.
At this point I've figured out the employee might actually know their stuff. I'm intrigued, so I keep listening.
Guy: Um, I thought that bettas can only live in small bowls or vases or they'll die from stress. Besides, I'm not paying for that, it's too much. *Picks up a cruel-looking .5 gallon bowl, which is actually more expensive than the 3 gallon (not including heater).*
Employee: I would advise against that, it shortens the fish's lifespan and just isn't healthy overall.
Guy: Who cares? They're just stupid fish, they only live about a year anyway.
At this point I'm raging on the inside and trying not to release a ball of sware-word-loaded fury at this guy.
Employee: That's not exactly true, when cared for properly they can live for 4 years or more...
Guy: Whatever, it's not like they're totally irreplacable. *He lets his son choose a fish- this poor sickly-looking baby betta- and walks away with the bowl and a small bag of gravel. No food, by the way.*

I was absolutely appalled, to say the least. I congratulated the employee for their _truthful_ information and got the heck out of there to prevent myself from exploding in a fit of rage.
I really wish more people could be like that employee.


----------



## Tress

Urgh great. Another parent teaching their kid that life is replaceable.


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## BlueLacee

I'm horrified at the human spiecies


----------



## FishWhisperer

Me too


----------



## aselvarial

Kids aren't stupid. They notice when the fish isn't doing well. All this guy has taught his kid is that it's ok to torture those that can't fight back. And then he will wonder why his kid gets in trouble at school for being a bully, or winds up in jail at 16. Gee I wonder.


----------



## Reccka

I have another story about a kid in the pet store from where I was there about a week ago...Sometimes it's the kid that's the problem. 

There was a kid(probably around 8 or 9 years old) and his older siblings looking at betta-specific accessories, the two older ones were actually trying to get him excited about shopping for his fish like "How about this decoration? This is cool. Or how about these plants and stuff?" and he's there rolling his eyes, dragging his feet, looks like it's killing him to be there, and eventually he just rolls his eyes and goes "Oh my god, who _cares?"_ and then it seems like the older siblings just kind of gave up there.

I hate it when kids, or people in general, who obviously don't want their pets still have them. :/


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## Tress

Reccka said:


> I hate it when kids, or people in general, who obviously don't want their pets still have them. :/


+1000000.

I know people like that. So many people get an animal just to say they have one and then ignore it. Just saw an old "friend" of mine at the mall and she had a tea cup Chihuahua (so cute but the poor thing was terrified!). But I know her and it's all for the attention and looks. Her mom will be the one caring for the thing while she's too busy dressing it up and taking pics.


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## Missik

So I decided to take advantage of petco's "dollar per gallon" sale and first bee-lined for the betta cups. I noticed a woman hovering around them with her daughter and decided to listen in when she called an employee over to her. She asked if they had anything smaller than the .5 "betta cubes", and said that the cups they come in are not "decorative enough to display the fish in around the house". All the employee said was "what you see is what you get" and left. I wanted to say something to the lady, but her b****y face and constant glares at anyone, I knew I'd be fighting rather than helping.


----------



## Ilovebettasbk11

Missik said:


> So I decided to take advantage of petco's "dollar per gallon" sale and first bee-lined for the betta cups. I noticed a woman hovering around them with her daughter and decided to listen in when she called an employee over to her. She asked if they had anything smaller than the .5 "betta cubes", and said that the cups they come in are not "decorative enough to display the fish in around the house". All the employee said was "what you see is what you get" and left. I wanted to say something to the lady, but her b****y face and constant glares at anyone, I knew I'd be fighting rather than helping.


Wow just wow how i wish we can put people in a tiny cup and see how they like it


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## Nikki86

*Fish have feelings too*

I was looking at the bettas at Petco when 2 young women walk up becide me and I over hear one tell the other "I had a betta for about 2 years but I got tired of it and flushed it" I wanted to say something to her but my husband wisely pulled me out of the store!! I just don't understand how anyone could treat an animal that way!!


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## KitDewStein

A better-ish PetSmart Story
*I met the employee the day before*

Me: *looked for fish food but it was out so I stalked the bettas that were there and noticed that 1 female had ich* Hey I think this one has ich. She has some white spots on her. *hands here the fish*
E: *finds what I was talking about* Oh yeah there it alright. I'll take her to the back and start treating her *she leaves comes back then helps other customer*
Me: *spends about 2 hours looking at all the betta fish and finds a male that looks amazing so I picked him up and found a growth on his side* I found another that had a growth.
E: *sighs after seeing the growth* I don't know what is wrong but all the ones coming in recently have had issues. Thanks for pointing these out.


I talked to her the day before and she pointed out filters to me. The only thing is the whole carbon filters clean tanks better than sponge filters was quite interesting. She claims that carbon filters clean more (not sure if that is true).


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## AmaV

I think a lot of people and companies are still uneducated about bettas and their care. I work at a store that is one of the big petstore companies and sadly, no changes can be made to the bettas care and upkeep while they are at the store unless corporate(or the head people of the company) decide to make the changes(So I suggest that if you want changes for better care to be made-to contact corporate!) Maybe if enough people complain, they'll start making the changes. Hopefully.

I'm kind of at the point where I don't really want to go into detail on the basic care of bettas with customers unless they are _really_ interested in them. Because I've found that when I try and give advice and help them-they either lose interest in bettas completely(because they thought they were just a fish they could stick in the smallest bowl) or they don't listen at all(I think only 1/10 customers actually listen). Sometimes I really wish we could refuse to sell them to people like we can with our other fish/animals in store :|


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## Tress

Actually carbons filters only really help when just starting up or filtering meds out of the tank after treatment. If left too long they'll start releasing all the gross stuff they were filtering out. Personally I just use filter sponges.

Other than that she sounds a lot nicer than the ones at my store...


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## DragonscaleStudyBuddy

I just found this thread so I've got a couple conversations to add. Oldest to newest.

A month after I got my 2.0 I rushed to Petco to upgrade 2.0 because I had been sucked into the wall tank (I did do daily water changes but still a horrible torture tank) and 2.0 wasn't looking good. 

Me:*On a mission to make it up to 2.0 with a 5 gallon upgrade and my general lack of couth*
E: "Can I help you?"
Me: *thinks probably not* "I need to upgrade my betta tank NOW because I put in in that stupid wall tank you sell" 
E: "Well you can just go with a 1 gallon."
Me: "No, you can't. I'm getting at least a 5 gallon."
E: *tucks tail and ducks away*

He (the employee) kinda lurked as I was looking for silk decorations. 

E: "You finding everything alright?"
Me: "Getting a silk plant because the plastic ones may damage a betta's delicate fins." *Ha! I taught him something without him even knowing it."
--------------------------------------------------
This was a week or so ago. 
Me: I walked by a clerk instructing a customer on how to feed the betta they were about to purchase. Keep in mind this was a specialty fish store.

E: "You feed only as many pellets as he can eat in under 3 minutes."
M: *Imagines how many pellets 2.0 could take down in 3 minutes...About a months worth of food, I'm sure*
M to the C as I walked on past: His stomach is the size of his eye. 2-3 pellets a day and fast at least once a week.
-------------------------------------------------

Today, while I was looking for a new betta after loosing 007 yesterday.
They had just got a shipment, had about 20 fish. I was sitting on the floor looking at the fish still in the shipping container that the clerk said were "not that pretty." She told me "We have this one too (picking one up of the little booth thing) he has really pretty fins but his colors are not pretty." She handed me a beautiful VT with a pastel yellow body and some striking blue striations through his fins....:shock: *closed my eyes and shook head from side to side* 
------------------------------------------------


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## iceburg47

Nova betta said:


> more good new  today i went to my local fish store and every single one had a gallon!!!!!  and guess what else the tanks were heated and filtered!!!!! IM SO HAPPY!!!! i decided i would test them on betta care annnnnnddddd guess what she told me bettas are tropical and need filters and heaters and at least 2.5 gallons!!!  VICTORY!!!!!


Wow Nova betta, which store was that? I don't want to threadjack by asking. I tried to send you a PM to ask but couldn't.


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## Nova betta

sorry i wish it was here... it was in Colorado or somewhere like that. But one store i recomend is animal ark they have pretty well taken care of bettas. they also keep some of them in their planted tanks.


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## Nova betta

also it is nice to have another UT buddy


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## ChattyFish

AmaV said:


> I'm kind of at the point where I don't really want to go into detail on the basic care of bettas with customers unless they are _really_ interested in them. Because I've found that when I try and give advice and help them-they either lose interest in bettas completely(because they thought they were just a fish they could stick in the smallest bowl) or they don't listen at all(I think only 1/10 customers actually listen). Sometimes I really wish we could refuse to sell them to people like we can with our other fish/animals in store :|


I found the exact same thing with customers too! It was so disheartening.


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## Sunset02

These stories are terrible! I remember when our Walmart sold fish but now it doesn't. (Thank goodness!)


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## AmaV

Nova betta said:


> also it is nice to have another UT buddy


I'm from UT too(same area as iceburg~) I was kind of surprised when I saw other members ha. I do wish we had good stores out here but I think the individually owned ones have a better chance then the chain stores(unless corporate decides to make the changes, cause I tried making changes in the store I work at and it was a no go)


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## AmaV

ChattyFish said:


> I found the exact same thing with customers too! It was so disheartening.


It really is! I had a customer today though who was looking for a fish and she was going to get her daughter a little 2qt plastic bowl and I let her know those aren't good. Then she was looking at bettas and I started giving her information cause she asked about them a bit(cause she had some when she was younger) and I told her I was about to give her a good amount of information of them and she was like "that's fine, that's why I asked" and seemed to really take in what I told her for them and even agreed on them being in at least 2.5 gallons. She didn't get one tonight(any fish) but actually seemed to take in all the info(and wanted it), which is good.


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## Nova betta

wow we should have like a meet up lol no. besides i would need to get my mom to drive me and i am only 12. ya we do not have the best stores... i do like petco sometimes and animal ark i love it. but our petsmarts...


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## Nova betta

also what store do you work at AmaV?


----------



## AmaV

Nova betta said:


> also what store do you work at AmaV?


I work at petSmart  *tried to get changes done for better care for bettas at my store, but said they couldn't because corporate needs to make the changes before we can do anything :| * we are putting them in a heated room at night now though. So at least that's something?


I use to like animal ark but since they still puppies I can't support them. I wish we had a fish dedicated store out here. That'd be nice


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## Nova betta

is it that petsmart in orem by hobby lobby?


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## Nova betta

and yea i agree on the puppy thing. i just can not stand the stores that sell puppies especially when you do not know where they come from. Also petco is not to bad but i totally agree on just a fish store.


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## AmaV

Nova betta said:


> is it that petsmart in orem by hobby lobby?


I was going to PM you, but am unable to. But yep it is


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## DragonscaleStudyBuddy

This is not a petstore, but I think it fits here.

HEB (grocery store chain) commercial. 

Senerio: Family with 5 females and 2 males discussing how they save on beauty supplies.

Dad: *points to obviously dirty, tiny fish bowl, that contains a red male betta* "I think even the fish is a girl."

:roll:


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## Nova betta

awesome i should go sometime!


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## Sadist

The walmart here is so bad with their fish department. One time, I saw 3 male bettas in one of the tanks with fish labeled as "nippy." One of the bettas didn't have any fins left and was just hanging out in the corner. The others still looked decently healthy but with lots of nips in their fins. I'm guessing some employee either felt bad about them being in the dirty cups, misread that they are bettas, or put them in there because they were sick.

Another time at the same store, someone had done something wrong in one of the tanks. There were two sickly fish hanging out in the corner and about 20 fish corpses stuck to the filter intake.


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## AmaV

Nova betta said:


> awesome i should go sometime!



You should!


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## Nova betta

i will! maybe today


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## AmaV

Nova betta said:


> i will! maybe today


 Awesome! I'm working tonight so maybe I'll see you!


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## Poro

The Pet stores in my area:

Petsmart 1 (1 city away)
Girl: "I want that fish daddy"
Dad: "sure sweety let me call the lady to help"
Petsmart employee: "Ok so which one do you want?"
Girl: "that one!"
Petsmart employee: "ok sure. *looks at dad* Do you guys have all the equipment needed for your fish?
Dad:" Yes we're gonna get one of those fishbowls over there"
Petsmart employee: "well youre going to need a bigger tank and at least an extra fish for this fish since its a community fish"
Dad: "oh how big?"
Petsmart employee: " at least a 3-5 gallon with a filter and heater"
Dad: "Well I think im just going for the fishbowl then"
Petsmart employee: "then im going to have to put a no return policy on that fish unless you get the right setup for it"
Dad: "ah I see. Ok I'll get the bigger tank then.. can you show me? Also I would like to get another fish to add on to be its friend"
Girl: "yay I get two!"
Petsmart employee: "We also have some good books over here with good information about care for your fish and you can find some good articles online as well" *leads them there*

Petco 1 (near me)
Random Mom: "hmm which of these bettas..."
Me: "Oh you're getting betta fish too?"
Random Mom: "yea my son's betta died. We had him about 2 years now.. My son took very good care of him though. I saw how he loved his fish so thought we should get another one....but I cant decide which one. There's so many"
Me: (*thinking* boys usually like things that look cool and tough) Get that crown tail. (it was a black body butterfly pattern crowntail with red inside the fins and black on the outside)
Random Mom: "thanks! *her husband comes* Look honey! I think this one is perfect for him"
Random Dad: "Nice. I like it! It looks really cool! He'll love it too"
Petco employee: " do you folks need help?"
Random mom: "Yes! We had a betta for two years were getting a new one..I was wondering if you guys have the flakes for them here"
Petco employee: "we do have those but I would suggest feeding them pellets. Also do you guys have a heater? Also whats your tank size? They need something bigger than a half/1 gallon so they have room to grow and swim"
Random mom: "Yes thanks! We have all that ready!"


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## Tress

Wow Poro, you're lucky to have decent stores around you!


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## Nova betta

ok sorry AmaV i could not go today. But i went to my petco... and people were getting a baby betta.

C: ( looking at the bettas) 
her daughter(D) "mommy i want a fishy! 
C: ok, well we could get one of these or we could get a goldfish!
D: no i want one of these!
C: ok,(she walks over and gets an employee)
Employee(E) hi what are you planning on getting today?
C: well we were thinking about a betta
e: Ok well we have a set up here for ten dollars.( he points to a cup not much bigger than the cups their in now)
C: ok that will do.

that parent walked out with a baby betta that cup no water conditioner or heater and some crappy food


----------



## AmaV

No worries  tonight was really busy so I'm not sure if I would have had time to chat!

I had one situation with a family that kind of irked me and sadly its really common.

I saw a family looking at bettas so I went over to them and asked if they needed any help or had any questions. They asked if we had any plants that would fit in the bowl they had(which was less then a gallon) I told them yes, and also said that I personally wouldn't go less than a 2.5 gallon for bettas.

That is when the father got a big attitude with me and said "well if they aren't suppose to be in small bowls why are they in those tiny cups". I explained to him that those were only suppose to be temporary until the bettas get sold but that it isn't suppose to be a permanent home for them. He basically looked at me like I was stupid and didn't know what I was talking about. They didn't listen and still got the thing and the betta they were getting. They just wanted something to decorate the kitchen.

Its times like these I wish we COULD make it so the 14 day guarantee didn't work with them or we could refuse selling them but...we can't.


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## BettaStarter24

I had a couple good experiences yesterday at a petco and petsmart. 

Petsmart: 

Exp 1:

Mom: *looking at food and stuff while her daughter holds a basket with two male bettas* 
Me: *looking at the fish hanging above the food*
Mom: *turns to me* Excuse me, do you have these fish?
Me: Yeah, I have five in my dorm. 
Mom: What do we need for them? These are her first fish. 
Me: Oh! Well I'd recommend getting them a heater, and thermometer so you can monitor the temperature. 
Mom: They need all that? 
Me: Yeah, they're tropical fish and like temperatures of 78-80 degrees. 
Mom: Oh I didn't know that. 
Me; What size tanks do you have for them?
Mom:*holds up hands for size comparison, looked to be a 2.5 gallon rectangular tank* About here. 
Me: That's a good size! 
Mom: Is there anything we need to put in the tap water? 
Me: Yep, you'll need water conditioner, I recommend Seachem Prime as it binds Ammonia in the water into a less harmful molecule, also Topfin has a formula that does the same thing. 
Mom: Okay we'll get this *picks up the Topfin stuff* Now what food do you recommend for them?
Me:*picks up Omega One betta pellets* These are really good for them. 
Mom: Thank you! 

Exp 2:
Dad with two kids: *looking at the fish as his daughter points yelling "I want one!"
Me: You looking to get a fish today? *curiously*
Dad: Yeah...thinking about it, the one from last week died. 
Me:*internally cringes* What size tank did you have? 
Dad: *points to a 1.7 gallon hexagonal tank, not horrible* Tank. 
Me: That's an ok size, it's recommended to have bettas in 2.5 gallons but that's an okay size. 
Dad:*nods and walks off*

Second experience wasn't the best but what can ya do sometimes?

Petco: 
Mom with two kids:*looking at silk plants, holding a gallon bowl and a blue halfmoon male.* That decoration is too big, this one will work *continues to talk, brings up something about not needing a heater* 

At this point me and my friend ask her what kind of fish she was getting. 

Mom: Betta, we were told they don't need a heater. 
My Friend: Actually they do, I didn't have a heater for a month or so until she *points to me* got on me for it but after I put a heater in my boys all perked up immediately. 
Me: Exactly, they are actually tropical fish and prefer temperatures of 78 - 80 degrees. 
Mom: Well that's not what the employee told us. 
Me: Sadly that was wrong. I really recommend getting a heater, your fish will be much happier in warmer temperatures. 
Mom: Well I'm looking for something very low maintenance because they'll be taking care of it and I don't want them getting hurt or the fish to be hurt. Our last one died because it jumped out of its bowl. 
Me: Well on Amazon there is the Hydor Theo heater. It's what I use, it's adjustable and is very low maintenance, all you do is set the dial to say 78 degrees and put it in the tank. You don't have to do anything with it. There are also slim heaters that are unadjustable and a little cheaper that you can find in the next aisle but you'll want to watch it closely and if it gets too hot unplug it for a bit. 
Mom: Okay. 
Friend and Me: Sorry if we're stepping too far. 
Mom: No! Don't be apologetic! I'm learning too and I really appreciate this! 
Me:*smiles softly, really wanting to hug her* Another thing I do recommend is silk plants instead of plastic so your boy's fins don't get ripped. 
Mom: Oh we have some silk plants at home. And I'll definitely look into the heater off of Amazon! 
My friend: You said your last one jumped out, do you go to craft stores much?
Mom: Yeah, quite a bit actually. 
Friend: Well it's like 40 cents a sheet but you could get some craft mesh and put it on top of the bowl so he can't get out. 
Mom: Oh! Really! I didn't know that I'll definitely do that! Thank you for all your help!
Me and Friend: You're welcome! Good luck! 


So that was my yesterday. I wanted to hug that mom at Petco so bad.


----------



## Magickarp05

At Petco: 

*I was standing silently, checking out the bettas. Then some old dude wanders over with a Petco employee, who is wearing a nametag that says DJ. The old dude is carrying bag with three goldfish and has been talking fish with DJ for a while now.* 
*Old Dude gestures to the cup in my hand, home to a small pink and white butterfly*:Oh, yeah. I got one of those at home with another fish. 
*I instantly perk up and notice the goldfish in his hand. Praying silently isn't planning to house those with his betta, I ask*: You have betta with other fish? 
*The old dude stares at me for a moment before he responds*: Oh, yeah. Yeah.
*I feel my face beginning to pale. My voice grows weak and is full of dread*: What kind of fish?
* Old dude leads me around to the other aisle of freshwater fish. DJ trails behind us.*:Oh, these. *Old dude points out some guppies.*; And these.*He points out the neon tetras and turns back to me.*
*My pulse begins to slow as I stare at dumbfounded and realize that he actually knows his stuff. I immediately feel stupid and guilty. Not knowing what else to say, I simply ask the first thing that pops in my head*: And the betta doesn't attack them? 
*Old dude shakes his head*: No, no. He doesn't even go near them He just swims around and does his own thing.
*DJ jumps in at this point*: Right, right. Because it really depends on the fish. Some bettas aren't very aggressive at all. Sounds like you got a good one. 
*I stand silently for a moment, nodding at appropriate times before my husband appears. Then I mutter my exit*: Well, it was nice talking to you guys. 
*Then I put the butterfly betta back on its shelf and follow my husband to the check out counter.*


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## Alyssalovesbettas

Petsmart Experience ( Not my normal one I shop at)

Me: "Could I possibly get those three tetras there?" (Community tank)
C: "Sure." (Scoops out three of the ones I wanted)
Me: Watches intently.
C: Tries to get the tetras out of the net... Fails the picks them out of the net with her hands (Insert Cringe) Accidentally drops one on the table (Cries) and then pretty much squeezes the poor fish and puts the tetra in the bag.
Me: (Almost strangles her) Thanks.... Walks away quickly.
So I said hey I'll quarantine them and see if the poor thing lives.
The poor tetra died in less than 3 hours the other two died in less than 2 days :evil:
Every time I see that lady I cringe and quickly move onto something else.
I don't buy at that petsmart anymore!


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## DragonscaleStudyBuddy

Petco yesterday:
*looking at battas, noticing many are dead with food in their cups* *saw an employee*
Me: "you've got A LOT of dead bettas" *start pointing them out*
E: *starts pulling the passed from displays* *gets to the display I'm at and says*
"Someone is over feeding them. I'm gonna have to get on to them."
Me: *perks up* 
I find out he breed for IBC completion and rarely sells and if he does its only on aquabid.
After he pulls all the dead he starts putting the living on a roll cart, preparing to do about 50 water changes.
Last thing he said to me was after I pointed out the baby bettas who were dead:
E: "I hate that we even sell the babies, their care is too specialized. "
I grabbed my new DTHM marble (literally a rescue from death row) and asked him to change his water before walking to the counter. My faith restored a bit. Some good people ARE working in these big chain stores.


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## Sadist

Our walmart overfeeds theirs, too. There's always a bunch of crud that looks like waterlogged food hanging out in the cups, and then they stir it all up if they swim around.


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## LaRougeRaven

After reading some of these, I'm glad that all the Walmarts in my city stopped selling fish in maybe the early 2000s, because I can hardly handle Walmart employees now, thinking about them caring for fish? Most of the time I can't find anyone to help me, and thinking about any of them watching over the fish?


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## DragonscaleStudyBuddy

Yeah, I was impressed that he stopped what he was doing to change all of the living bettas water. My rescue Mr. Marbles is doing great! I got a really good picture of him before he learned he hates the flash on my phone  I'll have to get it up later.


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## dieselthedemon

some of these give me a head ache


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## dieselthedemon

once at this specialty fish store my dad surprized me by getting Diesel (he'll be a year old in two mounths!) and i was talking about how i couldn't get my set up from my mom for a few days and the guy said "You can keep them in like a coffee cup it doesn't even matter." and i was like "No you really can't." and he gave me the stink look.

Not really store realted but i was talking with my buddy Smash's chatroom on skype and we started talking about pets and neturally i mentioned my bettas and one guy goes "I bet their all in the same tank." and i said "i have three bettas, if i did that i'd have none memelord."(<- maybe it wasnt tthat nice but you get the picture) 

It pains me that people think I'm an idiot anytime i talk about my fish.


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## Purnima

This was my personal *Walmart* experience on January 30th:

*Customer (Me):* -Observes the Bettas for a while before lifting a cup from the shelf and placing it into the basket I'm holding, then reaches towards the .5 gallon "tanks" displayed beneath the poor creatures-

*Employee:* -Walks to me and asks if I need assistance in regards to finding the supplies needed for my Betta-

*Customer (Me):* I'm new to owning a Betta and was hoping to find a tank suitable for one to live in for long periods of time. These .5 gallon tanks are displayed under the Bettas, but they don't appear to be humane at all. How would you feel if you were stuffed into a closet and forced to live there for the rest of your life?

*Employee:* We have a wonderful selection of fish tanks for a variety of aquatic pets. A Betta is best left in small tanks because they originate from mud puddles, _however_, if you would rather something bigger, we have 1.5 gallon kits made by Tetra that should suit your needs.

*Customer (Me):* Thank you for the suggestion. I think I'll get one of the kits. Oh, and the Bettas need a water change because someone is overfeeding them.

*Employee:* -Listens, then walks away with an attitude of defeat-

*Customer (Me):* -Puts the .5 gallon "tank" back on the shelf and grabs the Tetra 1.5 gallon kit and walks to the self checkout, located at the far end of the store-


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## DragonscaleStudyBuddy

1.5 is still small.... I've got both my boys in planted 5 gallons, yesterday while cleaning the garage I found a 2.5 my son had when he was little....I've got it on my desk planning to use clippings from other tanks then add another male when the plants mature, but even the 2.5 looks small....now I'm not sure.. My older boy 2.0 is probably 5" long with all his fins (he's a super delta) with the 1 gallon per inch standard...2.5 isn't big enough.....but I'm not sure if that standard is body length or total length.


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## Purnima

DragonscaleStudyBuddy said:


> 1.5 is still small.... I've got both my boys in planted 5 gallons, yesterday while cleaning the garage I found a 2.5 my son had when he was little....I've got it on my desk planning to use clippings from other tanks then add another male when the plants mature, but even the 2.5 looks small....now I'm not sure.. My older boy 2.0 is probably 5" long with all his fins (he's a super delta) with the 1 gallon per inch standard...2.5 isn't big enough.....but I'm not sure if that standard is body length or total length.


Please keep in mind that not everyone shares the same conditions/circumstances. I'm unable to have anything larger than a 1.5 gallon tank at this time, but it's kept clean and is heated to a constant 80°F to ensure my Betta's happiness. His environment now is far better than what he was held in previously. Perhaps in the future I will upgrade, however, that depends on his preferences and whether or not I'm capable.


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## DragonscaleStudyBuddy

Please know, I wasn't bashing you. 2.0 started out in .75 wall "tank" (for the first month) I was forced to upgrade one day when I noticed he was not doing well even though I did 100% changes everyday. Hopefully, you will upgrade soon. Also, welcome, I see you are a new member. The people here are very helpful and kind, but will also give you their opinion even if it's NOT what you want to hear. ;-) Congrats on your new friend! And I completely agree he is better off now than in a tiny cup at Walmart. I just rescued one off death row who was living in similar conditions.


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## Purnima

DragonscaleStudyBuddy said:


> Please know, I wasn't bashing you. 2.0 started out in .75 wall "tank" (for the first month) I was forced to upgrade one day when I noticed he was not doing well even though I did 100% changes everyday. Hopefully, you will upgrade soon. Also, welcome, I see you are a new member. The people here are very helpful and kind, but will also give you their opinion even if it's NOT what you want to hear. ;-) Congrats on your new friend! And I completely agree he is better off now than in a tiny cup at Walmart. I just rescued one off death row who was living in similar conditions.


I think you misunderstood the tone of my previous post. I'm fine with the fact that people have their own, developed opinions, and I understand that you weren't bashing me for keeping my Betta in a 1.5 gallon tank. I just ask that others take into consideration the conditions behind why someone else does something before forming them.


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## Sadist

I had a Petco employee tell me my fish died because 10 gallons was too big. She explained that if they aren't in tiny cups, they try to "expand to fit their tank." He died of dropsy, not too much room to swim! The fish guy there knew better, but that one employee was pretty clueless.


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## DalphiaRose

There are either the super ignorant ones who THINK they know... or the ones that have "researched" and still don't know... lol


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## ZeroChan

I went to a pet store over the weekend (not the one I usually visit) while shopping around. An employee came up to me and we started to talk about betta. I was pretty shocked at some of the advice she gave:
- I shouldn't need to keep my betta in a tank, they don't need much space
- They don't recommend putting filters in betta bowls/tanks
- No plant can survive in betta tanks, so I should get a plastic one... (this one confused the hell out of me..)


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## Magickarp05

ZeroChan said:


> I went to a pet store over the weekend (not the one I usually visit) while shopping around. An employee came up to me and we started to talk about betta. I was pretty shocked at some of the advice she gave:
> - I shouldn't need to keep my betta in a tank, they don't need much space
> - They don't recommend putting filters in betta bowls/tanks
> *- No plant can survive in betta tanks, so I should get a plastic one... (this one confused the hell out of me..)*


What the --?! That is the stupidest thing I've ever heard. If it's a freshwater plant, it's not gonna care what's in the tank with -- unless of course, your betta is a plant muncher -- it as long it's in a freshwater tank with freshwater fish and light of some kind. Why the heck are people like her allowed to work in pet stores?! This is freaking infuriating! :evil:


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## DragonscaleStudyBuddy

My dad had to get a new 55 gallon tank yesterday because his stabilizer broke and his tank was bowing. I found him a good deal at our local petsmart. He called me when he left and told me he was on his way to another petsmart so he could get some sand with "bacteria" in it. Dispite me buying him a master test kit and him always hearing me talk about my cycle he just doesn't have the passion. So, after telling me he was going to buy live sand. I told him to not do that. If you want to go sand just go with play sand. 

Dad: "this stuff has the bacteria in it." 
Me: *looking up the live sand on laptop* "you know not to listen to those people! Did she also tell you that you need to monitor your ammonia and possibly do lots of partial water changes to keep ammonia under .25 other wise the bacteria will die. And the sand is $50.00 for 40lbs."

My dad has the money to buy super expensive sand if he so chooses but this exemplifies how these big chain stores get over on people. I don't know anything about how good or useless "live sand" is but I know how my dad takes care of his tank and beautiful Chichlid (not sure about the spelling) and live sand would be a big waste of money. Besides his fish redecorate the tank's pebbles constantly, which is just the cutest thing


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## Sadist

When I mentioned that I have my male in a 10 gallon, one employee told me to "get him a girlfriend. The male and female can live together, you just have to keep males apart from each other."

Wow, just wow.


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## DragonscaleStudyBuddy

The stupidity/ignorance of these people who are given the authority to give advice to the well meaning novice is unacceptable. ...... I know whenever I see someone looking at ferrets I lurk pretty close, I've run off an employee or two. The advice is many times not only wrong but cruel, like the example sadist just gave.


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## Skitters

I have to share my story of my visit to Petsmart to exchange the snail I bought last week (He died in two days. I figured he would but... Was worth a shot). It started the moment I walked in. Two girls, buying two bettas, a small amount of LARGE rocks, and a single gallon bowl (I'm assuming one had a bowl at home, her friend just needed one, etc). The one girl seemed shocked that a TROPICAL fish would need temperatures around 78 degrees. Clearly the 'knowledgeable' friend had no idea and neglected to tell her or do proper research

Whatever. They left. So I get my snail, peruse the cute itty bitty bettas, and catch the tail end of this dude's story.

Dude, chatting to girlfriend/wife: *BLAHBLAHBLAH* Yeah. My friend's got bored one day and the power was out so they bought a couple bettas and put them together to watch them fight to the death.

Girlfriend/Wife: What? Pfft.

Me: *ABSOLUTELY HORRIFIED*

But it got better at least. Ran into a couple who had moved and their large (VERY CUTE AND VERY LOVABLE) dog had well... chewed up a lot of their tank decorations as they emptied tanks to move them so they were buying more. Got a few fun stories, chatted about finding local petstores not Petsmart/Petco, and the insanity that is starting a saltwater tank. So it ended on a good note but...

F* that one dude's friends and anyone who thinks having live animals fight to the death is amusing. Hmpf.


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## Sadist

Do people think it's less cruel than dog fighting? That's recently got a lot of publicity as celebrities were caught doing it.


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## MissShinku

I was at petsmart to pick up a few things for a new tank I was setting up, and at the checkout we were in line behind a woman who seemed to literally be buying one of every kind of fish they had. I couldn't tell what exactly they were, but all I remember is she apologized and said it might take long because each fish was different and had its own ID number or something. I was so disgusted, most of them looked like tetras or other schooling fish. I bet some weren't even compatible.
I would have said something, but I was with my mom. And, as a minor, I really can't speak to adults that way. I bet her tank wasn't even big enough for all those fish


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## dieselthedemon

You can't really judge someone without knowing their set up. Maybe they have several tanks you don't really know


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## BlueInkFish

dieselthedemon said:


> You can't really judge someone without knowing their set up. Maybe they have several tanks you don't really know



Totally agree some people have different types of tanks for different types of fish.


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## TuiAndLa

Good point guys. You never really know when things can be misunderstood.

Reminds me of a trip to Petco I had a while back, was buying a betta and a lovely older gentleman behind me in line started up a chat with me. Very awesome conversation, he seemed so down to earth. He was telling me of his goldfish, how he has a pond, how the feeder goldfish he had bought got huge, etc. I loved it and mentioned how I wish I could have a pond so much.

Later, I said to him how I have a few of those "little feeder fish" in my tank, and that they're awesome community fish, and I'm not sure why more people don't keep them as pets. He says, "Oh, but they do! Lots of people keep them as pets.", which had surprised me. He asked what size my tank was, and I told him 10 gallon (at the time). He didn't say anything against it though, and we ended on a great note, had a lovely chat.

It was only later that I realized, I didn't specify that I was meaning the *minnow* feeder fish, not gold fish. xD I wonder if he might have misunderstood what I meant (but was too nice to say anything). I hope he didn't think I was keeping 4 gold fish in a 10 gallon. lol!


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## MissShinku

I don't think someone buying one of each fish is just bumping up their schools tbh. Even if they had enough tank space, no way those fish would have been happy.


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## BlueInkFish

Well. You did say you couldn't tell exactly what they were... So you really will never know. Unless you meet her


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## MissShinku

I don't think you understand what I meant by that, I mean I didn't know exactly what she bought, but I know they were things like schooling tetras. I'm not good at recognizing exact names of fish at a glance.
I'm not blaming her, im trying to say that it's a shame a petstore would allow someone to do that. Isnt that what this thread is about? Encounters at a petstore, negative as well as positive?


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## BlueInkFish

I know understand what you were tying to state. But when it comes to pet stores and customers, they'll do anything to make cash :/ unfortunately it's just the reality of fish

Here is a quote of what the thread is made for btw:

This is a chat thread for all of the ridiculous things you hear whilst shopping in the fish department


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## MissShinku

I wasn't asking the question, it was rhetorical lol.


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## BlueInkFish

I just wanted to clarify for your understanding of this thread.


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## sharkettelaw1

at the big chain store by me, all the bettas are housed in ten gallon tanks, each of them except the females get their own tank. Fortunately these people take good care of them. Can't say the same for the pet store I used to work at, the owner knows I breed them and keep them as pets, but she's one of those people who you can't tell them anything because they think they know better. I usually buy all the bettas there and give them a permanent home. Don't ask where I get the space from


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## Missik

So I was coming out of petsmart and looked over to a couple already ringing up a 2.5g divided "betta tank", some plastic decoration and a large amount of neon fake gravel (highlighter yellow) and about 8 mollies, mixed gender and type. They also had a giant (about 2-3 in across) marimo ball in hand but were debating it..


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## Vireo

Goldfish and bettas are the most abused fishies...  It's so sad...


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## stellenternet

I was at PetSmart today and I heard this:
There was a girl (about 11 years old), An old lady, and a lady
Lady: These betta fish have pretty colours!
Girl: Yeah. 
Old lady: Oh these fish make beautiful decorations I have 3 in vases with flowers all around my house!
Lady: Yes! I heard that they need barely any space at all!
Old Lady: That's correct! Having too much space will overwhelm them!
*Girl grabs rather large betta horribly (shakes it and everything) and a *.5 gallon bowl *and leaves with lady*
Me inside: *cringe* *cringe* cringe* 
I went to go and educate them but I couldn't find them


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## Tress

When I was at the store the other day and chatting with a nice older lady who knew a surprising amount about real fish care (cycling, proper tank size, etc) we listened in while an employee helped a family decide on fish. She was telling them they could get a single Cory or pleco a cleaner. I think their tank was only 10g. I'm fairly sure their Plecos are the common type, and the cories were bronze which I know need a decent sized tank as well.


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## Crossroads

I walked into Petco and was looking at bettas(whats new), when an older lady came up to me and casually commented, "I don't know anything about fish..."
I jumped on the chance to educate her, and walked around the store with her, telling her what certain fish were, how to care for them, how to care for bettas (pointed out a 13g kit that comes with a heater) and told her that she could very happily put a betta and plant it and maybe add a small school of pygmy cories or another small fish. Told her the base minimum tank size (I said 5 because 5s are more forgiving than 2.5s) and told her about cycling, got many comments about being a little encyclopedia. She left the store more educated and sans fish (though I would have been happy to see her go home with one, knowing she had the proper knowledge.


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## Vireo

sharkettelaw1 said:


> at the big chain store by me, all the bettas are housed in ten gallon tanks, each of them except the females get their own tank. Fortunately these people take good care of them. Can't say the same for the pet store I used to work at, the owner knows I breed them and keep them as pets, but she's one of those people who you can't tell them anything because they think they know better. I usually buy all the bettas there and give them a permanent home. Don't ask where I get the space from


That petstore sounds like an oasis!


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## stellenternet

Crossroads said:


> I walked into Petco and was looking at bettas(whats new), when an older lady came up to me and casually commented, "I don't know anything about fish..."
> I jumped on the chance to educate her, and walked around the store with her, telling her what certain fish were, how to care for them, how to care for bettas (pointed out a 13g kit that comes with a heater) and told her that she could very happily put a betta and plant it and maybe add a small school of pygmy cories or another small fish. Told her the base minimum tank size (I said 5 because 5s are more forgiving than 2.5s) and told her about cycling, got many comments about being a little encyclopedia. She left the store more educated and sans fish (though I would have been happy to see her go home with one, knowing she had the proper knowledge.


That is awesome! I have tried to help people, but they just act like i'm crazy.:-?


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## Tress

bettagerl said:


> That is awesome! I have tried to help people, but they just act like i'm crazy.:-?


I get the same reaction, especially when they turn around and ask the employee and fall for their misinformation. Doesn't help that I have a baby face and everyone thinks I'm still a teenager...


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## stellenternet

Tress said:


> I get the same reaction, especially when they turn around and ask the employee and fall for their misinformation. Doesn't help that I have a baby face and everyone thinks I'm still a teenager...


Hey, i'm 12 so I barely even have a chance to get people to listen to me. ;-)


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## Reccka

I was actually really shocked yesterday by the Petsmart I went to. I was in another city getting a haircut and decided to look there because my local Petsmart and Petco never have blue guppies. I was totally blown away with how much nicer this store was! More organized and sleek(the bettas, as usual, could use some work. The person ahead of me in line went home with a gorgeous white HM boy. Slightly jealous.) but the kicker was that the employees actually seemed to CARE where these living creatures they're selling are going!

I ended up getting 4 endler/guppy hybrids and both the person catching the fish for me and the cashier asked me what size tank I have, what other fish I have, the girl helping me get the fish actually seemed to know stuff about bettas(like it's common for them to get along with fish if they can handle shrimp or snails.) and I was pleasantly surprised.


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## Crossroads

I'm 21 so it helps, plus the petco I go to is a general wealth of good info and employees. I've had people look at me like I'm crazy, turn to an employee and the employee just be like
What do you want me to add? She told you everything.
This is the same store I've watched an employee discourage a couple from getting a reptile because they hadn't done any research.
Had a cashier ask me what I was feeding when I went in to buy crickets and waxworms (for my leo) and asked me what else I fed him, suggested more variety(which I already had at the house) and gently drilled me on my leopard gecko care.
Where Orion and Sherbet stayed in their cups for 2 months, with little appearing to be wrong with them.
Where I almost never see dead bettas (like, literally 2 a month? Occasionally SBD/bloat, some finrot, little stuff to be expected from tiny cups)
Where they push for you to buy live plants.


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## stellenternet

Crossroads said:


> I'm 21 so it helps, plus the petco I go to is a general wealth of good info and employees. I've had people look at me like I'm crazy, turn to an employee and the employee just be like
> What do you want me to add? She told you everything.


You are lucky! People just look at me like i'm some sort of crazy kid. (Although I am crazy)


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## dieselthedemon

I've been keeping a good eye on the brand new walmart that just opened and i have to say they actually take decent care of their fish. The tanks are very overstocked but as far as i know they dont have any control over how many fish they recive. The tanks are always clean and i see very few dead or dying fish (with large amounts of fish coming in a shipment a few dead ones are forgivable) They keep all the sick bettas on a self close to the sink, where i assume they keep an eye on them, and very rarely do i see the cups too dirty. Cups arent good for bettas i know but you can only hope for so much. They actually only keep about 10-15 bettas on the shelf normally and that's where i got Haru (betta in my pic)
walmarts are aweful for keeping fish but at least this one is taking somewhat decent care of them


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## Tress

When I had gone to the city and dropped in on another pet store I was like O.O so much more variety, so many awesome decor and equipment, so many tanks of fish and reptiles! They had live plants but a horrible outbreak of BBA on all of them, not that the algae eaters and cherry shrimp complained (first time seeing cherry shrimp! ). Sadly the bettas were not very well taken care of, their cups were dirty AND they were sitting above the sink so there was no reason for it -_- there wasn't even a dozen of them. But they were still cleaner that at my local store where they don't change the water for 2 weeks and have probably 2 dozen or more bettas at a time (which is so dumb because this is a tiny town and they hardly sell any...). That's only one store though, I've heard the petsmart there is actually really good and has a big variety. I wish I had more chances to go but it's an hour drive...


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## stellenternet

Tress said:


> When I had gone to the city and dropped in on another pet store I was like O.O so more variety, so many awesome decor and equipment, so many tanks of fish and reptiles! They had live plants but a horrible outbreak of BBA on all of them, not that the algae eaters and cherry shrimp complained (first time seeing cherry shrimp! ). Sadly the bettas were not very well taken care of, their cups were dirty AND they were sitting above the sink so there was no reason for it -_- there wasn't even a dozen of them. But they were still cleaner that at my local store where they don't change the water for 2 weeks and have probably 2 dozen or more bettas at a time (which is so dumb because this is a tiny town and they hardly sell any...). That's only one store though, I've heard the petsmart there is actually really good and has a big variety. I wish I had more chances to go but it's an hour drive...


My petsmart takes quite good care of their bettas. Although a lot of them have a tail biting issue.  The only concern I have is the advice they give the people that buy the bettas. You know, "Big tanks overwhelm them" and that stuff.


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## Tress

Urgh, if someone ever says something like that to me I'd whip out my camera and show them my 20g Long divided for 3 bettas and my 5g with a betta. The only thing overwhelming about them is how active and colourful my bettas have become!


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## stellenternet

Tress said:


> Urgh, if someone ever says something like that to me I'd whip out my camera and show them my 20g Long divided for 3 bettas and my 5g with a betta. The only thing overwhelming about them is how active and colourful my bettas have become!


Yep I have heard the "bettas are overwhelmed by big spaces" tons of times. I just act like *they* are the crazy ones and explain where the myth comes from. I usually just get the "you are insane" look (once again, it's hard being 12 and trying to get 30 year olds to listen to you). But sometimes I can get people to understand. Other times you get the newbies who only listen to the petsmart employees. 

I just think it's such a shame that bettas are beautiful fish that can have quite the personality, but just because they are picky about their housing preferences they are considered "decorations" and "boring" instead of _pets_


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## Crossroads

I show them videos of Sirekan in his 20g long planted community. 
Or Cain
Or any of my guys in larger tanks being active and flaring and being goobs.


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## Tress

I think the main reason that that myth circulates around is because people put almost NO plants/decor into tanks so that they can ALWAYS see the fish. That and the filter flow might be too strong which can really stress them. I had a betta that tail bit when the flow was too much.


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## DragonscaleStudyBuddy

A couple times a week (2 or 3) and while I'm watching, I turn up the flow for about 5 minutes. IDK it's one of my regular care duties. At any other time my waterfall output is barely above a trickle.*shruggs*


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## dieselthedemon

idk why petstores would spread the myth of tiny bowls when large set up are more expensive and bring in more money


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## Aqua Aurora

dieselthedemon said:


> idk why petstores would spread the myth of tiny bowls when large set up are more expensive and bring in more money


Because stupid people want easy to keep fish (in a way that's not really possible) and a good majority of (un-knowledgeable) betta buyers would not purchase a betta when told that instead of $15 for a tiny bowl and some marbles, you should be spending $50+ (easily) on a larger tank, heater, filter, safe decor, more substrate, lights, and a lid.
In short: people are cheap and to them the life of a fish is cheap. If keeping a fish alive is not cheap, they're not interested.


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## Axeria

yupp, and they sell more fish that way cause the uneducated or wrongly educated person only gets to keep its betta for a few months maybe a year before it passes and then they buy a new fish and maybe a new piece of decor. Its all about getting the customer to return... It is a filthy industry!


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## Aqua Aurora

Axeria said:


> yupp, and they sell more fish that way cause the uneducated or wrongly educated person only gets to keep its betta for a few months maybe a year before it passes and then they buy a new fish and maybe a new piece of decor. Its all about getting the customer to return... It is a filthy industry!


you're more optimistic than me, I'd suspect the un-knowledagble people to kill them in 2-8 weeks.


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## Axeria

You are probably right! I dont have any personal experiance myself and have only been in the betta-world for about three months


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## VivianKJean

dieselthedemon said:


> idk why petstores would spread the myth of tiny bowls when large set up are more expensive and bring in more money


The problem is that betta fish are fairly cheap. $3-4 for a VT $7-9 for a HM. I just bought a gorgeous piebald Double Tail that was $7. 

However, this means that people are less likely to spend $50-$100 on a set up for a fish that is $4. 

Most people who buy bettas are for their young child who desperately wants a pretty pet and the parents don't want to take care of them. The parents want a "low care" pet that they don't really need to take care of. Bettas are advertised to be that "low care" pet.


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## dieselthedemon

true i guess. but at the same time why discourge the people who are willing to spend that 50-70 bucks on the proper equipment? its bad business


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## VivianKJean

dieselthedemon said:


> true i guess. but at the same time why discourge the people who are willing to spend that 50-70 bucks on the proper equipment? its bad business


petco's job is to make it seem like caring for a pet (of any type) is easy. This means that if someone says they are going to buy this whole set up for a betta then the employee will say oh well you don't really need that. Bettas are super easy to care for don't need that much. 

Thats why you see employees saying that you can put goldfish in a vase or bowl - when they actually need at least 20 gallons per fish. 

Also the majority of people who go buy fish aren't going to do their own research before hand so they will follow what the "aquatics specialist" will tell them.


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## SiameseFightingArt

The aquatics specialist at my Petco is gone and honestly even though he's around 18 I prefer him over the other specialist. The bettas used to be so happy and beautiful; even the other fish, but now it's all...what's the word...****.A few days ago the new aquatics specialist tried to educate me on my betta fish (wrong info) then they become quiet when I tell them I already know how to care for them since I own other bettas.


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## WhitneyLin

I was at Walmart today to get cat litter and they moved the bettas to an endcap that faces the litter. So I couldn't help myself from glancing at them. Some of them were in pretty poor shape. But I found a couple that I liked and was kind of comparing them. An employee walks up to me after i've been standing there a while

E: Tryin to decide which you want?

Me: Uh yeah. I really like the yellow ones and this one has some blue in him as well. But I can't take two home, I already have three.

E: Oh. You dont keep them together do you?

Me: Oh no. I would never. 

E: Oh thats good. (At this point I was ready to rejoice..only to be shot down) You can keep a male and female together though.

At this point I knew she wasnt actually from the pet department and she had actually been really nice so I tried to casually correct her.

Me: I wouldn't do that either. I mean, you really have to condition them to breed since even the females are aggressive. I would hate to suddenly come home to a blood bath. 

E: Yeah keeping them separate is probably for the best. (Boo yah! Subtle correction seemed to work) Well good luck choosing. Enjoy your new fish.

And she walked off happily. Probably the best encounter I had at a Walmart so far. Normally the employees dont care or are certain that they are the "experts", even though their fish section is pretty horrible. I didn't get any of the bettas. I just couldn't justify buying and encouraging their treatment.


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## greenfishfl

I'm just happy when I go to petco, they leave me alone when I tell them I don't need they're help.


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## Nikki86

I was at petsmart last night and overheard the girl in the fish section telling a new betta owner that bettas do NOT require acclimation at all and you can change 100% of their water and put them back in the tank immediately!! They do not require a heater and you feed them one pellet every other day! Where do they learn this crap?!??


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## dieselthedemon

my sister, who know nothing about ish care get onto me if she doesnt see me feed my fish more then a couple pellets. (ive started feeding them more recently) the every other day thing pisses her off so much


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## PurpleJay

Me: *Walking around the store looking for tank decor*

*Some kid comes by with his dad and goes to the betta section*

Dad: *Picks up blue betta fish* Is this one okay?
Kid: Yeah sure.
*Employee comes close to them*
Employee: May I help you?
Dad: Yeah we'd like some goldfish to go with this betta fish.
Employee: Sure! Come on, the goldfish section is over here.
*All three walk off WITH NO ORNAMENT OR CONDITIONER. Employee doesn't even tell them goldfish and bettas cannot be kept together.*

*Later while I am browsing through the goldfish tanks*

Employee: These fish grow pretty big so you might need a big tank. Also they like to hide so they need some plants and stuff too.
Dad: Yeah, but that's going to cost so MUCH. Can't we keep them both in a bowl together? I mean, they don't need anything expensive, do they? They're just fish.

This is about the time where I leave.


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## MikeG14

I walked into one of my LFS's the other day and saw some toddler crawling around on the wet floor in the fishroom. A few seconds later I saw him stick his fingers in his mouth.

His parents better stock up on the kanaplex.


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## VivianKJean

I usually avoid talking to the "aquatics specialist" at the Petcos by me because they all do not know what they are doing and give bad advice. However, I went to a petco by me that i've never been to hoping to find my new buddy and it was completely empty so of course the "aquatics specialist" tried to talk to me. 

Me - *looking at the bettas. noticed that the "aquatics specialist" was watching me*
AS - "hi, can I help you?"
Me - "no, i'm just looking."
AS - "have you had bettas before?"
Me - "yes, many"
AS - "they don't require much care at all! what size is your container?"
Me - "I have a 2.5 gallon heated and cycled tank available."
AS - "oh god! that's not a good home for a betta. They do worse with heaters. There is also no reason to have a cycled aquarium with one. Your fish must die super quickly. Bettas live for 6 months max"
Me - "... my fish that just passed lived with me for a year and a half and spent six months before I got him in an art installations."
AS - "Oh he must be the exception then. Thats not normal"
Me - "I have another fish that has been with me for 2 years and another that has been with for a year. both are healthy."
AS - "Thats impossible." *notices that I have a nice DT in my hand* "do you want me to put him in a bag for you?*
Me - "nah i'm good." *goes and pays for the fish and leaves*


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## Reccka

VivianKJean said:


> I usually avoid talking to the "aquatics specialist" at the Petcos by me because they all do not know what they are doing and give bad advice. However, I went to a petco by me that i've never been to hoping to find my new buddy and it was completely empty so of course the "aquatics specialist" tried to talk to me.
> 
> Me - *looking at the bettas. noticed that the "aquatics specialist" was watching me*
> AS - "hi, can I help you?"
> Me - "no, i'm just looking."
> AS - "have you had bettas before?"
> Me - "yes, many"
> AS - "they don't require much care at all! what size is your container?"
> Me - "I have a 2.5 gallon heated and cycled tank available."
> AS - "oh god! that's not a good home for a betta. They do worse with heaters. There is also no reason to have a cycled aquarium with one. Your fish must die super quickly. Bettas live for 6 months max"
> Me - "... my fish that just passed lived with me for a year and a half and spent six months before I got him in an art installations."
> AS - "Oh he must be the exception then. Thats not normal"
> Me - "I have another fish that has been with me for 2 years and another that has been with for a year. both are healthy."
> AS - "Thats impossible." *notices that I have a nice DT in my hand* "do you want me to put him in a bag for you?*
> Me - "nah i'm good." *goes and pays for the fish and leaves*


I honestly would've suggested that they re-read their own care sheets. Petco's care sheet has a heater on the list of "needed supplies" and it also states their lifespan is up to 3 years. They should really read their own material.


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## Tress

@[email protected] I'm now glad that the employees at my lps think I'm crazy/weird and just leave me alone. They don't like me, maybe cause I'll try to get to the people before they do and educate them properly lol.


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## Starburst44

At one of my LPS they let me walk out with a 1/2 gallon tank that had a clear plastic divider and two male bettas. They didn't ask any questions.

I had tanks for them at home lol


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## dieselthedemon

When I went to my pet smart today to buy a new fish. (Puppy or Kaiba idk which yet) they were pretty busy because it was dog adoption day and all the dogs outside were bringing in a lot of customers so they weren't really interested in what I was doing (cause I made sure I looked like I knew what I was buying) 
Usually I get a slew of comments at the cash register about bettas being kept separate etc etc but today they let me go with my prime, betta, and varies deco without a comment.


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## kaleigh

All of these stories just make me so angry because honestly how hard is it to do 30 minutes of research online before you purchase your pet? In 30 minutes, you would find out exactly what a betta fish needs. Pure ignorance and now the fish has to suffer.


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## RainbowsHaven

I would just like to say... The other day (for once!) I actually had a great experience at our local Petco. A nice, slightly meek blond woman was walking around the aquatics department while my boyfriend and I were bickering over tank size and asked us if we needed any assistance. We started to talk about what we were looking for and she gave us tons of great advice! She talked to me about getting sponge filters set up for a larger tank and actually advised us to error on the side of caution for divisions. First pet store employee that's ever told me to give a betta 10+ gallons! ( Doesn't mean I'm going to take her advice word for word, but I was really impressed ). She also talked to us about substrate, sand, etc. I was extremely impressed and I hope she stays working there a long time!


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## Starburst44

I asked a Petsmart employee how to cycle a tank. Her response?

"Most people do it by getting some fish they don't care about and putting them in the tank for a while, then getting rid of them and putting in the fish they actually want."

what?


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## Tress

Starburst44 said:


> I asked a Petsmart employee how to cycle a tank. Her response?
> 
> "Most people do it by getting some fish they don't care about and putting them in the tank for a while, then getting rid of them and putting in the fish they actually want."
> 
> what?


Sadly that is true, people will buy a cheap fish like a neon tetra and toss it in the sometimes empty tank just to get it to cycle and then return it or flush it. :/


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## VivianKJean

Starburst44 said:


> I asked a Petsmart employee how to cycle a tank. Her response?
> 
> "Most people do it by getting some fish they don't care about and putting them in the tank for a while, then getting rid of them and putting in the fish they actually want."
> 
> what?


To "test" my "aquatics specialist" at petco I asked how to cycle a tank. this is my response. 

"oh it's really easy! Just set up your tank without adding your fish. Plug the filter in. Wait 24 hours. Do a 50% water change. and you're done! you're tank is cycled." 

UMMMMMMMMMM......


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## Strawberry12

Today I went looking for Tahitian Moon Sand and was told that you can only use "betta sand" with bettas. when I asked what the difference was, they sorta mumbled about how regular sand would scare them...?


http://www.petsmart.com/fish/gravel...or-betta-sand-zid36-17724/cat-36-catid-300072


*facepalm*


Before I started working at my current job, I had applied to Petco and was told that my application was rejected due to my degree. My degree is in basic animal care. *sigh*


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## BettaStarter24

I've been turned away from Petco too just on the sole reason that I was in college. To become a veterinarian. Totally ignoring the fact that I've had experience handling and working with pretty much every species of domesticated animal (minus salt water fish and most reptiles).


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## Strawberry12

Bettastarter....-_- I swear they want to hire uneducated people on purpose.


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## Aqua Aurora

Educated people won't encourage the un-knowledgeable to blindly buy fish so they die and come buy more and have a vicious cycle.. they also don't want to hear from the GOOD care givers that their practices are sub standard and cruel and that [this] and [that] need to be changed for better quality of life.

As for the sand... [censor] *any *aquarium sand! pool filter sand, play sand, and black diamond 'sand' are the way to go (large quantities for very little $)


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## Strawberry12

Yeah I found my Tahitian moon sand and was just like "thanks for your input" in a snarky way  

Plus did you see how much they were charging for "betta" sand?! It's insane. 

I love where I work because a lot of times people will come in looking for something that we don't carry (like dog gates) and instead of charging them 400 million dollars to special order it, we say "honestly your best bet is a baby gate from walmart, it'll be much cheaper" Yay honest bosses!

We do have some crappy betta tanks, but I usually push people to at least the 2.5 gallons we carry, and they listen to me  and the betta "tanks" are on the bottom shelf collecting dust


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## DragonscaleStudyBuddy

My son's girlfriend just bought a betta... I am going to have to buy her betta a tank and heater since she is keeping it in a bowl. I told her that day NOT to listen to what Petco says return the food and bowl she got get him Omega pellets and at least a 2.5 gallon with a filter. I told her bettas will jump. My son said her and her grandmother think I'm crazy.. Grandma: I've never heard of a betta jumping...My son said she did put a lid on the bowl, so there is that.. Now I'm wondering if her betta is getting enough oxygen. It sucks that what one _can_ do and what one _should_ do with critters is so different...

I had a pretty good experience at Petsmart yesterday. My husband has been annoying me about getting some more fish (even though we have GIANTS already). He's been so good about getting me some more tanks that I said ok, BUT NOT in the cichlid tank. The woman was pretty knowledgeable. I said something about a discus fish and she said the fish wasn't a discus I had to explain that I was referring to its shape because I am looking for fish my other fish won't swallow. Anyway we wound up with two new tiny monster fish: a tiny angel and a tiny silver tipped shark. Cassanova my kissing gourami seems to not care that either of them are in his tank so all is well.


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## lumiina

This is not a big story, but when I was at the pet store the other day to get my water tested because I wasn't sure if my own water tests were accurate (they're old, I got them from my mom)...

I told the man at the store I think my fish has fin rot so I'd like to get my water tested. He noticed on my container of water it said "betta" on it and said, "Oh, you have a 'bettah'." And I said, "Yeah, I have a 'beyta'. Oh, I mean, 'bettah'." And was surprised he knew the right pronunciation. I'm just used to using the incorrect pronunciation and kind of prefer it.

But anyhow, he told me bettas can be hard because they don't use filters. I answered back that mine has a filter and he just went, "Oh." (>_<)

Thought it was amusing. At least he didn't tell me they shouldn't have filters or anything like that. I guess he just kind of assumed no one uses filters for them.

The pet store by my house actually uses what I think are filters for their bettas. I'm very impressed with them. Their bettas are always doing well. They actually don't sell other fish anymore because they weren't selling enough. I hope they keep selling bettas though because I'd only shop there for them.

This particular pet store I went to test my water at was a Petco. They had dozens and dozens of bettas, and not a single one was doing well! They weren't swimming around. They were all alive, but motionless and some had problems too. So sad. I never want to buy a betta from there.


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## lumiina

Strawberry12 said:


> Before I started working at my current job, I had applied to Petco and was told that my application was rejected due to my degree. My degree is in basic animal care. *sigh*


What?! That's crazy. I had no idea a Petco would reject someone with a degree related to animals.


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## Strawberry12

Honestly i think it's a money thing, they probably realized they'd have to pay me more since I have a degree in a related field, vs Joe Schmoe over there just looking for a retail job.


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## christinaporreca

Petsmart:

C:"Oh so these are for bettas?"
Dog Manager E:Yup! It says betta! All fish love these tanks anyway!
C*talking to his wife* "It's for bettas because there's a Sphinx! They love them"

Keep in mind this tank was less than a gallon :-( Then they walked away because I mentioned how I was looking for a heater for my betta (made that up.. but who cares..) and then proceeded to the fish section. The manager of the fish did surprisingly well and told him 90% of the fish they carry need heaters to survive.


BUT nothing beats the week prior! An employee tried to tell me all their bettas with ich were healthy and relaxing while they were struggling to survive!


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## Strawberry12

Bettas like Sphinxes? Take lots of vacations to Egypt, do they?


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## Crossroads

Strawberry12 said:


> Before I started working at my current job, I had applied to Petco and was told that my application was rejected due to my degree. My degree is in basic animal care. *sigh*





BettaStarter24 said:


> I've been turned away from Petco too just on the sole reason that I was in college. To become a veterinarian. Totally ignoring the fact that I've had experience handling and working with pretty much every species of domesticated animal (minus salt water fish and most reptiles).





lumiina said:


> What?! That's crazy. I had no idea a Petco would reject someone with a degree related to animals.





Strawberry12 said:


> Honestly i think it's a money thing, they probably realized they'd have to pay me more since I have a degree in a related field, vs Joe Schmoe over there just looking for a retail job.


That is really weird and surprising to me, BOTH my petcos have managers and employees with Marine Biology degrees???


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## Axeria

The last time I was at my LFS I saw a beautiful white dragon with red fins, he had some scaling on one of his eyes tho so I hope he gets bought by someone who know how to care for him proper.

I have to say that the majority of people I meet that keep bettas here have them in a unheated vase and then they go on moaning and whining about how boring and dull these fish are and that they cant wait for it to die so they can buy a new one. Well duuh! I would mostly stay still if I was freezing to death in my very own ammonia death trap.. and as if getting a new one would make things better :S

Then when I tell them what we all struggle to get across about bettas needing a heater and prime is a good idea to get while cycling they get all huffy and tell me that I have only had trev for a few weeks and know nothing  I just answer that "oh so that is the reason my betta has amazingly strong and vibrant colors and irids and is active and social greeting me like a puppy while yours just hangs colorless in the surface gulping air like it was going out of fashion... well thank you for pointing that out for me"  

Some people are just impossible to help...


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## charliegill110

not betta related but when i was young my cousin and i were browsing the fish section of walmart and she found a frog in with a bunch of fish (can't remember what kind) and it didn't have a price listed so she stopped an employee and asked 
cousin: how much does that frog cost?
employee: *eyes widen* what frog?
cousin: this one here
employee: *darts to tank to look* ........umm...... we don't even sell frogs... i have no idea how this guy got in here... you can just have it..." 

i thought that was so strange. i mean i can understand how maybe a frog accidentally got shipped there mixed in with some plants or something, but how on earth did it end up in a random display tank? haha

edit - i'm not sure what type of frog it was either. i was young but from what i remember it was a very light brown with a white belly/underside and it was small. and due to being young (we were probably under 10 years old, and her mom was an absent parents) the frog was short lived. maybe a month. the tank didn't have a lid and it jumped out and she never found it. they also had cats.


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## Axeria

Wow thats just lazy of them! :/


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## Kisiel

I was at the pet store yesterday and I was _very_ impressed by a young male worker whom I had a short chat with. We both went on a rant how people with the "it's just a fish" buy a betta or a gdfish and dump it into a bowl, hoping for the best. He said that even though he's never been that into bettas himself, he believes that every fish, regardless of species, deserves an appropriate home. We talked about how every fish should have a heated, filtered and planted tank with adequate space and it was so nice to chat to someone who knew exactly what he was talking about. Points to him for being a pirahna keeper and enthusiast lol. 

Not so impressed with a different fish store which told me that they charge anywhere between £80 and £100 ($120-$150 for my American friends) for a koi betta. When I heard the price I was like "_EXCUSE ME???_" lol. I could have a whole set up with money leftover for that. I think I may start breeding koi fighters and selling them to that shop, seems like good money - especially when the guy told me the fish are usually bought the day they come in :roll:


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## WyomingBettaGirl

Was at petco with my mom yesterday. Some lady asked me why I was getting a plant for my Betta tank saying "They can only live in a bowl with gravel!! Anything else in there will kill them!!!" I had to try so hard not to yell at that lady. Praise god my momma taught me to respect my elders, even when they're dead wrong, or I would've smacked her upside the head. -sighs- Thank god she wasn't buying a fish, but I sure do feel bad for any she does have.


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## Poseidon28

Customer: my betta's favorite foods are pizza and ice cream.


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## Fourthwind

Had interaction with a Petco corp rep. They believe that water changes twice a week is sufficient. Showed her what the cup water looked like after 2 days on a very small female Betta. Yup that's right. Did the test twice. Took some intensive care, but amazingly she has survived.


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## Elleth

Fourthwind said:


> Had interaction with a Petco corp rep. They believe that water changes twice a week is sufficient. Showed her what the cup water looked like after 2 days on a very small female Betta. Yup that's right. Did the test twice. Took some intensive care, but amazingly she has survived.


They seriously do? Those cups hold literally just over a cup of water, I just measured how much one holds. Kudos for educating her! I hope it makes at least a bit of a difference.


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## CRAZYHERMITCRAB

Petco​Me: "Excuse me. My goldfish died, but I am going on vacation so I cannot get the new fish until I come back."

Employee: "Just come back when you want the fish."

Me: "I do not want to carry dead fish around and I would like store credit please."

Employee: "Oh? You brought the fish?"

Me: "Yes. Its store policy isn't it? To bring the dead fish with a sample of my water."

Employee: "Oh."

Me: "Can I have a refund?"

Employee: "What size tank were they in?"

Me: "My goldfish were in a 29 gallon, It was cycled, filtered, and heated to 74F."

Employee: "Goldfish do not need heaters."

Me: "Actually an ideal temperature for fancy goldfish is in the mid 70s."

Employee: "How long did you float them? Did you float them?"

Me: "No I did not float them, I drip acclimated them for 3 hours. Excuse me, I know what I am doing I have been keeping goldfish for years. The ammonia is 0. the nitrite is 0, and nitrate is 10. I would just like store credit I need to leave."

Employee: "Alright come back when you want new fish. Just ask for me."

3 weeks later....

Me: "Hello I would like to get 2 fancy goldfish I have a warranty"
*Hands the man the receipt

New Employee: "This expired last week."

Me: "No its okay, they told me to come back after my vacation."

New Employee: Questions me about my tanks....

Me: *Takes my goldfish and looks at the 5 bettas they have for sale.
"Excuse me, this one is really sick you need to give it some medication."

Employee: "No its okay, we are getting a new shipment today."

Me: Meanwhile I'm so mad at them.

Me: Okay I would also like to buy these four bettas, I hand him a Crowntail, 2 Deltas, and a Halfmoon. 

Employee: "You know they need seperate tanks?"
WOW PETCO KNEW SOMETHING FOR ONCE!!!!

Me: "Yes...."

Buys fish and storms out annoyed...


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## AmaV

Poseidon28 said:


> Customer: my betta's favorite foods are pizza and ice cream.


>.< Reminds me of a customer I had a few weeks ago. He said he fed his bettas cheetos. He also told me kept one male and two females together in a 20 gallon with no divider. When I told him giving them a balanced diet was better and that it'd be better if they weren't all in the same tank and he said that it didn't matter because they were 'just fish' and that if he wanted a pet that required a lot of care he would have got a dog or something else.


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## dieselthedemon

When I bought Kaiba I bought a ton of deco and I was glade that nobody said anything to me. I guess they figured I was spending 30+ dollars on a fish that I knew what I was doing.


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## Brittyboo

I was in the pet store yesterday, wandering the fish section and these two guys come over:
Male 1: Fish are so boring
Male 2: Not those ones *points at bettas*
Male 1: They look boring
Male 2: Nah they're fighting fish
Male 1: What?
Male 2: Fighting fish, you put them together and they'll beat the **** out of each other
Male 1: oh we should buy some and fight them!
Me: *hovers next to betta setup prepared to step in*
Both males: *wander over to goldfish muttering about how I'm blocking the bettas*
Male 2: Never mind, fish are gross anyway

I was fuming a little afterwards


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## SplashyBetta

I was in the fish aisle at Walmart recently...
Person 1: *looking at tanks* Says to person 2, "So you're going to help me get the stuff for the goldfish?"
Person 2: "Yes, you'll need a tank first."
Person 1: "Here's a nice bowl." *points at 1/2 gallon bowl*
Person 2: *picks up tank kit* "This one would be better. It's 1 gallon and comes with a filter so you can have multiple fish and you won't have to change the water!"

Ah yes, a one gallon tank with a "filter" (actually a bubbler) and two or three goldfish will NEVER need to be cleaned!!! :roll:

Here's a much nicer story from Petco:
Person: Says to employee, "I'd like to get a couple betta fish, would this tank be okay?" *points to 5 gallon tank*
Employee: That's a great aquarium size for a single betta, but unfortunately male bettas can't live in an undivided tank together. Females can be in a tank together but it needs to be a large tank with more than two bettas. If you want two males, you can get a 10 gallon tank" *points to 10 gallon* "and buy a divider to keep two together." *points to divider*

That employee is the one and only knowledgeable fish person at my Petco. He's awesome.


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## kaysparf

this is why us pet store employees get such a bad rep, so many clueless employees ):


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## Mike16576

I had my own run in the other day... I was looking to rescue a few bettas and this is what I heard:

C: (Talking to daughter) Now, which betta would you like?
D: I don't know (She is about 5)
C: Ooh, this one looks nice
E: Hello, do you need any help?
C: I need some food for this betta (Shows the employee a BEAUTIFUL halfmoon)
E: You can take these, feed them a pellet 3 times per day
C: Thanks, I do have one question. I bought a betta a few months ago and it died within the first few days. It seemed like it was sick
E: It is possible that you could have purchased a sick betta. What is it kept in?
C: Oh, I just keep it in it's sales cup (THOSE THINGS WITH HALF A CUP OF WATER!!!)
E: (Is day dreaming) Yeah, you could have purchased a sick betta. I could give you a waranty
C: I've known people to keep bettas in these cups for years! Those fish seemed happy!
E: Oh! Keeping it in that cup! Thats why it died. Take this bowl, and change the water once a month (Hands her a small pink half gallon bowl)
C: Oh! I will...
E: Just put the betta in with some tap water, he should be fine
ME: I was going to step in and yell at both of them, but I stopped myself (I am only 12)


----------



## DangerousAngel

I actually have a good experience at PetCo. today. One had unfortunately passed away and no one noticed so I told the worker that we knew and he picked he the poor little guy up and said that they freeze them to preserve them. It still made me sad, but it was handled promptly. S.I.P Sweet red VT.


----------



## Mg13

so sad.

one of my other friends actually spoke up to someone who was buying a vase and the employee told her she's "just a kid and doesn't know anything."

made me mad and i wasn't even with her!!! she knows 50 times more that that guy!!1


----------



## RainbowsHaven

I had the worst experience after visiting a Petco we don't usually visit today... Our local Petco, which is small, but clean and filled with employees that are extremely knowledgeable and passionate about what they do. However, they've had the same dingy little piece of mopani wood (and nothing else) for several weeks and we wanted a new piece for our redone 5G. So, today we decided to go 10-15 miles up the highway to the much larger Petco not far from our home. 

As soon as we entered, the entire tone of the store was different. Nothing was zoned, the isles were a mess, the store was PACKED, but none of the employees were helping or interacting with any of the customers. 

At first, we were thrilled to see the giant aquarium section that was separated into it's own room... Until we went in. There were no lights in the little room and at least a quarter of the tanks had no lights at all; they were burnt out of turned off. Many of the horizontal "doors" that are supposed to run along the top of the aquarium shelving units had broken off completely, leaving the fish exposed to anyone that felt like sticking their hands in the tank (and there were tons of kids around, so I trust it's been done plenty). 

They had a poorly organized, but standard display of bettas in front... But for some reason they had a selection of 15-30 in the aquarium section. They were place on top of one of the 6-foot-tall center tank stands and were almost impossible to see. Since we went to the aquarium section first, we thought they were the only bettas they had, initially. Many of the fish had bad bloating and swim bladder. I could hardly see them, but my boyfriend (who is taller than me) let me know that several of them were dead. Those that WERE alive (several stunning rosetails) had heavily bitten and dilapidated fins. 

While we were back there, an employee asked if we needed any help. At first I said no, but I was angry enough that I then quipped; "We were just looking at the dead bettas." She became very quiet and began examining all the fish around us, at least. She called back another employee (or maybe the manager, who knows). I just finished sending an email through their online form... Who knows if it'll do anything, but I can't say I didn't try at least. 

*sighs* At least they had some mopani wood. We were able to grab a really giant piece for about $11, it's beautiful and we're thinking Vale will really like it. It just about killed my boyfriend to walk out of that store without a betta though... I suspect we'll be back next weekend to see is his rosetail buddy is there once we get all the supplies for our 20G.


----------



## scampers4010

I've posted this story before, but when in Rome...

I received my very first betta... a month from tomorrow, actually. When I first was picking him out, I assured my mother that the 10 gallon we had at home was fine (I had done 0 research on bettas at the time), but she insisted that I ask somebody at our local Petco.

After talking with an employee, we eventually walked out with a 1/2 gallon tank with a plastic plant, water conditioner, and flakes. She assured us that that would be all we needed as bettas only lived in small mud puddles on farmlands and too much water would stress them out. 

I'm happy to report that my little guy has a divided 10 gallon now.. always research your new pets


----------



## Sadist

Sadly, many people think that asking pet store employees is doing research. I wrote up my daughter's school for not doing research on how to take care of their bettas. The director called the pet store and told me they were taking care of them just fine. (1/2 gallon, change water once a week, but it's actually been 3 months or so. The poor guy is emaciated and has dropsy at the same time, been that way for almost a month now.)


----------



## Overprotective Fish Lover

Here's my little rant of the day...

So I was checking out the mystery snails at the pet store the other day, and failing to guess their gender, when this couple walks in, looking absentmindedly at the fish. There was an employee there and the following conversation ensued:
Employee: Are you looking for anything?
Customers: (still wandering about) Well, we were just wondering...do you have any fish that can live in a bowl? (I cringed at that because I knew all too well what the answer would be)
Employee: The bettas are the only ones we have that can live in a bowl.
Customers: (They look around, confused, obviously knowing nothing about fish, until the employee points out the cups on the shelf. They pick up a couple of them and look at them. Then they wander over to where the little decorative bowls are that should be for flowers, not fish, and pick one out along with the fish they're holding.) Is there anything else we need?
Employee: (pointing out some pellets) You should feed them these.
Customers: Well, okay.

So they walk out with a bowl, a fish, and pellets. I'm pretty sure it was a male they picked out but I overheard them at the checkout saying they were going to name it Betty the Betta. If I didn't care about manners I would have dragged them back to the fish section and showed them the water conditioner and 5 gal tanks, but I didn't say anything. This story still irks me...and the worst thing is, it happens every day, in pretty much every pet store. As I watched them walk out I wondered if the fish would die from ammonia poisoning or from the chlorine in its water.


----------



## Sadist

I was at the pet store for plants and checked out the fish. One betta was swimming around kinda funny, then I saw him try to jump out of his cup! He got stuck to the side of the cup above the water line for his efforts. I tipped the water a bit so he could swim again. Now, I wonder if he's doing okay.


----------



## DangerousAngel

AWW! ^^

There is a worker that we know (PetCo. knows us really well, they ask about my fish.) Anyway this guy was with us at the Betta's and he saw the one that had SBD and was very bloated and the guy just smacked the crap out bod the cup and scared the poor Betta! (I've decided to name him flame, I'd love to bring him home and treat him. He's a red CT) oh it killed me! :-(


----------



## KitDewStein

So I am not thrilled with a Petsmart I used to love. While out shopping with my mom and aunt we visited the store I decided to price check stuff for the 2.5 gallon for Sebastian.
Me: *stares at filters for tank*
E: Hey are you finding everything okay?
Me: Sorta, do you have any filters for a 2.5 gallon tank or do I need to rid one with sponge and an air pump?
E: Well we don't really have any for such a small tank. We do have tanks that automatically come with filters and lights. *shows me tanks smaller than 2.5 gallon* They are really easy to maintain. I have this tank in my office. *points out either a .5 or 1 gallon tank*
Me: Thank you. *watches person walk away while I cringe inside*

He really didn't even help me other than trying to sell me a smaller tank that automatically came with stuff. >.>

Petco was a little better employee wise. They had king betta's in little dinky cups though and in one of the aquariums there was a huge dead fish. Also their little betta pamphlet thing is full of crap. "1/4+ gallon" my foot, and sparingly feed 3 times a week.....I give up on major pet stores with betta fish care.


----------



## Sadist

I noticed our petsmart had a sale of 1.2 gallon tanks that come with filters and lights. Maybe that's what he was point to. I bought one for my daughter's classroom since their fish is in a .5 gallon thing by the sink. At least with the new one (even without the filter and light) it's less likely for soap to splash in there, and there's a tiny bit more room to swim around.

I went to buy some otos and was told just 1 was fine. I got home and find out they need 6 :/ I'll have to buy them a few at a time, but I'm really disappointed in the employee knowledge.

A different time, I was told that ADF aren't social and do fine with just one.


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## Sadist

DangerousAngel said:


> AWW! ^^
> 
> There is a worker that we know (PetCo. knows us really well, they ask about my fish.) Anyway this guy was with us at the Betta's and he saw the one that had SBD and was very bloated and the guy just smacked the crap out bod the cup and scared the poor Betta! (I've decided to name him flame, I'd love to bring him home and treat him. He's a red CT) oh it killed me! :-(


Poor little Flame  People seem to think that's how to tell if they're dead or alive when they have SBD.


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## DangerousAngel

Sadist said:


> Poor little Flame  People seem to think that's how to tell if they're dead or alive when they have SBD.


I know! I just wanted to cry!  UGH I wish I could bargain a good price (maybe even free) for the little guy and have him set up in my 1 gal. to get him better. IDK what I'd do if he got better though, I don't have any more room! :-(
That's really mean how they 'check' to see if they are still alive. how'd you like to be smacked around like that?! :evil:


----------



## CustardCatfish

Not a Betta, but some woman in a LFS was asking about saltwater fish and why the ones in her office kept dying. She points to a bunch of guppies.

Turns out, the tank was a super nice SW set-up in this big office that was maintained by a professional. However, she and another co-worker thought that the fish in there looked lonely and needed more. So she just got some without researching or asking the professional and put them in.

She then had the gall to _laugh _about it. As if it was some silly mistake! I was horrified!

I still get POed when I think about it. I don't get why people don't think before they do things. Like, it takes about... what? 20 minutes? To do a quick read-up? Why are there so many people who can't even manage to do that?

I have plenty more stories. I _may _know someone who works at a pet shop...


----------



## Sadist

Oh man, and she could have wiped the whole tank out with a disease, too.

Sorry about the spelling/grammar errors in my above posts. That's what I get for not proofreading!


----------



## ZeroChan

CustardCatfish said:


> Not a Betta, but some woman in a LFS was asking about saltwater fish and why the ones in her office kept dying. She points to a bunch of guppies.
> 
> Turns out, the tank was a super nice SW set-up in this big office that was maintained by a professional. However, she and another co-worker thought that the fish in there looked lonely and needed more. So she just got some without researching or asking the professional and put them in.
> 
> She then had the gall to _laugh _about it. As if it was some silly mistake! I was horrified!
> 
> I still get POed when I think about it. I don't get why people don't think before they do things. Like, it takes about... what? 20 minutes? To do a quick read-up? Why are there so many people who can't even manage to do that?
> 
> I have plenty more stories. I _may _know someone who works at a pet shop...


omg.... Thats like throwing human onto mars without any oxygen tank :< they are cruel


----------



## BettaBoy11

So... We heard of a pet store we never went to. Turns out it was just for fish... Sounds good, right? Wrong!!!
So the bettas are in little glass bowls which was ok, I thought as they are slightly bigger then the normal cup. The price rangedfrom 10-20 dollars. They said they never sold bettas unless they were perfectly healthy. Say that to the fish floating on its side barely alive... Plus most of the fishes fins were clamped. The bowls were filled with hot city tap water, with no prime. It was pretty bad... And this is an LFS!!!
Anyway I may be back for some of the decorations they sold, but I would never buy a fish there unless it was a giant or King, as it is the only place around that carries them.


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## AukWord

CustardCatfish said:


> Not a Betta, but some woman in a LFS was asking about saltwater fish and why the ones in her office kept dying. She points to a bunch of guppies.
> 
> Turns out, the tank was a super nice SW set-up in this big office that was maintained by a professional. However, she and another co-worker thought that the fish in there looked lonely and needed more. So she just got some without researching or asking the professional and put them in.
> 
> She then had the gall to _laugh _about it. As if it was some silly mistake! I was horrified!
> 
> I still get POed when I think about it. *I don't get why people don't think before they do things.* Like, it takes about... what? 20 minutes? To do a quick read-up? Why are there so many people who can't even manage to do that?
> 
> I have plenty more stories. I _may _know someone who works at a pet shop...



To the bold--therein lies your error.

Giving humans credit for _thinking_, before acting.


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## marmalade24601

when i bought my crown tail sheldon, i nad a tank (2.5) heater filter and some plants…

me. can you please come help me i want to get a beta
e. ok sure, do u have a tank?
me. yes… this 2.5 gal 
e. oh no thats way to big! get one of these pointing to a 1/4 gallon bowl…
me. no thanks i think this will be fine 
e. also you don't need a heater and filter they live in puddles
me. look i know what I'm doing please can i just get the fish
e. ok.. fine but when it dies don't come crying to me about it
me. fine look i want this one (points to white ct)
e. thats not a betta, thats a crown tail!!!
me. its a crown tail BETTA 
e. look no its not


i went and found some one else and walked out 20min later with my tank and my ct but serious….


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## DangerousAngel

*facepalm* I have no words.....


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## CustardCatfish

So, why do some of you guys continue to visit LFS who mistreat their fish or give crap advice? I'd only ever visit my LFS (who has advised a friend to put 5 guppies and a betta in a Fluval Spec V in one go) if it was a dire emergency. 

There's a great FS about 30 mins away from me where I get my stuff from or online. I don't give these companies money if I don't have to.


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## CustardCatfish

Sorry to double post, timed out to edit. I wanted to add some more horror stories about my LFS. 

When I was starting up my big tank again I only had Quick Start in there and needed to buy a test kit. I hadn't been there for a looooong time and gave them a call. They said they'd test my water as well and I should bring some in. They didn't show me the test results but assured me that my water parameters were out of whack. As well as the test kit and some Cycle, they basically told me I NEEDED to get a few rasboras because it was the ONLY way to do it. I told them I didn't want to and it made me feel bad putting them through that. The guy (young, arrogant and probably thought I was a stupid young woman) told me it was the absolute ONLY way. So I got 3 rasboras and was told to do one small partial WC. They died. I shouldn't have been so pressured by them (I knew better) but they were so forceful about it that I complied. I hate them for it. 

A while ago I bought some loaches from them. They told me in a stern voice to NEVER feed them as they are bottom feeders. Thanks for assuming I overfeed and have a magical supply of live food in my tank. 

They had an octopus in a 100L tall tank with nothing in it. It was just trying to get out the entire time. I assume that it was a special order for someone but it absolutely disgusted me. 

They have a moray eel in a tank that's farrrrr too small for her. They sell live coral out of the tank so she's constantly losing her habitat. 

They told me the only way to cycle is with fish after I told them I was seeding my Fluval Spec V with some ornaments, Cycle and a bit of fish food. Was totes cycled in 2 weeks, ya poophead. 

I hate going there. I'd only ever go back if it was an emergency. Thing is, they have their small amount of bettas in decent planted nano tanks. IDEK. They're just not nice and they are pretty sexist.


----------



## charliegill110

CustardCatfish said:


> Sorry to double post, timed out to edit. I wanted to add some more horror stories about my LFS.
> 
> When I was starting up my big tank again I only had Quick Start in there and needed to buy a test kit. I hadn't been there for a looooong time and gave them a call. They said they'd test my water as well and I should bring some in. They didn't show me the test results but assured me that my water parameters were out of whack. As well as the test kit and some Cycle, they basically told me I NEEDED to get a few rasboras because it was the ONLY way to do it. I told them I didn't want to and it made me feel bad putting them through that. The guy (young, arrogant and probably thought I was a stupid young woman) told me it was the absolute ONLY way. So I got 3 rasboras and was told to do one small partial WC. They died. I shouldn't have been so pressured by them (I knew better) but they were so forceful about it that I complied. I hate them for it.
> 
> A while ago I bought some loaches from them. They told me in a stern voice to NEVER feed them as they are bottom feeders. Thanks for assuming I overfeed and have a magical supply of live food in my tank.
> 
> They had an octopus in a 100L tall tank with nothing in it. It was just trying to get out the entire time. I assume that it was a special order for someone but it absolutely disgusted me.
> 
> They have a moray eel in a tank that's farrrrr too small for her. They sell live coral out of the tank so she's constantly losing her habitat.
> 
> They told me the only way to cycle is with fish after I told them I was seeding my Fluval Spec V with some ornaments, Cycle and a bit of fish food. Was totes cycled in 2 weeks, ya poophead.
> 
> I hate going there. I'd only ever go back if it was an emergency. Thing is, they have their small amount of bettas in decent planted nano tanks. IDEK. They're just not nice and they are pretty sexist.


i can't speak for anyone else, but for me i live in a small town. there aren't any pet stores in my town but 2 in the city above me and 2 in the city below me. and those 4 aren't even close. so whether i like those stores or not, those are my only choices. which kind of sucks because i wish i had more options. i don't order online much either. 

as for the octopus it was trying to escape because octopuses? octopi? (whatever the plural is) are escape artists. i've heard of octopus tanks having to be padlocked shut to prevent them from escaping. i'd love to have an octopus tank but i can tell thats not something i'd be able to care for.


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## Sadist

Some have camouflage, so maybe some hides would have made him/her more comfortable. 

Our Petco still doesn't have babies (I'm really hoping their fish guy just put an end to it), but they had kings last time I visited. I really wish I had room and outlets for another tank. 

One day, I took my daughter to petsmart for some plants. There was a guy there with this huge dog, and my daughter was freaking and trying to hide from him. She'd been hurt by a bad-mannered dog before, and I had to explain that this dog wasn't going to hurt her. In fact, he was the most well-behaved dog I'd ever seen. Even in the store with all the smells and other dogs, he was at heel the whole time.


----------



## VivianKJean

Not exactly a Pet Store story but related

A friend of mine from high school posted that she got two betta fish. Each have a small vase that maybe holds 2 cups of water at the most and there is no heater or any decor. 

I calmly messaged her on facebook and said that vases are not the best homes for her new friends, gave her some basic care info, stressed that she does need a heater, and linked her to this site.

this is her response 

Me - *sends message about care, needing a heater and linking her to this site."
Her - and what exactly do you know about fish?
Me - explains that i have three bettas and have had bettas for 15 years and have done lots of research
Her - well you don't work at a pet store and it seems like you just want me to spend money on things you don't need. Bettas are cheap pets.
Me - well they are not cheap exactly *explains why* Then explains cheap options on how to provide her fish with a good home
Her - Petco said we do not need any of that stuff and they are experts and Its rude that you would message me an call me an animal abuser.
Me - I never mentioned that you were an animal abuser, I was giving you advice on how to make your fish happy
Her - Well they are happy and its not like bettas are that active anyway.

*she messages me again several hours later*

Her - you are a *insert bad word*. I just went back to Petco and they said you lied to me. I don't need a heater or anything else you mentions. Bettas only live for a couple months anyway so there is no way your fish have been alive for over a year. *insert another bad word/phrase*


----------



## Reccka

VivianKJean said:


> Not exactly a Pet Store story but related
> 
> A friend of mine from high school posted that she got two betta fish. Each have a small vase that maybe holds 2 cups of water at the most and there is no heater or any decor.
> 
> I calmly messaged her on facebook and said that vases are not the best homes for her new friends, gave her some basic care info, stressed that she does need a heater, and linked her to this site.
> 
> this is her response
> 
> Me - *sends message about care, needing a heater and linking her to this site."
> Her - and what exactly do you know about fish?
> Me - explains that i have three bettas and have had bettas for 15 years and have done lots of research
> Her - well you don't work at a pet store and it seems like you just want me to spend money on things you don't need. Bettas are cheap pets.
> Me - well they are not cheap exactly *explains why* Then explains cheap options on how to provide her fish with a good home
> Her - Petco said we do not need any of that stuff and they are experts and Its rude that you would message me an call me an animal abuser.
> Me - I never mentioned that you were an animal abuser, I was giving you advice on how to make your fish happy
> Her - Well they are happy and its not like bettas are that active anyway.
> 
> *she messages me again several hours later*
> 
> Her - you are a *insert bad word*. I just went back to Petco and they said you lied to me. I don't need a heater or anything else you mentions. Bettas only live for a couple months anyway so there is no way your fish have been alive for over a year. *insert another bad word/phrase*


I will never understand people who blindly follow whatever a pet store tells them. Why yes...I'm sure those young employees over there making minimum wage have expert and encyclopedic knowledge of all things involving animals thanks to the wise teachings of (chain pet store)'s training!

Like geez, people need to be reminded that it's a freaking RETAIL store. Not a UNIVERSITY. I don't see people blindly follow employee advice in any other kind of retail store. No one goes into a clothing store and expects the minimum wage employee to be an expert in the entire fashion industry! Some people just don't stop and think realistically.


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## SiameseFightingArt

You should show her these forums Viv


----------



## BettaBoy11

Not a pet store, but go to AquaBlock's website! It basically says that the fact that bettas like large tank is A MYTH!!!


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## VivianKJean

SiameseFightingArt said:


> You should show her these forums Viv


if you read my post, I did link her to this site but im guessing she didn't even look at it.


----------



## charliegill110

VivianKJean said:


> Not exactly a Pet Store story but related
> 
> A friend of mine from high school posted that she got two betta fish. Each have a small vase that maybe holds 2 cups of water at the most and there is no heater or any decor.
> 
> I calmly messaged her on facebook and said that vases are not the best homes for her new friends, gave her some basic care info, stressed that she does need a heater, and linked her to this site.
> 
> this is her response
> 
> Me - *sends message about care, needing a heater and linking her to this site."
> Her - and what exactly do you know about fish?
> Me - explains that i have three bettas and have had bettas for 15 years and have done lots of research
> Her - well you don't work at a pet store and it seems like you just want me to spend money on things you don't need. Bettas are cheap pets.
> Me - well they are not cheap exactly *explains why* Then explains cheap options on how to provide her fish with a good home
> Her - Petco said we do not need any of that stuff and they are experts and Its rude that you would message me an call me an animal abuser.
> Me - I never mentioned that you were an animal abuser, I was giving you advice on how to make your fish happy
> Her - Well they are happy and its not like bettas are that active anyway.
> 
> *she messages me again several hours later*
> 
> Her - you are a *insert bad word*. I just went back to Petco and they said you lied to me. I don't need a heater or anything else you mentions. Bettas only live for a couple months anyway so there is no way your fish have been alive for over a year. *insert another bad word/phrase*


a couple months ago a cousin posted on fb that she had gotten her kids bettas, the picture looked like the bettas were in a bowl but i wasn't 100% sure. but i messaged her and nicely told her some proper care for bettas and mentioned all the myths and how you can trust pet stores and i even directed her to this site. when she replied she told me she had actually already been browsing this site and researching a lot because she wanted to provide for them the best way possible. she must of went to the pet store a thousand times getting different things the pet store claimed she didn't need. we talked back and forth for days about proper care and i was really excited that she was wanting to actually take care of them. 

it turned out great with my cousin, but theres other people who i truly believe just aren't meant to have pets..


----------



## Sadist

VivianKJean said:


> Not exactly a Pet Store story but related
> 
> A friend of mine from high school posted that she got two betta fish. Each have a small vase that maybe holds 2 cups of water at the most and there is no heater or any decor.
> 
> I calmly messaged her on facebook and said that vases are not the best homes for her new friends, gave her some basic care info, stressed that she does need a heater, and linked her to this site.
> 
> this is her response
> 
> Me - *sends message about care, needing a heater and linking her to this site."
> Her - and what exactly do you know about fish?
> Me - explains that i have three bettas and have had bettas for 15 years and have done lots of research
> Her - well you don't work at a pet store and it seems like you just want me to spend money on things you don't need. Bettas are cheap pets.
> Me - well they are not cheap exactly *explains why* Then explains cheap options on how to provide her fish with a good home
> Her - Petco said we do not need any of that stuff and they are experts and Its rude that you would message me an call me an animal abuser.
> Me - I never mentioned that you were an animal abuser, I was giving you advice on how to make your fish happy
> Her - Well they are happy and its not like bettas are that active anyway.
> 
> *she messages me again several hours later*
> 
> Her - you are a *insert bad word*. I just went back to Petco and they said you lied to me. I don't need a heater or anything else you mentions. Bettas only live for a couple months anyway so there is no way your fish have been alive for over a year. *insert another bad word/phrase*


That's pretty much what my daughter's school did to me except they were mature and polite about it. The pet store told them to clean out the .5 gallon tank once a week, but it was actually being cleaned out once every 3 months or so. The school has a rule that the classrooms have to have pets, but it chose a type of animal the teacher doesn't empathize with.


----------



## DangerousAngel

So I've put a new boy on hold (yellow Doubletail OMG I can't wait to show you guys!) And the lady I asked to do so was kind if rude, I have a naturally soft voice and can't do anything about it and she just made me feel pretty bad about that. Then proceeded to question when we were coming back. Needless to say after I pick this guy and his supplies up, I won't be shopping there again. :/


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## charliegill110

DangerousAngel said:


> So I've put a new boy on hold (yellow Doubletail OMG I can't wait to show you guys!) And the lady I asked to do so was kind if rude, I have a naturally soft voice and can't do anything about it and she just made me feel pretty bad about that. Then proceeded to question when we were coming back. Needless to say after I pick this guy and his supplies up, I won't be shopping there again. :/


what did she say?


----------



## SiameseFightingArt

VivianKJean said:


> if you read my post, I did link her to this site but im guessing she didn't even look at it.


sorry didn't see that part. Bad eyesight. Sigh some people don't know until later in life then when they look bac on their first bettas they regret it. If she decides to continue keeping fish she would find out soon enough. Surprisingly I saw someone who acted like that on an Fb group I am a part of. They posted their tiny bowl with a huge lily plant in it and a poor betta stuck in the corner of this setup. People tried to inform her, but she kept cursing at them and called them liars. She was banned from the group due to her language.


----------



## DangerousAngel

charliegill110 said:


> what did she say?


Well she had this annoyed look on her face and said 'sorry I couldn't hear you' with this awful attitude, then rudely asked when we would be back. Some people need to leave the sour milk out of their cereal in the morning.


----------



## AukWord

Reccka said:


> I will never understand people who blindly follow whatever a pet store tells them. Why yes...I'm sure those young employees over there making minimum wage have expert and encyclopedic knowledge of all things involving animals thanks to the wise teachings of (chain pet store)'s training!
> 
> Like geez, people need to be reminded that it's a freaking RETAIL store. Not a UNIVERSITY. I don't see people blindly follow employee advice in any other kind of retail store. No one goes into a clothing store and expects the minimum wage employee to be an expert in the entire fashion industry! Some people just don't stop and think realistically.



This. So much, this.

I will never understand it either.


----------



## CustardCatfish

charliegill110 said:


> i can't speak for anyone else, but for me i live in a small town. there aren't any pet stores in my town but 2 in the city above me and 2 in the city below me. and those 4 aren't even close. so whether i like those stores or not, those are my only choices. which kind of sucks because i wish i had more options. i don't order online much either.
> 
> as for the octopus it was trying to escape because octopuses? octopi? (whatever the plural is) are escape artists. i've heard of octopus tanks having to be padlocked shut to prevent them from escaping. i'd love to have an octopus tank but i can tell thats not something i'd be able to care for.


You should try more online shopping. Most online stores have plenty of reviews so you know where you stand with them. I've even bought some plants online! All very healthy because I did a quick read-up before I chose what place to buy them from. 

Octopuses are escape artists, yep. They are very intelligent, however. They need constant stimulation and they need a pretty big tank and the owner needs to give them a lot of attention. I actually don't agree with them being kept as pets unless it's a really complex set-up you have. They're just too intelligent and needy. It's like having a pet shark or dolphin, for instance. Imo.

The accepted plurals for an octopus are octopuses, octopodes and octopi. The most correct one is (from what I have read) octopuses.



VivianKJean said:


> Not exactly a Pet Store story but related
> 
> A friend of mine from high school posted that she got two betta fish. Each have a small vase that maybe holds 2 cups of water at the most and there is no heater or any decor.
> 
> I calmly messaged her on facebook and said that vases are not the best homes for her new friends, gave her some basic care info, stressed that she does need a heater, and linked her to this site.
> 
> this is her response
> 
> Me - *sends message about care, needing a heater and linking her to this site."
> Her - and what exactly do you know about fish?
> Me - explains that i have three bettas and have had bettas for 15 years and have done lots of research
> Her - well you don't work at a pet store and it seems like you just want me to spend money on things you don't need. Bettas are cheap pets.
> Me - well they are not cheap exactly *explains why* Then explains cheap options on how to provide her fish with a good home
> Her - Petco said we do not need any of that stuff and they are experts and Its rude that you would message me an call me an animal abuser.
> Me - I never mentioned that you were an animal abuser, I was giving you advice on how to make your fish happy
> Her - Well they are happy and its not like bettas are that active anyway.
> 
> *she messages me again several hours later*
> 
> Her - you are a *insert bad word*. I just went back to Petco and they said you lied to me. I don't need a heater or anything else you mentions. Bettas only live for a couple months anyway so there is no way your fish have been alive for over a year. *insert another bad word/phrase*


Your "friend" sounds like a stubborn and immature poohead who can't accept being told things by others. I delete people like that asap. I reckon you should, too. If able. Poisonous people are exactly that. Poison.

As for the school pets - I really disagree with this. In theory, it's a fantastic idea to teach kids responsibility and biology but IN reality it fails too often. Like AukWord said a few pages back, people act before thinking. Even teachers (a sign, imo, of a bad one) do it. Do some research, plan it logistically before getting everything and make sure you have a proper sort of pet for the kids. Friends kids have some class mice that are cleaned twice a week and they have a roster for who takes them home on the weekend. The entire class agreed to it and wrote and signed for responsibility. Very healthy mice in a good home. Makes me happy.


----------



## InsertCheesecake

These types of people are basic stubborn people. Like my mom (MOST of the time). She always claims that Nomi is a tiny fish and that he doesn't need to be living in a huge aquarium.

Me: Mom would you like to live in such a small space?
Mom with sarcasm: Yes I would love to, because its easier to clean.

_then I thought *oh wow you like being sarcastic hm?* but of course with manners I stopped myself from doing a stupid reply and costing myself trouble._


----------



## CustardCatfish

Yeah, the issue is that unless they're near-death, a lot of people don't see a fish sitting in the corner or going psycho as bad signs. I've pointed out clamped fins and been told that it's, "just how they look." Why don't nobody read up on stuff?!!??! WHY!!

And they're so not easier to clean. LMAO! Quite the opposite!! I have to tinker with my 5g much more often than my 50g.


----------



## ZeroChan

VivianKJean said:


> Not exactly a Pet Store story but related
> 
> A friend of mine from high school posted that she got two betta fish. Each have a small vase that maybe holds 2 cups of water at the most and there is no heater or any decor.
> 
> I calmly messaged her on facebook and said that vases are not the best homes for her new friends, gave her some basic care info, stressed that she does need a heater, and linked her to this site.
> 
> this is her response
> 
> Me - *sends message about care, needing a heater and linking her to this site."
> Her - and what exactly do you know about fish?
> Me - explains that i have three bettas and have had bettas for 15 years and have done lots of research
> Her - well you don't work at a pet store and it seems like you just want me to spend money on things you don't need. Bettas are cheap pets.
> Me - well they are not cheap exactly *explains why* Then explains cheap options on how to provide her fish with a good home
> Her - Petco said we do not need any of that stuff and they are experts and Its rude that you would message me an call me an animal abuser.
> Me - I never mentioned that you were an animal abuser, I was giving you advice on how to make your fish happy
> Her - Well they are happy and its not like bettas are that active anyway.
> 
> *she messages me again several hours later*
> 
> Her - you are a *insert bad word*. I just went back to Petco and they said you lied to me. I don't need a heater or anything else you mentions. Bettas only live for a couple months anyway so there is no way your fish have been alive for over a year. *insert another bad word/phrase*


Wow.... She wouldn't be my friend anymore :< how rude and stubborn


----------



## VivianKJean

ZeroChan said:


> Wow.... She wouldn't be my friend anymore :< how rude and stubborn


yeah we are not really friends anymore. We sorta hung out in high school (I just graduated from college) and are still friends on Facebook. 

I've made a new rule that I am now unfriending people who keep bettas in unheated bowls and vases.


----------



## BettaStarter24

For those who don't have other options but really poor LFS/LPS but are ok with online ordering, I really recommend www.mnbettashop.com (The Betta Shop in MN) they have really good quality fish and they take amazing care of them. You'll pay a bit more for the fish but it is really worth it. And it's a lot cheaper to order from them then to get from Aquabid. The owner is a transhipper for Aquabid and such, and he personally drives to the airports to pick the fish up. They do water changes at least every three days if not daily water changes in the gallon containers they keep the fish in.


----------



## InsertCheesecake

BettaStarter24 said:


> For those who don't have other options but really poor LFS/LPS but are ok with online ordering, I really recommend www.mnbettashop.com (The Betta Shop in MN) they have really good quality fish and they take amazing care of them. You'll pay a bit more for the fish but it is really worth it. And it's a lot cheaper to order from them then to get from Aquabid. The owner is a transhipper for Aquabid and such, and he personally drives to the airports to pick the fish up. They do water changes at least every three days if not daily water changes in the gallon containers they keep the fish in.


Sometimes I wonder that life is like that usual iPad game, where you either choose a "Limited edition BETTER CHANCE" for a higher price, or a "Petshop Try to find less chance" for a lower price. (imagine if it was.. :lol: )


----------



## charliegill110

CustardCatfish said:


> You should try more online shopping. Most online stores have plenty of reviews so you know where you stand with them. I've even bought some plants online! All very healthy because I did a quick read-up before I chose what place to buy them from.
> 
> Octopuses are escape artists, yep. They are very intelligent, however. They need constant stimulation and they need a pretty big tank and the owner needs to give them a lot of attention. I actually don't agree with them being kept as pets unless it's a really complex set-up you have. They're just too intelligent and needy. It's like having a pet shark or dolphin, for instance. Imo.
> 
> The accepted plurals for an octopus are octopuses, octopodes and octopi. The most correct one is (from what I have read) octopuses.


i don't like online shopping because i don't like paying shipping, because it feels like i'm just wasting money. however if i can find something online and it ends up being cheaper (even with shipping) then i definitely buy it. but i don't really like buying fish decor online because its hard to tell the exact size. 

but i agree about the octopuses.


----------



## Elleth

BettaStarter24 said:


> For those who don't have other options but really poor LFS/LPS but are ok with online ordering, I really recommend www.mnbettashop.com (The Betta Shop in MN) they have really good quality fish and they take amazing care of them. You'll pay a bit more for the fish but it is really worth it. And it's a lot cheaper to order from them then to get from Aquabid. The owner is a transhipper for Aquabid and such, and he personally drives to the airports to pick the fish up. They do water changes at least every three days if not daily water changes in the gallon containers they keep the fish in.


 I was just looking for that! Thank you! Lol.


----------



## MikeG14

VivianKJean said:


> yeah we are not really friends anymore. We sorta hung out in high school (I just graduated from college) and are still friends on Facebook.
> 
> I've made a new rule that I am now unfriending people who keep bettas in unheated bowls and vases.


That kinda sounds like fun!

I think I'm going to start a Facebook page _just_ so I can unfriend people who keep bettas in unheated bowls and vases.


----------



## AukWord

InsertCheesecake said:


> These types of people are basic stubborn people. Like my mom (MOST of the time). She always claims that Nomi is a tiny fish and that he doesn't need to be living in a huge aquarium.
> 
> Me: Mom would you like to live in such a small space?
> Mom with sarcasm: Yes I would love to, because its easier to clean.
> 
> _then I thought *oh wow you like being sarcastic hm?* but of course with manners I stopped myself from doing a stupid reply and costing myself trouble._


Maybe your Mom would understand if you explained to her that aquarium cleaning/maintenance is basically the opposite of her idea of housecleaning--the _larger_ the tank, the _easier_ task keeping it clean and livable.

She probably hasn't thought of it that way.


----------



## CustardCatfish

charliegill110 said:


> i don't like online shopping because i don't like paying shipping, because it feels like i'm just wasting money. however if i can find something online and it ends up being cheaper (even with shipping) then i definitely buy it. but i don't really like buying fish decor online because its hard to tell the exact size.
> 
> but i agree about the octopuses.


It depends. Shipping can be a good and bad thing. Sometimes you'll find things are cheaper online (the store might be paying shipping for the same product line and have to account for it in their prices) and the shipping is reasonable. Other times you have stores that will stock really specific things and have to charge much more expensive shipping. 

I actually don't mind paying shipping as long as it's reasonable. The online store I visit for most of my stuff (excluding eBay) charges by weight class. Most stuff I get is food and bottles... maybe even a few ornaments or driftwood. It's about 15AUD to ship that. That's 12USD. I find a lot of the stuff I buy at a LFS will cost the same if you divide the shipping cost for every individual item. So yes, if I want a tank or something big and bulky, I'd trek out to a good FS for it. Otherwise my food, conditioners, plants... gonna get it online. 

Plus some stores do a free shipping on bigger orders. It makes sense to bulk buy, as well. Less so on flakes/dried food.


----------



## InsertCheesecake

AukWord said:


> Maybe your Mom would understand if you explained to her that aquarium cleaning/maintenance is basically the opposite of her idea of housecleaning--the _larger_ the tank, the _easier_ task keeping it clean and livable.
> 
> She probably hasn't thought of it that way.


I told her that but she still is very ignorant. Sometimes her ignorance is too strong. But no matter what, she still doesn't listen to me. She always wants to do it "the hard way" even though she KNOWS that its better. Even my dad has to go through all this stress of being ignored.

_ignorance count: 3_ < I want to count how many times I say the same word continuously


----------



## AukWord

InsertCheesecake said:


> I told her that but she still is very ignorant. Sometimes her ignorance is too strong. But no matter what, she still doesn't listen to me. She always wants to do it "the hard way" even though she KNOWS that its better. Even my dad has to go through all this stress of being ignored.
> 
> _ignorance count: 3_ < I want to count how many times I say the same word continuously


Hey, once you've been educated about something, you can no longer claim mere ignorance.

After that, the word is: STUBBORN


----------



## InsertCheesecake

Stubborn. The most common of burns in emotion and.. I don't really know what else... But yeah, that's my mother, can we get back on thread please?

Boy.. Reading these stories of petshop complaints are a one of a kind pleasure..


----------



## mystima

went to my local Petsmart today and got a few things...got a decoration that I might have to take back(smells like melted plastic) and two plants. I asked the girl who is supposed to be the "plant expert" about what plants would be good to start out with. She gets me out three different anubius plants and I get two of them...(one anubius nana and a different anubius plant can't remember which) I then have this conversation with her.

me:so how do i plant these in the tank
e: you put them in the gravel
Me: you don't need any dirt for it(not that i am going to need it)
e: nope just stick it in the gravel and it will grow.

come home and I double check and find out that you have to tie it off or attach it to whatever you want.


----------



## NightStars

Petco experience. A little background story. A betta was in a veiltail male cup but on top of it and on the side there were labels saying baby betta. There were about another six bettas labeled like that. The betta obviously looked like a baby betta, it was so small. The lack of knowledge was just wow. It went like this...

Customer: *Goes to cash register to pay.*
Cashier: *Peels off label* "I'm sorry but unfortunately this betta is not a baby, he's a veiltail male. Someone probably stuck the label on him."
Customer: "There were more labeled like this one where I got him from."
Cashier: Repeats again, "We don't label like that. *looks at fish* He's a veiltail male."
Customer: "No. Look at him. He is so tiny." 
Cashier: "Hm ok, let me go check." *walks away*
Customer: "Ok. She'll see that there are more like him."
Cashier: *Comes back with what looks like a manager* 
Manager: "Is that her?"
Cashier: "Yes that's her."
Manager: *Looks at fish and then the labels* "We don't label our fish like that. Someone placed the label on the cup. He is a veiltail male."
Customer: "Like I told her, there are more labeled like this."
Manager: *doesn't go check or anything and just walks away*


----------



## AukWord

NightStars said:


> Petco experience. A little background story. A betta was in a veiltail male cup but on top of it and on the side there were labels saying baby betta. There were about another six bettas labeled like that. The betta obviously looked like a baby betta, it was so small. The lack of knowledge was just wow. It went like this...
> 
> Customer: *Goes to cash register to pay.*
> Cashier: *Peels off label* "I'm sorry but unfortunately this betta is not a baby, he's a veiltail male. Someone probably stuck the label on him."
> Customer: "There were more labeled like this one where I got him from."
> Cashier: Repeats again, "We don't label like that. *looks at fish* He's a veiltail male."
> Customer: "No. Look at him. He is so tiny."
> Cashier: "Hm ok, let me go check." *walks away*
> Customer: "Ok. She'll see that there are more like him."
> Cashier: *Comes back with what looks like a manager*
> Manager: "Is that her?"
> Cashier: "Yes that's her."
> Manager: *Looks at fish and then the labels* "We don't label our fish like that. Someone placed the label on the cup. He is a veiltail male."
> Customer: "Like I told her, there are more labeled like this."
> Manager: *doesn't go check or anything and just walks away*


And they actually do label like that, if cups are cracked or broken, and the person cleaning needs to move the fish into another cup.

But I assume you, unlike that manager and clerk who you know, actually work there, already surmised that :roll:


----------



## BettaBoy11

BettaBoy11 said:


> So... We heard of a pet store we never went to. Turns out it was just for fish... Sounds good, right? Wrong!!!
> So the bettas are in little glass bowls which was ok, I thought as they are slightly bigger then the normal cup. The price rangedfrom 10-20 dollars. They said they never sold bettas unless they were perfectly healthy. Say that to the fish floating on its side barely alive... Plus most of the fishes fins were clamped. The bowls were filled with hot city tap water, with no prime. It was pretty bad... And this is an LFS!!!
> Anyway I may be back for some of the decorations they sold, but I would never buy a fish there unless it was a giant or King, as it is the only place around that carries them.


A little update! We went back and the owner was gone OPENING ANOTHER STORE!!!!


----------



## Sadist

Wow, poor fish.


----------



## Hawker

Twent years ago you were at the mercy of the pet store know-nothing's. But today with the Internet I'm totally mystified as to why people don't do just a smidgen of basic fish keeping research?


----------



## charliegill110

ok this wasn't at a petstore but i just witnessed this on an aquarium forum. this person was complaining about their betta, how it barely moves and is boring, so he/she wants to donate them to get a more exciting fish. quickly after posting the person apparently already took the betta to a petstore and got a different fish so someone called the person out and said "your kind of a dick" and the person responded with a pretty long response but the highlight for me was "i already have 3 fish tanks in an apartment, i can't just keep adding tanks to keep all of my friendly pets" wut. so somsone else responded "then stop buying pets until you can properly support them" 

like what. and this person claims they love fish and animals.


----------



## DangerousAngel

Um what? that made like no sense.


----------



## ZeroChan

Bettas r one of the easiest of aquarium fish to take care of properly. If his betta was boring (which as we know its unusual for them to just lay still, so its probably not looked after well enough) i dont know how his other excitng fish will cope...


----------



## fleetfish

So today I ended up at this hole in the wall mall store that I shun for a good number of reasons and there was a new looking employee there. I bee'd to the bettas and she buzzed over to me, and hovered while I checked the fish out. I didn't realize that there were female bettas in the bowl on the bottom shelf. 

New Employee: Betta females can live together in any tank size! 

And she shows me the ONE GALLON bowl with FOUR females crammed in there. Dirty water, halfway filled with gravel, a plastic cheap plant and that was it. The girls were all torn to bits. 

I was really ready to just walk away, but I took a deep breath and asked for the pale female cowering on the bottom. She was the worst off. The other girls though . . . well, I could only take one.

It was tough to leave the other girls to their fates. :-(

The one I chose has turned into a lovely blue with red wash, and I've named her Atalanta.


----------



## AukWord

So, I'll share a smallish success story.

I have a friend who began working at Petco a while ago.

We'd never talked fish--we know each other thru dogs and dogsports.

I mentioned I was going to be spawning some Bettas soon, and she got really excited and told me those are the fish she sells "the hell out of" at her store, because...wait for it..."they don't need anything."

Fast forward to end of story, she now has seen my set-ups, was shocked, and feels really, really, really bad for all those Bettas she sold with tiny bowls, cheap food, and a bit of water conditioner.

She will not be selling them that way again, and she and the companion animal manager at that store agreed to do what they can, to mitigate corporate pressures and sell the Bettas with good info and proper set-ups.


----------



## SiameseFightingArt

AukWord said:


> So, I'll share a smallish success story.
> 
> I have a friend who began working at Petco a while ago.
> 
> We'd never talked fish--we know each other thru dogs and dogsports.
> 
> I mentioned I was going to be spawning some Bettas soon, and she got really excited and told me those are the fish she sells "the hell out of" at her store, because...wait for it..."they don't need anything."
> 
> Fast forward to end of story, she now has seen my set-ups, was shocked, and feels really, really, really bad for all those Bettas she sold with tiny bowls, cheap food, and a bit of water conditioner.
> 
> She will not be selling them that way again, and she and the companion animal manager at that store agreed to do what they can, to mitigate corporate pressures and sell the Bettas with good info and proper set-ups.


A victory at another store!  Well done]


----------



## DangerousAngel

That's awesome Auk! There need to be more stores like that, that do what they can to make sure whoever leaves with a Betta leaves with a proper setup.


----------



## AukWord

DangerousAngel said:


> That's awesome Auk! There need to be more stores like that, that do what they can to make sure whoever leaves with a Betta leaves with a proper setup.


Yes, sometimes in the overwhelming big picture, it helps to celebrate the small successes.


----------



## DangerousAngel

Yes it does. You can only do so much unfortunately.


----------



## Sadist

I called one of our local stores today. Yesterday, I went there with my daughter, and the bettas on display (not the ones by the sink) were all emaciated in dirty water. Some were sick. Most of them had what looked like algae growing on the bottom of the container, too. The customer service rep thanked me and said she'd notify the manager and check out the bettas for me. I felt really bad for those little guys -- some were trying feebly to wiggle and flirt with me but were too skinny and sick to do much.


----------



## AukWord

Sadist said:


> I called one of our local stores today. Yesterday, I went there with my daughter, and the bettas on display (not the ones by the sink) were all emaciated in dirty water. Some were sick. Most of them had what looked like algae growing on the bottom of the container, too. The customer service rep thanked me and said she'd notify the manager and check out the bettas for me. I felt really bad for those little guys -- some were trying feebly to wiggle and flirt with me but were too skinny and sick to do much.


It makes me happy to know some parents are still teaching their kiddos such important lessons--that when you see an innocent creature being neglected and mistreated, you take action, speak up, and try to help them.


----------



## BlueLacee

I'm voting myself right now beacuse there is a gorgeous peach and pearl dragon female at Walmart who right now is ok, but I know she will go down hill soon based on the others around her and my store. I really want to get her, and could if I bought a heater, conditioner, and a cheap temporary home (I'm spendings Time at my grandmas house in the city and only have stuff I just bought. I really want to, but I know I shouldnt. 

At my house, there is a ban on more tanks, tanks not fish. I could divid my 5g


----------



## BettaBoy11

BettaBoy11 said:


> A little update! We went back and the owner was gone OPENING ANOTHER STORE!!!!


I hate this store!!!'
They are killing beautiful Over Halfmoons, butterfly elephant ears and everything. Why don't they JUST USE WATER CONDITIONER!!! It sells plants and THEY CAN'T EVEN KEEP THEM ALIVE!!
What should I do? I'm thinking of just asking a dumb question like "What kind of water conditioner do you use?" Even though I'm almost positive they don't use any. 
Why is it that dogs are animals, cats are animals, hampster and other rodents are animals, reptiles are animals but fish are decorations??:frustrated::frustrated::


----------



## Sadist

AukWord said:


> It makes me happy to know some parents are still teaching their kiddos such important lessons--that when you see an innocent creature being neglected and mistreated, you take action, speak up, and try to help them.


Thanks! Not everyone listens, but at least I'm trying.


----------



## BlueLacee

Well, mihe is a multi part pet store rant/ hate session.

First, my Walmart had a stunning white girl who was stunning and happy, healthy and active. I battled over getting her (and the complications it would bring) all night and tofay went back to get her. Dead, stone cold dead, as if she was carved from marble. I cannot believe that she went from her active ways to dead in about 16hr. The others at Walmart were all terrible, sick, and dying. 

But my PetCo (which is usually ok) is a good idea, right? Wrong. It was terrible. Death, doom, destruction, fin rot, stress, and decay was everywhere, lurking at the edges of the betta desplay, the flashy healthy, new shipments bettas in the center.

Then... There was the small tanks and a little Hispanic girl and her dad. You know the betta tanks that hold half a drop of water but have a divider anyways? Yah, one of those. I would have loved to slap them both and teach them real betta care. Sadly, i am a very shy and quiet person and prefer not to talk to strangers, but i stuck close by and listened/ watched them. Life is more improv the than my shyness. Luckily, they put it all back and left th store emptie handed. 

I also stuck around the store for a while (busy day for some reason) and loudly talked to my grandma, explaining all the proper care of bettas for the benefit of all those close by


----------



## Strawberry12

I was buying a few fish things today, and the cashier asked me what kind I had. I said I had a community tank, and a divided one with a male and female betta. 

"oh....you know they can live together, right?"

"yeah...i'll just keep it like this, thanks."

Not to mention- ok, have any of you guys noticed sometimes when fish people ask you what you have and you say bettas, they immediately lose interest like you don't have "real" fish or something? It drives me crazy.


----------



## Elleth

Strawberry12 said:


> Not to mention- ok, have any of you guys noticed sometimes when fish people ask you what you have and you say bettas, they immediately lose interest like you don't have "real" fish or something? It drives me crazy.


This so much! It drives me nuts!


----------



## Sadist

Strawberry12 said:


> "oh....you know they can live together, right?"
> 
> "yeah...i'll just keep it like this, thanks."


I've been told that before, too. I make sure to inform everyone I've tried to get interested in bettas that they'll either breed, kill each other, or both if they're together. I actually have to have my male and female not able to see each other so the male doesn't rip up his fins trying to kill her from across the room.


----------



## Nova betta

We had this one little elephant ear plakat at our petco for 3 or 4 months! I felt so bad for the little guy because nobody would buy him. They priced him at 20 dollars. So it kinda made sense. Whenever I would come to get something I would always look at him. He would wiggle around then sit at the bottom. When new shippments came in he was pushed aside until they were all bought. I dont think they really cleaned out his cup more than 4 or 5 times. 

I overheard someone in the betta section today talking about how dumb bettas were and how they would fight each other. They were going to buy two veiltales to fight but the manager stopped them YAY!! They grabbed the little elephant ear plakat and was going to buy him along with the cube betta tank thing. When they set him down I grabbed him and bought him. 


Why do petstores buy bettas they will never sale?


----------



## DangerousAngel

OMG I'm SO glad you bought him!


----------



## Nova betta

me too! lol


----------



## mystima

went to Petsmart today to pick up some prime for my tank that i have to re-cycle....

Me: looking at NetGeo water conditioner tablets and about to pick it up to read
E: You don't want that, anything they have is bad, never get anything they make
Me: (thinking this should be interesting)
E: picks up Prime and says "this is what you need if you need a water conditioner. What kind of fish do you have?"
Me: Well I used to have tetras but I somehow killed them(got some type of mold in the tank and had to do a full cleaning..reason for recycling the tank)and a Betta
E: You can't have a betta in with tetras...what kind of tetras did you have?
Me: neon tetras.
E: oh ok that you can do. what size tank do you have?
Me: a 10g tank
E: you can't have a betta in a 10g tank...they can't swim that good...they need this much space so that they can get to the top of the tank...(he then demonstrates about a six inch gap between his hands) they have lungs and need to get to the surface to breath. 
He also tells me that they change the water in their small cups once a week. ggrrrrrrrr!!!!
He then tells me to also get stability for the tank to put in with prime and someone else comes over and needed help with fish and I told him to go help the other person.


----------



## Crossroads

mystima said:


> went to Petsmart today to pick up some prime for my tank that i have to re-cycle....
> 
> Me: looking at NetGeo water conditioner tablets and about to pick it up to read
> E: You don't want that, anything they have is bad, never get anything they make
> Me: (thinking this should be interesting)
> E: picks up Prime and says "this is what you need if you need a water conditioner. What kind of fish do you have?"
> Me: Well I used to have tetras but I somehow killed them(got some type of mold in the tank and had to do a full cleaning..reason for recycling the tank)and a Betta
> E: *You can't have a betta in with tetras*...what kind of tetras did you have?
> Me: neon tetras.
> E: oh ok that you can do. what size tank do you have?
> Me: a 10g tank
> E: *you can't have a betta in a 10g tank...they can't swim that good...they need this much space so that they can get to the top of the tank...(he then demonstrates about a six inch gap between his hands)* they have lungs and need to get to the surface to breath.
> He also tells me that they change the water in their small cups once a week. ggrrrrrrrr!!!!
> He then tells me to also get stability for the tank to put in with prime and someone else comes over and needed help with fish and I told him to go help the other person.


A. Tell that to Sirekan who is currently swimming with his black phantom tetras
and
B. Tell that to all of my fish in 10+ gallon tanks(Which is about 7 out of the 10 I have) . They didn't get the memo xD


----------



## SunnySideIvy

I have one little story, my local Petco usually only has one employee manning one checkout (of Four). They seem to only receive red crowntails that are always dead. One day I found this amazing blue and yellow HMPK male with perfect fins he was beautiful I still kick myself for not buying him when I had the money to get a full set up and everything. 
Anyways... I was looking for a heater for my tank, and couldn't find one. After stalking the aisles for twenty minutes eventually an older gentleman who looked as if he was a maintenance worker came over and began our conversation.
Guy: Can I help you?
Me: Yeah, I'm looking for a heater for my smaller tank. I found the big ones but I can't find the smaller one. 
Guy: Ookay... *Leads me around two aisles right to the heater rack and hands me the smallest one which was literally under the stacks of large heaters*
Me: Thank you!
Guy: What kind of fish is that for? (He looked genuinely interested, as I don't think he manned the fish department)
Me: For my betta! 
Guy: *gets big eyed look and nods then walks away slowly like hes extremely confused*

I have to say, for not working in fish he was the nicest person I've met in that department. One time I was trying to find live plants and asked the "Fish Department" labeled employee (who was your quintessential curly haired unkempt guy who kind of stared at me with an open mouth) where I could find some, and he handed me those huge nut-looking seed pods.


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## Sadist

Crossroads said:


> A. Tell that to Sirekan who is currently swimming with his black phantom tetras
> and
> B. Tell that to all of my fish in 10+ gallon tanks(Which is about 7 out of the 10 I have) . They didn't get the memo xD


I had a Petco employee (not the fish person, thankfully) tell me that my betta died because his tank is 10 gallons instead of one. She told me they try to "expand to fit their environment." (He died of dropsy.)


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## Crossroads

Sadist said:


> I had a Petco employee (not the fish person, thankfully) tell me that my betta died because his tank is 10 gallons instead of one. She told me they try to "expand to fit their environment." (He died of dropsy.)


Yes because fish are exactly like plants and grow to the size of their container. Perfectly logical. Explains *EXACTLY* why I see so many fish with dropsy in those tiny cups, right?


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## Overprotective Fish Lover

Was at Petsmart and saw these "facts" in the medication section:







Yes. Yep. Perfect advice. Also, you seriously have issues with tanks getting so dirty they turn yellow and the filters get clogged? Hm, I wonder why your fish are always dying. :frustrated:


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## smaugthefishy

Overprotective Fish Lover said:


> Was at Petsmart and saw these "facts" in the medication section:
> View attachment 573193
> 
> Yes. Yep. Perfect advice. Also, you seriously have issues with tanks getting so dirty they turn yellow and the filters get clogged? Hm, I wonder why your fish are always dying. :frustrated:


Saw that exact sign in my local PetSmart. Luckily the employee told me it was totally false when I asked about it, and said she warns everyone purchasing a fish or tank to follow much better water change procedures.


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## Overprotective Fish Lover

Whew. At least they know better. Next time I go I'll have to ask the employees at our Petsmart about it. :/


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## Hawker

AukWord said:


> So, I'll share a smallish success story.
> 
> I have a friend who began working at Petco a while ago.
> 
> We'd never talked fish--we know each other thru dogs and dogsports.
> 
> I mentioned I was going to be spawning some Bettas soon, and she got really excited and told me those are the fish she sells "the hell out of" at her store, because...wait for it..."they don't need anything."
> 
> Fast forward to end of story, she now has seen my set-ups, was shocked, and feels really, really, really bad for all those Bettas she sold with tiny bowls, cheap food, and a bit of water conditioner.
> 
> She will not be selling them that way again, and she and the companion animal manager at that store agreed to do what they can, to mitigate corporate pressures and sell the Bettas with good info and proper set-ups.


Nice.


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## Sadist

Crossroads said:


> Yes because fish are exactly like plants and grow to the size of their container. Perfectly logical. Explains *EXACTLY* why I see so many fish with dropsy in those tiny cups, right?


Right.

And that water change sign. Our local pet store (before it closed forever) told everyone they only had to do that 25% water change once a month. Poor Violet always had a rashy looking thing on his face until I found out that wasn't enough water changes and started doing them weekly.


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## Alimiss27

I can't wait till tomorrow! I'm going to Pet-smart tomorrow, so I'll see if I can knock a little knowledge into employees and customers alike.


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## Overprotective Fish Lover

Alimiss27 said:


> I can't wait till tomorrow! I'm going to Pet-smart tomorrow, so I'll see if I can knock a little knowledge into employees and customers alike.


Go get 'em! Teach them the difference between what's humane and inhumane! Good luck!


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## AukWord

Alimiss, I imagine you already know this, but just in case...knock gently, dear. ;-)

You will do zero Bettas any good, if you get kicked out of the store.

If you can stay calm, polite, kind, and remain VERY accurate and factual, you will have the most positive impact.

Thank you for trying.


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## Alimiss27

Yes, I know to knock lightly. But if I do get kicked out of a store, I can cross being kicked out off my bucket list! I kinda wanna test em. Buy a couple betta. Eavesdrop into peoples betta living situation. You know, the works. <3


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## DangerousAngel

^ Lol!

Ugh, we were just in PetSmart and this couple with 2 young daughters was browsing the fish, the little girl had apparently lost her Betta (due to poor care from the sounds of things) and this girl wanted some little black fish, but the parents said 'why don't you just get another Betta?' With this stupid attitude. They apparently have a small 1 gal. tank with a filter, and the mom said no to the black fish because she 'didn't want to turn the filter on' like how are you even supposed to keep a Betta alive without a filter??? UGH It make me SO mad! I highly doubt they even had a heater! The lady that was helping was telling them about the different types of Bettas. So she had at least SOME knowledge. AKKKK


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## Alimiss27

DangerousAngel said:


> ^ Lol!
> 
> Ugh, we were just in PetSmart and this couple with 2 young daughters was browsing the fish, the little girl had apparently lost her Betta (due to poor care from the sounds of things) and this girl wanted some little black fish, but the parents said 'why don't you just get another Betta?' With this stupid attitude. They apparently have a small 1 gal. tank with a filter, and the mom said no to the black fish because she 'didn't want to turn the filter on' like how are you even supposed to keep a Betta alive without a filter??? UGH It make me SO mad! I highly doubt they even had a heater! The lady that was helping was telling them about the different types of Bettas. So she had at least SOME knowledge. AKKKK


GARRRRRRR! Those people make me wanna say DUDE RESEARCH BETTA OR DON'T GET ONE AT ALL! That little girl reminds me of my cousin. He had neon tetra instead. His tank had no heater, no filter, and it was 1/2 a gallon. He never fed his tetra and he never cleaned the tank.


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## Overprotective Fish Lover

Alimiss27 said:


> GARRRRRRR! Those people make me wanna say DUDE RESEARCH BETTA OR DON'T GET ONE AT ALL! That little girl reminds me of my cousin. He had neon tetra instead. His tank had no heater, no filter, and it was 1/2 a gallon. He never fed his tetra and he never cleaned the tank.


+1. I get so mad reading this thread.

As your story is in past tense, I'm going to go ahead and assume the tetra is in fishy heaven?


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## Alimiss27

Yes. Sadly, Starfire and Spongebob are in the aquarium in the sky.  His fish only lasted a week.


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## Overprotective Fish Lover

Upsetting as it is, it doesn't surprise me. Poor things.


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## DangerousAngel

Alimiss27 said:


> GARRRRRRR! Those people make me wanna say DUDE RESEARCH BETTA OR DON'T GET ONE AT ALL! That little girl reminds me of my cousin. He had neon tetra instead. His tank had no heater, no filter, and it was 1/2 a gallon. He never fed his tetra and he never cleaned the tank.


EXACTLY! I wanted to scream!
Oohh poor tetras. :-( Hopefully he doesn't keep them any more.
It's so sad when that kind of thing happens. Some people just don't _need_ fish. SMH


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## Alimiss27

He doesn't. But if he does, I will likely take them from him.


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## AukWord

DangerousAngel said:


> ^ Lol!
> 
> Ugh, we were just in PetSmart and this couple with 2 young daughters was browsing the fish, the little girl had apparently lost her Betta (due to poor care from the sounds of things) and this girl wanted some little black fish, but the parents said 'why don't you just get another Betta?' With this stupid attitude. They apparently have a small 1 gal. tank with a filter, and the mom said no to the black fish because she 'didn't want to turn the filter on' *like how are you even supposed to keep a Betta alive without a filter??? *UGH It make me SO mad! I highly doubt they even had a heater! The lady that was helping was telling them about the different types of Bettas. So she had at least SOME knowledge. AKKKK


Bold, mine.

Actually, many people keep Bettas without filters, just fine.

Particularly folks in their native lands don't use filtered set-ups, and most breeders in the US do not.

A filter will allow you more leeway between water changes, but if you're willing and committed to do the proper maintenance with regard to water quality, Bettas don't have to have a filter. In fact, as I'm sure you know, they really appreciate still water, with little to no current. All filters I use are baffled, for that reason.

I have both filtered and unfiltered set-ups--anything that is unfiltered gets a partial H20 change every other day. During intake and quarantine, they get a change every single day.

I've kept pet Bettas for years, healthy--and looking and acting great--for good long lifespans, this way.

OTOH, I've known some aquarists who neglect and procrastinate on water changes, to the point that no filter on earth will mitigate the poor water quality--and that is the Betta who suffers.


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## Alimiss27

AukWord said:


> Bold, mine.
> 
> Actually, many people keep Bettas without filters, just fine.
> 
> Particularly folks in their native lands don't use filtered set-ups, and most breeders in the US do not.
> 
> A filter will allow you more leeway between water changes, but if you're willing and committed to do the proper maintenance with regard to water quality, Bettas don't have to have a filter. In fact, as I'm sure you know, they really appreciate still water, with little to no current. All filters I use are baffled, for that reason.
> 
> I have both filtered and unfiltered set-ups--anything that is unfiltered gets a partial H20 change every other day. During intake and quarantine, they get a change every single day.
> 
> I've kept pet Bettas for years, healthy--and looking and acting great--for good long lifespans, this way.
> 
> OTOH, I've known some aquarists who neglect and procrastinate on water changes, to the point that no filter on earth will mitigate the poor water quality--and that is the Betta who suffers.


Seriously? Aquarists! Wow. What has this world come to.


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## Lonely

I was at petco getting my tank, mind you it's 1 gallon, heated, and cycled. My parents would NOT buy me anything bigger than 1 gallon and I was just broken because I knew 1 gallon was too small. Though, I guess it's better than half. Even though, this happened at Petco.
C:Hey, can a goldfish live in this? *holds up half gallon "betta starter kit",
E: Why of course, goldfish can live anywhere!
I went to go say that goldfish need atleast 10+ gallons per fish.. and then it blew up.
C: You're not a vet are you? So don't try and correct an employee of a pet store.
E: What do you know, you're 12!.
I was in utter shock.


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## BettaBoy11

Lonely said:


> I was at petco getting my tank, mind you it's 1 gallon, heated, and cycled. My parents would NOT buy me anything bigger than 1 gallon and I was just broken because I knew 1 gallon was too small. Though, I guess it's better than half. Even though, this happened at Petco.
> C:Hey, can a goldfish live in this? *holds up half gallon "betta starter kit",
> E: Why of course, goldfish can live anywhere!
> I went to go say that goldfish need atleast 10+ gallons per fish.. and then it blew up.
> C: You're not a vet are you? So don't try and correct an employee of a pet store.
> E: What do you know, you're 12!.
> I was in utter shock.


Wow! I hate it when the customer or employee (who probably knew better) argues with the truth. :frustrated::frustrated::frustrated::frustrated::::frustrated:


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## Overprotective Fish Lover

Lonely said:


> I was at petco getting my tank, mind you it's 1 gallon, heated, and cycled. My parents would NOT buy me anything bigger than 1 gallon and I was just broken because I knew 1 gallon was too small. Though, I guess it's better than half. Even though, this happened at Petco.
> C:Hey, can a goldfish live in this? *holds up half gallon "betta starter kit",
> E: Why of course, goldfish can live anywhere!
> I went to go say that goldfish need atleast 10+ gallons per fish.. and then it blew up.
> C: You're not a vet are you? So don't try and correct an employee of a pet store.
> E: What do you know, you're 12!.
> I was in utter shock.


This just makes me mad. Not only are they wrong but they're rude in the process. }


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## Lonely

Yeah, It was surprisingly rude, they just stared at me and smirked when I went to the register with my mom, almost about to bawl my eyes out. I guess the only reason I ever shop there is because they take good care of their fishes and animals, despite having horrible employees.


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## BettaBoy11

Why would someone even HIRE a guy who is so rude (and knows nothing about fish.)


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## Lonely

I forgot to add, that around a year ago when I got my pet female mouse, Nana, and getting a new leash and collar for my dog, there was this woman getting a teddy tank for her two sons. They got not one but TWO gold fishes to put in there. I am usually not the kind of person to call out people for things, but I wanted to do it to hopefully save an innocent animal's life. I said "Excuse me, you know you can't keep two gold fishes together like that, especially in that tank!" The mom just said "The pet store people said it was perfectly, besides you're just a little girl, don't act high and mighty on me,". I was just so angry I literally called her an "Ignorant little piece of _ animal abuser" and just walked away out the door, while my mom was waiting in the car. I was just so happy to release my tention, in a way I regret. But still, I couldn't believe she was putting 2 goldfish in a teddy tank. Did I mention they were fancy goldfish too?


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## Hawker

))


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## Aqua Aurora

BettaBoy11 said:


> Why would someone even HIRE a guy who is so rude (*and knows nothing about fish*.)


So people will by, kill, and buy to replace.. vicious cycle of death and $


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## IslandGirl7408

Subscribing...


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## BamNeko

A few days before I got Sprinkles this lady was doing a water test for her tank and had bad ammonia level. She still wanted fish to test the tank out. The employee refused to sell her fish but I'm sure she got fish somewhere to put in the deathtrap she calls a tank. My brothers water was the same but his betta and tertas were still kicking in it. So think the test was defective.


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## Hallyx

Aqua Aurora said:


> So people will by, kill, and buy to replace.. vicious cycle of death and $


I'm not sure I can believe this, even though it has been said many times, and seems reasonable, if cynical.

It's to the merchant's advantage to encourage responsible, healthy fish-keeping. And then to support this by selling filters, heaters, tanks, plants, food and accessories. 

Fish are cheap -- too cheap. There's more money to be made by catering to return customer hobbyists, than there is in selling a few more fish. Watching fish die is a lousy hobby and gets old in a hurry -- 2 or 3 rounds max. The merchant never knows the money he lost that way.


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## Sadist

Lonely said:


> I was at petco getting my tank, mind you it's 1 gallon, heated, and cycled. My parents would NOT buy me anything bigger than 1 gallon and I was just broken because I knew 1 gallon was too small. Though, I guess it's better than half. Even though, this happened at Petco.
> C:Hey, can a goldfish live in this? *holds up half gallon "betta starter kit",
> E: Why of course, goldfish can live anywhere!
> I went to go say that goldfish need atleast 10+ gallons per fish.. and then it blew up.
> C: You're not a vet are you? So don't try and correct an employee of a pet store.
> E: What do you know, you're 12!.
> I was in utter shock.


Wow, I show more respect to my 5 year old than those strangers did to you! That's horrible. You can't fix everyone.


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## BettaBoy11

Well... I went to Petsmart on Thursday... The fish were terrible!!! Sick, discoloured, and some lying on their sides... And the new betta shipments came in the night before!!!! These fish have been in the cups for less then 24h, and they are SICK ALREADY!!!
I saw a poor little betta that had somehow gotten himself stuck out of the water, on to the ridge of his cup. We tilted the cup and he fell into the water, and swam a bit, but didn't look good.I doubt he made the night.


----------



## stellenternet

I have an incident that happened, so I was at PetSmart and there was a girl who looked around 13 who was holding up a betta fish and one of those .5 gallon betta cubes. After crying inside, shy little me managed to say:
Me: Umm, did you know that your tank is a bit too small for a betta?
Girl: Well it says that it's for bettas.
Me: Yeah but not that many companies know that tanks that small are bad for bettas. They aren't big enough and a betta can live happier in a minimum 5 gallon tank. 
Girl: I don't have that much space in my room for a big tank.
Me: Well a 2.5 can work too I just can't let you leave with something that small.
Girl: Why do you care so much?
Me: I love these fish! They have huge personalities and can be a lot of fun if you give them space! And they can live for 3 years in a lot of space!
Girl: I don't want it to live that long! I'm fine with this tank.
And she walks away. I didn't want to get in trouble and get kicked out of the store. She didn't even let me talk about heaters!:-(


----------



## Crossroads

bettagerl said:


> I have an incident that happened, so I was at PetSmart and there was a girl who looked around 13 who was holding up a betta fish and one of those .5 gallon betta cubes. After crying inside, shy little me managed to say:
> Me: Umm, did you know that your tank is a bit too small for a betta?
> Girl: Well it says that it's for bettas.
> Me: Yeah but not that many companies know that tanks that small are bad for bettas. They aren't big enough and a betta can live happier in a minimum 5 gallon tank.
> Girl: I don't have that much space in my room for a big tank.
> Me: Well a 2.5 can work too I just can't let you leave with something that small.
> Girl: Why do you care so much?
> Me: I love these fish! They have huge personalities and can be a lot of fun if you give them space! And they can live for 3 years in a lot of space!
> Girl: *I don't want it to live that long! I'm fine with this tank.*
> And she walks away. I didn't want to get in trouble and get kicked out of the store. She didn't even let me talk about heaters!:-(


I would have gotten kicked out the minute she said that cause I would have been the [censor] that asked her if she got puppies that can live 16 years and mistreated them cause "she didn't want it to live that long"

I get people away from tiny tanks by telling them they have to clean it everyday. (I white lie and say twice a day on .5s). The laziness in people usually prevails.


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## stellenternet

Crossroads said:


> I would have gotten kicked out the minute she said that cause I would have been the [censor] that asked her if she got puppies that can live 16 years and mistreated them cause "she didn't want it to live that long"
> 
> I get people away from tiny tanks by telling them they have to clean it everyday. (I white lie and say twice a day on .5s). The laziness in people usually prevails.


Oh I should have said that! My mind went blank because it was the first time I have ever done that in a petstore so I didn't know what to say.


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## AukWord

Just wanted to thank all of you who are trying to educate.

Meanwhile, another Petco story.

I really never give money to Petco when I grab a Betta from them. I talk to the manager and get them to surrender the fish, then rehab it and rehome, or keep.

Found a boy last night, though, while in for supplies, and I just didn't resist and am sad to say I did give them money for him.

I was doing my usual Betta Police check on their Betta displays, pulled a couple dead and dying ones to call to the attention of staff, and found this big white boy--looks like he will marble to blue and white, but he has both red and yellow in his fins and just generally really interested me.

Only one bad pic since he's stressed and ill. Here he is still in his prison cup:



And this is his ammonia test, for that cup, which actually LOOKED pretty clean, that's the scariest part:



Don't know how anything lives in that toxic water.

Anyhow, he measures about 2.5 inches for his body only, big fun boy, and he will live here in Betta FunLand.


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## FinnDublynn

Wow that water was bad!!! Holy moly! 

But what a gorgeous boy! Grumpy faaaaaace! Yaaaay! Nothing makes me happier than a permanently grumpy fish. You should name him Walter after Jeff Dunham's guy! Lol. 

Thank god you found him and got him out of that ammonia bath.


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## AukWord

Yeah, he's had frozen/thawed mysis, bloodworms, and live brine shrimp to snack on so far.

He's in a bit of Betta disbelief at his upgrade, I do believe, and he's already making attempts at romancing his quarantine neighbor he can see, a blue/yellow grizzle girl healing up from fin rot. He doesn't seem to care she has bad hair right now. 

Gonna have to move him so he can't see girlies, he needs to concentrate on getting well himself.


----------



## FinnDublynn

AukWord said:


> Yeah, he's had frozen/thawed mysis, bloodworms, and live brine shrimp to snack on so far.
> 
> He's in a bit of Betta disbelief at his upgrade, I do believe, and he's already making attempts at romancing his quarantine neighbor he can see, a blue/yellow grizzle girl healing up from fin rot. He doesn't seem to care she has bad hair right now.
> 
> Gonna have to move him so he can't see girlies, he needs to concentrate on getting well himself.



Aaaahhhh... a real man can see a women for her real, inner beauty... lol


----------



## thepapillon

I slipped into Petco on my way home from work to pick up some more Prime today. 

I did the usual "once over" in the betta section and was horrified. They just got a shipment in on Thursday. I found 8 dead bettas. There were at least 10 dying bettas. The rest APPEARED fairly normal. 

I picked up one sad little guy in a cup that was floating with his butt in the air. His fins were tattered. He was barely moving. 

I took him to the front where they wanted to charge me $19.99 for him. 

"He's dying. I don't want to buy him, could I take him without a charge?" (mind you I was still buying other things.)
"No. We can't do that." 
"Well there are many dying and dead ones on the shelf back there, just so you know."
*blank stare.*

I finally said I would not buy him because I thought that was robbery. Her reply? "If you buy it and it dies, bring the body back and we'll exchange it." Cold. Heartless.

I left. 

And now I regret leaving.  I have to go back into work for the evening shift... I may stop at Petco again and see if he was placed back on the shelf. If he was, and is alive, I'll probably be paying $19.99 for a dying betta. 

((Side note -- also talked two young people into a BettaBow 2.5g rather than their BettaCube.)) (Sadly, the fish they picked out looked sickly, hope it makes it for their sake)


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## IslandGirl7408

AukWord said:


> Just wanted to thank all of you who are trying to educate.
> 
> Meanwhile, another Petco story.
> 
> I really never give money to Petco when I grab a Betta from them. I talk to the manager and get them to surrender the fish, then rehab it and rehome, or keep.
> 
> Found a boy last night, though, while in for supplies, and I just didn't resist and am sad to say I did give them money for him.
> 
> I was doing my usual Betta Police check on their Betta displays, pulled a couple dead and dying ones to call to the attention of staff, and found this big white boy--looks like he will marble to blue and white, but he has both red and yellow in his fins and just generally really interested me.
> 
> Only one bad pic since he's stressed and ill. Here he is still in his prison cup:
> 
> 
> 
> And this is his ammonia test, for that cup, which actually LOOKED pretty clean, that's the scariest part:
> 
> 
> 
> Don't know how anything lives in that toxic water.
> 
> Anyhow, he measures about 2.5 inches for his body only, big fun boy, and he will live here in Betta FunLand.


He is sooo cute! Please keep us posted on him as he marbles. There's a thread on marble fish where you can post pictures.


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## AukWord

IslandGirl7408 said:


> He is sooo cute! Please keep us posted on him as he marbles. There's a thread on marble fish where you can post pictures.


Sure, if my feeble memory will let me :lol: Which section is that thread in?

Papillon, I have no room to talk, given what I just did with this white plakat boy, but try to stick to your original instinct and don't buy him.

Do go back. Be polite and firm and ask to speak to the manager.

Explain that you've noted some health and care issues, and that you're particularly interested in giving some assistance and rehab to the dude with SBD. I often offer to bring the fish back to the store once it's well, free of charge. (Please note, I've NEVER been taken up on that offer, thank goodness, not sure what I'd say, if so, but the offer tends to show good faith.)

See if you cannot get them to surrender that fish to you, free of charge. They need to not make a profit off of bad and neglectful care of their animals.


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## BettaBoy11

Betta Pictures. It is called 'Marble Fish Transformations.' It is a few pages back. I posted a picture of my Pi on that thread.


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## AukWord

BettaBoy11 said:


> Betta Pictures. It is called 'Marble Fish Transformations.' It is a few pages back. I posted a picture of my Pi on that thread.



Thanks!


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## FinnDublynn

There is also the "Before and After" thread in the Betta pictures section.


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## Overprotective Fish Lover

Crossroads said:


> I get people away from tiny tanks by telling them they have to clean it everyday. (I white lie and say twice a day on .5s). The laziness in people usually prevails.


Actually that's really really smart. It could be like, "You can put him in there but in order to give him humane treatment you'll have to change the water twice a day. If you don't want to do that you could put him in this five gallon. He'll be happier in here anyway." I should so try this!


----------



## AukWord

Overprotective Fish Lover said:


> Actually that's really really smart. It could be like, "You can put him in there but in order for him to not get sick and then just die on you, you'll have to change the water twice a day. If you don't want to do that you could put him in this five gallon. He'll be happier in here anyway." I should so try this!


There.

I fixed it for you.

Lazy people don't really open their ears to the words "humane treatment," they need more dire consequences to get their attention.


----------



## Overprotective Fish Lover

AukWord said:


> There.
> 
> I fixed it for you.
> 
> Lazy people don't really open their ears to the words "humane treatment," they need more dire consequences to get their attention.


Ah an excellent point. Someone who's willing to put a fish in a torture device for the sake of convenience probably could care less about what's humane or not. Besides, apparently humane treatment only comes into play when you're talking about dogs or cats. Fish lived don't matter I guess. :/


----------



## AukWord

Overprotective Fish Lover said:


> Ah an excellent point. Someone who's willing to put a fish in a torture device for the sake of convenience probably could care less about what's humane or not. Besides, apparently humane treatment only comes into play when you're talking about dogs or cats. Fish lived don't matter I guess. :/


Yes. There are a few who are basically good-hearted who just don't yet have a clue.

Then there are the ones for whom you have to make it about them, for it to matter.

Dead fish=loss of new toy + icky clean-up and disposal=motivation to prevent, at least a little bit of motivation


----------



## Overprotective Fish Lover

AukWord said:


> Yes. There are a few who are basically good-hearted who just don't yet have a clue.
> 
> Then there are the ones for whom you have to make it about them, for it to matter.
> 
> Dead fish=loss of new toy + icky clean-up and disposal=motivation to prevent, at least a little bit of motivation


Or dead fish = unhappy kid = new fish in torture tank which killed the first one = another dead fish = vicious cycle of dead and dying fish = happy pet store owners who are making lots of money. It could go either way.

Frankly, I'm pretty sure these people don't really do much clean up other than removing the fish, dumping the water and pouring in new stuff. And since you can get pretty cheap fish, even making it about them doesn't always work because they figure cheap = worthless and easily replaceable life. It's so sad.

I agree though, the "convenience" approach is probably the best one, despite this.


----------



## AukWord

Overprotective Fish Lover said:


> Or dead fish = unhappy kid = new fish in torture tank which killed the first one = another dead fish = vicious cycle of dead and dying fish = happy pet store owners who are making lots of money. It could go either way.
> 
> Frankly, I'm pretty sure these people don't really do much clean up other than removing the fish, dumping the water and pouring in new stuff. And since you can get pretty cheap fish, even making it about them doesn't always work because they figure cheap = worthless and easily replaceable life. It's so sad.
> 
> I agree though, the "convenience" approach is probably the best one, despite this.



Ah, see, I meant "making it about them" to mean the selfish lazy humans involved, NOT the fish.

I already knew that type of human sees fish pretty much like cut flowers, to be enjoyed, disposed of, and replaced.

I cut my teeth working at a LFS, as a kid ;-)


----------



## FinnDublynn

Overprotective Fish Lover said:


> Or dead fish = unhappy kid = new fish in torture tank which killed the first one = another dead fish = vicious cycle of dead and dying fish = happy pet store owners who are making lots of money. It could go either way.
> 
> Frankly, I'm pretty sure these people don't really do much clean up other than removing the fish, dumping the water and pouring in new stuff. And since you can get pretty cheap fish, even making it about them doesn't always work because they figure cheap = worthless and easily replaceable life. It's so sad.
> 
> I agree though, the "convenience" approach is probably the best one, despite this.


You think those people even change the water? Wow. No. I know some people who had 4 different goldfish, one after the other, and never once changes the water. Not. One. Single. Time.


----------



## Elleth

FinnDublynn said:


> I know some people who had 4 different goldfish, one after the other, and never once changes the water. Not. One. Single. Time.


Oh nooooooooooo. No. :C That is terrible! Ugh some people!


----------



## Overprotective Fish Lover

Terrible but not terribly surprising.


----------



## FinnDublynn

And they wondered why the last fish barely lived a week....


----------



## Overprotective Fish Lover

I was talking to someone the other day who put two males in together. One of the younger boys in the family PICKED THE FINS off of one of the fish. Actually picked them off. Then they killed each other.

I barely knew the person so I didn't want to go into a really long rant, so I made note of some "interesting facts" that they were sometimes called Siamese fighting fish and that in the past they were bred for their aggression. It was so bad I didn't even get to tank size or heaters. I expect they were probably both in a bowl together, most likely without any sort of water changes.

This story actually made me sick. Of all the terrible ways for a fish to die this may be one of the most agonizingly gruesome and inhumane. My stomach still flips to think about it, especially the part about the boy picking the fins apart. I can't even go on with this, it makes me so depressed. It's past inhumane. It's cruel, torturous, and heartless. I just...I just can't.


----------



## Elleth

Overprotective Fish Lover said:


> I was talking to someone the other day who put two males in together. One of the younger boys in the family PICKED THE FINS off of one of the fish. Actually picked them off. Then they killed each other.


I'm not huge into physical punishment by any means, but if ever a kid needed an ass whooping, that is one kid who does. People disgust me. I seriously can't find words to express 1/10 of what I'm thinking right now.


----------



## FinnDublynn

Can I pick his arms off? Just pick them off...


----------



## Overprotective Fish Lover

I know. It's terrible. And yet I couldn't really say, "Your family member is heartless and should be severely punished," so I had to kind of beat my way around the bush with careful comments. I don't think I got anywhere but there wasn't much I could do. I feel awful about what that poor fish had to endure.


----------



## Crossroads

You know, I never go into the "humane" part.

Partially because in person I am short, kinda curt and blunt when it comes to animal well being. Most people won't give you the time to be long winded so my deterrent bring nothing into account of health really.

It's literally, "You don't want to buy that. It's ridiculously overpriced and you'll have to change the water once to twice daily."
I then point to a 2.5 or 5 gallon kit and say,
"That kit comes with most of what you need for the same price and you'll only have to change the water once a week."
It's stupidly ridiculous how many people I have gotten to buy a 5 gallon off the mention of better bang for their buck and less work. LOL
If I can do it, I show them the 13 gallon "Widescreen" kit, which comes with an adjustable heater if they are about to buy two death tanks and tell them to look up DIY craft mesh dividers. Two fish, one tank, less work (and forces them to use the heater) x)

I find with fish, it's easier to appeal to the wallet and laziness of people than their heart.


----------



## IslandGirl7408

Overprotective Fish Lover said:


> I was talking to someone the other day who put two males in together. One of the younger boys in the family PICKED THE FINS off of one of the fish. Actually picked them off. Then they killed each other.
> 
> I barely knew the person so I didn't want to go into a really long rant, so I made note of some "interesting facts" that they were sometimes called Siamese fighting fish and that in the past they were bred for their aggression. It was so bad I didn't even get to tank size or heaters. I expect they were probably both in a bowl together, most likely without any sort of water changes.
> 
> This story actually made me sick. Of all the terrible ways for a fish to die this may be one of the most agonizingly gruesome and inhumane. My stomach still flips to think about it, especially the part about the boy picking the fins apart. I can't even go on with this, it makes me so depressed. It's past inhumane. It's cruel, torturous, and heartless. I just...I just can't.


What I want to know is...where were the kids parents? A kid who does that has deeper issues that need to be dealt with.


----------



## AukWord

Crossroads said:


> You know, I never go into the "humane" part.
> 
> Partially because in person I am short, kinda curt and blunt when it comes to animal well being. Most people won't give you the time to be long winded so my deterrent bring nothing into account of health really.
> 
> It's literally, "You don't want to buy that. It's ridiculously overpriced and you'll have to change the water once to twice daily."
> I then point to a 2.5 or 5 gallon kit and say,
> "That kit comes with most of what you need for the same price and you'll only have to change the water once a week."
> It's stupidly ridiculous how many people I have gotten to buy a 5 gallon off the mention of better bang for their buck and less work. LOL
> If I can do it, I show them the 13 gallon "Widescreen" kit, which comes with an adjustable heater if they are about to buy two death tanks and tell them to look up DIY craft mesh dividers. Two fish, one tank, less work (and forces them to use the heater) x)
> 
> I find with fish, it's easier to appeal to the wallet and laziness of people than their heart.



This is the type of approach I find most generally effective as well.

In fact, when someone starts rambling about embarking upon a stupid, ill-planned backyard breeding project of their Yorki****BullDoodle with their freaking "Bug" as the baby daddy, I tend to start telling them about the costs of emergency C-sections, oxygen tents for pups and hospitalization charges, plus the risk to losing their widdle fufflewy woo woo girl, as well as the time and effort needed to keep/feed/clean up after pups, etc, etc.

What I really want to scream at them are things that have to do with how idiotic their judgement is, how many shelter pets who are sweet and friendly are being killed at taxpayer's expense, daily, because of idiot bybs, but...deep breath. Yeah.

Talking about mess, work, and expense usually is MUCH more effective.


----------



## thepapillon

I went back tonight  All of the dead fish were removed, and most of the dying fish were missing as well... Including the little boy I was coming back for. I doubt I could have saved him, but it would have been nice for him to have a last day of taking in clean water and breathing more comfortably.


----------



## bubblesaurus

I think it was Wednesday, I went to Petco to see if they'd restocked tanks since the dollar-per-gallon sale is going on, and this couple was going to buy a betta for their six year-old daughter. 

C: What are good beginner fish? We were thinking about getting a goldfish.
E: I wouldn't recommend goldfish to someone just starting out with fish. You should get a betta fish. They are exotic fish with a variety of colors and types. 
E: They are easy to take care of and low maintenance. They don't need a lot of room and are perfectly happy in a 1/4 of a gallon tank. Actually, if you put them in a big tank, they hide and don't like it. 

I held back a smart retort about how I'd actually much happier and more active the majority of my bettas became after I gave them more room. I grabbed a 15 gallon tank and left at that point. 

At least he steered them away from goldfish and did tell them that bettas can't be kept together as a general rule, but .25 gallons....


----------



## Tree

FinnDublynn said:


> Can I pick his arms off? Just pick them off...


No, what you do is, pluck each individual hairs off of his little head. That should be the same painful experience the fish had when he plucked the fishes fins off.


----------



## AukWord

The thing that frightens me--even though I know this banter is mostly kinda sorta (hopefully) joking--the threat of using violence to correct a kid who's already thinking violence is cool and a way to do things, is...well, sad to me.

Animal cruelty as I'm sure most of you know, quite often is correlated with violence towards other humans, later.

This kid needs consequences, yeah, but somebody--anybody--in his life needs to step up as an intelligent, creative role model who will find a way for those consequences to involve the kid learning about empathy and compassion.

If the kid doesn't learn it soon...well, some of these kids wind up in the newspapers later in life, you know?

I'd probably be having long, ongoing talks with the fish torturer, doing some eval of what kind of adult behavior is being modeled for him, if he's being abused himself, and then try to get him into some sort of community service that would give him a glimpse of the pain and suffering of others, and a way to learn to feel good about helping with that.


----------



## Tree

Oh it was a joke for sure, but how many times have you seen someone hurt an innocent cat or dog and you just want to punch them until they got the message? 

It just get me angry on how something that cannot help itself is getting hurt by a person that has issues. Humans are smarter and should know not to hurt others if they are hurting on the inside yet we do it to make us "feel" better. 

I'm sure the parents have a lot to play into his violence too. New age parents tend to not teach their children how to treat others how they would want to be treated. So I know it is not the kids fault, he just does not know any better. First it is innocent fish, then it will be where the kid will bring a gun to school. 
In the olden days, they used to cut off fingers if you have stole something, I'm not saying that is a GOOD thing, heck no! But maybe people should maybe teach these young kids how it hurts the animals if you do that by pinching them or something small just to get the point across. 

I did that with my nephew once. He was picking on foxy (a small Pomeranian dog) and pulling on her leg and hurting her. I asked him "How would you feel if someone pulled on your fingers or ear really hard?" I pulled on his finger and ever since then, he does not do that to the dog. 

I know this is a touchy subject and I agree with you 100% AukWord. Sorry if that rubbed you the wrong way.


----------



## Elleth

Yeah, for sure nothing physical if parental abuse is involved. But in my experience, minor pain/discomfort (mostly just for the shock of it) goes a long way towards teaching someone not to do something. My little brother went through a phase of biting everyone. >.< Being the youngest, my parents weren't too quick to discipline him except for verbally. I told him if he bit me, I'd bite him. (Not expecting him to bite me again!) He bit me. I bit him (gently, lol!), and he never bit anyone again. So I think in some circumstances it would work, others not.


----------



## AukWord

Tree said:


> Oh it was a joke for sure, but how many times have you seen someone hurt an innocent cat or dog and you just want to punch them until they got the message?
> 
> It just get me angry on how something that cannot help itself is getting hurt by a person that has issues. Humans are smarter and should know not to hurt others if they are hurting on the inside yet we do it to make us "feel" better.
> 
> I'm sure the parents have a lot to play into his violence too. New age parents tend to not teach their children how to treat others how they would want to be treated. So I know it is not the kids fault, he just does not know any better. First it is innocent fish, then it will be where the kid will bring a gun to school.
> In the olden days, they used to cut off fingers if you have stole something, I'm not saying that is a GOOD thing, heck no! But maybe people should maybe teach these young kids how it hurts the animals if you do that by pinching them or something small just to get the point across.
> 
> I did that with my nephew once. He was picking on foxy (a small Pomeranian dog) and pulling on her leg and hurting her. I asked him "How would you feel if someone pulled on your fingers or ear really hard?" I pulled on his finger and ever since then, he does not do that to the dog.
> 
> I know this is a touchy subject and I agree with you 100% AukWord. Sorry if that rubbed you the wrong way.



Oh gosh, no apology needed. 

I'm not at all offended, no. I meant what I said--it makes me a bit sad and a bit scared, when I see talk like that--because some of it, some of the time *is* serious.

And I say that while I do not even necessarily hold the same generous view you stated: It actually MIGHT be the kid's fault.

It really might. I've known kids, both as a kid myself, and as an adult, who just...were mean. Not really scientific, but you know.

As a child--I was maybe seven or so, I ran across a group of young boys, ranging in age from about ten to about twelve, who had found a snapping turtle cornered in a large mud puddle. (Yes, I grew up in the country, on a dirt road.)

They were laughing, cackling really, and were taking turns rushing the turtle, who was frantically trying to escape, and bashing his shell in with large sharp stones.

I remember seeing blood and...well, meat, and huge fractures in that shell.

Without even thinking, I waded into that group, fists and feet flying and proceeded to whup butt on some boys much bigger than I, grabbed a stone and threatened to throw it at them, at which point the oldest boy (thirteen actually) picked up a big stone, and threw it at me, hitting me in the forehead and left temple. (I needed sutures, later.)

I bent down and grabbed that turtle by the tail, managed to get back on my bike and pedaled hard as I could down the road to a big pond, where I threw the turtle to what my little kid mind thought was relative safety. No idea if he made it or I just prolonged his miserable death, but you know...

I'd much rather be the little kid whose impulse is to save that turtle rather than to stone it.

Sorry, didn't mean to dump what maybe should have been a psychotherapy session on a fish forum, LOL. ;-)

Just saying, I've seen kids who really to my knowledge at least didn't have a ton of "excuses" or reasons--they just had this evil impulse.

Those are the kids I don't exactly know how we reach, frankly, or even if they can be.


----------



## Tree

Oh wow! good for you for saving that turtle! some humans can be so cruel. =( 

It's just a lose lose situation at times. I wonder what the motivation in people to do such a thing? I mean I felt so bad when my dog killed a mouse in front of my eyes. D= Nature of life there I guess, and it's food for the wild life but it was still sad. T^T

Back to petsmart though,
I had a fish specialist tell me I was cleaning my water out too much when I was trying to cycle my tank with my fish in. I told her I was doing a 20% water change everyday to every other day but I was worried about my live plants at the time of the cycle. She replied to me saying, "No wonder why your plants are dying. you need to do a water change once a month in a 3 gallon tank...." 

Ok ma'am what ever you say.... LOL I walked off.


----------



## AukWord

Tree said:


> ...She replied to me saying, "No wonder why your plants are dying. you need to do a water change once a month in a 3 gallon tank...."
> 
> Ok ma'am what ever you say.... LOL I walked off.


I have been known to respond with this, when I hear things that are that egregious: "Who taught you that, and more importantly, why did you choose to believe it?"


----------



## Tree

I should have said something, but I have a bad time thinking of sassy comeback half the time. And I was a little new to the whole cycling thing. But now I'm sure if anything like that crossed my path again, I would say something. Haha 

After this thread, I have been tempted to follow people that have bettas in their hands. or just hover around the bettas to hear things.


----------



## FinnDublynn

Yes, It was a joke. It was threaded with a hint of seriousness, not quite literally pulling his arms off or even plucking his hairs, but, rather, some common disciplinary actions. And yes, sometimes it's not the kids fault and really, judging by how poorly the fish was kept to BEGIN with, his parents probably didn't teach them "Hey, this is a LIVE animal, it feels things, it's alive, and there are proper things to do, and things that we shouldn't do."

Some kids don't know better, especially since it was stated that it was one of the "younger" kids... a 3 year old might not understand that this fish is a live animal and not one of their toys they can play with... there is a LOT of different things that could have actually happened in that family, and without being there to physically see all of it, I can't ACTUALLY judge. 

If it were the adult pulling the fishes fins off, then my request might have been a little more sincere... lol


----------



## BettaBoy11

Overprotective Fish Lover said:


> I was talking to someone the other day who put two males in together. One of the younger boys in the family PICKED THE FINS off of one of the fish. Actually picked them off. Then they killed each other.
> 
> I barely knew the person so I didn't want to go into a really long rant, so I made note of some "interesting facts" that they were sometimes called Siamese fighting fish and that in the past they were bred for their aggression. It was so bad I didn't even get to tank size or heaters. I expect they were probably both in a bowl together, most likely without any sort of water changes.
> 
> This story actually made me sick. Of all the terrible ways for a fish to die this may be one of the most agonizingly gruesome and inhumane. My stomach still flips to think about it, especially the part about the boy picking the fins apart. I can't even go on with this, it makes me so depressed. It's past inhumane. It's cruel, torturous, and heartless. I just...I just can't.


That is terrible! How could someone do that.


----------



## Overprotective Fish Lover

The thing is, I got the impression it happened a while ago. Who knows what kind of repercussions he actually got? His parents might have dealt with it. They might not have.

I also got the impression that he did it because one fish was his and the other his sister's. So he picked the fins off his sister's fish to "bug her." It was an incredibly mean thing to do but I doubt he took it very seriously.

I'm pretty sure that wherever they got them gave them no advice whatsoever because this person didn't even know if they were girls or boys. I had to ask if they both had long fins or not.


----------



## Tealight03

I don't agree with spanking or other physical punishment, but there would be severe consequences if I found out my child was mistreating an animal. Allowing that to happen is terrible parenting.


----------



## Crossroads

Tree said:


> I should have said something, but I have a bad time thinking of sassy comeback half the time. And I was a little new to the whole cycling thing. But now I'm sure if anything like that crossed my path again, I would say something. Haha
> 
> After this thread, I have been tempted to follow people that have bettas in their hands. *or just hover around the bettas to hear things.*


I am guilty of this. And correcting people.
And correcting employees.
I have corrected employees numerous times to the customer when the employee walked away. If it's bad enough, I do it in front of the employee.


----------



## Mitu

When I got my first betta, the pet store suggested me two goldfishes and angel fish, with tiger barbs, the betta was love at first sight for me, and no one guided me properly about the compatibility, back in those days, we didn't even have the internet to look up information and later, hell ensued in my aquarium as I tried to keep up and make them all live peacefully together, the betta was the first one to go with nipped fins and the pellets he could not eat, I thought he died because of I did something wrong, but I didn't understand what. I felt guilty for many years because I was so looking forward to spend time with this beautiful fish, and even if I had to keep it alone, I would have dedicated a whole tank to him happily. Just wish the person incharge had educated me then.


----------



## Mitu

The above story is a childhood story of mine, this story is how I got my current bettas*

The place where I got my betta from (in India) I was pleasantly surprised to see bettas swimming in large enough tanks with moss and good lighting and shrimps, also they had only two three bettas in the whole shop, if you wanted more, you would have to ask for a certain betta and they would get one for you, when I decided to get on betta that I liked, he was put in a big bag with enough water and I was told to reach home within 20 minutes, the betta I got from there has a great personality and good health, he mingles easily and is in great shape. I wish more shops would treat their bettas the same way. And when I asked for decorations, the shop keeper told me not to buy them as the betta needs space to swim too, he handed me the smaller decoration. They also guided me about the setup and handed me special food for the betta. This shop has really earned my trust about the well being of my fishies. 
Also I got a VT from another shop where he was packed in a very small plastic bag, he was floating with several other bettas and continously flaring at others. IT was light blue in color, when I bought him, I was concerned if the air/water would be enough for the fish until i reached home, but what the shop ownder said really shocked me - 
"It's okay! we keep them like this for 8 days and they'll be okay"
I was disgusted at this, I took the poor betta and I'm never going back there again, when I brought him home, he was pale, very shy and he darted as soon as he saw humans, I kept on caring for it with my older betta, it began to change it's color and I was really surprised at how brilliant and vibrant it's coloring was. He is still shy but he is getting used to me, while the first betta I had (Named Dog, because he literally behaves like a Dog) totally trusts me and even does his "happy happy" dance when I approach the tank


----------



## thepapillon

My little gray butterfly... 

I went back to Petco today. They were having a huge adoption event.

I intended on only going to buy dog food, which I had forgotten the day before... 

I just *had* to look at the bettas. This sad creature that I missed yesterday grabbed my attention because of his dull look. lol He's slate gray and looks to be white butterfly. Is that what you'd call him? 

Anyway, he was given to me as I pointed out the fin rot (which I cannot seem to capture the redden edges on his fins in pictures) and what appears to be a bent spine? 

His cup of water had a reading of 2.0ppm for ammonia and 1.0ppm for nitrites. Poor guy was burning in there! 

I've dubbed him "Grayson" (do you think he'll stay gray?) and he's in a 1.2g tank for now until I upgrade him. (Probably once I get the fin rot under control?)


----------



## Crossroads

He's a copper so he will stay that color, yes.


----------



## AukWord

thepapillon said:


> My little gray butterfly...
> 
> I went back to Petco today. They were having a huge adoption event.
> 
> I intended on only going to buy dog food, which I had forgotten the day before...
> 
> I just *had* to look at the bettas. This sad creature that I missed yesterday grabbed my attention because of his dull look. lol He's slate gray and looks to be white butterfly. Is that what you'd call him?
> 
> Anyway, he was given to me as I pointed out the fin rot (which I cannot seem to capture the redden edges on his fins in pictures) and what appears to be a bent spine?
> 
> His cup of water had a reading of 2.0ppm for ammonia and 1.0ppm for nitrites. Poor guy was burning in there!
> 
> I've dubbed him "Grayson" (do you think he'll stay gray?) and he's in a 1.2g tank for now until I upgrade him. (Probably once I get the fin rot under control?)



First, Mitu, I love your "Dog" story. ;-)

Many of my Bettas will eat right from my hand. Greedy little guys don't want to wait 'til I let go of their worms and shrimp :lol:

thepapillon, he will likely not stay that color, no. He's probably ill and stressed right now, and so he is faded.

Hard to say how he will color up, but possibilities include Steel Blue, one of the types of Black, or even Copper maybe. He does carry butterfly, but not well. Supposed to be 50/50 with the color and white, and balanced around his fins.

He does look, though, like once you get him healed up he will be a lovely pet for you.


----------



## Tealight03

He's lovely, thepapillon. 

I went to a Petco I don't normally go to today. It's smaller than some of the others. Their fish section was terrible. The bettas were all lethargic in pale yellowish water. There were only a couple that were active. I so badly wanted a yellow dt but was not going to buy it with their conditions. I also have no place to put it. I seriously considered trying to get them to release it but doubted they would. I will contact corporate though.


----------



## AukWord

Tealight, I love that you have a fish named "Phil." That's awesome.


----------



## Tealight03

Thanks, AukWord. He is kinda named after Philadelphia. I was interviewing for a job there after I got him and the name stuck. The job did not.


----------



## LittleBettaFish

Sometimes at fish/pet stores, I feel like taking a big tub of popcorn in and just spend the day listening to all the inane statements made by both customers and staff alike.


----------



## ao

LittleBettaFish said:


> Sometimes at fish/pet stores, I feel like taking a big tub of popcorn in and just spend the day listening to all the inane statements made by both customers and staff alike.



If only they had seating. The need to rest tired feet usually overcomes the want to be entertained


----------



## AukWord

littlebettafish said:


> sometimes at fish/pet stores, i feel like taking a big tub of popcorn in and just spend the day listening to all the inane statements made by both customers and staff alike.


rofl.


----------



## FinnDublynn

LittleBettaFish said:


> Sometimes at fish/pet stores, I feel like taking a big tub of popcorn in and just spend the day listening to all the inane statements made by both customers and staff alike.



For fish, cats, dogs, hamsters, ferrets, chinchillas, mice, rats, etc, etc, etc, alike....


----------



## Tealight03

*Response from a Petco manager*

On Sunday I made a complaint through the Petco web site about one of my local stores. The complaint listed yellowish water in all tanks and betta cups as well as the health of the bettas. The majority were lethargic and sickly. Today I received this response from the manager:

We appreciate your comments regarding our aquatics department. I understand you have concerns regarding our maintenance and water quality. We embrace any and all feedback from our customers and encourage them to inform us of any concerns so that we may embrace them and provide the best possible care for our animals while they are in our care. I encourage you to come to the store any time and speak with me regarding care, maintenance, overall health and wellbeing of the aquatic department as there is always more to learn. I look forward to your feedback. 

Thank you, 
Darren 
General Manager 2414

I'm hopeful he is actually willing to listen to suggestions. I will go back in a few days and try to speak with him.


----------



## Sadist

Awesome! Good luck!


----------



## Aquastar

I've seen some awful treatment of bettas in some shops, from blind, to kept in half a cup of water to no fins, and it saddens me every time. The closest Petsmart to where I live actually takes quite good care of their bettas and I rarely see dead ones (good care=less pretty here) and I wanted to share a recent happy story to restore our faith.

So I walk in, 8 bettas left, all good condition. I go down to where the rest of the tanks are and ask for some ghost shrimp for my temporary Fluval spec 2, 

E: how many would you like?
Me: just two, tanks.
*expertly fishes out two ghosts and bags them*
E: What tank setup do you have?
Me: A 2gallon betta aquarium, planted.
E: is it heated?
Me: No, it's the schools and for the summer it's kept a steady 25degrees Celsius
E: Okay then. Anything else?
Me: Can I get some money wort?
E: Moneywort is a tropical plant, you need a heater!
Me: I have a ten gallon (astounded he would tell a costumer not to buy a plant without a heater)
E: good.
*I leave, happy that someone cares even for the shrimp, I hope that guy stays  *


----------



## IslandGirl7408

Tealight03 said:


> On Sunday I made a complaint through the Petco web site about one of my local stores. The complaint listed yellowish water in all tanks and betta cups as well as the health of the bettas. The majority were lethargic and sickly. Today I received this response from the manager:
> 
> We appreciate your comments regarding our aquatics department. I understand you have concerns regarding our maintenance and water quality. We embrace any and all feedback from our customers and encourage them to inform us of any concerns so that we may embrace them and provide the best possible care for our animals while they are in our care. I encourage you to come to the store any time and speak with me regarding care, maintenance, overall health and wellbeing of the aquatic department as there is always more to learn. I look forward to your feedback.
> 
> Thank you,
> Darren
> General Manager 2414
> 
> I'm hopeful he is actually willing to listen to suggestions. I will go back in a few days and try to speak with him.


Excellent! Just remember: you catch more flies with honey than with vinegar. Try not to back him into a corner, especially at first. Maybe even take it from the point of view that since he wants to meet with you, obviously he is a caring and concerned manager.....also dead or sick fish mean less money for his store.....
Good for you! A lot of people complain....you are actually doing something. Brava!


----------



## Tealight03

Thanks for the pep talk. I normally wouldn't consider speaking with him except the conditions were terrible, he extended an invitation, and he seems willing to listen. I hate confrontation so hopefully it goes smoothly.


----------



## FinnDublynn

Tealight03 said:


> On Sunday I made a complaint through the Petco web site about one of my local stores. The complaint listed yellowish water in all tanks and betta cups as well as the health of the bettas. The majority were lethargic and sickly. Today I received this response from the manager:
> 
> We appreciate your comments regarding our aquatics department. I understand you have concerns regarding our maintenance and water quality. We embrace any and all feedback from our customers and encourage them to inform us of any concerns so that we may embrace them and provide the best possible care for our animals while they are in our care. I encourage you to come to the store any time and speak with me regarding care, maintenance, overall health and wellbeing of the aquatic department as there is always more to learn. I look forward to your feedback.
> 
> Thank you,
> Darren
> General Manager 2414
> 
> I'm hopeful he is actually willing to listen to suggestions. I will go back in a few days and try to speak with him.


 Be prepared to be scoffed at, tho... This honestly sounds like a cookie cutter response that they're required to give...


----------



## InStitches

I'll try to recall this as best as I can. I'm not super at story-telling.

At one of the mediocre Petcos in town:

Adam: (pointing at Betta Falls) I see what you meant now, these containers are a lot smaller than I expected.

Me: Yeah, and fish will jump right out of them.

Then we scooted off to look at the Betta fish with his selected scratch-free 10 gallon aqueon. Tons of fish were in stock in time for the $1/gallon sale, I guess. They had more fish than could fit on the endcap display, and baby bettas in another display.

The fish manager (who had explained he was brought to our Petco from another city to turn around the fish department) came over and explained that he had just changed the water on nearly 200 Betta Fish cups (oh no, you had to clean fish water to keep them healthy, the horror of working in aquatics, ah). Adam was caught up in digging through the fish, so he ADHD'd through this little nugget:

Fish Manager: You guys should get the Betta Falls and get a few Bettas. I have the Betta Falls at home and just brought home one the new purple guys! They're so cool, I've never seen a Betta this purple before.

Me: Yeah, solid purple seems to be one of the more difficult breeding goals right now. I've actually been seeing a lot of purple fish over the past year or so.

Fish Manager: Oh really? It's so bright and cool looking! Here look at this guy. (he shows me a photo of his new Betta on his phone)

Adam: (peeking over) He looks great! (goes back to looking through fish) How often do you change the water?

Fish Manager: Oh these guys are pretty easy, I change the water like once a month.

Me: (too surprised to say anything)

Adam: (ADHD mumbles something in acknowledgement but isn't actually listening)

Adam could not recall the manager saying anything about the Betta Falls but when I told him about the Betta Falls and water change every 1 months, he was nearly as horrified as I was.

And sure enough when Adam went back to Petco a few days down the road, all the perky Bettas were looking droopy and like crap.

I'm resisting the urge to go back and scoop up the King Betta I had been eyeballing. I have absolutely no room and do not wish to give any more money to Petco :/

Adam speculates the fish manager was just trying to drive up sales and lying about having the Betta Falls in the first place. Who knows. But I don't think that guy should be a fish manager...


----------



## Elleth

Ugh that's terrible InStitches! I despise the Betta Falls torture chambers. My newest betta, Vilya, came from a LPS where he was displayed in one. He was all clampy and hiding at the bottom in it. Now that he's been in his 2.5 gallon QT tank for around a week, he's zooming all over, flaring, and hardly ever clampy at all. It's been neat seeing the change in his temperament that it made.


----------



## Ganggreenkhan

After reading this thread to maintain my sanity Imma just assume its a bunch of stuff made up by people on the internet. Couldn't tell you personally cause I've never had an employee try to "help" me in a pet store. The only time I ever talk to them is when I'm looking for something and I usually start with "I'm breeding betta's", that seems to pretty much shut them up and they just point me to what I'm looking for.

On a side note I'm horrified everytime I walk into a store and see them all jarred up in blue water full of poop.


----------



## InStitches

Elleth said:


> Ugh that's terrible InStitches! I despise the Betta Falls torture chambers. My newest betta, Vilya, came from a LPS where he was displayed in one. He was all clampy and hiding at the bottom in it. Now that he's been in his 2.5 gallon QT tank for around a week, he's zooming all over, flaring, and hardly ever clampy at all. It's been neat seeing the change in his temperament that it made.


I'm glad you got him out of there! I bet he is so much happier


----------



## InStitches

Ganggreenkhan said:


> After reading this thread to maintain my sanity Imma just assume its a bunch of stuff made up by people on the internet. Couldn't tell you personally cause I've never had an employee try to "help" me in a pet store. The only time I ever talk to them is when I'm looking for something and I usually start with "I'm breeding betta's", that seems to pretty much shut them up and they just point me to what I'm looking for.
> 
> On a side note I'm horrified everytime I walk into a store and see them all jarred up in blue water full of poop.


yeah... clean water might be more helpful than the preventative meds :roll:


----------



## Elleth

InStitches said:


> I'm glad you got him out of there! I bet he is so much happier


Me too!  He's this adorable white and light blue marble crowntail. Can't wait to see him in the seven gallon tank that's going to be his permanent home.


----------



## Hallyx

Ganggreenkhan said:


> .... I usually start with "I'm breeding betta's", that seems to pretty much shut them up ...


I have to remember that one. ;-}


----------



## FinnDublynn

When I called my local PetCo the other day looking for my Methylene Blue, the guy was like, "Nope, I don't see any, and I don't think I've heard of it... but have you tried (otherstore)? They have some saltwater stuff there, they just don't sell the fish."

And I'm like... "Uh.... *debates correcting him that its an all tank thing, not just saltwater....*... No I haven't I'll call there next..."

This was their "AQUATICS SPECIALIST"

Other store didn't have it, either. But the amazing place in Anchorage, despite being out of stock, was way more helpful. This is a currently fairly small aquatics only store and I'm SO LOOKING FORWARD TO THE EXPANSION... they specialize in saltwater and coral, but they have a lot of fresh water too. They have 2 giant tanks (Uhm.. hard to tell the gallon size, but they're about 18-24 inches deep and maybe 10 feet long and 5 feet wide? Like a giant table...) Filled with Coral plugs and large bits of coral, a 750 gallon predator tank, a pretty big indoor koi pond, and 4 walls of tanks now, plus whatever is in the back room. But they're about to expand and the owner is excited because he's like, "I can add about 12 more of those giant tanks and be able to expand the freshwater section and sell more products too!!!"

Anyways. He was like, "oh jeez, I'm so sorry it looks like we're out..." then offered me all sorts of information on what I can do in the mean time and asked what I was treating and helped me figure out other trreatment routes if Lazarus got worse before the Meth Blue came and and he took my information so he could call if they got any in before Monday for me. The store is amazing and they have someone on staff at all times who's basically only job is to clean tank after tank after tank so they're all kept clean and the water great. They're usually closed by the time I get off work so any chance I get to drive the hour into Anchorage and go to the store makes me super giddy lol


----------



## Crossroads

Petsmart jewel just now
C1, boy about 11: I want an aggressive fish!
C2, his much older sister: Nooo, you don't want aggressive fish!
C1: YEAH! I WANT IT TO KILL SOMETHING!
Older sister points out algae eaters
Older brother points out swordtails.
I'm walking away at this point, shaking my head and over hear,
C3, older brother: Okay so we'll get a swordtail.

_*A*_ swordtail. They are going to stick one single swordtail in a tank alone.
Thankfully I later saw older sister pointing at a 20g but...


----------



## blueridge

So I've been brewing about this for awhile now...

This isn't about something that I heard from at a pet store, but is instead about a pet store employee, PetsMart to be exact. This person decided to get a 10 gallon tank and stock it. And what do they stock it with you might ask? Well I don't know, a male betta, a female betta, some tiger barbs, lets throw in some mollies, a pleco, and while we are at the horrible list, lets put a gourami in there too. Are you kidding me?! I asked her if she needed any advice or help or whatever, and she told me I've worked at PetsMart for 2 years; I think I know what I am doing.

WHODHWHFHUEJGBG What?! :redmad:


----------



## ao

On my trip to petco yesterday I saw two girls in the betta section trying to pick out a betta. They seemed to know what they're doing and this pink haired girl was like "I want to rescue him!".

It's great that more people are knowing about proper betta care and want to help the poor fellows 

I've also ran into a guy who was looking for a betta after the one in his community tank died after 7 years. 

Happy little moments!


----------



## Tealight03

Wow about that 10 gallon. Just wow. 

I was at Petsmart today. They are having a similar sale to Petco. Which would be why the fish section was quite busy. None of their bettas looked great. I saw one lady walk out with one and one of those tiny 1 gallon tanks. I might have said something but she was moving pretty fast. Meanwhile I'm pondering a 10 gallon vs a 2.5 gallon and buying an impulse betta.


----------



## blueridge

Tell me about Tealight! She told me that she had done her "research". Riiiigghhttt. 

Did you make an impulse buy today? Or did you stick with the 10 gal?


----------



## Tealight03

People shock me. I wonder what will happen when that tank goes south due to aggression or a mass die off. 

I got both. I really didn't want another fish, but I could not leave without him. So my female Ruby has a 10 gallon to herself at the moment. I'd like to add a couple tankmates but have not decided on what to add yet. Nor do I have a qt for them. The new guy is adjusting to her old 5 gallon. Never going to Petsmart alone again....


----------



## blueridge

I'm not too sure. It was posted on fb by someone who I went to college with but didn't really know. I wouldn't be surprised to see that they have a massive die off too. Which I feel really sorry for the fish, because they didn't ask for that :/ 

I hear ya. Congrats on your new buddy! I'm sure he is enjoying life, now that he is out of his cup. I've learned to never go to Petsmart of Petco alone, because of what I always end up buying xD


----------



## thepapillon

I actually reported my petco today. I need to stop using petstores that sell bettas!! Anyway, today there were only about 15 cups, but all were filthy, green, moldy, poop-ridden and sad sad bettas inside. A few were dead, and many were dying. Not one looked even decent. Even the store manager looked disgusted.

One particularly young crowntail pulled at my heartstrings, and yes, I bought him with the sole intention of making him comfortable and rehoming! 

His cup was repulsive. His caudal fins are tattered, his anal fins are rotted, his dorsal fins are jagged and sparse. He was heavily stress striped and gasping. 

His cup tested at 8.0+ppm ammonia (actually the test result was nearly black, but I only have the measurement no higher than 8.0) and his nitrites were 5.0ppm (again, higher than that, but couldn't measure any higher). 










I politely called and explained the situation, and they were wonderful. I used the phone number on their website to contact them. I was immediately connected with a supervisor who was horrified at what I'd found. They are sending out the district manager to the store tomorrow (!!) and calling me with a follow up from the visit. 

I was polite, factual, kept my cool and made it clear I didn't want anyone in trouble, just thought the animals needed better care. 

I'll let you know when I hear from the district manager. 

In the meantime, the little betta is in a temporary 1g (all I have left!) and is clean and hopefully happy. I'm not convinced he'll live... but if he does, who needs a new crowntail?!


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## Tealight03

Good for you! I may make a complaint about the Petsmart I was at today. I still haven't spoken with the manager of the Petco I complained about. I didn't think he'd be in on the weekend. 

My new guy is timidly exploring. He's staked out a spot behind some plants. Looking forward to him getting more confidence and coloring up!


----------



## AukWord

Has anyone ever offered to give a free training on Betta care, to any of these chain stores' employees?

I'm considering writing to corporate and doing just that. I'll emphasize that encouraging proper care of Bettas will actually drive more sales revenue for their stores.


----------



## blueridge

AukWord I think that is a great idea!


----------



## thepapillon

Fantastic idea! Go for it!


----------



## FinnDublynn

I was at the PetCo in South Anchorage today.. EVERY betta cup had massive amounts of black **** in the bottom of the cups, there was one dead betta, I couldn't even hand him over to a worker since no one was there to be found so I put him on the sink in the aquatic section. The fish in the .5gallon bowl "display" was also dead, and rotting. At least days in that condition. He was half gone. Uhg.


----------



## DangerousAngel

OMG your PetCo has a Betta in a .5 cube too?? Ours does too, the poor HM needs a WC, and he nips. But at least he's alive.  Ours just got a HUGE shipment in and there were so many (saw about 2 I wanted) and the lot of them weren't looking very good. I guess they just couldn't properly manage that many.


----------



## AukWord

Hmm, thanks guys.

Now I just have to figure out how to sell myself as a "credentialed" Betta keeper.

Not many university degrees offered in that, and I think "has far too many freaking Bettas for a ton of years and reads everything available on them" likely won't impress corporate goons.


----------



## Ganggreenkhan

thepapillon said:


> I actually reported my petco today. I need to stop using petstores that sell bettas!! Anyway, today there were only about 15 cups, but all were filthy, green, moldy, poop-ridden and sad sad bettas inside. A few were dead, and many were dying. Not one looked even decent. Even the store manager looked disgusted.


This is why I'll never buy a petstore Betta again. I'm not gonna support practices like that and avoid the national chains whenever possible. I have trouble buying from the local guy by the house cause he keeps his Betta's in about 8oz of water and I find that appaling. I've only been in there twice and at least they were clean, but the first time was the day he got them and there was a fresh Betta in every bowl, still in the bags, which I took as a bad sign. Betta abuse is an industry standard so what can you do?

I'm trying to spawn right now and I'm bent outta shape that imma havta keep them in small bowls cause of numbers.


----------



## FinnDublynn

The aquatic store I love so much in Anchorage has their bettas in about the same size cup as PetCo boys (Which is still bigger than PetSmart...) but the water is always SUPER clean and they occasionally have a plant clipping in them when they can. They usually only have 5 or 6 on hand, high quality, very nice, Probably directly from overseas, and they're all in wonderful condition. They did have one on "display" in a half gallon bowl, but it was planted and he was turned into the store with some SEVERE fin damage, unsure if it was water quality or fighting, the guy said... But, while small, it was taken REALLY good care of and I saw quite a bit of regrowth already. Made me SUPER happy that i give them my money lol


----------



## Ganggreenkhan

FinnDublynn said:


> The aquatic store I love so much in Anchorage has their bettas in about the same size cup as PetCo boys (Which is still bigger than PetSmart...) but the water is always SUPER clean and they occasionally have a plant clipping in them when they can. They usually only have 5 or 6 on hand, high quality, very nice, Probably directly from overseas, and they're all in wonderful condition. They did have one on "display" in a half gallon bowl, but it was planted and he was turned into the store with some SEVERE fin damage, unsure if it was water quality or fighting, the guy said... But, while small, it was taken REALLY good care of and I saw quite a bit of regrowth already. Made me SUPER happy that i give them my money lol


There usta be a store like that around here about ten years ago. but it's gone now. All the stores left suck at Betta care.


----------



## FinnDublynn

Ganggreenkhan said:


> There usta be a store like that around here about ten years ago. but it's gone now. All the stores left suck at Betta care.



yeah. I once had the privilege to have a full conversation once with the owner of the store.. his straight passion is aquatics. They do specialize in Saltwater, but there's just as much fresh water there. I told him I drove all the way from where I live, 40+ miles away, JUST to go to his store and get the bag of Eco-Complete I was shopping for that day. He brought the bag out to my car for me, and we had a nice chat.. 

Prices there are a bit more than your PetCo's and PetSmart's, but like he said, "I'm not getting rich, here. I'm taking care of live fish and coral and plants... I charge a little more so I can take proper care of them, and make sure you're not getting a sick or injured or disabled fish. I cater to people who have PASSION, not an empty shelf they want to decorate." And I'm like Yesssss.... That. (I love watching the Anemone's in his tanks... If I could manage a salt water tank, I would. Just for the Anemone's LOL)

What's awesome, is that his face LIT UP LIKE CHRISTMAS when he started talking about the move they're getting ready to do.. the space is like 10x as big and he's excited because he can keep more tanks and better stock and more items. The store he's in now is a little thing in a strip mall, and there's one small corner with filters and lights and water additives, the rest is all about the fish. And he's so excited to be able to expand. And I'm SO HAPPY my friend told me about this store. If it went out of business and I had to rely on ONLY the PetCo and PetZoo in my town? (And the ones in Anchorage, too, along with the PetSmarts) I would go crazy. As it is, I already basically HAVE to give them my money, tho ANYTHING I can manage to get on Amazon, I hit them first with my Free Prime Shipping before giving my money to the Devil's.. (Tho I will advocate that PetZoo is a small chain and WAY better than the CoSmart, and the one in my town was amazing for quite a while. AND, after a HEATED letter to the company about the conditions of the South Anchorage store and how I found Lazarus there....?? I've been back twice and they've been much, much better. I even went there today just as the lady was doing water changes for the bettas..)


----------



## sharkettelaw1

Reading about the bettas fins getting picked off makes my skin crawl... Yes his parents could play a role resulting in him doing that, BUT in the end he's the one torturing the fish, not his parents. He's got a functional brain so he should know right from wrong. Or at the very least think about what he's doing first. If it was me, I'd take that tank with the dead bettas put it in front of him, and give him a solid box on his ear and tell him if he wants to end up in jail for 7-10 years for animal cruelty, then he must continue


----------



## Tealight03

Free education is a great idea. I would volunteer to educate my pet stores.

FinnDublynn, that is terrible. Pet stores make me sad.


----------



## Ganggreenkhan

That's the kind of pet store own I miss FinnDublynn. The guy at the LFS where I get my plants, they came with snails by the way , is all about the money. I tried to ask him about breeding guppies and he told me he doesn't breed cause he's in it for the money, this is the guy who keeps his Betta's in 8oz jars. His tanks are cleaner than (insert major pet chain here) so i guess that's something.

I'm glad to here a store about a store like you've got, it gives me hope.


----------



## BettaBoy11

Why don't these people just get a Hexbug Aquabot?


----------



## Alimiss27

BettaBoy11 said:


> Why don't these people just get a Hexbug Aquabot?


You would be surprised how hard it is to take care of one of those. ;P Replacing the battery, not feeding it, watching it swim around the "tank", never changing the water. Oh, the horror! 

Jk


----------



## Tealight03

I had a dream about someone putting two males in the same tank. I was telling her they had to be seperated and she wasn't listening. And I blame this thread lol.


----------



## thepapillon

Tealight - LOL!! Sorry about that!

The little crowntail I rescued yesterday is doing surprisingly well. I'm shocked these little fish can live through so much. He's even pretty bold! He flared at me while I was changing his water. He's the tiniest little thing. Maybe 1/2 the size of my other fish. He really is pathetic looking. LOL Who knows.. maybe he'll be the ugly duckling?


----------



## Tealight03

Glad he's doing well. It is amazing what clean, warm water does.


----------



## Elleth

thepapillon said:


> Tealight - LOL!! Sorry about that!
> 
> The little crowntail I rescued yesterday is doing surprisingly well. I'm shocked these little fish can live through so much. He's even pretty bold! He flared at me while I was changing his water. He's the tiniest little thing. Maybe 1/2 the size of my other fish. He really is pathetic looking. LOL Who knows.. maybe he'll be the ugly duckling?


Do you have a thread with pictures of him? I'd love to see.


----------



## thepapillon

I'll take some tomorrow.  I did take a few while he was still in his death cup, but the quality is very poor. I'll photoshoot him tomorrow! He needs a home!


----------



## dannifluff

I have one of these. I'm in the UK, and recently at my LFS I asked an employee to unlock the heater cabinet as I wanted one if the heaters. I mentioned it was for a new Betta tank. She looked over at their collection of sad little Bettas and said, 'My daughter had one of them. You don't actually need a heater.' (In the UK).

No wonder her daughter's poor fish was in the past tense.

Having said that, in the very same store I overhead an employee telling a customer that no, she shouldn't put a second goldfish in her 25 litre tank, technically it wasn't even suitable for the first goldfish. Perhaps just a new plant instead... nicely redirected.

It really just depends on the experience of individual employees, I guess.


----------



## Ganggreenkhan

My male has fin rot and I went to the LFS when they opened to get maracyn and maracyn 2. When I asked the guy what he had to treat fin rot he showed me the $10 price tag on each box and said "this is all I have. You should just get another one cause they're only three dollars" to which I said "Actually he's a $50 fish and I'd treat him anyway even if he was a $3 dolar fish."

WTF This is from a guy who owns a pet store. The same guy who puts them in 8 once jars until they die and orders more. I don't know if imma do business with him anymore. 

My fish didn't get sick till I put him in the tank with the plants I bought from this guy. Could there have been something on the plants that caused fin rot?


----------



## FinnDublynn

The plants could have easily disrupted the water conditions, or brought over some bacteria.. ICK! Yeah.. if you can avoid his shop, do it. Some people have done bleach water dips to disinfect plants, and I just did a Hydrogen peroxide bath for mine to disinfect them, and some people will just QT them for awhile... If you're treating the whole tank with the Maracyn, I would like to think maybe it's OK, but I would look into disinfecting them as well, ask around in the planted tank forum


----------



## Julie7778

Hey guys! I loved reading this whole thread from page 1! I love how people here don't consider a betta "just a fish". Here's a small thing I experienced at my Petsmart. It's short but made me happy! 
C: I would like to get the pleco.
E: Sure! But what size tank do you have? 
C: 10 gallon.
E: *goes on about how you need a tank much bigger since they grow large etc.* 

It was nice to see that they wouldn't let them take it home and even gave some other ideas of what to stalk their tank with.


----------



## sharkettelaw1

Well at my lfs, I bought a plant and when I put it in my tank it let off a cloud of dirt that looked like spores if that's even possible. It was seriously gross. I threw it away the same day


----------



## LittleStewie

Jonthefish said:


> We'll this was what my friends genius brother told me on how he wanted to get ferrets , here are just some of his highlights of this beautiful convo .
> 
> - ferrets don't bite , they lick
> - ferrets are only like 200$ to fully take care of
> - he wants two first ( not gunna get one I know how to take care of them )
> - they only pee and poo in a litterbox
> - they don't chew anything that isn't food
> - you only clean the cage twice a month
> 
> The reason he wants one is because his cousin has one and he has slept over their twice . So he is obviously a professional .
> 
> Note this is a person that has had three dogs at different times and brought them back to the store .
> 
> I have never wanted to pull teeth more than in this conversation .


I own 8 ferrets and I have spent more than $2,000 on them (cage was $600,ferrets were $150 each, and I have spent loads of money on toys and little ferret clothes. lol. My ferrets also have their own room and they crap everywhere... they don't use the litter box anymore. I also have a ferret that bites your feet and makes you bleed if you don't wear shoes while in the ferrets room. My ferrets try to eat anything that is made of rubber or foam. Lol so your friends bro is sooooooooo wrong.


----------



## FinnDublynn

Oh, gross.

Not to the ferret... to the terrible plant plume


----------



## Tealight03

Tealight03 said:


> On Sunday I made a complaint through the Petco web site about one of my local stores. The complaint listed yellowish water in all tanks and betta cups as well as the health of the bettas. The majority were lethargic and sickly. Today I received this response from the manager:
> 
> We appreciate your comments regarding our aquatics department. I understand you have concerns regarding our maintenance and water quality. We embrace any and all feedback from our customers and encourage them to inform us of any concerns so that we may embrace them and provide the best possible care for our animals while they are in our care. I encourage you to come to the store any time and speak with me regarding care, maintenance, overall health and wellbeing of the aquatic department as there is always more to learn. I look forward to your feedback.
> 
> Thank you,
> Darren
> General Manager 2414
> 
> I'm hopeful he is actually willing to listen to suggestions. I will go back in a few days and try to speak with him.


Well I visited this Petco a couple days ago. There were a lot of improvements. All the bettas had clean water and most were fairly active (as active as one could be in a cup). Of course there were still no employees in the fish section. I bought two silk plants and at the register asked to speak to the manager. The lady cashier told me she was the manager. I told her I had hoped to talk to Darren and was impressed with the improvements in the fish section and I could follow up with him via email. She just stared. I did email him and complimented him on the improvements and gave him the bettas need a heater speech. He hasn't responded. I'm happy they at least have clean water now and hope it will stay that way.


----------



## blueridge

Tealight that is great that they are improving! But I wonder why that lady told you she was the manager, when she wasn't? 


Also the individual that posted about that horrible 10 gallon tank, has recently posted about a poor guinea pig at the store that she works at. She said that she was checking on its abscess and it popped on her hands. She was talking about how gross it was, and then in the comments her and her friend proceeded to make jokes about the abscess...

People make me mad sometimes :redmad:


----------



## Tealight03

Maybe she was a manager but not the general manager? I'm not entirely sure. I wasn't going to engage in conversation when I had the GM's email. 

Wow, that is disgusting. I hope that store gets reported too.


----------



## SunnySideIvy

Went to my local petco today to get dog treats and Prime, and the moss ball cups were DISGUSTING! The water was brown! As per usual the crown tails were high on the shelf and not moving much but it looked good in the Betta section otherwise. No more baby Bettas! I think my petco is on the better quality fish shipments because there was an Orchid DTHMPK, and a blue marble HMPK. Either that or there is a breeder in my area with some nice fish they are giving to Petco.

On the other hand I heard this lovely conversation:
Parent: Do you guys miss your fish?
Kids: YEAH!
Parent: Well, do you want to try again?
Kids: *run screaming to the betta cups with grabby hands*

I literally groaned out loud, it was so disheartening. I guess that's what happens in a tourist town full of summer people and a lot of rich kids who don't care much about anything.


----------



## blueridge

Tealight03 said:


> Maybe she was a manager but not the general manager? I'm not entirely sure. I wasn't going to engage in conversation when I had the GM's email.
> 
> Wow, that is disgusting. I hope that store gets reported too.


Yeah maybe she was? I'm not too sure how those things work.
Me too! I cannot believe it! If I knew I could report her on it I would.

That is really horrible Sunnyside. I would hate to have heard that. I feel so sorry for bettas. I wish chain pet stores would actually put some effort into training their employees.


----------



## Tealight03

I feel sorry for the bettas too. And all other animals in a chain store's care. 

You could copy and paste the post or take a screen shot and submit it as a complaint under Petco's geneneral section. They have options for the specific store or other if you don't know the store. Maybe someone from corporate could track it down. It's a start at least.


----------



## BettaBoy11

SunnySideIvy said:


> Went to my local petco today to get dog treats and Prime, and the moss ball cups were DISGUSTING! The water was brown! As per usual the crown tails were high on the shelf and not moving much but it looked good in the Betta section otherwise. No more baby Bettas! I think my petco is on the better quality fish shipments because there was an Orchid DTHMPK, and a blue marble HMPK. Either that or there is a breeder in my area with some nice fish they are giving to Petco.
> 
> On the other hand I heard this lovely conversation:
> Parent: Do you guys miss your fish?
> Kids: YEAH!
> Parent: Well, do you want to try again?
> Kids: *run screaming to the betta cups with grabby hands*
> 
> I literally groaned out loud, it was so disheartening. I guess that's what happens in a tourist town full of summer people and a lot of rich kids who don't care much about anything.


Ugh! I hope the first fish died because of some untreatable disease and was in proper care... But I doubt it...


----------



## Axeria

Yeah people tell me all the time that its just a fish, and give me blank stares and sometimes laugh at me when I tell them that betta's have great personalities... My cousins basicly thinks of me as "that crazy animal person who takes it all to serious", and I am like "come on! Its living creatures ffs! Ofc its something to be serious about! Then I get the "its just a fish, rat, hamster etc. Speach" It is so sad! I feel the only person who understand me is my hubby.... 

My LPS is kinda good with their bettas , no one is living in a filthy cup, they are kept with other fish and snails one betta per aquarium. On the other hand they just dont seem to care about telling people to get a decent sized tank and a heater for them, I overheard one employe tell a customer that a flower vase where good enough... I quickly told them it was not ok to keep their fish like that and that the employe where wrong in that they did not need a heater, i where extremely calm, factual and polite. you know what the answer where? 
"How dare you question my advice! You dont work here!" 

Luckily she where one of the newer employes there, and I got the impression she is a yung girl who thinks she know everything just because she have worked two weeks at a pet store....

SMH


----------



## SunnySideIvy

I get to use the "As a student of Veterinary Medicine I suggest that..." intro to my trying to help conversations but it still doesn't sink in. 
The just a fish thing bothers me just as much as when people tell me it is just a horse. They all have personalities and emotions and quirks. My fish bring me just as much joy as someone's expensive designer dog.


----------



## FredDaBetta

So my betta fish had ick and I went to petsmart to see if they had any good medicine. I saw they didn't really have anything effective as I was going down the isle, this happened.
Employee: "Do you need any help today?"
Me: "Yeah my Betta has Ick and I was wondering if you had any medicine for that."
E: He walks over to the next isle and grabs betta fix. "This will fix him up."
Me: "I thought that was just for fin rot."
E: "NO, you can only use this on bettas everything else kills them."
Me: "Are you sure?"
E: "yes." Then he just walked off. I couldn't believe it. I knew for a fact that that medicine doesn't treat ick. Like what a stupid human being!!!!!!! How did such an idiot even get that job.


----------



## FinnDublynn

The good news is that with Betta's, since they can handle warmer temps, you can treat ich by turning up the heat for a few days.


----------



## FredDaBetta

FinnDublynn said:


> The good news is that with Betta's, since they can handle warmer temps, you can treat ich by turning up the heat for a few days.


LOL yeah I felt so bad when he had it. I had ordered some effective stuff online and he's happy and healthy again


----------



## FinnDublynn

This is one that I've been meaning to post for awhile now.

Back when I got the 10 Gallon for Kismet to upgrade him from the 5.5 I started him in (3 days later... lol) I had gone to PetCo, grabbed the tank, went to PetZoo, found it cheaper, went and returned the original to PetCo, then realized I forgot to pick up the two heaters I needed at PetZoo(since those are adjustable and the ones at PetCo are not).

So, back over to PetZoo I went! When I walked in, the cashier was like, "You again!?" and I explained that i forgot my heaters I needed, because the preset ones I had only keep it warm enough to really be temporary, since the Betta's need to be closer to 80 than 74... (which is still better than the 69 they'd be without the heater)

Her and I continued to talk about my set up, since she knew I had 6 bettas and she had sold me Kismet the few days before. When a customer came up to me and goes, "you know you don't need all that for a betta, right? You can just put them in a bowl." (At this point she had heard that each boy was set up in 10 gallons with live plants, heaters, wood, etc etc etc)

I was like, "I know that's what a lot of information out there says, but it's actually untrue. There are a lot of misconceptions about Betta Fish."

To which she responded, "I've kept plenty of betta fish in my life and they all lived happy healthy long lives in a bowl."

And so I was like, "And what is a long life?"

Her: "I had one that lived a whole 9 months! But the rest lived to a ripe old age of 6 months."

Me: "Wow... I'm impressed actually."

Her: "I told you."

Me: "Yeah.. that's actually really impressive that you could kill them that fast considering the average life span is closer to 3 years and they're inCREDIBLY hearty fish that can survive a lot of mistreatment, usually, tho I don't condone the mistreatment of them. For you to kill them off THAT FAST... that took some REALLY bad skills in aquatic arts... I'm impressed, really."

Her: *stunned*

Cashier: "She's right, they have a several year life span. 6-9 months is still a baby. When we get them, they're already 2-3 months old, if not older."

Her: "walks away in a huff for being proved wrong"


----------



## FinnDublynn

FredDaBetta said:


> LOL yeah I felt so bad when he had it. I had ordered some effective stuff online and he's happy and healthy again


Yeah, it's hard to watch your babies be sick and not do anything. If my boys ever get it, you can bet Imma treat them too, not just turn up the heat lol


----------



## FredDaBetta

FinnDublynn said:


> This is one that I've been meaning to post for awhile now.
> 
> Back when I got the 10 Gallon for Kismet to upgrade him from the 5.5 I started him in (3 days later... lol) I had gone to PetCo, grabbed the tank, went to PetZoo, found it cheaper, went and returned the original to PetCo, then realized I forgot to pick up the two heaters I needed at PetZoo(since those are adjustable and the ones at PetCo are not).
> 
> So, back over to PetZoo I went! When I walked in, the cashier was like, "You again!?" and I explained that i forgot my heaters I needed, because the preset ones I had only keep it warm enough to really be temporary, since the Betta's need to be closer to 80 than 74... (which is still better than the 69 they'd be without the heater)
> 
> Her and I continued to talk about my set up, since she knew I had 6 bettas and she had sold me Kismet the few days before. When a customer came up to me and goes, "you know you don't need all that for a betta, right? You can just put them in a bowl." (At this point she had heard that each boy was set up in 10 gallons with live plants, heaters, wood, etc etc etc)
> 
> I was like, "I know that's what a lot of information out there says, but it's actually untrue. There are a lot of misconceptions about Betta Fish."
> 
> To which she responded, "I've kept plenty of betta fish in my life and they all lived happy healthy long lives in a bowl."
> 
> And so I was like, "And what is a long life?"
> 
> Her: "I had one that lived a whole 9 months! But the rest lived to a ripe old age of 6 months."
> 
> Me: "Wow... I'm impressed actually."
> 
> Her: "I told you."
> 
> Me: "Yeah.. that's actually really impressive that you could kill them that fast considering the average life span is closer to 3 years and they're inCREDIBLY hearty fish that can survive a lot of mistreatment, usually, tho I don't condone the mistreatment of them. For you to kill them off THAT FAST... that took some REALLY bad skills in aquatic arts... I'm impressed, really."
> 
> Her: *stunned*
> 
> Cashier: "She's right, they have a several year life span. 6-9 months is still a baby. When we get them, they're already 2-3 months old, if not older."
> 
> Her: "walks away in a huff for being proved wrong"


I literally died at your response LOLOLOL!!!!! "It takes skill to kill them that fast." OMG so much truth!


----------



## SunnySideIvy

That response is amazing XDD now I want to go to the petstore just to try this one out!


----------



## FredDaBetta

SunnySideIvy said:


> That response is amazing XDD now I want to go to the petstore just to try this one out!


LOL I know right ;-)


----------



## FinnDublynn

It's true!! All the misconceptions about betta's stem from the fact that they ARE hearty fish!! They can live in some really, really bad conditions!!! To kill SEVERAL off in a 6 month time frame takes SKILL!! lol


----------



## FredDaBetta

FinnDublynn said:


> It's true!! All the misconceptions about betta's stem from the fact that they ARE hearty fish!! They can live in some really, really bad conditions!!! To kill SEVERAL off in a 6 month time frame takes SKILL!! lol


For real. At my local pet supplies they keep them in the smallest cups possible. Like nobody even cares if the fish can't move. Some people just don't get that they can be just as much fun as a dog.


----------



## FinnDublynn

FredDaBetta said:


> For real. At my local pet supplies they keep them in the smallest cups possible. Like nobody even cares if the fish can't move. Some people just don't get that they can be just as much fun as a dog.


Not that they CAN be, that they ARE. 

Some people talk about how they're only excited to see you cause we're the ones that feed them.. and that's not true. Finn knows the difference between a visit and food time. Because when I approach with food, he goes RIGHT to his feeding spot before I've even opened the tank. When I'm just there to see him, he happily swims and flares and visits with me around his whole tank and doesn't go for the feeding spot once... he knows, and he loves greeting me as his tank and wiggles and shows off all the impressive art work he's done with his fins that day.... much to my dismay... lol

All my boys know the difference between food time and not food time and with the exception of Pandora, they all love the attention they get when it's not food time. They love playing with my finger on the tank, they love the mirror and yes, i'm anthropomorphizing a little, because following my finger and flaring at the mirror are just natural instincts and whatnot, but still. To a point, they DO know, and they DO have more than just animal instincts. Not much, but they do.


----------



## FredDaBetta

FinnDublynn said:


> Not that they CAN be, that they ARE.
> 
> Some people talk about how they're only excited to see you cause we're the ones that feed them.. and that's not true. Finn knows the difference between a visit and food time. Because when I approach with food, he goes RIGHT to his feeding spot before I've even opened the tank. When I'm just there to see him, he happily swims and flares and visits with me around his whole tank and doesn't go for the feeding spot once... he knows, and he loves greeting me as his tank and wiggles and shows off all the impressive art work he's done with his fins that day.... much to my dismay... lol
> 
> All my boys know the difference between food time and not food time and with the exception of Pandora, they all love the attention they get when it's not food time. They love playing with my finger on the tank, they love the mirror and yes, i'm anthropomorphizing a little, because following my finger and flaring at the mirror are just natural instincts and whatnot, but still. To a point, they DO know, and they DO have more than just animal instincts. Not much, but they do.


LOL I love when my betta does that its so funny. I walk into the room and he swims straight to the front of the tank and flares as big as he can LOL


----------



## blueridge

FinnDublynn said:


> Not that they CAN be, that they ARE.
> 
> Some people talk about how they're only excited to see you cause we're the ones that feed them.. and that's not true. Finn knows the difference between a visit and food time. Because when I approach with food, he goes RIGHT to his feeding spot before I've even opened the tank. When I'm just there to see him, he happily swims and flares and visits with me around his whole tank and doesn't go for the feeding spot once... he knows, and he loves greeting me as his tank and wiggles and shows off all the impressive art work he's done with his fins that day.... much to my dismay... lol
> 
> All my boys know the difference between food time and not food time and with the exception of Pandora, they all love the attention they get when it's not food time. They love playing with my finger on the tank, they love the mirror and yes, i'm anthropomorphizing a little, because following my finger and flaring at the mirror are just natural instincts and whatnot, but still. To a point, they DO know, and they DO have more than just animal instincts. Not much, but they do.


Oh my gosh! All this is so true! My boys even know the difference between my family members and myself. If they see a family member and they get close enough to realize it isn't me, they are no longer interested any more in them. It is hilarious to watch my neighbors come over and look at them. They always tell me how boring my fish are, when in reality my boys just know that they just are me :lol:


----------



## Tealight03

FinnDublynn said:


> This is one that I've been meaning to post for awhile now.
> 
> Back when I got the 10 Gallon for Kismet to upgrade him from the 5.5 I started him in (3 days later... lol) I had gone to PetCo, grabbed the tank, went to PetZoo, found it cheaper, went and returned the original to PetCo, then realized I forgot to pick up the two heaters I needed at PetZoo(since those are adjustable and the ones at PetCo are not).
> 
> So, back over to PetZoo I went! When I walked in, the cashier was like, "You again!?" and I explained that i forgot my heaters I needed, because the preset ones I had only keep it warm enough to really be temporary, since the Betta's need to be closer to 80 than 74... (which is still better than the 69 they'd be without the heater)
> 
> Her and I continued to talk about my set up, since she knew I had 6 bettas and she had sold me Kismet the few days before. When a customer came up to me and goes, "you know you don't need all that for a betta, right? You can just put them in a bowl." (At this point she had heard that each boy was set up in 10 gallons with live plants, heaters, wood, etc etc etc)
> 
> I was like, "I know that's what a lot of information out there says, but it's actually untrue. There are a lot of misconceptions about Betta Fish."
> 
> To which she responded, "I've kept plenty of betta fish in my life and they all lived happy healthy long lives in a bowl."
> 
> And so I was like, "And what is a long life?"
> 
> Her: "I had one that lived a whole 9 months! But the rest lived to a ripe old age of 6 months."
> 
> Me: "Wow... I'm impressed actually."
> 
> Her: "I told you."
> 
> Me: "Yeah.. that's actually really impressive that you could kill them that fast considering the average life span is closer to 3 years and they're inCREDIBLY hearty fish that can survive a lot of mistreatment, usually, tho I don't condone the mistreatment of them. For you to kill them off THAT FAST... that took some REALLY bad skills in aquatic arts... I'm impressed, really."
> 
> Her: *stunned*
> 
> Cashier: "She's right, they have a several year life span. 6-9 months is still a baby. When we get them, they're already 2-3 months old, if not older."
> 
> Her: "walks away in a huff for being proved wrong"


Love this!


----------



## Axeria

Looool!!! Finndublynn thats just awesome!!! Good for you telling her the facts


----------



## FinnDublynn

Normally I'm not so. Sarcastic and rude about it but she was just SOOOO condescending when she said I didn't need all that and was acting like she was a Betta Expert or something and I'm like, I'm not an expert either.... But I know way more than you... I gave you the benefit of the doubt that you were misinformed but then you got rude and hoity toity and uppity about it so I'm taking you down


----------



## Axeria

Tbh rude people need a taste of their own medicine, I can not fathom how some of the rudest people I know can go trough life without getting slapped


----------



## FinnDublynn

Tooooooottally on board with that lol


----------



## Elleth

FinnDublynn said:


> Normally I'm not so. Sarcastic and rude about it but she was just SOOOO condescending when she said I didn't need all that and was acting like she was a Betta Expert or something and I'm like, I'm not an expert either.... But I know way more than you... I gave you the benefit of the doubt that you were misinformed but then you got rude and hoity toity and uppity about it so I'm taking you down


Lol! Good for you! I dislike conflict so much that I usually just don't say anything, and then feel crappy for not the rest of the day. Cause usually when I do speak up, I can't think quick enough and just end up sounding like an idiot, even if I am right and they are wrong... So then I feel crappy the rest of the day anyway. *sigh* It's a no win situation.


----------



## FinnDublynn

Elleth said:


> Lol! Good for you! I dislike conflict so much that I usually just don't say anything, and then feel crappy for not the rest of the day. Cause usually when I do speak up, I can't think quick enough and just end up sounding like an idiot, even if I am right and they are wrong... So then I feel crappy the rest of the day anyway. *sigh* It's a no win situation.


I avoid conflict when I can.... But this lady was begging for it. Lol


----------



## TuiAndLa

Elleth said:


> Lol! Good for you! I dislike conflict so much that I usually just don't say anything, and then feel crappy for not the rest of the day. Cause usually when I do speak up, I can't think quick enough and just end up sounding like an idiot, even if I am right and they are wrong... So then I feel crappy the rest of the day anyway. *sigh* It's a no win situation.


Omg, this! ^ xD Random person here, sorry, but.... yes. Sums up half my life too. xD You're not the only one, don't feel too bad. lol


----------



## Elleth

TuiAndLa said:


> Omg, this! ^ xD Random person here, sorry, but.... yes. Sums up half my life too. xD You're not the only one, don't feel too bad. lol


Lol! Not sure if I should say "Yay, I'm not alone" or "Oh you poor thing I'm so sorry".


----------



## TuiAndLa

Well, both work! xD


----------



## Ganggreenkhan

Went to Petco today. the betta's had nice clean water and I couldn't count the dead ones there were so many.


----------



## FinsnFeathers

This happened to me a couple months ago at PetSuppliesPlus:

Me: How much is this plant (anubias on driftwood)
E: That's a fake plant not live...._looks at me like I'm dumb as a rock_
Me: Umm, Ok..._Walks away_

It was clearly a live anubias. It was even flowering and had a few new leaves growing lol. Not to mention it was in the tank with the rest of the live plants that were for sale. I didn't even bother arguing :roll:


----------



## AukWord

Ganggreenkhan said:


> Went to Petco today. the betta's had nice clean water and I couldn't count the dead ones there were so many.


Yeah, that "nice, clean" looking water usually tests out at 6.0 or even 8.0 on the ammonia chart.

I think they are not feeding them, so they won't poo, and so they don't have to change water when it *looks* yucky and toxic to customers.

In fairness to management, I think this is often the sneaky strategy of employees who either feel they don't have time or don't have compassion, to do the work.

I'm going to bring photos of various cup tests I did, and give a heads up, to my local store's companion animal manager, that this is what is going on. She *is* checking to see they look clean, but she's getting foxed, I think.

And, I really love you people for speaking up. Just sayin'.

Oh, for those shy folks, just practice a few times, within or just at the edge of your comfort level. When it's something you strongly believe in, you can begin to speak up, you can.

I seriously used to be the girl who was too shy to order a pizza, no kidding.

Now I will straight up lecture some idiot byb or "designer dog" greeder or some a-hole who is mistreating a great rat, or abusing their cat, or chaining their '**** dog to the bumper of a rusted out Chevy on blocks.


----------



## FinnDublynn

AukWord said:


> I seriously used to be the girl who was too shy to order a pizza, no kidding.



My mom made my Dr appts for me up til I moved to Alaska at 24 years old... and I only order my Pizza online, never on the phone...

And any and every time I can do something online vs on phone, I do it. Or text... I LOOOOOVE texting cause it means I don't have to talk o the phone. 

I'm STILL that way, but I'll speak up for those who can't, still. But, wanted to make sure you knew you weren't alone lol


----------



## SondersVeil

I feel like Oilfield County down here in Canada looks into animals a little more before they explore them. The worst I've ever seen was a kid throwing a screaming fit because she found it a great idea to put her two male bettas in with a barb. All three died.

And her mother was angry about it too.

Ugh.


----------



## Nova betta

some good news!!!!!

I went down to my local petsmart to get a new gourami for my 20 gallon tank. When I was waiting for the worker to bag my fish her was talking to a woman about the bettas and other fish. 

She wanted to get four goldfish, a neon tetra,a betta, and some live plants for a 2-3 gallon bowl. The guy told her he could not sell her the fish. He said she needed at least a 10 filtered gallon tank for one of the goldfish. ( I know this is still to small but at least it is getting better!) But he said a 20 gallon is better.

For the neons he said she needed at least 4 and a heated ten gallon. For the betta she needed a heater in the bowl. She walked out of there with not a sigle fish or plant.

When it was my turn this is how our conversation went.
ME: hi, I would like one of you fire red dwarf gouramis.
E: while he reached for the net he asked me if I had at least a ten gallon heated for the fish.
ME: Yeah, he will be going into a 20 gallon that is heated.
E: wow, thank you for reseaching your pets! Here is you new fish good luck!

Thank goodness for responsible employees!


----------



## SondersVeil

That's awesome! We've only got two pet stores here, and the one I prefer to go to is called Pet Pad. They keep all of their bettas clean, and though the containers are somewhat small (I'd say 4x4x4 inch cubes), they take otherwise good care of their bettas. Mostly. Most of their employees are generally knowledgeable, but the ones who aren't always seem happy to learn.

M.R. Pets, however... There is ONE employee who claims to know anything about bettas, and says she'd had them for ten years.

And then promptly gets angry at me for daring to suggest I put tetras or snails or ANYTHING in, because according to her, bettas can kick the crap out of even a big oscar. Which I have one of in a separate tank, and no, a betta cannot beat an Oscar, because their mouths are bigger than the bettas themselves.

We're getting a Petsmart on September 6; I would LOVE to apply, but you have to be 17. Which is weird, because literally everything else here, you have to be 14-16, sometimes even 12-16. I'm turning 16 on August 7, so I was thinking I could apply online to work there; apparently not. I just hope they take care of their animals and know what they're doing.


----------



## Trixa

FinnDublynn said:


> My mom made my Dr appts for me up til I moved to Alaska at 24 years old... and I only order my Pizza online, never on the phone...
> 
> And any and every time I can do something online vs on phone, I do it. Or text... I LOOOOOVE texting cause it means I don't have to talk o the phone.
> 
> I'm STILL that way, but I'll speak up for those who can't, still. But, wanted to make sure you knew you weren't alone lol


 I'm kind of glad I'm not the only person in their 20's who had to have their mom make appointments for them. Finally one of my doctor's decided not to let her make or cancel appointments for me...so then I had to do it. It's a lot easier now, but I still have to have her help me with legal stuff. Attorney's are intimidating, even if they are your attorney lol.

As for speaking up at a pet store, I've been recently been doing it a lot, mostly to employees. If there's a ton of people in the store I can't though. I'll do the intensely staring at an object and reading the label of it for five minutes instead of saying excuse me to access what I ACTUALLY want to look at. 

I asked a pet store employee if they had a 50w heater, and he asked what I needed it for. I said betta and I think I saw his head spin around a few times. "What size tank?" 10 gallon. More head spinning. It turned out he legitimately believed the whole no filter, no heater, tiny bowl garbage. I was so happy I spoke up, maybe now he can sell people some proper betta set-ups.


----------



## FinnDublynn

Trixa said:


> I'm kind of glad I'm not the only person in their 20's who had to have their mom make appointments for them. Finally one of my doctor's decided not to let her make or cancel appointments for me...so then I had to do it. It's a lot easier now, but I still have to have her help me with legal stuff. Attorney's are intimidating, even if they are your attorney lol.


It's still sooooooo hard for me to make calls, and I'm only a few months off of 30... And I still hang up on my BF after only a few minutes of time... I can't stay on the phone with ANYONE longer than 3-5 minutes it seems.


----------



## AukWord

Nova betta said:


> some good news!!!!!
> 
> I went down to my local petsmart to get a new gourami for my 20 gallon tank. When I was waiting for the worker to bag my fish her was talking to a woman about the bettas and other fish.
> 
> She wanted to get four goldfish, a neon tetra,a betta, and some live plants for a 2-3 gallon bowl. The guy told her he could not sell her the fish. He said she needed at least a 10 filtered gallon tank for one of the goldfish. ( I know this is still to small but at least it is getting better!) But he said a 20 gallon is better.
> 
> For the neons he said she needed at least 4 and a heated ten gallon. For the betta she needed a heater in the bowl. She walked out of there with not a sigle fish or plant.
> 
> When it was my turn this is how our conversation went.
> ME: hi, I would like one of you fire red dwarf gouramis.
> E: while he reached for the net he asked me if I had at least a ten gallon heated for the fish.
> ME: Yeah, he will be going into a 20 gallon that is heated.
> E: wow, thank you for reseaching your pets! Here is you new fish good luck!
> 
> Thank goodness for responsible employees!



That's fantastic. You oughta drop a note to corporate, praising that fish dept, and making sure to tell them you will be in LOTS to buy supplies and more fish, due to the responsible, accurate info and care guidelines given by their employees.

That is how change comes about--not just complaints, but compliments, when some progess is made :-D


----------



## LittleBettaFish

Was very refreshing to walk into a fish store that had a sign above the bettas showing a recommended temperature range that was actually appropriate, and also that a minimum of 9L was required. I think there was also something about a filter to keep the water clean because of the waste that builds up. 

Their bettas all looked very happy and healthy and I actually came home with one in spite of only being there for blackworms and watersprite. I realised it's my first purchase of a Betta splendens in over a year.


----------



## IslandGirl7408

AukWord said:


> That's fantastic. You oughta drop a note to corporate, praising that fish dept, and making sure to tell them you will be in LOTS to buy supplies and more fish, due to the responsible, accurate info and care guidelines given by their employees.
> 
> That is how change comes about--not just complaints, but compliments, when some progess is made :-D


That's a fabulous idea! I'm sure they get sick of complaints-- those letters probably just get a quick glance before being tossed aside-- but a letter praising their company is read from top to bottom, no doubt. Be sure to pass along that you shared about the store on a Betta forum with ( insert number of members here) people!


----------



## SeaKnight

FinnDublynn said:


> It's still sooooooo hard for me to make calls, and I'm only a few months off of 30... And I still hang up on my BF after only a few minutes of time... I can't stay on the phone with ANYONE longer than 3-5 minutes it seems.


I'm only a couple years from 40 and still have issues talking on the phone, in public etc.. I do it if I HAVE to but wanting to is a whole nother story, and if I can get my Husband to do it for me that's all the better...


----------



## FinnDublynn

SeaKnight said:


> I'm only a couple years from 40 and still have issues talking on the phone, in public etc.. I do it if I HAVE to but wanting to is a whole nother story, and if I can get my Husband to do it for me that's all the better...



Bahahaha.. yeah. When I can get my BF to do it for me now, I do. And I do it SNEAKY... I'm like, "hey sweetie.. the Pizza Hut website it down. I was going to order pizza, heres my card number and what I want, but I'll let you order it since you know what you want... I'm going to go do *insert some random tiny chore here that allows me to escape*"


----------



## AukWord

LittleBettaFish said:


> Was very refreshing to walk into a fish store that had a sign above the bettas showing a recommended temperature range that was actually appropriate, and also that a minimum of 9L was required. I think there was also something about a filter to keep the water clean because of the waste that builds up.
> 
> Their bettas all looked very happy and healthy and I actually came home with one in spite of only being there for blackworms and watersprite. I realised it's my first purchase of a Betta splendens in over a year.


You just casually toss that out there, with NO PICS?

Are you looking to get cyber-lynched?! :lol:


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## LittleBettaFish

Haha well I put up a photo of him in my journal. He is hard to take photos of. He rarely has his ventrals down and he's been busy flaring at my other male. 

This is him. Form is not perfect obviously (the topline does make me twitch) but I liked his colour and his attitude.


----------



## blueridge

So I actually have a great story to share today!

So I went to a non-local Petco today, to get some stuff for my soon to be new ferret. While I was there I was going to pick up a light bulb for my one tank that will actually support some of my mid-light plants. So of course while I was in the fish section, I decided to check the bettas. They were all in good shape and lively as ever! But then I noticed two of them, who look to be older due to their size and had some fin rot going on, up for adoption. So I ended up asking the lady in the fish section about them. She told me a little bit about them, some girls had come in yesterday to give them up because they no longer wanted them, and that they were free to good homes. So I told her I would take one home, and this is where I was so proud, she started to ask me everything about how I was going to take care of him. She said that she wanted to see these guys go to a good home since they had obviously come from a horrible home. 

I was so happy about this! Somebody cares! :-D


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## Tealight03

That's a lovely story. It's nice they were up for adoption instead of being resold. 

I went to Petco to pick up more silk plants. This Petco is normally good about betta care, at least from what I can see. Not so tonight. Some were active but most were lethargic. Two kept rubbing against the bottom of their cups. I badly wanted a red vt just because he clearly had parasite issues but talked myself out of it. I also could not find even one employee to bring attention to this matter or to ask if they carried nerite snails. Back to the Petco web site to make another complaint.


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## blueridge

Yeah I was so glad! I hope someone else, who knows how to take care of bettas, got the other boy. He didn't look as worse as the one I got today.

That is horrible about! You should have gotten that red vt boy too! Is this the same Petco that you wrote a complaint about earlier?


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## AukWord

LBF, I really like him. I see why you were drawn to him.

Blueridge, that is a good story--and we need pics from YOU too ;-)


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## Tealight03

blueridge said:


> Yeah I was so glad! I hope someone else, who knows how to take care of bettas, got the other boy. He didn't look as worse as the one I got today.
> 
> That is horrible about! You should have gotten that red vt boy too! Is this the same Petco that you wrote a complaint about earlier?


No a different one. The one I thought was good.  I will have Killian's 2 gallon tank freed up. Darn you for being an enabler lol.


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## FishMemory

My Petsmart experience I went in to exchange for a new betta since the one that I bought died 2 days after purchase...

Me: My betta died so I'm just here to get another one.
Employee: OH what kind of tank did you put him in ?
Me: 10g
Employee: That's the problem the tank is to big
Me: Did I just hear that ? 

First of all I use conditioner in all my aquarium water I guess he just died from being FREE from your DAM CUP !!!!!! To dam excited he died


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## Tree

Just went to petsmart today to get plants and stuff for my 3 gallon tank when I hear a kid say to her mom, her Gold fish needed a friend. She asked her mom if her gold fish doubled in size seeing the smaller ones in the tank. The mom said no, they stay the same size... x_x Then the employee asked what size tank she has, and the kid pointing to a one gallon bowl..... Those poor FISH!


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## notacatindisguise

"bettas live in hoofprints, you can't give them too much space"


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## blueridge

AukWord I would love to post pics! You'll have to wait like week or two though because we only have one camera in the house and my mom always seems to take it with her whenever she goes out of town. I would like to say though that he is huge! :shock: He is about as big as my giant!

Tealight I'm sorry, but not really


----------



## IslandGirl7408

So right now I am in Toronto and I've been looking in a few pet stores. There's a little one right across the street from my hotel that sells bettas. Some of the plainer ones are in the tiniest cups I've ever seen. Then there are others in cups bigger than the size of petsmart's cups. Those are more expensive even though the only difference seems to be that they have more interesting colours. I've been in and out over a period of a month and the cups are always sparkling clean, the fish healthy looking and there is usually a few little leaves on the surface of the cups. I decided to talk to the owner today to ask how she manages to keep the fish so healthy even in such small containers. She says she changes the water every day with conditioner and anything else they need. We chatted about some products and she really seemed to know her stuff.. She said she has great staff as well. I have to agree-- I've never gone in that they weren't busy with the fish!
Contrast this to the Pets Unlimited store back at home. I've never gone in when they had even 1 healthy fish. Never. Ever.. Not even 1 fish. And the staff are always standing around. Last time I was in the floor was soaking over by the tanks where I assume they had been doing something...there was a siphon on the floor. And the Betta cups were actually yellow and brown they were so filthy. What was the guy on staff there doing? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. Not cleaning. Not asking me if he could help. If you wanted a fish, you couldn't get one there.
So thumbs up to Petstore owners who care!
Thumbs way down to the other store . I think I might find out who the manager is and send a note...


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## Ganggreenkhan

IslandGirl7408 said:


> So right now I am in Toronto and I've been looking in a few pet stores. There's a little one right across the street from my hotel that sells bettas. Some of the plainer ones are in the tiniest cups I've ever seen. Then there are others in cups bigger than the size of petsmart's cups. Those are more expensive even though the only difference seems to be that they have more interesting colours. I've been in and out over a period of a month and the cups are always sparkling clean, the fish healthy looking and there is usually a few little leaves on the surface of the cups. I decided to talk to the owner today to ask how she manages to keep the fish so healthy even in such small containers. She says she changes the water every day with conditioner and anything else they need. We chatted about some products and she really seemed to know her stuff.. She said she has great staff as well. I have to agree-- I've never gone in that they weren't busy with the fish!
> Contrast this to the Pets Unlimited store back at home. I've never gone in when they had even 1 healthy fish. Never. Ever.. Not even 1 fish. And the staff are always standing around. Last time I was in the floor was soaking over by the tanks where I assume they had been doing something...there was a siphon on the floor. And the Betta cups were actually yellow and brown they were so filthy. What was the guy on staff there doing? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. Not cleaning. Not asking me if he could help. If you wanted a fish, you couldn't get one there.
> So thumbs up to Petstore owners who care!
> Thumbs way down to the other store . I think I might find out who the manager is and send a note...


It's nice to hear about a store that takes care of its Betta's.


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## Julie7778

What was the store called :-D


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## IslandGirl7408

Pets Wonderful on Church Street, although I was in today and one of the fish had ick.


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## mystima

one of the fish stores that I sometimes go into and buy stuff from just sent this video to my email.

http://youtu.be/L0L9DXbCEaA 

I actually got to see them set this up. I was glad that they were not sitting in stagnate(sp) water.


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## IslandGirl7408

Nice! Where is this?


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## mystima

Hurst, Texas.


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## Alimiss27

I asked my mom for a 5 gal. tank in front of my aunt. The resulting convo.

Aunt: "In Mexico, betta fish live in the plants where the leaves form little cups."
ME: "And how do they get there?"
Aunt: "When it floods the water lifts them up!"
ME: "And just happens to land in the leaf 'cup'?"
Aunt: "Yup. See no need for a big tank!"
ME: Stares in disbelief.
*Mom takes moment to slip away*

Then I rant on about how they live in the wild, blah blah blah.

Aunt still refuses to listen.


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## FinnDublynn

Uhhhhmmmmmmm... Do Bettas even live IN mexico...??? They're originally from Thailand/Malaysia/etc... I know that doesn't exactly mean they CAN'T be in Mexico, TOO, so I don't wanna outright laugh my head off at your Aunts ridiculous stupidity (tho, there is PLENTY of Stupidity Gasoline to fuel this Laughing fire...) but just... WOW OH WOW. I mean. Just. I... wow. 

IS YOUR AUNT BRAIN DAMAGED!? She fails. Just fails. In general. At life... lol


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## Alimiss27

And the worst part is, I never got my 5 gallon! NOOOOOOoooooooooo.........


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## sharkettelaw1

Mexico LOL. The stupidity of some people. They should never be given the responsibility of looking after any animal.


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## BettaBoy11

Alimiss27 said:


> And the worst part is, I never got my 5 gallon! NOOOOOOoooooooooo.........


Why not?


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## sharkettelaw1

When i went to some old rundown petstore, some person was asking how to get rid of the algae in her tank, FULL OF FISH. Guess what the idiot employee suggested? CHLORINE! Thats taking stupidity to a whole new level


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## Tealight03

sharkettelaw1 said:


> When i went to some old rundown petstore, some person was asking how to get rid of the algae in her tank, FULL OF FISH. Guess what the idiot employee suggested? CHLORINE! Thats taking stupidity to a whole new level


Wow. That is a whole new level.


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## FishyOfTheOpera

So mine my not be as crazy as some of these, but I found it funny.
I decided to test the employee before I asked her a serious question, so this is the conversation:

Me: What's the minimum size tank to keep a betta in?
E: Oh, well they take oxygen from the surface, so I'd say to keep them in something around the size of the containers we have them in! (Which are filled with about a cup of water)

And then she moved on to talk with another employee about how a double tail was said to be a veil tail by a customer, and she picked up the fish and I said "Oh that's definitely double tail!" She completely ignored me and didn't even acknowledge my comment. This is the fish she was pointing talking about btw:


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## Alimiss27

BettaBoy11 said:


> Why not?


Because my mom & aunt said it was a waste of their money. And I was like "It's my cash. I just need a ride."


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## Overprotective Fish Lover

sharkettelaw1 said:


> When i went to some old rundown petstore, some person was asking how to get rid of the algae in her tank, FULL OF FISH. Guess what the idiot employee suggested? CHLORINE! Thats taking stupidity to a whole new level


Holy cow. Yeah that'll kill your algae...and all your fish. Way to go stupid pet store employees. You've just murdered another tankful of innocent creatures with your ridiculous "advice."

Argh this stuff makes me mad.:frustrated:


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## Nova betta

well at least the algea will die! along with the fish...


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## sharkettelaw1

So i went out today with the sole purpose of acquiring female bettas for my sorority, and what i saw disgusted me. The females werent exactly what i was looking for, they were mostly combtail cambodian pineapples, but the tank next to that - holy cow. There was a royal blue halfmoon boy, and his fins were turning grey, evidence of graphite disease, but his face! :shock: It was ROTTEN. White, and rotting away. He was blind, and somehow still alive.


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## FinnDublynn

Oh, My.... That's TERRIBLE


----------



## FinnDublynn

This is Part Rant, Part Yay... I have ALWAYS felt that in MOST circumstances, the way a business handles a bad situation counts for more than the bad situation its-self. 

Went to my local -Co today, which is very small compared to most since we're a small town, for some supplies. Since they ARE small, they've never been TERRIBLE about the fish... but that doesn't mean they've ever been great, but comparatively better than most.

Not. Today.

6 Dead Bettas.
3 Cases of SBD
9 REALLY bad cases of Fin Rot
2 Cases of Body Rot
Too many ammonia burns to count
1 case of advanced Dropsy.

Furious, I pulled th 6 dead ones, and took them to the cashier, with a very disappointed, "I'm not done shopping but these SIX are dead, and several more are on the way." and walked away.

While I'm looking around at the filter media seeing what they had for filter floss, the Manager approaches me.

"Ma'am, are you the one who brought the bettas to the cashier?"

Me: "Yes, that was me."

Manager: "Thank you for bringing them to our attention. I'm so sorry that they got that bad, and I will be speaking with our aquatics specialist, and make sure they stay on top of it. I'm so sorry you had to see them in such terrible condition. The cashier mentioned you said several more were in bad shape, would you mind showing me what you saw? I'm not the best with Aquatics, that's why we hired a specialist..."

She then took ALL the ones I said were sick, or injured, and took them to the back (which thanks to someone on here, we now know they ACTUALLY treat them in the back). She thanked me, again, profusely, for helping to protect their merchandise. I was a little offended she said merchandise and not their Fish or Animals or anything like that... but she's right, it is merchandise, but still. For everything else she did? I was thrilled, because I never even ASKED to speak to the manager, i just dropped off the dead ones.


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## Tealight03

That's great! Glad the manager took it seriously.


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## FinnDublynn

And it FELT sincere. I never asked to speak with her, so she came to ME, and she seemed genuinely concerned... And I turned in the fish and continued to shop, so it was OBVIOUS that they hadn't lost a customer, plus there is only TWO places within 40 miles to buy anything, so I kinda HAVE to shop there, anyways.. so it's not that she was trying to keep a customer either. 

I was DEF impressed. HIGHLY. I mean, I was horrified by the conditions, but I'm SO happy that she took it so seriously!!!


----------



## Tree

What a cool story FinnDublynn!

I have one that somewhat annoyed me and somewhat made me think, "Hmm, she knows a bit about bettas." 

So I was having issues with my girl Maguro eating and wanted to get some baby fruit flies. I asked the older fish employee where to get them and she showed me. She then asked me what I was using them for....

Me: "For my Betta she has not eaten for a good three weeks. Here and there foods at night on the bottom of her tank but not enough. I was told that these will help her get motivated into eating again." 

Employee: "I would not waist your money on those, she will not eat them." (this is where I was _kinda_ annoyed) 
"what size tank does she have and what kind of filter?" 

Me: She has a 2.6 gallon tank fully cycled with a lot of anubias plants and a sponge filter that shoots out bubbles that I can adjust. She also had issues with the glass of the tank, she could see her reflection in it so I have to place craft mesh on the three sides." 

Employee: "Hmm never heard of a female ever doing that. (what?!) It sounds more like she does not like the filter you have in there. I would turn it off." (Good point...but)

Me: "Well I would but I have live plants in here and they like the flow/bubbles."

Employee: Then I would give her another tank, use that for another fish." (LOL!) She pointed me to a one gallon and surprisingly, she said NOT to use the divider it came with! and to only use it with one betta. wow good for her! 

I did end up taking the one gallon tank seeing that it was only $8.99 for a hospital tank.  I lied about using it for her. (But that is ok. My betta started eating today) 

Anyway, I started to pick up the bulbs on the side of the shelf where the plants were as I was going to ask a question but before I could, she quickly said. "I would not buy those either. they don't have an expiration date on them and who knows if they will grow for you. I don't like when people waist their money on things that will not make them happy in the end." (wow another amazing word of advice coming from this lady) 

We went on our marry way, the end... 

so yeah pros and cons on this adventure but I learned that some people DO know what they are talking about.


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## FinnDublynn

The betta bulbs also come with a 100% guarantee that they'll grow in 30 days or less, and if they don't, you mail a copy of your receipt and the bulb to the company, and they'll replace it. Adds a little inconvenience, but if you really want to grow a plant from that, it wont be a waste of money because there is a 100% guarantee.


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## SiameseFightingArt

^^^Never grew for me.


----------



## Tree

FinnDublynn said:


> The betta bulbs also come with a 100% guarantee that they'll grow in 30 days or less, and if they don't, you mail a copy of your receipt and the bulb to the company, and they'll replace it. Adds a little inconvenience, but if you really want to grow a plant from that, it wont be a waste of money because there is a 100% guarantee.


I have like 6 in my tank and they grew, I was just going to ask her about them and she commented. LOL I was really looking for the Betta Bulbs packages not the ones that had the lilies in them. They never grow for me. and the onion plants grew then started to rot. =/ So if you are thinking about getting some to experiment, get the packages that say "betta Bulbs" they grow almost 100% for me.


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## LoveMyBettas

I got some betta bulbs a couple weeks ago ... Just to see if they really WILL grow, lol (& it does have the money back guarantee thing) ...


I have to say a few years ago, I had a goldfish that I was going to give a buddy too. (this is several years ago & before that i hadn't really dealt with goldfish). And, I went hunting around online & somewhere I had posted about this "little" goldfish. And, thankfully, someone took the time to tell me that even the "little feeders" at the petstores (comets??) need much space because they get big & give off a lot of waste. I was happy that someone chose to tell me about it. I try to share with people things I do know. You can generally tell someone that really is interested/cares about the animal they are looking for/purchasing because they do want to know. I think its sad that its really just about money to these stores & they don't are about the animals life. 

We went to a petstore today. Sad. I asked him to please get rid of the dead fish ... a few in tanks but also a few bettas in the cups( SAD SAD!!! They had a LOT of variety there, so I was VERY disappointed to see that the store is pretty dirty with the animals Though he has good variety, he really doesn't care about what people do with the animals, either. My mother got an angel (he didn't ask where she was putting it, or with what, etc). And, I mentioned before I got the little pleco. He didn't ask me if I knew anything about it, where it was going, did i need food ... ??? I don't understand. Well, I guess i do, it's just about money.


----------



## Ganggreenkhan

The thing that kills me is a properly educated fish owner is going to spend more money then one who isn't. So even from a money stand point it doesn't make any sense to not help people keep better fish. If you keep letting people kill fish they will get frustrated and stop keeping fish.


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## LoveMyBettas

Oh definitely agreed!! That's why i say, when you talk to someone, you know definitely if they really care, because they are listening when you are trying to explain that bettas just don't sit in a teeny bowl on a desk .... I just mean "generally" it seems most store owners now could care less who they sell what to as long as it sells. (( sad. 

I've have had fish "forever" (with some breaks in between due to living arrangements) & I know I still have tons to learn! Even about stuff I have kept before, I know there are still things I don't know & I know there is stuff I don't know & can learn - or maybe I forgot. When I find someone I can help, it makes me feel happy (especially for their critters LOL


----------



## DangerousAngel

I've been a little upset over this one to post, but hey, why not.
We have a local aquarium store that usually does a great job with their Bettas, when we went to look there were only 4 or 5. I saw one 'swimming' straight up (ammonia poisoning), so I go over to him (who's water was dreadfully cloudy) and I see his gills sticking out, and scales/skin flaking off of him. I was sure he had passed then he twitched and grabbed a breath, little did I know, that was his last. He has passed right there in my hands (I didn't know that at the time) so upset I set him down and continued to look at their fish, then I go back to him, I looked at him a good while and saw a slight twitch. After that I took him to an employee and he jokingly asked what I did to him, I replied 'nothing' then he tapped him on the nose to make sure he was dead and took him to the back. Later that night I just cried, it hurt so bad. When we went to check out a little girl and her mother had a Betta and one of those divided small tank things (only one fish though) and the mother who obviously knew nothing and didn't care asked about water and such, and the employee (who runs a TROPICAL FISH store) said that room temperature would be fine...UGH, I felt really bad for the girl and the Betta, the girl was SO excited for her new fish (and even said 'He's ready to get out of the bag') and because of her know-nothing mother her new fish would die because she wouldn't take good care of him. UGH I expected WAYY more from this place..


----------



## BettaLover898998

-Me, browsing the fish isle at my local Petsmart-

-Lady walks in, and starts looking at the bettas-
Employee: Hi! I see you're looking at our bettas. May I be of any help?
Lady: Oh, sure. Can you help me pick a healthy betta?
Employee: Hmmm… Oh! This one looks healthy
-Points at a pale, lethargic betta-
Lady: Ok, so what about his food? 
Employee: Here, this one will do!
-points at goldfish flakes- 
Lady: but those are for goldfish…
Employee: oh, "betta pellets" are just a marketing gimmick, they are practically relatives! This tank will do, and it's also spacious enough to fit a goldfish! 
-points at 0.5 gallon tank- 
Lady: is there anything else I need?
Employee: no, you're all set!
He didn't even mention water conditioner, water test kits, plants, or a heater and thermometer.

She was looking at goldfish when I told her the proper info she needed. 

So, she marched up to the employee and told him this:
Lady: Excuse me sir, you see that lady there? 
-points at me-
Employee: yes?
Lady: Well, I'm gonna listen to her because she actually knows what she's talking about. 
Omg! He looked so pissed! 
Btw, the lady did leave with all the right stuff and a healthy betta that I picked out.


----------



## FinnDublynn

Nice!!!! Another Betta Saved!!!


----------



## InStitches

nice  so brave haha.


----------



## BettaLover898998

thanks, I've actually never been called that before


----------



## AngesRadieux

Yesterday, I went to both the nearest Petsmart and Petco. They're literally across the road from each other, and from the last time I had bettas, I remember it seemed like both places were kind of hit or miss. Sometimes they had really nice fish, other times they were mostly rather sickly. I was a little lukewarm on Petco. Some of them looked alright, but I'd found one dead betta and some others were pale and lying on the bottom of their cups. I tried getting some of the healthier ones to flare so I could get a better look at their fins, but they wouldn't.

But it was definitely better than Petsmart. I didn't see any dead bettas, but there was at least one dead fish in pretty much all the big tanks. And what kills me is there were people there buying fish from those tanks. I mean, there were two employees there going from tank to tank catching fish for people, and neither one could have been bothered to notice and do something? I felt bad for the people buying fish--I wouldn't have trusted anything from those tanks.

So I left and returned to Petco. When I bought my fish, I was pleasantly surprised. A girl started asking me about my fish, and from hearing her talk with another employee I knew she had at least one betta. She asked me about my tank size and after I said I had a 5 gallon, she told me about two bettas, one in a 2.5 gallon and the other in a 10 gallon. She even asked me if I was going to run a filter. No trying to sell me one of the cube things or special "betta water" or anything.

On a side note, it's been a fair bit of time since I had my last betta, so I've been kind of out of the Petco betta loop, so to speak. Last time I went, there were veil tails, crown tails, plakats, halfmoons, and the like. But I think the most expensive was like $12? I went in and suddenly say all these labels like butterfly and rosetail, and the rosetails were like $20. When did this happen? The butterfly label confused me the most, because it just seems odd to me to label literally every other betta by tail type, but then label by coloring for this one, specific pattern. And so many "elephant ear" fish! Last time I was looking, they would have maybe one or two, now they're everywhere. I couldn't believe how many different labels they have now and how much the pricing had changed.


----------



## Overprotective Fish Lover

The larger tanks at our Petsmart are awful too. More than four dead fish in each one, more than half of them have at least eight. Just floating around, carried by the current. Sometimes the living fish will play with the dead ones too, which turns my stomach. The employees never seem to give it a second thought. It's disgusting, frankly. Disgusting and disturbing. Really, how long would it take them to scoop out the dead ones each day (not that there should be a steady supply of dead fish, shows what kind of care they're being given)? They must be losing customers that way. It's ridiculous.

Usually no dead bettas, one every now and then. There are always a lot of very sick, ammonia poisoned ones which you know aren't gonna last the night. Lately some with popeye, usually at least one dropsy victim, quite a few SBD cases, lots and lots of fin rot, pretty much every fish in there bites, bloating, bacterial infections, parasites, and almost every other disease under the sun although I haven't seen too many fungal infections. If you go Wednesday night after the new shipment the shelves are loaded with fish (stacked, may I add). By the following Tuesday, there are a very sparse few and those who remain are clamped and panting. It's sad. Just sad.


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## dannifluff

I have to say, our local Pets at Home (I guess the Uk version of Petco etc) recently gave me a grilling over what sized tank I would be putting the two assassin snails I was buying in. So, bonus points, even if I got the giggles. I also pointed out a Betta with quite severe fin rot a few weeks ago, and they've been treating him and he's actually getting better! They wouldn't let me take him while he was sick, even though I got really upset thinking they'd just let him die in there, but a few weeks later he's actually looking much better! I keep going in and seeing if he's ok, think I might end up taking him home if he's still around in a week or two. I'm sure he's a fin biter though


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## Sadist

I went in for some more otos today, and I noticed the fish lady squirted some stress coat into the fish's travel bag to help them out. It was so nice of her!


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## Tree

BettaLover898998 said:


> Lady: Excuse me sir, you see that lady there?
> -points at me-
> Employee: yes?
> Lady: Well, I'm gonna listen to her because she actually knows what she's talking about.
> Omg! He looked so pissed!
> Btw, the lady did leave with all the right stuff and a healthy betta that I picked out.



BUAHAHAHAH! this made me laugh! Love it!


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## Sleepykitty

Sadist said:


> I went in for some more otos today, and I noticed the fish lady squirted some stress coat into the fish's travel bag to help them out. It was so nice of her!


The PetSmart employee who pulled out the Nerite I wanted did that as well! A fish makes sense but it was a snail which a lot of people/employees don't really treat as a real animal!


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## Aqua Aurora

Anyone who's seen my recent posts in "The ones that got away"thread may recall the double tail mustard plakat that was sitting in a petco cup for 2 months.. it and about 1/2 of the other bettas (at least 10 of the 20 some there) has SBD from poor water quality.. it seems the dt plakat died from it before anotehr week had gone by :c
Both my local petco and petsmart always had corpses in their big tanks.. makes me extremely resistant to buying (except when I specifically order a fish from petco and hover there on delivery day to grab fish before they get released into their crappy tanks.. petsmart employees are [censors] and refuse to order fish they carry and are out of.. same for plants ugh).

I usually go to the stores at non major hours so I don't have to hear idiotic customer and employee interactions (and so I can take my dog in without much distractions from other people with pets).


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## dannifluff

Alas, the little Betta with fin rot at Pets at Home is still there, and still under treatment. His initial improvement seems to have slowed, and I'm sure he's nipping and making it worse. I was dismayed today to see that they have added more Bettas into the same divided tank set up they have, clearly sharing a drip system, and one is already showing rot 

Why is it one day they seem to be doing really well, and a week or two later it's gone downhill? I know they can't control how many fish head office decide to send but you'd think they'd remove the poorly fish to a QT tank out back and clean the set up before adding in more fish!


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## poorboy

AukWord said:


> Yes, sometimes in the overwhelming big picture, it helps to celebrate the small successes.


Wars are won by soldiers, one battle at a time.

My own story is starring myself (well, my GF) as the hapless customer. She had a really nice decorative bowl (~3/4g) that I joked "wouldn't it be neat if we could have a fish in it?"
Et Voila, she surprises me with a betta (pretty thing, Finnegan is his name), some gravel, some food (not flakes, anyway), and some silk plants. "The guy at the pet store (either Smart or Co) said this is all they need, change his water once a week. I used to keep fish, like 30 years ago, and this didn't seem accurate. Sure enough, within an hour or so of his new home he was dull and listless.
I'm active Navy, and have been for 20 years. I manage crisis in my sleep. Begin research. I put him in her home office, cranked up the space heaters, and got his water from our room (67*) temp up to 76*. Ordered a tank from Amazon with next day shipping, along with associated chemicals and test kits. Stopped in petsmart the next day for an adjustable heater. Got 5g of spring water and put some prime in it, loaded up the tank and ran the heater to get the water up to temp. It's been a month now, with frequent water changes our tank is in the nitrite loading stage of cycling. Fish appears active and happy. Super responsive, and taking to his "training".
Also, on a happy note, I was toying with the idea of getting an aquarium for my office, and the Petco employee that was hovering responded with "we don't really have a suitable desktop betta aquarium in stock" rather than trying to push me into a .5g "betta set-up". I told him I appreciated that, and he said he has seven at home. He loves them. WTG petdude!


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## BamNeko

Okay so I was at PetCo last week. Trying to see if there was something else I can give my two that had fin rot. An older gentleman told me this product would work(water conditioner) but they were out of stock. So Friday I go back and I grabbed the item and talk to the lady(she knows fish so good!) and told her that the gentleman told me that this would help with my betta fish. She basically told me it was useless since it was water conditioner and keep with the salt and water changes.

Saved myself $5 :3


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## Tealight03

I received a response from the second Petco complaint I filed several weeks back:

"... I’m the DM for Petco here in Colorado. I’ve received the following comment from you regarding our bettas at our store in Aurora:

I visited the aquatic department to purchase some silk plants and look for a nerite snail. When I walked past the bettas, many were lethargic and looked uncomfortable. At least two were rubbing against the bottom of their cups, which is a sign of a parasite. I was rather disappointed as the bettas usually look much more lively at this location. I hope management will plan to do more frequent water changes and treat any parasite issues. 

I wandered around for at least 15 minutes looking for an employee. I could not find one on the floor.


I want to thank you for taking the time to reach out to us and to tell us how we’re doing. We take animal care very seriously here at Petco and we have very strict policies that each store should be following. Sometimes we fail to achieve our own expectations and count on customers like you to let us know. I’ve looked into this issue personally and have been assured by the managers that they will be following our procedures to ensure the bettas receive the care they deserve. If you have any further concerns, please don’t hesitate to reach out to our General Manager Mike, or myself."

Getting a response from a district manager was a bit surprising.


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## Sadist

Awesome!


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## Sadist

Sleepykitty said:


> The PetSmart employee who pulled out the Nerite I wanted did that as well! A fish makes sense but it was a snail which a lot of people/employees don't really treat as a real animal!


It's awesome when someone treats their animals like animals.


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## BamNeko

I got a response too from the district manager of the PetCo in Manassas. I've not called back since really the fish aren't there anymore I'm sure of it.


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## AukWord

poorboy said:


> Wars are won by soldiers, one battle at a time.
> 
> My own story is starring myself (well, my GF) as the hapless customer. She had a really nice decorative bowl (~3/4g) that I joked "wouldn't it be neat if we could have a fish in it?"
> Et Voila, she surprises me with a betta (pretty thing, Finnegan is his name), some gravel, some food (not flakes, anyway), and some silk plants. "The guy at the pet store (either Smart or Co) said this is all they need, change his water once a week. I used to keep fish, like 30 years ago, and this didn't seem accurate. Sure enough, within an hour or so of his new home he was dull and listless.
> I'm active Navy, and have been for 20 years. I manage crisis in my sleep. Begin research. I put him in her home office, cranked up the space heaters, and got his water from our room (67*) temp up to 76*. Ordered a tank from Amazon with next day shipping, along with associated chemicals and test kits. Stopped in petsmart the next day for an adjustable heater. Got 5g of spring water and put some prime in it, loaded up the tank and ran the heater to get the water up to temp. It's been a month now, with frequent water changes our tank is in the nitrite loading stage of cycling. Fish appears active and happy. Super responsive, and taking to his "training".
> Also, on a happy note, I was toying with the idea of getting an aquarium for my office, and the Petco employee that was hovering responded with "we don't really have a suitable desktop betta aquarium in stock" rather than trying to push me into a .5g "betta set-up". I told him I appreciated that, and he said he has seven at home. He loves them. WTG petdude!


^^^Good story. Thanks for sharing it.

Would that all petstore Bettas land so lucky.


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## Cinderwolf

Sadist said:


> I went in for some more otos today, and I noticed the fish lady squirted some stress coat into the fish's travel bag to help them out. It was so nice of her!


I do that for all the fish I sell, its in the petsmart training, but I notice not all my coworkers do it. Any bit helps though


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## Overprotective Fish Lover

Love success stories! <3


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## SunnySideIvy

So I'm planning on taking a trip to a different pet store around town soon and I wanted to see what they had for fish selections and stumbled upon their betta page. http://www.petsuppliesplus.com/content.jsp?pageName=betta_fish
I'm kind of impressed! For a pet store chain I didn't think they would put this type of information out! There are one or two hiccups in there but otherwise I think they did pretty well! I might have to start shopping there more if their selection is good and their store holds up to their website.


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## BettaSplendid

I hope your PetSupplyPlus treats its bettas better than my local one does. Ours uses ridiculously small cups and they have SO MANY bettas, everyone clamped and pitiful. All veiltail and crowntail. Please let us know how yours is. Mine...makes me depressed. Many nights I have trouble falling asleep because I am thinking of what I saw and I get upset and hot...then sad.


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## Aquastar

Wow! 
That's impressive! The best advice by one of my LFS is that in a .5 gallon tank your betta needs 100% changes every 2 days. 
The smallest pet store you'll ever be in only ever has 5 or so bettas in at a time, they are kept in bowls with lighting and cabomba. I love that store, I never see dead fish in there and the people who work there know all about their animals, the lady there told me about her betta community, sadly he died when some livebearers attacked him.


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## SunnySideIvy

I survived my trip without buying a fish.... but with plans to return this weekend for their $1 a gallon sale and a iridescent teal double tail I saw. -facepalm-

Betta fish were okay there, lots of veil tails no females though! There wasn't overtly too many, one shelving unit and a few ontop so maybe 20 fish in stock? The most expensive fish I saw was a $10.50 crowntail that looked to be in very good condition and was reactive to stimulus. Some fish in the back looked pale but I've seen much worse, there were no blatantly dying fish just... pet store fish I guess. One cup was dirty but I couldn't find a fish in it... Cups were bigger than petsmart, except for two young veil tails that looked like they were in hummus containers. They had live plants in tanks for sale. They had gravel in the bottom of their cups which is something I've never seen before. The staff were friendly. They had a huge freezer just for frozen "live" food. I paid $10 for a three pack of silk plants which I think is the same cost as the petco brand. I was kind of upset they had the small betta habitats under the betta stand, but other than the betta cubes the smallest tank they had was the Aqueon Minibow kit. 
It is golden compared to the petsmart that is literally across the street oh my god that place is rotten... even worse is the walmart right next to it. -gag- I wish I could save them all but I don't want to give money to them for that kind of treatment.

Back in my hometown in Massachusetts there's a LFS that breeds all their own fish and animals! You get baby bunnies that fit in your hand and REALLY nice fish! They even have a separate room just for their birds! I love tiny pet stores they're so sweet!


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## Aquastar

Of course. Just wait a week to buy the fish. Who doesn't do that?
What I really can't understand is how so many people hate petsmart. I have not seen a dead betta or sick betta (feeder are a different story) in 4 months, and the people aren't all idiots, guess it depends on where you are.


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## SunnySideIvy

There's a really nice petsmart back home for me. Like.. amazing. But this one out by my college is so terrible. There was a mustard gas with no fins and so many sick fish, even dead ones in the community tanks when I went there I couldn't bear to let anybody buy them so I spent probably 20 minutes loud talking to my roomie about how sick the fish were until this woman set her fish down. In retrospect it wasn't the best tactic but I didn't need my roomie thinking I was a total freak on our first day in town together.


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## DangerousAngel

Aquastar said:


> Of course. Just wait a week to buy the fish. Who doesn't do that?
> What I really can't understand is how so many people hate petsmart. I have not seen a dead betta or sick betta (feeder are a different story) in 4 months, and the people aren't all idiots, guess it depends on where you are.


It definitely depends on where you are. Most of the pet store employees here hardly know a thing. But they always mean well. It's not like they don't care at all, they do but their knowledge lacks greatly. They also let the cups get too bad before cleaning them, the fish are mostly healthy, a but of SBD here, some fin rot there, and the occasional one that has fin melt/amonia burns/poisoning.


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## Aquastar

Yeah, the only employee I've talked to told me about conditioner (glad I asked) and was unsure about giving me a ghost shrimp in a unheated tank. I still haven't asked about bettas yet, I'm sure he'll tell me that 2g+ is best but but can be kept in a bowl.


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## BettaSplendid

Aquastar said:


> Of course. Just wait a week to buy the fish. Who doesn't do that?
> What I really can't understand is how so many people hate petsmart. I have not seen a dead betta or sick betta (feeder are a different story) in 4 months, and the people aren't all idiots, guess it depends on where you are.



Yes. Depends on the store! Some Petcos are awesome, some have dead bettas. My PetSupplyPlus crams their bettas into the smallest cups I have ever seen a store use yet same store, different location and SunnySide sees nice sized cups.with gravel! Gravel! I wish they all cared. So there is a $1 per gallon sale soon? Hmm.


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## AquaPlayz

Ghost shrimp don't need a heater, they are native to the southeastern states so are sub tropical.


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## AquaPlayz

I was at a PETsMART and some people got these fish 2 tire track eels, 8 glofish, 3 cichlids, some shrimp, some snails, a rainbow goby, and 2 serpae tetras, for a 10g and I'm a kid so was there with my mom and she wouldn't let me say anything


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## Overprotective Fish Lover

Was at Petsmart. In one of their big tanks half the fish were lying on their sides dead in a big mound in one corner. The others weren't quite that bad but close. My mom (looking horrified) asked the employee if they were all dead. This is the employee's response:

E: Some dead, some dying. We haven't done the dead fish scoop yet tonight. They were shipped here and they aren't doing too well.

The DEAD FISH SCOOP?!?!?!?! Is that a part of your nightly routine? She sounded so nonchalant it made me sad. Ugh. :'(


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## Julie7778

Hello everyone, I'm from Canada and we don't have petco, or the $1 per gallon sale, also no baby bettas OR they never label fish as EE, rose tail etc. just the regular ones such as veil tail, crowntail and halfmoon. So we miss out on a lot :lol: I may be going to Buffalo soon, and was wondering when the sale is? T then may depend when I go. 

Here in Canada where I'm from, the petsmarts are okay. I've never really seen MANY sick fish, one or two dead. But mainly they look okay, obviously could be happier and healthier. Compared to bettas I've seen others post that they have seen our selection is much smaller. 

As for the employees, they seem pretty knowledgable. They definitely care to be there I think, not like those ones who are like "they're just fish" there was a situation when someone wanted a pleco or something and they asked the customer what size tank they'll be going into. It was pretty nice to see.


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## Sadist

I browsed the fish section at Walmart while waiting. I wish I hadn't. The bettas were all skinny in dirty water and scared of me. Only two of the "bigger" (5-10 gallon) tanks set up with live fish had dead ones, though. The dead ones were being eaten by two plecos and a baby Chinese Algae Fish, who were all fighting over one of the corpses.

They also had a ton of baby oscars. It made me a bit sad knowing all their bettas and oscars would die of neglect (either there or in inappropriate tanks in a home).


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## Aquastar

I think Canadian Pet-smarts seem to be better than the American ones from the stories I've heard. I don't know though.
I was at my local chain store and normally they have some butterflies or nice colours, last time I was in there was only three bettas, a cellophane, and blue and yellow one who had been in a algae covered Betta Falls for over a month.And sadly, a grey coloured veil tail with seriously clamped and ripped fins, and finrot. I wanted to take him, but he went to the back of the fish wall to die... I was told he was supposed to look like that... 
They are also getting new tanks (so kids cant put snacks in there, there is like 3 elementary within a 15 minute walk) and inside one of the goldfish tanks there was 2 gupies, 1 dead guppy, 5 dead and rotting white comet goldfish, 3 orange comets, 6 minnows. Eesh. and in the plant tub was a crayfish, 5 fancy guppies and a koi. At least the employees hide in the store so I never have to see them...


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## AquaPlayz

Everyone in Canada is nicer :S


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## Aquastar

I figured ghost shrimp didn't need a heater, but in the long term the tank would get cold, where I live, I told him it's kept in a warm room the whole year (truth).
Been nice dosen't mean smart, I talked to the guy at Petsmart today and thumbs up to him! I asked about getting a betta and he said this:

"Bettas need more space than people think, they don't need it, but they deffinetly enjoy it. What were you thinking of getting?"

I said 2.5-5 gallons and he said that was perfect, I should of said a mason jar on a wall to see how he would react, but now he may know I don't enjoy fish on my wall... The guy was probably wondering about me, considering I was getting some big plants.


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## Nova betta

After we went to the orthodontist and got my BRACES OFF!!!!! I decided to check out a new local pet store. It was awesome except for one thing the bettas. All their tanks took up so much space in the store it was awesome and were clean and beautiful not a single dead fish! Salt water and freshwater. They also took amazing care of all the other pets there. Snakes, lizards, birds, rats, mice, ferrets, frogs and many other things. I held a python and carried around the store with me! 

But the bettas were not as good. No small crappy tanks for sale but the actual fish were dull. Not sick but lethargic and tired. I talked to the owner about it and he said he would try to do better. Good news though the smallest tank they had for sale was the 2.5 minibow!

I also picked up a new tank there, some beautiful live lants, some nerite snails, a little fancy goldfish for the 40 gallon, and some more sand and prime.
Overall a good experience except for the bettas.


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## InStitches

Petsmart down the road has a lovely brand new aquatics department setup, re-done just a few months ago.

It's full of dead, floating, moldy fish and frogs. There are loads of sick fish - up for sale, 50% off. Not pulled, treated, or "under observation."

Until they get their act together I am not purchasing any fish from them.

It's kind of sad because I loved this place, they always make sure the fish are going to a home with an appropriate setup before they are willing to sell an animal. I've seen them refuse to sell someone turtles before.


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## Nova betta

wow that sounds like a beautiful display!


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## betta fish lover2323

No of course not u cant do that that will hurt the poor creature do not put food coloring in there


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## betta fish lover2323

I was at petsmart and I just CANT STAND looking at the poor betas so me and my mom went (well I went she just came to buy bloodworms) to an employee and I told her that betas are not rocks or toys they are living creatures and should be housed properly with good care. Well she said that she did not care and betas are just fish. JUST FISH! HOW RUDE IS THAT THE FISH ARE LIVING THINGS. So I yelled in her face and then left the store


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## sharkettelaw1

Well i got a job at my lfs on weekends and they are very professional. They never allow sick or dying fish to be seen. Dead fish go to the mincer in the back, and the sick fish go to a hospital tank. All the tanks are cleaned everyweek (i cleaned literally 100 of them yesterday) and the other fish people are very knowledgable. Other than a seriously rude and crazy customer today, it was an awesome day. I love my job there


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## Cinderwolf

I work at Petsmart and unfortunately, a " dead fish pull" is a daily thing. Most of our deaths are in the comet tanks ( don't get me started, i hate those things) but we get one or 2 deaths in the tropical wall as well. Its sucks, but I've learned to distance myself from it as much as I can ( for my own sanity ) 

I also am constantly asking my coworkers to do the betta water changes ore so than we are supposed to ( mondays and fridays... but i want it ever 2 days at least ) 

We also have hospital tanks in the back as well and pull any sick fish when we see them to put them in the back.

I like to think we try, but there is so much we cant do unfortunately it leads to fish deaths. 

One good thing though! We are allowed to refuse animals to anyone , for any reason, so my boss taught us all that unless they have the tank they need for the animal we can refuse the sale. You have no idea how many people I've refused goldfish too. The tags are often wrong tho, and since i cant go against the store's info i do have to give some fish to not ideal tanks because that's what is on the damn tag ( who ever thought danios were okay in a 3 gal can literally eat me. ) 

So much I am conflicted about working there, but i like to think that im helping people make good decisions at least.


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## InStitches

sharkettelaw1 said:


> Well i got a job at my lfs on weekends and they are very professional. They never allow sick or dying fish to be seen. Dead fish go to the mincer in the back, and the sick fish go to a hospital tank. All the tanks are cleaned everyweek (i cleaned literally 100 of them yesterday) and the other fish people are very knowledgable. Other than a seriously rude and crazy customer today, it was an awesome day. I love my job there


Congrats! That's a great job



Cinderwolf said:


> I work at Petsmart and unfortunately, a " dead fish pull" is a daily thing. Most of our deaths are in the comet tanks ( don't get me started, i hate those things) but we get one or 2 deaths in the tropical wall as well. Its sucks, but I've learned to distance myself from it as much as I can ( for my own sanity )
> 
> I also am constantly asking my coworkers to do the betta water changes ore so than we are supposed to ( mondays and fridays... but i want it ever 2 days at least )
> 
> We also have hospital tanks in the back as well and pull any sick fish when we see them to put them in the back.
> 
> I like to think we try, but there is so much we cant do unfortunately it leads to fish deaths.
> 
> One good thing though! We are allowed to refuse animals to anyone , for any reason, so my boss taught us all that unless they have the tank they need for the animal we can refuse the sale. You have no idea how many people I've refused goldfish too. The tags are often wrong tho, and since i cant go against the store's info i do have to give some fish to not ideal tanks because that's what is on the damn tag ( who ever thought danios were okay in a 3 gal can literally eat me. )
> 
> So much I am conflicted about working there, but i like to think that im helping people make good decisions at least.


LOL danio in a 3 gallon :bluelaugh:


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## Cinderwolf

InStitches said:


> LOL danio in a 3 gallon :bluelaugh:


Right?!?! Good lord those poor fish. No one cares about them cause we price them at 79 cents :C


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## catsandbettas

Am I the only one who wants to take those little bowls and tanks and smash them to bits?


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## catsandbettas

Cinderwolf said:


> Right?!?! Good lord those poor fish. No one cares about them cause we price them at 79 cents :C


the price of something should have no effect on how it is treated.


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## Aquastar

I was observing the fish at the LPS (petsmart type of store) and the main wall had 5+ assorted dead fish, and a bunch with finrot. All the bettas had finrot, one also had slime, one with severe ammonia poisoning and some that just couldn't stay upright. So sad. Some mother, a daughter and a grandma were observing the Betta and moss ball deal ($10 for both), and the grandma was observing the fish hotel things. Talking loudly on how they were a good idea. So I ventured in and asked if they were going to get a fish, this was the conversation:

me: are you thinking of getting a Betta?
Lady: maybe, I'm not sure... 
Me: do you know what kind of tank to get?
Lady: I don't know, I hate seeing them in small cups...
Me: so you know not to get a bowl?
Lady: I guess.
Me: over here they have 5 gallon kits that are excellently priced.
Lady: oh.
Me: it comes with everything to keep a fish alive.

*Daughter runs up*

Daughter: look at these fish hotel things! You can stack them and get two fish!
Lady: that's nice.
Me:if you want to a Betta, please don't get these.
Lady: of course, maybe I'll get some gold fish instead...

She knew not to put goldfish in bowls, but she probably wasn't going to keep them in a big tank if she got them. I didn't get to see how the situation ended, but I was a bit upset that the grandma was encouraging the little girl to get a couple of Betta hotels and stack them. Grrr. The picture on the package has a lethargic female with stress stripes.


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## Cinderwolf

catsandbettas said:


> the price of something should have no effect on how it is treated.


Exactly!

Oh man, I had one customer I had been talking to about gold fish, who i was teaching that they needed big tanks and stuff, and after they walked away for a bit they came back holding one of these tiny plastic bowls ( .5 gal maybe) and asked" if the gold fish and bettas need bigger tanks.. what can you keep in this? I mean you guys sell it.." I kinda laughed and said " nothing.. and I wish we didn't sell it. " 

Its so hard to tell people good info when we offer such bad products. Next time someone asks what they can keep in one of those bowls I'm gonna tell them " I keep hair elastics in mine, works out great and it can hold like 100 of them too"


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## mystima

Cinderwolf said:


> Exactly!
> 
> Oh man, I had one customer I had been talking to about gold fish, who i was teaching that they needed big tanks and stuff, and after they walked away for a bit they came back holding one of these tiny plastic bowls ( .5 gal maybe) and asked" if the gold fish and bettas need bigger tanks..* what can you keep in this? I mean you guys sell it.*." I kinda laughed and said " nothing.. and I wish we didn't sell it. "
> 
> Its so hard to tell people good info when we offer such bad products. Next time someone asks what they can keep in one of those bowls I'm gonna tell them " I keep hair elastics in mine, works out great and it can hold like 100 of them too"


Temporary housing for water changes.


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## Sadist

Maybe they could hold the dry food container and package of IAL. I was going to mention a plant, but I think that would be cruel for even a plant.


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## FinnDublynn

They're great for hospital tanks when they can't swim very well, anyway...

I have a .5gallon "bow front"

and while I use my 5.5 gallon for my usual hospital tank, the half gallon clips inside my 10 gallons AMAZINGLY. Works great for Meth Blue Baths since the bath takes 20 minutes...


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## qumaquarist

mystima said:


> Temporary housing for water changes.


Or, alternatively, temporary housing for water. :lol:


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## Overprotective Fish Lover

OHHHHHHHHHHH MY GOODNESS GOTTA RANT...

Just came out of Petsmart. SO MAD. Because of this:

Stupid useless employee who doesn't know the first thing about fish and doesn't care either: (cue totally bored monotone voice) Do you need anything?

Family: We're getting a goldfish to put in our fishbowl.

SUEWDKTFTAFADCE: I'm sorry, goldfish can't go in bowls. (hey, this dude actually knows something!) The only ones that can go in bowls are the bettas. (eye twitch)

Mother to kids: So do you guys want a goldfish or a betta?

*cue me meandering from the tetras over to the bettas to listen in*

So, basically, these people grab a random fish and a container of flakes and march out the door before I can even say a word. No water conditioner. Not even a bowl - probably they had a minuscule one at home or maybe (horrible thought!!!) they intend to just keep it in the cup!  Wouldn't surprise me, they obviously didn't care in the least.

I couldn't have done a thing. It's terrible. That poor innocent little life is gonna die!!!!!!!!!! Ugh so mad. Mad at the family, mad at that stupid employee who had the perfect opportunity to tell them about water conditioner...

Anyway that's my rant for today.


----------



## Dragonmage

Not exactly a pet store story, but I was at Goodwill and I saw a Petco betta bowl. It was still labeled as pet supplies and had the Petco sticker on the bottom.

I wonder why this somewhat large, maybe 2 gallon, but that's probably me being generous, bowl was at Goodwill. </sarcasm> I wanted to take the cursed thing if only to keep it from harming another betta. *explodes*


----------



## qumaquarist

Dragonmage said:


> I wonder why this somewhat large, maybe 2 gallon, but that's probably me being generous, bowl was at Goodwill.


It's ironic that such a destitute habitat is being sold at a place called Goodwill. :lol:


----------



## BettaSplendid

I cannot imagine... They just grab any random betta? I spend quite a bit of time looking at each betta- even when I am not about to buy one! I am sorry that happened...it would have made me feel sick, Overprotective Fish Lover. I think it is TIME bettas be treated right. With the internet, information is readily available. It isn't like we have to rely on word of mouth or even buy a special book. I am thinking of making a shirt with some betta facts on it...so I can be a walking betta advocate. Something needs to happen. Save the bettas!!


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## BlueSky99

BettaSplendid said:


> I cannot imagine... They just grab any random betta? I spend quite a bit of time looking at each betta- even when I am not about to buy one! I am sorry that happened...it would have made me feel sick, Overprotective Fish Lover. I think it is TIME bettas be treated right. With the internet, information is readily available. It isn't like we have to rely on word of mouth or even buy a special book. I am thinking of making a shirt with some betta facts on it...so I can be a walking betta advocate. Something needs to happen. Save the bettas!!


Sadly, a lot of people don't do research before getting a pet. My friend's younger sister has a hamster and when I asked if she did any research beforehand she said no. Like, that is a living creature and you didn't look up anything about it?? When she told me she sometimes lets her hamster outside in the little ball thing, I asked her wouldn't it get heatstroke and she said they don't get heatstroke. Ok then.


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## qumaquarist

*No Business for a Business with this Business Card*

I was at a local fish store recently and, on my way out, thought to ask the storekeeper for a business card in case I wanted to visit again in the future. Attached is a photo that was displayed on his business card. Is it just me or is there something terribly wrong with this photo? :shock:

By the way, sorry about the poor photo quality. The card is small in and of itself and the photo is even smaller.


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## dannifluff

Oh no! So that's why Dory couldn't find her family! :/


----------



## ThisDragonisNerdy

What the-! Umm..?? :shock:


----------



## qumaquarist

Because nothing spells love like asphyxiation.


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## charliegill110

qumaquarist said:


> Because nothing spells love like asphyxiation.


everyone has a fetish. 

joking aside, why one earth would someone make that their business card?


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## qumaquarist

charliegill110 said:


> joking aside, why one earth would someone make that their business card?


I have no idea, but that's some seriously raw fishkeeping.

All that's missing is a ☭ in the corner and a "In Soviet Russia..." joke as their slogan.


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## grape

I was in Petsmart the other day, and I ending up buying some new females and a beautiful rosetail betta. But as I'm checking out, the man puts the fish on their side in the bag and most of the water comes out. I frantically yell, "Those are fish!", pulling them out of the bag. All he can say is "oops" with a bored expression. Now my beautiful rosetail has one popeye thanks to his ignorance. :evil:


----------



## qumaquarist

grape said:


> I was in Petsmart the other day, and I ending up buying some new females and a beautiful rosetail betta. But as I'm checking out, the man puts the fish on their side in the bag and most of the water comes out. I frantically yell, "Those are fish!", pulling them out of the bag. All he can say is "oops" with a bored expression. Now my beautiful rosetail has one popeye thanks to his ignorance. :evil:


Yikes! Sorry to hear about that. :-(

That's strange though, don't they usually place them in bags and then seal them?


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## grape

qumaquarist said:


> Yikes! Sorry to hear about that. :-(
> 
> That's strange though, don't they usually place them in bags and then seal them?


Not in my local pet store. They're just in tiny containers. But I'm happy to say that he's making improvement!


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## qumaquarist

grape said:


> Not in my local pet store. They're just in tiny containers. But I'm happy to say that he's making improvement!


If I were in your position, I'd speak with the store manager and a) bring the clerk's lack of attentiveness to their attention, b) request a refund, and c) request any necessary medication for your betta to be provided free of charge.


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## grape

qumaquarist said:


> If I were in your position, I'd speak with the store manager and a) bring the clerk's lack of attentiveness to their attention, b) request a refund, and c) request any necessary medication for your betta to be provided free of charge.


You know what? I think I will. Thank you!


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## Kingcrimson

When I was about 10 I was discussing breeding bettas to a lady at the pet store. She said that her bettas are bad at breeding because whenever she takes the male out the female eats all the eggs. And I'm just thinking "well there's your problem right there."

And then when I got my first betta at age 5 I remember the Walmart employee saying they only need to be fed once a week. And of course me, being the stupid 5 year old I was took his advice. I honestly have no clue how that fish lived 3 years.


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## qumaquarist

grape said:


> You know what? I think I will. Thank you!


Power to the people!


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## Aqua Aurora

I went to Pestmart last week.. apparently whoever put the lids on the betta cups was high as a kite or incredibly stupid.. *all *the half moon males had crowntail female lids, and all the females were under various male cup lids. Sadly no males I wanted or would have taken advantage of the mis-labeling (first for $5 instead of $15).


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## grape

qumaquarist said:


> Power to the people!


I'm going back today! Poor Princely and his popeye...I really hope he doesn't go blind. I wanted to use him as breeding stock.


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## grape

They gave me free medication!


----------



## qumaquarist

grape said:


> They gave me free medication!


Glad to hear that. Hopefully he gets better soon.


----------



## Sadist

grape said:


> They gave me free medication!


Good! I hope they didn't permanently damage him!


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## qumaquarist

I'm still confused as to what caused the popeye. Didn't his container just tip over?


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## Revosok

So when I went to buy a betta several weeks ago the petco I went to was amazing! Although they had no idea of the requirements of bettas, not a single betta was sick. They were all alive and healthy (although there was a halfmoon that had shred his fins).


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## sharkettelaw1

Kingcrimson said:


> When I was about 10 I was discussing breeding bettas to a lady at the pet store. She said that her bettas are bad at breeding because whenever she takes the male out the female eats all the eggs. And I'm just thinking "well there's your problem right there."
> 
> And then when I got my first betta at age 5 I remember the Walmart employee saying they only need to be fed once a week. And of course me, being the stupid 5 year old I was took his advice. I honestly have no clue how that fish lived 3 years.


Female bettas can and DO raise eggs. Some breeders I know use only females and she has successfully bred several generations of copper, purple and black and giants. Even a couple of my females stacked eggs in the nest, cleaned them and put them back. Same thing with males, some will eat eggs no matter what, whereas some learn over time.


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## Julie7778

Sigh, went to a few petsmarts and LFS. One petsmart was similar to Aqua's hahaha. All the females cups had males in them.. 

I also saw some teenage girls getting a Betta and they had honestly small cubes they were barley bigger than their petstore cups.


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## Starflutter

There was a mother with her 3-year-old daughter at Pet Supplies Plus earlier. She was asking an employee why the prices varied in regards to the _Betta splendens_. I overheard the employee explaining to her that some of them were harder to get, then I cringed when the woman reached for the 1/2 gallon "tanks" that were displayed beneath the poor creatures and added one to her cart. Their stock consisted of Veiltails and a couple of Crowntails — overpriced as they are common here and can be bought from Petco for $3.


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## stellenternet

I was bored yesterday so I biked to PetSmart and there was a new employee there that seemed to know a lot about bettas! I was buying a gravel siphon and she asked me what fish I have and what size tank I said a betta in 5 gallons. She replied with telling me that she has a betta in 10 gallons! We talked more and she seemed to know a lot! Yay!


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## Sadist

Awesome!

I saw a gorgeous little yellow veiltail at Walmart with pineapple scales. I usually don't like yellow that much, but I really wanted to take him home!

They also had those giant algae eater fish eating other fish in one of their tanks. I was very happy that they didn't have banged up bettas in the tetra tank again.


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## BettaBoy11

Is it just me or does the fish on the back of the Zoo Med Betta Leaf Hammock box looks like he has dropsy???


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## Sadist

Could be! He does look a bit thin to me, but then my bettas are both a bit chunky.


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## BettaSplendid

Sadist said:


> Could be! He does look a bit thin to me, but then my bettas are both a bit chunky.


He is a model. They are thinner than average. And usually photoshopped in pics. So he is a photoshopped betta model, therefore super thin.

What am I saying?! :roll:

He does look skinny though. I like my bettas pleasently plump.


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## Betta44

LOL BettaSplendid. Too funny about the model comments.

My Bettas look thin from the top- but they are fed well and in heated, filtered tanks. Energy and color are good, so I think they're ok.


----------



## RNHime

BettaBoy11 said:


> Is it just me or does the fish on the back of the Zoo Med Betta Leaf Hammock box looks like he has dropsy???


New text spotted on updated package!!

_"The betta leaf is a good place to die."

_Lol, I had noticed that myself when I got my betta hammock. Maybe that's how they got one willing to pose on the leaf so well. o_o =P Lol @ the photoshopped model comments!


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## SiameseFightingArt

I refuse to get the betta leaf anymore. It tore my boy's fins one time. *Shudders* 
Whenever I see someone about to mistreat a fish (e.g. about to buy 3 goldfish and a bowl) then I interfere. If they call you young, then laugh and reply "at least my fish are living years in luxury". I know it's blunt ^^"


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## NickAu

> I refuse to get the betta leaf anymore. It tore my boy's fins one time. *Shudders*


I agree those things are disgusting plastic rubbish. But then again all plastic plants are rubbish, They do nothing for water quality. 

Instead of buying a plastic leaf, You could try a bit of live Anubias and a suction cup.


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## SiameseFightingArt

Or a silk leaf from an artificial plant and place the plastic base into a suction cup.


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## NickAu

My opinion of silk plants is the same as plastic.

Here's my Bettas bed. That's $ 5 worth of Riccia.


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## SiameseFightingArt

I love your betta's colors! ^^ He looks like he loves his little bed.


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## NickAu

This was my betta when I got her, he/she was sold as a female.


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## IsaiahKey

Getting into an argument about whether a tropical fish needs a heater or not while you're looking at sexing an Endler is so much fun.

Top it off I was talking to a local pet store employee, not a chain store, and then it took literally ten minutes to check out with a single fish because no one was watching the counter.


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## queenamira

*Wait for it....*


----------



## NickAu

25% water change once a month OMG?


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## VivianKJean

this is my new favourite.

A mother and young boy where in Petco looking at the freshwater tanks. They were looking for some more tankmates to add to their goldfish tank. 

Mother - "so my son is bored with our fish tank. It just has goldfish and he wants some other types of fish in the tank."
Employee - "Okay, what size is your tank? Do you have a filter? how many fish are already in the tank?"
M - it is 20 gallons with seven black goldfish in it. We don't have a filter because we were told that goldfish don't need one.
E - yes, your right goldfish don't need a filter. Okay well you can get some snails if you want. About 5 mystery snails would be good. You can also get tetras. Those are down there. Guppies would be another good choice. 
The Son - I want to get one of those fish in those cups (talking about bettas) for the tank. 
E - oh no, you can't put bettas with goldfish. The goldfish would eat the betta. 
The Son - oh that would be cool though. Can we just get some other colored goldfish? 
E - Yes, 20 gallons is big. You can add a few more other colors of goldfish to make it more interesting. 
M - Okay, lets to that.



..... GOLDFISH WOULD EAT THE BETTA.......


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## Sadist

NickAu said:


> 25% water change once a month OMG?


I was told that by the local pet store employee. My poor Violet was always sick. The same people bragged about how they saved another employee a lot of work by telling them once a month water changes instead of every week.


----------



## Overprotective Fish Lover

queenamira said:


>


Wow I love how they're called _Success Tips_. Success? What success have you ever had with your fish? If this pet shop is anything like our local pet shops...success is about the last thing I'd call their fish section. Unless of course, they're aiming to kill the most fish possible...and in which case they're very successful.

And yeah, lighting is so important for fish health. Heaven forbid you leave the light on longer than ten hours...inhumane! Don't mention a heater or anything though..._that's_ not important of course.


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## IslandGirl7408

Is this a sign, or instructions on the back of an aquarium box?


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## DangerousAngel

25% MONTHLY??? NO WAY! That is destined for disaster! Never follow those boxes.


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## sharkettelaw1

Well at the lfs I work at, there is a schedule to do 50% water changes. BUT my coworkers think that because there are filters that the tanks only have to be cleaned once every two months. They don't know anything about ammonia, nitrates or nitrates. They barely know anything about sick fish. All they know is to move it if they see it. I'm going to complain to my boss and then do it myself


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## queenamira

IslandGirl7408 said:


> Is this a sign, or instructions on the back of an aquarium box?


Instructions on the back of a 15 gallon tank. *laughs my way to death*


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## Sadist

Petsmart had the cutest new collection of double tails yesterday. They were so tiny and friendly! It's a good thing I don't have an extra tank or place to put one.


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## hannat

I gotta say, I love the manager at my local PetCo. He really got into proper fishkeeping this past year and has become "my plant guy." I go to him with any plant related questions and he's good about making sure customers know how to properly care for anything aquatic before they get it. He's great at dealing with my unending questions too. I've actually started looking for him if I'm plant shopping.
Also, I've got a lot of awesome stories where I oversee or overhear customers betta shopping. I casually and kindly ask what they're looking for, and then hesitantly ask if I might offer advice. So far, 99% of them have been incredibly receptive! One time even the employees flat-out said that I knew more and had me handle the customer! (She's also really nice anyways tbh) It's all about how you approach them and how you conduct yourself. Lots of people are willing to learn and want to take good care of their bettas! 
Last time my roommates (who keep bettas) and I were at PetSmart, we spent nearly a half hour talking to a lady who was having problems with her betta. She had tried nearly everything and had a proper set up, but still kept asking us questions as to what she could do better. We talked a lot about cycling, as she had an uncycled 5 gallon. I still have a lot to learn myself, but holy crap did I feel good after that!


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## Sadist

How awesome is that!


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## Sadist

Walmart had the cutest little crowntail boys with pastel/grizzle bodies and turquoise fins with red wash. They were the only feisty things there.

Petsmart had the cuttest little double tail wild color boy. He was probably only an inch long, but he was flaring away at everyone around him (including my finger). I have to stop looking at all the fish I can't have


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## andersthebetta

The only crazy story I've heard was from the Petco associate helping me buy my equipment for my Betta. He said his boss there had 14 Bettas (!!!!!) but when her boyfriend moved in he said she had to let go of half.... so she gave 7 to her employee. In his words: If I had seven of any other thing that significant I would look like a serial killer. Like what if instead of 7 bettas I had seven mannequin heads? Or empty fish bowls?

A lot of people on here are upset about people leaving the store without heaters... I want to add that a lot of valuable sources have said a heater is not vital in all areas. I live in the South and the only time I use my heater in the tank is when I'm leaving the house for an extended time during winter (so my house temperature is lower than the desired water temp for bettas). Every other time the thermometer reads at 76-82 degrees already. Just thought it was worth mentioning that not every person will need a heater immediately!


----------



## Tealight03

I recently moved and went into my new Petco a couple days ago. The bettas were half off. For a reason. Several dead ones, all of them were lethargic, and one supposed rosetail had fin melt. Well off to trusty Petco online complaint form I went. I received a call from their store manager today. He said he is taking the issue very seriously and had already hired someone new for the aquatic department. He repeated himself a lot, but I think he was just trying to tell me it will be taken care of. He asked if there was anything else I wanted him to know and I took that opportunity to tell him about bettas needing heaters. He invited me to come in and ask for him anytime, and any issue I see will be corrected on the spot. I was impressed. Although kinda cursed myself for letting google put my phone number in the complaint form. Oh well. It was a good conversation. 

Andersthebetta, it is true not every region requires heaters. I was grateful it was so nice over the summer in Colorado that my two summer fish didn't need heaters right away. They're tanks stayed between 78-80. They have them now, before the snow hits!


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## Sadist

The heater really helps with temperature fluctuations. Our house was 80 the first few months that I had my first betta, and he was constantly sick until I got a heater and found out the store employee lied about how often to do water changes.


----------



## BettaBoy11

queenamira said:


> Instructions on the back of a 15 gallon tank. *laughs my way to death*


I just saw those same instructions on the box of *drumroll please* BETTA FALLS!!! If that tank isn't bad enough...


----------



## Cinderwolf

BettaBoy11 said:


> I just saw those same instructions on the box of *drumroll please* BETTA FALLS!!! If that tank isn't bad enough...


God we just recently started stocking these. would you believe they are 70 bucks?? Its trash!


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## Sadist

Our local store had one of those set up with 3 stunted bettas. I kept pointing out how one had damage on his fins and kept getting pushed against his outgoing waterfall (where the other betta possibly attacked his caudal?), but they didn't listen and said crowntails are supposed to look like that. They also complained about how hard it was to keep clean.


----------



## TripleP

The things you hear in a petstore are crazy, often from employee and customers alike. I have had one of the employees at my local PetSmart try to tell me on two seperate occasions that I am *hurting* my Betta by putting him in a 5 gallon tank with a filter. The sad thing is I can tell he truly believes it and even more frustrating is he is not at all willing to listen to anyone or even research it for himself. He is one of those people who really shouldn't be working in a petstore.

However, I have to say I had the most amazing experience today at a PetSmart in a different city from where I live. I stopped in because I was in the area and wanted to peek at their Betta section since I had never been to that store and have had a hard finding one like i want locally. The first thing I noticed when I walked into the fish section was how clean everything was. The tanks along the back wall were just beautiful, the water was crystal clear and they were nicely decorated. I proceeded to check out the Betta fish and a nearby employee asked me if I needed any help. I told her that I was just looking since I long ago learned that for my sanity it was best to engage those in the fish section as little as possible. While looking at the bettas I unfortunately noticed a dead one (which broke my heart) so I stepped over to inform the employee. She immediately came over and once she saw the fish was noticeably distressed. She went on to tell me that he was her favorite but that the other day a kid decided it would be fun to watch the fish fight so he put him in with anther betta and he got injured as a result. :-(She said they had treated his cup with medicine and tried to watch him more closely. I was completely shocked that for once a petstore employee actually cared. From there I found out through the course of conversation that they change the water in the cups daily and treat it with Prime to detoxify ammonia and try very hard to urge customers to purchase the bigger tanks. I ended up walking out of the store with a new Betta and promised her that when I set up my community tank I would happily drive an hour to get my fish from that store. Also, when I was checking out the cashier asked me if I had ever owned a Betta before, of course I told her yes and that I had two more at home, and she said "Oh good, just wanted to make sure you knew how to care for him since people often aren't aware of what they need." I just wanted to share this since we often hear so many bad experiences, is nice to be able to hear the good ones when we can.

Now, while I was talking to the employee in the fish section a customer came up who was just strange. She had a cart full of aquarium decor, but according to her she didn't own a fish. She said she needed food "for normal fish" (whatever that is suppose to mean) to give as a gift to a friend who has fish, which seemed like a strange gift to me. And then as she preceded to walk by the betta fish, claimed that one of those would work for her granddaughter and literally picked up the nearest cup and tossed it in the cart, she never even took one look at the fish. It was just really weird all around.


----------



## allied123

That story just made me really happy  Luckily I have a couple nicer petco/petsmarts near me with goodish fish people. the petco fish guy is great but haven't talked to him too much, just enough to know that he does know what he's doing and tries his best to be informative and their bettas are always well taken care of, never seen a dead one or even any with fin rot or severely clamped or anything! 

The petsmart lady though >.< she sort of knows what she's doing but she keeps bettas in tiny bowls and is uber proud they've lived more than 6 months and all the bettas there are in cloudy water and clamped and the occasional dead one.

To triple P: I'm sure if you got a weird vibe from that lady it was weird and the fact that she picked up a betta randomly is weird. However, I thought I'd share maybe the other side of that weirdness. Several months ago my boyfriend who hates all things fish and all things not dogs, actually went and picked out a piece of decor for my tank randomly and I thought it was super sweet of him and I can't express how much I appreciated that he went into a store he hates and picked something out for me without me even asking or mentioning it


----------



## stellenternet

I saw a dad come to pet smart today with three kids and buy three .5 gallon bowls and 3 fish for each kid. The kids didn't even care though. They just watched the hamsters the whole time he was picking out fish. Argh. I didn't see decorations or water conditioner either.


----------



## Tourmaline

On Saturday, when I went to pick up a better filter and some plants at PetSmart, I ran into a family of 6, with a little girl screaming and whining that she wanted a hamster, then she wanted a bird, then a cat.. She basically started crying every time she saw something new. I saw her parents pick out a tiny bowl, and the girl was screaming she wanted one of the fancy goldfish. The PetSmart employee said that they should get a 1 gallon bowl instead. :-? I chimed in and said they need 30 gallons minimum, it will die very quickly in that tiny bowl, and the parents laughed and the employee asked if I worked there instead of her. I asked to speak to her manager, and she said he wasn't in. I gave up, I saw no point in arguing with people who wouldn't listen. Luckily, my local PetSmart is MUCH better. They take very good care of their fish, even the Bettas always have clean water. The staff is knowledgeable and every time I have bought a fish, they have told me proper ways to care for them, and my own research always backs up what they say. I only went to that one because I was in the area, I'll stick to my PetSmart from now on.


----------



## BlueInkFish

Tourmaline said:


> On Saturday, when I went to pick up a better filter and some plants at PetSmart, I ran into a family of 6, with a little girl screaming and whining that she wanted a hamster, then she wanted a bird, then a cat.. She basically started crying every time she saw something new. I saw her parents pick out a tiny bowl, and the girl was screaming she wanted one of the fancy goldfish. The PetSmart employee said that they should get a 1 gallon bowl instead. :-? I chimed in and said they need 30 gallons minimum, it will die very quickly in that tiny bowl, and the parents laughed and the employee asked if I worked there instead of her. I asked to speak to her manager, and she said he wasn't in. I gave up, I saw no point in arguing with people who wouldn't listen. Luckily, my local PetSmart is MUCH better. They take very good care of their fish, even the Bettas always have clean water. The staff is knowledgeable and every time I have bought a fish, they have told me proper ways to care for them, and my own research always backs up what they say. I only went to that one because I was in the area, I'll stick to my PetSmart from now on.


Wow, the employee really said that? Rude.


----------



## maidance

I went to petsmart yesterday and was looking at the female betta fish and an employee walked up and asked me "do you need any help?" and without thinking I immediately answered "no thank you, I'm just looking in case I start a sorority with 5 or 6 girls" and she immediately said "Oh no no no, you can't have betta's together. They would rip eachother apart until they were all dead and the remaining one would probably eat the others." and I understand that sororities aren't really common knowledge to petsmart employees, but there was a little kid looking at Betta fish RIGHT BEHIND HER who looked horrified. The poor kid looked like she was about to cry, but the employee didn't notice and just pointed down to the .5 gallon puzzle tanks and said "but if you want a few just buy a bunch of these" and walked off. I understand her not wanting me to buy a bunch of fish, but did she have to be so graphic???


----------



## Olivia27

maidance said:


> I went to petsmart yesterday and was looking at the female betta fish and an employee walked up and asked me "do you need any help?" and without thinking I immediately answered "no thank you, I'm just looking in case I start a sorority with 5 or 6 girls" and she immediately said "Oh no no no, you can't have betta's together. They would rip eachother apart until they were all dead and the remaining one would probably eat the others." and I understand that sororities aren't really common knowledge to petsmart employees, but there was a little kid looking at Betta fish RIGHT BEHIND HER who looked horrified. The poor kid looked like she was about to cry, but the employee didn't notice and just pointed down to the .5 gallon puzzle tanks and said "but if you want a few just buy a bunch of these" and walked off. I understand her not wanting me to buy a bunch of fish, but did she have to be so graphic???


Well that's just misinformed, with her saying that there's absolutely no way you can have Bettas together and that they're killing machines and all. But honestly that's a nice warning. Too many clueless people picked up two Bettas from Petco and then dump them together in a 1G just because they're both girls. The warning signs are everywhere: "Bettas are fighting fishes and should be kept alone". But the moment somebody whispered that the girls are "maybe" okay they rush to the pet store and get as many girls as they can. People raise their kids differently, but at some point IMO kids need to learn that the world isn't all nice and dandy. Animals eat each other, even the cute ones we keep at home. Sometimes kids pick up "real world" information from sources other than their family, and some other times they learn it a little earlier than the parents would like them to. But at the end of the day they'll learn anyway.


----------



## Sadist

There was a purpley male veil tail labeled as a crown tail female today. He was so pretty that I would have brought him home if I had room! I saw one with swim bladder problems that I wish I could have brought home and healed up, too.


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## Olivia27

I filed a complaint to Petco today. I've seen dead fishes. I've seen Bettas living in their own poop. I've seen dead Bettas go unnoticed. I've seen too much, and today I've seen enough. 

This afternoon I was just checking out their live plants collection when suddenly I saw a weird lump on one of the goldfish tanks. I moved a little closer and saw that it is A HEAD. A disintegrated, body-less head of a goldfish that has been dead for SO LONG and nobody even noticed. I called an employee over, and pointed out the floating head. Her response: "mmm yep, I'll take it out in a minute!". And then she went on her usual rounds, not noticing the goldfish at all. Horrified, I went to the Betta cups section to hopefully calm down. The effect was the exact opposite. I saw a red male that is so stressed he curved his spine to the point his head is on the same side of his tail. Yes, his head was on the bottom of the cup, and his dark red tail spilling right next to his eyes from the height of his curved, O-shaped body. I tapped the cup to see if he's alive. He is. He jumped up - his spines were like jelly - and thrashed around haplessly before falling down to the same position. Two cups from the red male's left was a white-and-red (supposedly) RT. You can't tell though since his tail is almost completely destroyed. He literally has lost about 50% of his tail. The fish itself looks active, but goodness gosh that fin rot. HOW can anyone walk past that cup without noticing??

I took pictures. I have a clear picture of each of the incident I described above. Petco's send-a-message system doesn't allow you to attach pics, but I told them I'd be more than happy to send it over if they want to see it. I really really hope they will do something. Holy hell, please, NO more mutilated heads floating about in Petco's aquariums!!


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## Overprotective Fish Lover

That's just...awful beyond words. Please let us know if they reply, I'd like to know what they have to say to that.


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## Sadist

Wow, that's as bad as when I saw algae growing in the betta's cups. It was growing on all the waste and rotting food on the bottom.


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## Olivia27

Houston, we got a voicemail! The manager from my local store called. I'll call her back during my break at work and I'll let you people know what happens next.


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## DangerousAngel

Good gosh that's revolting! You actually could have gone to a picture uploading website and uploaded the picture and inserted the link in the email. I hope someone gets fired for that.


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## Olivia27

DangerousAngel said:


> Good gosh that's revolting! You actually could have gone to a picture uploading website and uploaded the picture and inserted the link in the email. I hope someone gets fired for that.


Ack! Now that I thought about it that's entirely possible! Should've done that 

Either ways I phoned today (too busy yesterday unfortunately) and found that the department manager lady doesn't work today. But she will be there on Friday and I can call again. That being said, I went to the store to see what changes have they made within the short few days since my complaint being sent, and saw these:
- Completely remodeled non-Betta aquatics section. The goldfish tank that had a floating head on it is now a saltwater tank.
- Brand new Bettas on all the cups. All with clear water and no fin rot. Unfortunately some are still lethargic, but that's a little inevitable when you're a pet store fish. Happy to see a very, very active bicolor VT boy today. 

I still wonder what happened to the sickly and dying fishes from few days before. So I'm gonna call on Friday and get a clearer picture of things. Thanks for all your concern guys.


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## VillagerSparky

I'm worried about that salt water tank. If they can't look after Goldfish, then whatever is/will in that salt water tank is going to have some issues.


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## BettaSplendid

Yeeeeah, where did the other fish go..? :/


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## Overprotective Fish Lover

Keep us posted. I hope they didn't flush those other fish alive. Gulp.


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## BeautifulBettaFishies

I'd like to share my experience.
I don't often go into this bigger aquatics store, but my LFS is too small to stock bettas, literally, I'm sure they struggle to stock goldfish.
I was picking Orion out, when I saw a label:
"Siamese Fighter Fish:
[image of Red VT] best kept in female pairs with a male."

I literally had a meltdown. I was so raging I could barely speak. I was with my nana at the time, which had put two and two together, and she had to stop me parading right up to the counter to complain. Honestly, I'd be looked at pitifully if I said anything. A young teenager knowing more than an "expert", psh never. *face palm* This is why I prefer my LFS. So they aren't the best, but they respect and recognise me, and accept my criticism.
This store wouldn't of, but I would not have thought twice about putting them in their place if my nana hadn't been there / tried to stop me. Next time I visit, which is yet to happen, I will be seeing about the bettas and if that sign is still up and if there is still 2 females together (one looked near dead through emaciation and her fins where too clamped to see the damage.)


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## Overprotective Fish Lover

Terrible.


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## Olivia27

Those signs are just the worst. Trust me that's not the only one. Have you ever read some of those stupid care sheets that come with tank kits? They're frighteningly inaccurate!


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## VillagerSparky

In a bit of a surprising event its my chain store, Pets At Home that seem to take very good care of their Bettas. They are each kept in a different community tank, with mainly tetras. However my LFS keeps them in the little cups and it looks horrid, and all the Bettas just keep to the bottom of their little cups.

Bad thing about my local chain store, they seem to think a female Guppy should be kept with three males.


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## BeautifulBettaFishies

It is terrible  and yes I have seen those pamphlets. They are disgusting, and I'm planning on making my own a some point that stores are free to print and use in their stores, eh, if it mean bettas will get better care it's worth it.

PAH (PetsAtHome) are relatively good. They are terrible at sexing their animals, but most get half decent care. Much better than other chain stores. It must be said I really like Pets At Home, and I believe they don't to tend to employ dumbass employees like some at Petco and Petsmart that I've heard about. Most generally know their field and I've rarely had to correct them. 

VillagerSparky - really?? I've never heard of ANYWHERE selling bettas in cups in the UK, and that is a shock to me. Are they similar to the ones in other countries? That's terrible. All the bettas I have seen so far are in with tetras or bottom feeders, or sometimes guppies, danios etc.


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## Secants

So, quick backstory. I work(ed) in a vet clinic inside a PetSmart. We only tend to do cats and dogs unless one of the PetSmart mammals or reptiles needs medication.

Thanks to my status as a Vet clinic employee, all the guys at my PetSmart tend to just step aside when customers have questions about pet care and I get rolling (typically this happens on my break or days off since when I'm at work I'm inside the clinic, not PetSmart). Until lately, this only applied to questions about cats and dogs, but now that I've been lurking in the fish section more, I've begun venturing forth to use my powers for good.

The other day when I was stopping by for something, I took a quick look at the bettas in stock and noticed that every single fish had at least 5-10 old pellets of food floating around in their cups. When I pointed this out to one of the employees? He told me the water had only been changed yesterday. Our conversation led to my dismay about one fish in particular. Have you guys noticed those bettas PetSmart is stocking in cups with gold or silver lids? They're trying to sell "premium" bettas for $30-35 and, honestly, those fish don't look any different from most of their fish. I asked this employee how many of those have actually sold before dying and he told me none.

Not a one.

I'm hoping I'll be able to convince some of the guys to just give me fish who aren't selling and look like they aren't gonna make it anyway, but it might be tricky to manage. =/ It doesn't help that I'm super non-confrontational.


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## VillagerSparky

BeautifulBettaFishies- Yes, but these aren't the normal delly cups or CD cases, these are much thinner and taller than that. I would say the containers are something you would find for a Sea Monkey kit.

http://www.petsathome.com/shop/en/pets/sea-monkeys Like this but smaller and without the label of course.


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## torileeann11

Thankfully I am the Lead Pet Care associate at my PetSmart. Come to Rockwall, TX if you want educated answers and healthy fish.


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## BettaBoy11

Our Petsmart normally only has 4 different labels for betta fish: Crowntail betta, halfmoon betta, male betta (which are veiltails) and female betta (some which are male or babies) Today we walked in and saw cups labeled "Dumbo Half Moon Betta." YES!!! Most weren't real dumbos, but they carried the geno. Also, not all were halfmoons. But still they have part-dumbo fish! Yay!!!


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## NickAu

Well at least you petsmart keeps the females in cups. Right now my local petbarn has 9 female Bettas together in a bare 2 foot tank not a plant in sight.
This is what a petbarn display tank looks like
http://s0.yellowpages.com.au/9ce830e3-68aa-40c6-b0d8-c2f537e777d3/taree-pet-barn-image.jpg


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## Olivia27

Oh gee  won't they quickly notice that the setup doesn't work that way? What with casualties and battle wounds and all?


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## NickAu

This is what their females look like under those conditions.

This is my Betta when I got her









And Now


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## Olivia27

Those stress stripes can be seen from the moon!  you did a great job Nick xx


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## NickAu

> Those stress stripes can be seen from the moon!  you did a great job Nick xx


Thank you , she turned out to be quite the diva, Those are actually submission stripes, Horizontal stripes are for stress.


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## TripleP

The females at my nearest petsmart are just in horrible shape. They all have clamped fins and look near death. I have never seen a female betta there that actually looked like a female betta should look. Although honestly the males aren't much better these days. I went in a few days ago for some cat and dog food, so I stopped by the betta section and found 4 bettas dead in their cups and every betta in there was in a cup that was covered with poop and uneaten food on the bottom. I just don't get it, how hard is it to change the water? If they would just take care of them how they should they would sell so many more fish.


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## BettaBoy11

NickAu said:


> Well at least you petsmart keeps the females in cups. Right now my local petbarn has 9 female Bettas together in a bare 2 foot tank not a plant in sight.
> This is what a petbarn display tank looks like
> http://s0.yellowpages.com.au/9ce830e3-68aa-40c6-b0d8-c2f537e777d3/taree-pet-barn-image.jpg


That is like my PetCulture. They have two tiny plants in the bottom of the tank and about 20 females...
TripleP, our Petsmart takes terrible care of their fish. The bettas are always lethargic, some dying. But the big tanks are even worse. Sometimes there are more dead goldfish than living ones in a tank. 
Yesterday, the guppies and Cory catfish were in terrible shape... Some dead, some dying. Even PetCulture is better with the big tanks (but not the bettas).


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## MyBabiesHaveScales

I was once at PetSmart when I bought my first betta at the time. I think I was 14 or 15. I didn't know much, so I trusted the employee when I asked what she had been feeding them. She was like, "Oh, these" and handed me a tube of freeze dried bloodworms. I was a little confused because I was expecting pellets, but I bought them anyways because as a store clerk she MUST have been smarter than me. I bought them, and my handsome dark blue veil tail Glub Glub. After I got home and set him up, I decided to read the bottle because why not. It bold print it said,

"INTENDED FOR INTERMITTENT OR SUPPLEMENTAL FEEDING ONLY." 

*Facepalm* 

No wonder the bettas were bloated and lethargic, all except my Glubbies, which is what made him stand out to me. The next day I went to a different pet store and got some LEGIT daily betta food: pellets. Now I always research completely before buying anything, even if I see something in store on an impulse buy I'll Google reviews on my phone before purchasing it. Luckily it was only a still usable thing of betta treats, not a elaborate betta torture device like those .25 gallons. I'll admit my bettas are in one gallons (heated though of course, with conditioner and whatnot), but they are happy as ever and active. But I could never, ever put them in something smaller. Still shocks me how that lady said they strictly fed them food with a label saying not to do so right on it. Were they oblivious or just don't care? That was almost three years ago (it will be on December 30th) but I doubt anything has changed, what with those overcrowded display tanks. There is more fish than water in most of them.


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## californiastarfish

..


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## Hallyx

That's a beautiful fish, Nick. Kind of looks like a wild B. splendens.


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## NickAu

Thanks, She is a little dictator in her domain, she's a Plakat who builds bubble nests.


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## trilobite

I worked at petbarn, our tanks werent that bad they were ~80-90 litres each. The main problem I had was the suppliers kept giving us male pk as females so we would almost always have a bunch of excess pk males that no one wants (doesnt help that the pk male price is $26...no ones going to pay that for a little wildcoloured boy) everyone wants long flowy vt which are waaay cheaper aswell
When I first started we had a tank of about 15 females, but only 3 were actual girls...They got better at it after we complained to them but a few boys still snuck in.

Its not petbarns fault though, its the supplier. They supply to a lot of other stores and the same problem happens there, I see boys everywhere in the girl tanks.
I actually think they are getting ripped off by the overseas wholesalers who sell to the australian supplier. Buyer wants females, not many people know how to tell pk male from female (especially if they arent interested in bettas) so doing pk spawns is the easiest way to make the most "females". You can sell all of them off and get $$ for them all

Our female ct were real good though, fat, healthy, fully coloured and 100% female. 
When one betta gets sick in the barracks the whole system is treated asap, it kinda sucks because its in full display of customers and they see the sick fish and think we are cruel to them, but if you are getting new fish in everyweek, theres going to be outbreaks eventually. Weve had angry customers yell at us because we are abusing the bettas, "they are all sick, they have whitespot, ect.." no kidding, thats why they are being treated. We dont sell a fish if its sick, infact if a customer was really keen on a particular fish we would put it on hold and give them a call when it got better

Big chain stores arent all bad :-D but the customers are another story haha. 
I always heard the old "they only grow to the size of the tank though" 
One guy even asked this question about an oscar...of all things, he wanted an oscar for his 30l tank...

"yeah I'll upgrade the tank when it gets bigger" sure you will...sure you will..
"my friend had one in a bowl and it lasted ages"
"I never used water conditioner"
"I change the water about once a month"
"whats the most aggressive fish you have"

I once had this lady who wanted a pirate tank for her son...after climbing around waay at the back of the very top self I found one pirate themed tank, covered in dust and about 10l... "
She sees the bala sharks and says "Oh he would looove a shark! that would be perfect for it!!"
I tell her the shark will grow way to big for that tank and show her the guppies or bettas but no, she needs a shark, thats a very piratey fish. 
I at least managed to point her to the rainbow shark (we arent allowed to refuse a sale of fish which really sucks...:evil so I caught the smallest one and told her that in a few months it will need to upgrade I get the whole "yeah yeah I'll get a bigger tank soon"... bullsh*t
I explain to her the fish in cycle, dumbed it down as far as it could possibly go and after receiving some blank stares she says she understands, get her to buy prime and some bacteria at least but Im willing to bet that fish died within a week

I also had one girl who just started spouting "betta splendens, otherwise known as the japanese fighting fish"... I just smiled


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## Olivia27

Japanese!! As a Southeast Asian - that one part of Asia nobody ever cares about - I'm actually almost insulted by that ._. And thanks for sharing your story trilobite. Always nice to see the flip side of the coin.


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## NickAu

> pk as females so we would almost always have a bunch of excess pk males that no one wants (doesnt help that the pk male price is $26...no ones going to pay that for a little wildcoloured boy) everyone wants long flowy vt which are waaay cheaper aswell


I would I love Plakats, In our Local Pet Barn males are $29 bucks each females are $10.


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## trilobite

Try looking in their female tank then ;-)
90% chance youll find pk boys in there and youll get them for the female price


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## NickAu

<<<< See my avatar? came from a female Plakat tank.


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## trilobite

Oh score!


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## NickAu

Yes way score, see this post #*725*


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## Lazer

Was at my local PetCo, looking for some plants, decor, whatever, and didn't see any bettas, so I asked and was told "oh we're just about to change their water, you can come look at them over here if you'd like". I'm thinking how nice, they actually do water changes, but as I'm looking through their bettas I see a poor VT with some serious something, he was literally covered in white wispy fuzz (which I'm pretty sure is fungal?). I point this out to the manager who told me where they were and he tells an employee "you can change their water now, start with this one" - and after she changes that one's water she proceeds to put every other betta in the cup she had that one in when she changed it's water.... And now I'm terrified that whatever fungus that one had is going to spread, and they had some reaaaally pretty bettas for a big box store.


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## Hallyx

I have GOT to *stop* reading this thread <sigh>


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## Lazer

Hallyx said:


> I have GOT to *stop* reading this thread <sigh>


Sorry 

On the up side, I've been reading all your posts in regards to cycling my tank and now I'm confident I can do it with Prime and SafeStart and neither mess it up or hurt my fish.


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## BettaSplendid

Lazer said:


> Was at my local PetCo, looking for some plants, decor, whatever, and didn't see any bettas, so I asked and was told "oh we're just about to change their water, you can come look at them over here if you'd like". I'm thinking how nice, they actually do water changes, but as I'm looking through their bettas I see a poor VT with some serious something, he was literally covered in white wispy fuzz (which I'm pretty sure is fungal?). I point this out to the manager who told me where they were and he tells an employee "you can change their water now, start with this one" - and after she changes that one's water she proceeds to put every other betta in the cup she had that one in when she changed it's water.... And now I'm terrified that whatever fungus that one had is going to spread, and they had some reaaaally pretty bettas for a big box store.


:shock:

Say whaaaaaaat?! That is unthinkable! I can't even...ugh.


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## NickAu

To make it easier for people to understand chain pet store mentality, Replace the word life fish with a bag of dry cat food. The bag of dry cat food is spoiled throw it in the bin. To head office its just a number.

Pet***** in the USA can sell a veil tail for about 5 or 7 bucks? they are prob getting them for a buck each, or breeding them in some ware house, if only 3 out of every 5 survive its still a profit.

Welcome to corporate mentality.


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## MyBabiesHaveScales

The realization of the truth in that statements hurts.. Probably the store would lose profit if they bought tanks 1 gallon and up for each betta, medications for the sick ones, and nutrient rich food to feed them every day. It's cheaper for them to just keep them alive, and if one gets sick just let it die and replace it with a new one.


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## NickAu

And don't blame the corporations for this, Oh no, Its our fault as a consumer, We demand cheap goods and they give them to us.

Here's a few question's.

The last time you were in LFS and saw fish being mistreated, What did you do? 
Did you protest to the manager in writing?

Did you back your claims up with video. Next time record a vid on your cell phone.

Did you contact ASPCA or RSPCA?
Did you provide them with video?

Do you still shop there?

Do you tell your friends not to shop there?

If enough of us complain about it they will listen.


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## LittleBettaFish

I only ever try to support businesses that treat their fish humanely. There's one store here that treats their bettas appallingly and unless I am absolutely desperate for supplies or they have a species of fish that I can't get anywhere else, I won't shop there. 

I've probably spent thousands of dollars there, but when there was a marked decline in both fish care and customer service, I took my money elsewhere. 

I think it's more difficult to make any sort of progress when they are not a franchised business. Sadly, I think the majority of people that keep fish are ignorant as to what is appropriate care. They see a betta in a dirty cup on a store shelf, and think that's fine because the store employees have told them so. After all, everyone _knows_ wild bettas live in water-filled buffalo footprints.


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## BettaBoy11

The price for fish are too cheap. If they were even $10-20, us fish lovers would still buy them, but maybe the stores would take better care of them.


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## Olivia27

I guess the biggest issue with the pet store industry is that they try to put the word "pet" and "industry" in one sentence. Business is a harsh, dog-eat-dog world. You can't take amazing care of your stock and denying sales to those that refuse to take care of them, *and* still make a million dollars. IMO the best solution is to stop pet stores from selling live animals, and let the breeders do their thing.


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## Sadist

I've been buying animals from Aquatic Arts instead of the local chain stores. The animals were really healthy, and they were shipped well. You can't pick your individual animal, though, so I'll still probably look elsewhere for bettas.


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## blackjack

I have to say, I love one of the Petsmart's in my area. We're loaded with them around here. There are at least 4 within an hour drive, two within half an hour. Anyway, the one I frequent the most is wonderful, (don't know about the others, never bought fish from them). 

I knew nothing about fish, but had decided I wanted a betta. I had researched all kinds of things to do with bettas and felt comfortable getting one. I had a 10 Gal. tank, sponge filter, and heater. I fell in love with one and he lived a good long time. 

Anyway, I had come upon some bad information on one forum about algae eaters. They claimed plecos can be kept with bettas as long as the tank is over five gallons and that they stayed relatively small. Okay, that sounded good. I went to Petsmart to get one. The lady in the fish section asked me what size tank I had and I told her. She proceeded to tell me how large plecos can get and that 10 Gal. is far too small for them. She said she was asking because it's such a common mistake. I was impressed by this. Anyway, she had told me how great snails could be. I've always liked snails, so I was sold right there. That was how I got Tommy, (I've mentioned him before), several years back. 

Given that she would rather sell me a snail for $2 instead of that $10 pleco, told me she actually cared. I've had several wonderful experiences there in the small animal and reptile sections too. I love that store.


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## Overprotective Fish Lover

That's awesome - nice to know that some employees DO care! Too bad there aren't more success stories like yours.


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## Sadist

Wow, what a nice experience!

I went to Petco a few weeks ago to get a nerite for Mrs. Fish's tank. They don't stick much of their soft parts out, and her tank gets enough residual light from the neighboring algae tank that she was getting too much algae, too. There was only one employee there, and she was new. She dropped the snail, cracking its shell :-( I bought it anyways, and it's still super active and doing well. The crack is also not bad enough to compromise it and protected it against Mrs. Fish when she attacked.


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## jess32247

this happened a five+ years ago when i was a teen but i'm still dumbfounded. basically my mom brought home a betta for herself in a tiny one gallon (possibly less) tank one day. as you can imagine she's incredibly ignorant and refuses to believe anything other then dumping the poor guy in room temp water and leaving him be is how to properly take care of him, because "they live in tiny puddles, they don't need ect ect."

fast forward to a couple weeks later, somehow i manage to talk her into letting me buy her a proper 5g set up for him using the little bit of birthday money i had because i couldn't take watching him slowly die anymore (or i was going to give him away to someone who could give him a proper life, so she choose to upgrade luckily). she seriously hates the idea of giving one tiny fish so much space but whatever, i still drag her to the store with me. we get to the pet store, grabbed the 5g tank kit, go the checkout line and the lady at the register _straight up refuses_ to let us buy the tank for a godawful 10 minutes as she gets her uneducated opinion in, because you guessed it- "they live in tiny puddles, they don't need ect ect ect. he'll be scared of the large space and get sucked in by the filter and be killed right away." she even runs to get one of there betta care pamphlets for my mom to read. again my mom hates the idea of "spoiling" one half dead fish, so she sides with the employee instead and refuses to let me buy the tank for her. both of them straight up scream at me for thinking i was doing something good. that goes on for another 10-20 minutes. and to think little old me just wanted to "waste" my lousy birthday money on saving one fish that ended up dying a few weeks later. 

a few years later she did the same thing (though to be fair i did help her pick a tank with a filter this time), but i quickly ended up moving him to his own divided 10g shortly after even though she hated the idea, so i won't be making that mistake anymore. he's still very happy and healthy in my care, luckily.


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## Olivia27

... Wow. Just wow. 

Gotta say though I was talking Betta with a coworker and he told me his Betta recently died. He said it's because he forgot to feed the fish one day, and I tell him that's a very unlikely cause of death. So then I heard that this Betta is kept in a bowl with no heater or any other equipment. I pointed out that that's probably why, but then he told me that he knows another Betta that lived in the same condition for many years. He asked about my setup, and when he heard that my girl lives in a 5.5 he says "that's way too big". Sometimes people can be real ignorant. Just because the fish is alive doesn't mean they're happy and healthy. If simply being alive is set as the measurement of health, our countries would save a crap load of money from health care.


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## BettaBoy11

UGH! That's terrible, Jess!


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## Aquastar

The LPS by my school has a chart for betta pricing, as follows:

*black and white paper in a plastic envelop*

*pictures of fish and price*

*HMPK female* Super Delta-$15

*face palm*


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## jess32247

ugh i know, the whole situation was just appalling. the worst part is that my mom already knew that pet store employees rarely ever had helpful information but she still decided to side with her. i still can't believe it. i'm usually a quiet person, espeically when i was that age, but i still made sure to give her a piece of my mind before i left haha.

that's pretty damn horrible too, seren. it's sad that most people can't go the extra mile and get a simple 10$-20$ heater that will drastically improve the fishes life. sure it won't improve it 100% but it's still at least something. sigh.


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## Lazer

jess32247 said:


> ugh i know, the whole situation was just appalling. the worst part is that my mom already knew that pet store employees rarely ever had helpful information but she still decided to side with her. i still can't believe it. i'm usually a quiet person, espeically when i was that age, but i still made sure to give her a piece of my mind before i left haha.
> 
> that's pretty damn horrible too, seren. it's sad that most people can't go the extra mile and get a simple 10$-20$ heater that will drastically improve the fishes life. sure it won't improve it 100% but it's still at least something. sigh.


Literally every single person I encounter in my day to day life thinks I'm nutty for putting my betta in his own 5 gallon tank..... *sigh*

On a side note I really can't wait until my freaking heater gets here so my water temp can be higher than 76.... Keeping my apartment hot enough to sustain that water temp is really getting old. lol


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## ThisDragonisNerdy

Seren27 said:


> Just because the fish is alive doesn't mean they're happy and healthy. If simply being alive is set as the measurement of health, our countries would save a crap load of money from health care.


Can I quote you on this? Because I love it. :lol:


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## Olivia27

Lol no you can't it's copyrighted. 

Sure you can!


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## OUOhYeah2016

I was in a PetLand today looking at 3-5 gallon tanks to upgrade from my current 1 gallon. Of course about 5 workers asked to help me and I repeatedly refused. One I told what I was there for and she proceeded to say "Oh we have some cute small ones over here!" and attempt to walk me toward those tiny cube things... I cut her off right there that she was missing the point and I already have a tank that's larger than what she was about to show me. Like seriously though, if I want to spoil my fish (in comparison to what pet stores deem acceptable) let me spoil my dang fish!


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## Aquastar

Me loking for my snail (Phil):

M: Do you have any snails?
E: Oh, yes, we have lots! What kind of tank?!
M: Bett-
E: Oh yes! A betta bowl! You'll want some of these Apple Snails! They eat lots of algae!
M: It's a 10 gallon community...
E:


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## Olivia27

APPLE SNAIL IN A BETTA BOWL!

I truly have heard it all now.


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## Aquastar

Their Apples were small, and they do have a semi okay care sheet, recommending biweekly water changes in a bowl.


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## MyLilBettaMen

*Today while picking out my new guy*

Customer (kid1): Oh dad look here are fish!
Customer (kid2): I like this one. 
Customer (dad): oh look at this one, it looks dead. 
Customer (kid2) taps the heck out of the betta cup holding a sleeping veiltail and startles the thing awake.
Customer (dad): just kidding!

5 minutes later, I see kid1 come back and put a betta underneath the shelving unit out of sight. Of course I put him back where he belonged immediately. :roll: I know it's not easy to have multiple children in a store with you, I totally get that, but seriously.


----------



## Lazer

Today I had a pet store employee tell me that the super apparent horizontal lines on a female betta were mating lines.... But that same dude also asked me if I had a heater for my betta tank... I don't even know what to think.

Buuuuut I def want to get a tank and take that particular little lady home, she deserves so much better.


----------



## NickAu

> the super apparent horizontal lines on a female betta were mating lines...











Female Betta Showing Fear Stripes

..........................................................................









Female Betta Showing Breeding Stripes

........................................

This was my betta when I got her, She was in a tank with 5 or 6 others like her.


----------



## blackjack

The worse thing I'd seen was a betta "care sheet" at Walmart a few years back. Fortunately when the local store relocated they took it down. The idiotic thing actually said that a betta can *thrive* in as little as 4oz. of water! Can you imagine that crap?! I can't actually remember much else about it. That part just sticks in my mind. It's disgusting.


----------



## Lazer

Yeeeah, she 100% had stress lines, and now I want her more. I would name her Penelope.


----------



## Aliditha

*Magikarp*

When I went to get my male vt Magikarp he seemed to be the healthiest and most active and he seemed to like me. So after I got him up to the counter along with the few things I didn't have for his tank already (conditioner, a few new silk plants and blood worms cause i had not yet bought his food) The ladies rung me up and were telling me some things about how to best adapt him to his new home. Everything was good, then they had to check a calendar to see when they last fed them. I was absolutely apalled!


----------



## Sadist

Yes, but in cold water and those tiny cups, it's probably better to under feed than over. That's what I keep telling myself.


----------



## Nova betta

I found out how my petco takes care of their bettas, while I was buying my new EEHMPK,junior.

She said that they only feed them 2x a week, and they clean the cups out every other day. At first I was appalled at how much they didn't feed them. But all the fish are healthy, I have not seen a single sick one since the summer, never seen a dead one either.


----------



## Overprotective Fish Lover

That's not bad actually. It's probably better to feed less and change more as opposed to changing less and feeding more.


----------



## jess32247

i went to petco today to pick up a few things and saw a lady carrying a 5g tank with three bettas in it. not sure if they were male or female or if she had more supplies for it, or if she was going to divide it, but knowing how ignorant most are when it comes to betta care i'm assuming the worse. ugh.

she had a employee helping her, at least she said "you don't want too many bettas in there." if she was on her own i would of helped her out, so here's hoping the employee knew what she was doing. hopeeeefully.


----------



## MyBabiesHaveScales

I hope maybe she had more supplies at home already and she would separate the bettas, so they don't destroy themselves. It would be awful for the lady, too, if she was completely oblivious to the issue and come home to that awful sight  Even if they were females (I'm not completely brushed up on my sorority keeping skills as I only have one female) but I believe even they have to be alone, or 4 or more so they can develop their hierarchy. I may be mistaken on that though. 

On a happier note, A LPS in my area i went to in my area carry bettas but they always look very healthy. They are bright in color, very active, and the water is crystal clear with no waste in the cups. I'm impressed with the care they give their bettas. As a small pet store they don't carry large tanks ( they primarily focus on dog and cat supplies) but do sell those .5 gallon plastic betta tanks and even some .5 gallon vases, but they keep their bettas healthy so as long as people don't purchase the half gallons they are good. They also carry betta medications, food, mini heaters, small tank filter equipment and more, so they recognize and sell things bettas are suggested to have, so they aren't in the heaters-and-filters-will-murder-your-betta mindset. So that's good.  Yay happy betta story!


----------



## Aquastar

Happy story:


I was at PetSmart, and I wanted Cabomba (and a female secretly). This is my conversation...

E: So 10gal heated filtered? (she didn't know my stocking yet)
M: Yeah, I ws thinking of getting a betta, what you you suggest? I was going to keep him in the cup...
E *freaks out*
M: *smiles*
E: Nononononono you want something this big. *points at 2.5gals*
M: *smiling*
E: You can keep him in a cup!
M: It's okay! Calm down! I just wanted to know if I could trust any advice from you in the future.
E: ...


It was the best thing ever, she was so freaked out for a second...


----------



## OUOhYeah2016

Aquastar said:


> Happy story:
> 
> 
> I was at PetSmart, and I wanted Cabomba (and a female secretly). This is my conversation...
> 
> E: So 10gal heated filtered? (she didn't know my stocking yet)
> M: Yeah, I ws thinking of getting a betta, what you you suggest? I was going to keep him in the cup...
> E *freaks out*
> M: *smiles*
> E: Nononononono you want something this big. *points at 2.5gals*
> M: *smiling*
> E: You can keep him in a cup!
> M: It's okay! Calm down! I just wanted to know if I could trust any advice from you in the future.
> E: ...
> 
> 
> It was the best thing ever, she was so freaked out for a second...


Some slight restoration of faith in chain pet store workers. Thank you, I feel like that was very much needed in this thread


----------



## BettaBoy11

I found this on Petsmart's website. It's supposed to be a picture of a dumbo Halfmoon betta .. To me, it looks like a non-dumbo super delta
Also, look where it says 'Enviorment.' 1 QT?!?!?!


----------



## Olivia27

Mislabeling is not all that surprising anymore TBH but at the same time they need to learn to be more accurate =\ about the QT... Well. I hope their understanding of a QT is a 3 gal and up. I have nothing againts one-gals, but at the same time I can't suggest them either. Most non aquarists don't know what a QT is anyway. I'm praying they thought it meant a 3-gal ><

Another happy story (but this one is predictable as it's my LFS)
Me: hi I'm here for a water test
Employee: oh sure what's the tank size?
M: it's a 2.5, unfiltered
E: cool. What do you want to put in there?
M: just one Betta
E: okay. Soooo do you have lots of live plants in it?
M: *smiles* ooohh yes. A ton.


----------



## Aquastar

It used to say 1qt bowl or tank: A rule of thumb is 1"fish/gallon



BTW: Canada is selling the Long Finned Males, which are actually just bettas that look dragonscale, you can get DS cambodian CTs at my petsmart for $7 but fake ones for $20?


----------



## goodgollyitsmol

So I have a couple stories. 

My first one isn't about a store but about my cousins: they had a betta for maybe around 2 years and were looking to get rid of it. I said I'd take it. I received him on Christmas 2015 in a bowl of water (a cup at most) that was so dirty I couldn't see the fish. I set up a one gallon bowl as fast as I could and put him in it. The next morning. He was already happier. However he has such bad SBD, fin rot, and maybe pop eye that he can't even swim really. I'm treating him in half gallon bowls with AQ and a natural remedy with water changes every other day. Hopefully he gets better. 

Another story is that I went to petco the other day and saw a couple dead bettas. I found an employee and told him. He said ok then walked away without doing anything! I stayed for about 20 mins to see what would happen: NOTHING.


----------



## blackjack

I really don't understand that. Don't these stores want to make money? Isn't that the purpose of a business? Why wouldn't they at least clean up where the dead ones are. That's just terrible for business.


----------



## goodgollyitsmol

Just ran to petco for some things. GREAT customer service! They knew what they were talking about. I even joked with the employee about dumb people XD! I totally take back what I said about Petco earlier because today was great! 

The employee also helped talk a lady out of putting other fish with a betta


----------



## SiameseFightingArt

My Petco fish department surely began to fail at taking care of their fish. Luckily, it's closing which is why I bought my new betta, but he has SBD. Almost all of the other bettas there were dying or sick. I did suggest them to clean the water more before, but they blew me off. One employee cared a lot, but she was fired a while back. Grrr, they get rid of almost all of the good employees.


----------



## bettagurl777

I love going to the fish section of my LPS and just walking around and looking at all the different tanks and sick bettas (I say sick because they haven't had any healthy ones for like two months). I have the whole section memorized. 

While walking around, I noticed that one of the platy tanks had ich, so I told an employee. She looked at the fish, said, "Oh there are some ich spots there. All of our tanks are treated." Then she turned around and walked away. I feel like she was talking more about water conditioner than parasites and diseases.


Story Two:

I went to PetSmart with my friend, and while I was looking at the aquarium plants, my friend came up to me and said, "Remember the sick female there? Not the bloated one, the pineapple? Yeah, some people were looking at her and I heard them talking about how the tanks are too much, and I heard one of them say _'Oh well, we'll just keep it in the cup.'_"

Honestly, if you can't afford to spend _at least_ $70, don't buy a fish!


----------



## MyBabiesHaveScales

So I was looking on a pet site which said that bettas could be kept in *small containers* because they move slow. I think their betta is sick.

Another mentioned changing water in a bowl twice a month. I hope bowl was a typo for some VERY large tank.


----------



## Overprotective Fish Lover

I was at Pet Culture yesterday. I happened to glance into a _public_ garbage can, only to be horrified by at least 3 dead fish stuck to the side of the garbage bag. There were probably more, I looked away quickly because it was so sad. It would be nice if the employees would at least have the decency to take the bodies into a back room to dispose of!

Keep in mind, this is the same place that keeps bettas in water that is literally a dark brown or green (and not from IAL). If you told me to go in there and pick out a healthy betta, I actually wouldn't be able to. I have to think that they don't change those cups for weeks at a time. The employees there are not only cruel to their fish: they make absolutely no attempt to look like they're doing a good job in front of their customers. *sigh*


----------



## Aquastar

Pet Culture is the worst, I agree. The guy there keeps telling me I should just work there if I want change. Unlike PetSmart, they don't ask about setup before I buy something. Some kid pointed at the goldfish and..

Kid: I want one!
Mom: Sure, he'll do great in my pretty bowl Grandma gave us.
Me: Sorry to interrupt, but goldfish need at least 20 gallons, he would be unhappy and most likely dead in there.
*mom mouths something rude*
Kid: What did she say?
Mom: That a goldfish would be happy in a bowl!
*buys 5 feeders*

You would think. That kid probably cared about animals, and that mom made him keep them in a bowl! Way to crush that kid's hope. In a few years he'll be on here and be telling that story from his point of view. That mom fed the fuel of lies. I cannot. Yes, my Mom would do what petstore people tell her, but re-translate advice to her will? No.


----------



## Olivia27

I applaud you for interrupting. I really need to learn how to do that sometimes. Not fish related but one day when I was standing in line at Petco there's this girl with her big dog in front of me. The pup was so energetic and she doesn't know how to control him at all. At one point she picked him up - keep in mind this is a Lab cross - and that caused even more commotion. I really wish I could advise her on how to handle the leash better and stuff. Poor dog was so confused, owner was embarrassed and other people were watching intently. Oh well.


----------



## SiameseFightingArt

Must be a first time dog owner. I think she would have appreciated some advice since when I was in California there was a yipping Yorkie who wouldn't be quiet. The owner looked so frustrated so I advised her to put herself in between the object of interest and the dog. She did so and the dog began to quiet down. I know I would definitely appreciate some advice for when I was babysitting a 1 1/2 year old pitt bull puppy who wasn't properly trained! :0


----------



## Olivia27

Aha, I remember my host family in my study abroad trip few years ago had an 8-month old Pit. Sweet girl, but is more of an Energizer bunny than a dog. Just. Simply. Won't. Sit. Still! Finally what worked was buying her chew toys. Go figure.
Apparently a tired dog sits still.

Anyway. Back on topic. I went to buy another heater today and saw that the packaging lists "three tips of aquarium success". First: don't overstock. Two: always use water conditioner. Three: do a 25% water change every 4 weeks. 

Gee =\


----------



## stellenternet

Today omg. 

There is this petstore at this mall that always has bettas in poor conditions. I was at the mall and I went to the petstore to see how horrible the animals were being treated today, there was a .5 gallon bowl with 6 female bettas in it! They were super stressed and were digging their heads into the rocks trying to hide from each other. One was stuck. I went to a store employee to tell her that this was going on:

Me: Um excuse me but you have a lot of female bettas in a tiny tank which is a bad idea, they are stressed, fighting each other and hiding. Do you have any extra cups that you could maybe put them in so they are seperated? And just leave one in the bowl?
Employee: I don't care.

WHAT!!!! IM SO MAD!


----------



## Olivia27

Just don't come back. It's like going to Craigslist to read the dogs for sale ad. Just don't do it. And tell everyone you know not to do it.


----------



## Aquastar

Ask if you can do it yourself. That's just awful. Talk to the manager or someon of important status saying the employee clearly stated she did not care for the well being of the live animals.


----------



## NickAu

You also have to remember she is not paid to care or trained to care, Complaining manager or someone of important status wont do much good because the employees and store manager are following instructions from corporate HQ, HQ wont care unless sales are down or there is bad publicity in the press.

Boycot the store, Contact the media with video proof, Tell everybody to not shop there, only when sales are down will HQ listen and change things.


----------



## BeautifulBettaFishies

NickAu I think has a good idea. If you can get it some publicity, things should change very fast or they'll be closed down. It might be a bit of effort, but hopefully it will change.


----------



## magnum

I once went too a chain petstore over here called Pets Domain. I went and had a look at the Betta section, which was long rows of small divided cubes with some sort of 'dripping' water system that was so strong most of the bettas couldn't make their way to the top to even breathe. There was even one fish stuck in between the cube dividers dead. 

I emailed and took photos and sent to HQ. Of course they said they'd fix the problem. I went back two weeks later and their solution was to put the bettas in plastic cups on a cold metal shelf at the back of the store. Lovely solution.


----------



## goodgollyitsmol

Decided to go to petsmart because I thought they had a better selection of live plants... Not only was I wrong (only 4 small plants only one of which was not dead) But while I was waiting to be helped (about 20 minutes or so) I saw a trash can right in the open with a bag of dried up goldfish in it as well as a dead goldfish just thrown on top of all the trash. I think I'll go to Petco.


----------



## stellenternet

NickAu said:


> You also have to remember she is not paid to care or trained to care, Complaining manager or someone of important status wont do much good because the employees and store manager are following instructions from corporate HQ, HQ wont care unless sales are down or there is bad publicity in the press.
> 
> Boycot the store, Contact the media with video proof, Tell everybody to not shop there, only when sales are down will HQ listen and change things.


I've already been doing that. But nobody cares. Everyone likes to go there because it's in a mall and everyone likes going there while they are shopping to see the animals.


----------



## OUOhYeah2016

That's like my issue with the Pet Land near my college. It doesn't matter how the animals are treated because people are still going to go in because they're college students that miss their own pets back home, so they go play with the puppies and may even buy one if they have an apartment. Same with small mammals and reptiles. There's always someone in there


----------



## Olivia27

OUOhYeah2016 said:


> That's like my issue with the Pet Land near my college. It doesn't matter how the animals are treated because people are still going to go in because they're college students that miss their own pets back home, so they go play with the puppies and may even buy one if they have an apartment. Same with small mammals and reptiles. There's always someone in there


*this is off topic*

Psst, I tried to send you a PM but it says you either chose not to receive PMs or not allowed to receive PMs. If it's the first one can you disable the option for one moment? x


----------



## OUOhYeah2016

Yeah I'll check that Seren my bad


----------



## purplemuffin

Oops! I clicked the wrong thread. Embarrassing! Let me remember how to delete posts...


----------



## Hallyx

Lovely Red-tail, Muffin.


----------



## purplemuffin

Thank you Hallyx! I should take a new picture of her, she's huge now! 

To keep things on topic! Recently visited a petstore where I heard an employee claim the old "fish grow to the size of their containers" in order to say "yes you can keep a betta with koi in your pond! He'll soon grow to the size of the koi!" Seriously! People are incredible. This was the same store that also told me I was wrong about ball pythons needing rodents, that crickets would do in a pinch. Oh boy..


----------



## BeautifulBettaFishies

^ muffin that did get a chuckle out of me. I imagine that poor betta perished in that koi pond. Hey, at least he wasn't stuck in a 0.2g betta cube.  but seriously, how stupid can some people be, have you ever seen a betta the size of a koi?


----------



## Overprotective Fish Lover

That's taking "giant betta" to a whole new level.

Went into Petsmart to get some neons and ADFs for the community. The stupid employee in there netted me out 4 neons, one of which was tiny and runty. I asked him to swap the stunted one out, and he began to smush the poor tetras against the walls and poke them with the net in an attempt to get the one out. The poor things were so pale and stressed, I felt so bad. He was also rough netting in the frogs, just scraped them up off the substrate and plopped them into the water. He dumped the container of water right into the bag, neons and frogs together, and as he was dumping it there were fish and frogs still sticking to the sides of the container. It was horrible. All the frogs died from stress the next day, although miraculously the tetras managed to hold on. What a jerk.


----------



## BeautifulBettaFishies

All of my LFS have a 24/48hr garuntee. If they die you bring the dead fish back and they swap it. Did this place offer that? Id of been so mad, what a jerk.


----------



## Crash

purplemuffin said:


> Thank you Hallyx! I should take a new picture of her, she's huge now!
> 
> To keep things on topic! Recently visited a petstore where I heard an employee claim the old "fish grow to the size of their containers" in order to say "yes you can keep a betta with koi in your pond! He'll soon grow to the size of the koi!" Seriously! People are incredible. This was the same store that also told me I was wrong about ball pythons needing rodents, that crickets would do in a pinch. Oh boy..


Those must be some nuclear irradiated bettas... :lol:


----------



## KaelaByte

well for a bit of a bright side I had a great visit to a local pet store recently. Most of the petco and petsmarts in my area have BEAUTIFUL bettas, but they are always super unhealthy and being new to bettas and fish keeping in general I am never comfortable taking them (I'd love to run a temp tank though, for ones I know are likely to die, at least keep em warm and well fed for a while, but i digress). So out of curiosity I went to a specialty store i just found, and I was amazed.

The bettas are still in cups and stacked together for the most part, but the cups are easily the size of my palm and about 2-3 inches tall. If they had particularly aggressive males in that were flairing too much they took them out and plopped them into the 20 gallon plant tanks so keep from stressing the rest of the stock too much. All the bettas were happy and many had Brazilian (??) leafs in there for minor fin rot in a case or two, and stress for a few others. 

Now I don't know much about bettas, but I had a few basics so I decided to ask around a few of the employees as they passed. As soon as i mentioned I had one male already and was mostly looking to grab a new filter, he eyed me up a bit (I was drooling over a few butterfly) and immediately asked if i had a separate tank, because they would not sell to me if i was planning on putting them in together. I assured him I had a divider in a ten gallon so each would get a good 4 gal after decorations and filter and all. He immediately relaxed, and made sure i had a heater, good substrate, plant food (I was hoping to start up a planted tank and just bought some hornwart I think it is called). Overall I was very impressed and they have got my business for the foreseeable future. Went home with a new lavender-magenta crowntail butterfly. Gorgeous and super active guy XD they said they nicknamed him MR. Angry cause he would just flare all day, he was going to be transferred into a large tank as soon as one opened up for him. 

In fact, the little guy was in good enough shape that as soon as he was fed a bit at home that night he built the biggest bubble nest I had ever seen, easily covered half the surface of the 3 gal quarantine. Now my halfmoon and him seem to be competing to build the bigger nest now that he is in the 10 gal XD.


----------



## Olivia27

It's Indian Almond Leaf (IAL)  they're great. I recommend everyone to always have some in hand just in case.

And gosh isn't that the truth. I was properly interviewed at my LFS when I said I have a 2.5gal. What do I wanna put in it? Is it filtered? Is it heated? What plants? Is it cycled? I know some people would find it annoying, but I appreciate that very much. Shows that they care. Plus, I'd never mind talking about my tanks! Filtered? Cycled? Heck! I'll even tell you the back story why I chose gravels LOL


----------



## KaelaByte

Yes I am in love with this store, they even sat down and started calculating room for shrimp and such and asking about my plans for hidey holes since i am hoping to add one or two to each side of the tank.


----------



## NickAu

> It's Indian Almond Leaf (IAL)  they're great. I recommend everyone to always have some in hand just in case.


IAL is great I use it in my betta tank all the time my Betta builds bubble nests under the floating leaf, I put in a large leaf every 2 weeks, I do not remove the old stuff I just chop it up a bit and let it sink to the bottom where it decays over time, My Kuhli Loaches love using it to hide under.

If you don't like the look of the leaves try the tea bags.
*Tantora Catappa Tea bag 20pcs - Indian Almond Leaf Ketapang Bee Shrimp fish IAL*


----------



## Olivia27

If you ever need more IAL, Nick, just shout out. Native Indonesian here. Stuff's all over the place back at my home country. Cheaper too. By a LOT.


----------



## NickAu

Thanks, I will have to look into it first Australia has strict Bio Security laws in place when it comes to importing plant matter.


----------



## Olivia27

Omg plant *matter* counts too? =\ I see. Tbh my plan is to bring back a boat load of IAL (and banana leaves too perhaps) from Indo back to the US after summer. And then I can sell it off for a couple cents each and still make profit mwahaha


----------



## NickAu

Before attempting to bring anything back to the USA I would check their Bio Security laws.


----------



## Olivia27

Will do


----------



## LittleBettaFish

IAL is an allowable import into Australia as I have purchased it from Bettawan and had it pass through customs with no worries.

However, I'm not sure if they had to jump through any hoops to be able to legally send it to Australia, and I'm not sure if the person on the receiving end has to possess any paperwork or licenses.

Our laws are just so strict here when it comes to importing anything relating to this hobby.


----------



## Lazer

Went to go get some gravel for my new 5 gallon setup, hear some people talking to the fish guy at the store "yeah we want some of such-and-such fish right here". So the guy asks all the questions "What are you going to put them in?" etc. When the customer holds up a tiny 2 QUART bowl, the guy stops him and says that the fish need to be in something bigger, filtered, heated, etc. And I'm thinking to myself "pretty solid, maybe he knows some things". Until the customer asks "So what can I put in this (2qt) bowl?" and the man responds "bettas, you just need some water conditioner and food, they'll be fine in the cooler water...." I couldn't even bring myself to interject...


----------



## Overprotective Fish Lover

I know this is off-topic, but where do you guys normally get your IAL? They don't sell any in my LPS, but they sound like something I should have. Is there somewhere I can order them from for relatively cheap? I'm in Atlantic Canada.


----------



## BeautifulBettaFishies

Overprotective Fish Lover said:


> I know this is off-topic, but where do you guys normally get your IAL? They don't sell any in my LPS, but they sound like something I should have. Is there somewhere I can order them from for relatively cheap? I'm in Atlantic Canada.


eBay eBay eBay . You can buy in bulk if you wish too, even though I'm in the UK, I'm sure they'll be able to ship to you.


----------



## Sadist

Overprotective Fish Lover said:


> I know this is off-topic, but where do you guys normally get your IAL? They don't sell any in my LPS, but they sound like something I should have. Is there somewhere I can order them from for relatively cheap? I'm in Atlantic Canada.


Do you have oak trees in pesticide-free areas? I've collected some over the fall for my tanks to cut down on cost.


----------



## Story Lover

I was at a place called Jack's Pets (I don't know if it's just in Ohio or if there are other ones), and was at the store to find a better, yet affordable tank. (I had a 2.5 gallon, ended up going to a grocery store and getting a 3.4 gallon. Jack's Pets was EXPENSIVE.) I was over in the betta section, as I would be buying one later, and saw a poor little, very young betta with SBD. 
Me: um, excuse me, you have a sick betta here. *points*
E: *smiling absently* oh, yeah?
Me: This betta is sick... it should get treatment. 
Mom: *giving me a dirty look and mutters* it's just a stupid fish!
E: Yeah... we'll take care of that in... *mumbles as she walks away to the checkout so my sister can buy a pregnant guppy and a male*

I went back to the store an hour later to buy a lovely betta (I named him Phoenix, and he was the healthiest one of the bunch. Was even making a bubble nest in his teeny-tiny cup.) and the poor little red betta I'd seen earlier was worse, barely even trying to right himself so he could get a little bit of air. I brought this to the attention of the other employee who was on shift, and she smiled, nodded, muttered something about something, and walked away. Grrrrrr these poor fish!!!!


----------



## stellenternet

Petsmart was packed today! There was only 1 employee working in the hamster/reptile/fish section and there was a bunch of people there! The employee was completely clueless and rude and I was trying to get her attention so I could buy a platy for my tank but it took 50 minutes before she could get to me. But I was there the longest. I'm not complaining about this though. I understand and I'm not mad. But what I am mad about is this:

There was this lady with a daughter who asked the employee the most poiintless question: "Our guinea pig is sleeping a lot. Will he die soon" And once the employee answered the lady asked if her daughter could hold a guinea pig and pet one. EVEN THOUGH THERE WAS 5 FAMILIES WAITING BEHIND THEM! So they took like 20 minutes letting the 8 year old who already had a guinea pig at home hold a guinea pig. Gosh. I almost just walked out of the store. But I'm happy I stayed and waited for a turn because if I didn't I wouldn't have the cutest platy in the world in my community tank right now. 

The end.

IM STILL MAD THOUGH.


----------



## NickAu

> I know this is off-topic, but where do you guys normally get your IAL?


If you want IAL without mess try IAL teabags.
*FREE SHIP INDIAN ALMOND LEAVES IAL TEABAGS Small & Large Value Pack Fish Food*

You can also use black water extract.

*Black Water Extract Water Conditioner 1 Litre - Blackwater Breeding aid*


----------



## blackjack

Could they have thought she was looking to buy? I mean nobody's going to get a pet like that without being able to handle it first. Just a question. That Petsmart seems seriously understaffed and disorganised.


----------



## stellenternet

blackjack said:


> Could they have thought she was looking to buy? I mean nobody's going to get a pet like that without being able to handle it first. Just a question. That Petsmart seems seriously understaffed and disorganised.


Oh it is seriously unstaffed and disorganized. But I know for a fact that they weren't looking to buy one because I was right there next in line and all they did was the employee took the Guinea pig out and the girl pet the Guinea pig and said he was cute and then she put it back. And the lady didn't say anything about wanting another Guinea pig.

Although I could be wrong.


----------



## blackjack

Okay, yeah that's stupid


----------



## allied123

So I have a happy side and not so happy side from my visit to petco today.

The good: So unfortunately I lost one of my ADF over the weekend (my female) so I went to petco to check out what they had. Everything looked great! the fish were all in great condition! And the guy ended up giving me 2 little ADF for free because he wanted them to go to a good home.

The not so good: The betta were completely gone. This is a store that normally has upwards of 100 betta all over the place. The guy told me they sold out which would be great....if I wasn't sure all of them went to horrible homes to freeze to death within weeks. And the ADF were a little sad. apparently they haven't really been eating, no surprise there, hopefully my two will start eating and pull through.


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## Olivia27

You just gotta have faith that there are more good people out there than you think. It's pretty depressing to believe that all the Petco Bettas not bought by someone we know is gonna die early


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## firewood04

I was at the Mini Pet Mart the only place around my area that carries fish supplies to get some antibiotics for my Betta that has fin rot due to tail biting and stress. I had been in there the day before to get my daughter 2 goldfish so the employee has gotten to know me a little.
After getting the antibiotic, I took my little 4 year old to look at the fish and was standing there with the antibiotic in my hand when the employee came over to me and said, "What is that for?"
M: My Betta Midnight has fin rot and I am going to treat him with it.
E: Why are you spending $20 on that when he is probably going to die anyway? All Bettas that end up with Fin Rot die
M: I have seen lots of pictures of Bettas that have completely recovered from Fin Rot on Betta.com.
E: I used to breed Bettas and I have never had one of them recover from fin rot so you are just wasting your time and money on that fish. He is gonna die.
M: I love that fish and I have to try and save him, don't I?
Mind you my 4 year old daughter is sitting in the cart listening to this conversation!
E: Well I had 24 bettas in a tank when I was breeding them and they all just died and I don't know why they died. I have come to the point where they are just fish and sometimes fish die. (Okay my mind is trying to wrap around how 24 Betta are in just one tank)
M: What were the water parameters when they all died?
E: They were all perfect and they still died. I have 2 tanks in this store where I am having the same problem and I can't figure out what is going on. I don't have the ability to cycle them and everything I am trying is just not working.
M: I told her that there is new research going on with GH and pH that shows that your water can still have problems and she should check it out to see if that would help.
E: I am just really frustrated since these tanks keep killing the fish! Then she turns to me and says, it is just a fish and you shouldn't spend the money on that antibiotic because he is just going to die anyway!

I am so frustrated with this employee that I just have to get away from her and so I said "I am going to try and save him because we love him." and I walked away to the counter to purchase the antibiotic. My daughter who has listened to this conversation says. "Mommy, I want to look at the fishys!" 

So I start to take her back to the tanks of fish in the back of the store, she shouts,"Not those fishys, those fishys!" She points to the Bettas on the shelf near the checkout area. So we look at the Bettas and she points to a Royal Blue FT and says, "When Midnight dies, can we buy this one?" My heart breaks and I realize just how this conversation has affected my little one! She loves Midnight and can't imagine life without this fish, she isn't exactly replacing him.
M: Midnight is not dead yet. He is sick and Mommy is trying to save him so we are getting him the medicine he needs to see if we can make him better! She was satisfied with that answer. 

It really makes me mad at this employee but it is the only place I can buy the necessary things for my fish. I have 2 baby goldfish, 3 Koi, and a Betta. My daughter has been through a lot of loss lately including our pet lab Sunny who passed of old age at 14 years old (he had diabetes so that was really a long life for him), our fry Betta we raised for 10 months before bad fin rot got her. (I learned a lot from Ms. Peacock's illness but wish I could have saved her) and her Grandmother. I am really sad that she had to overhear such a terrible conversation!

Side note...I know that this looks bad, 2 bouts with fin rot with my Bettas but the first one taught me a lot and reading this blog has helped a lot. This one with Midnight was brought on by tail biting and too much stress. His water was perfect and I was changing his water every other day in a 2 gallon tank. I now have a 10 gallon ready for him as soon as he comes out of his Hospital tank. Midnight could see his reflection too much in the 2 gallon and so he will never go back there again!


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## BettaLover898998

Just got back from PetCo, am I am practically FUMING. I was looking at water conditioner and a 10 gallon tank when one of the employees asked me if I knew what I was looking at. I decided to lie just to see what she said.

Here is our conversation: 
"What fish do you have?" 
"Oh, a betta at home"
"You should probably put that tank down, did you know that bettas are afraid of large open spaces?"
"Oh, don't worry, I have live plants at home in his 5 gallon."
"Um, did you also know that live plants toxify the water?"
"I thought they oxygenate the water!"
"Oh, that's bogus. You should totally get this leaf hammock!"
IS SHE CRAZY?
"And, you don't need that water conditioner! Bettas are fine without it. "
At that point I just walked away with a fake smile plastered on my face.

Please remind me never to talk to those mindless drones again.


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## Hawker

stellenternet said:


> Today omg.
> 
> There is this petstore at this mall that always has bettas in poor conditions. I was at the mall and I went to the petstore to see how horrible the animals were being treated today, there was a .5 gallon bowl with 6 female bettas in it! They were super stressed and were digging their heads into the rocks trying to hide from each other. One was stuck. I went to a store employee to tell her that this was going on:
> 
> Me: Um excuse me but you have a lot of female bettas in a tiny tank which is a bad idea, they are stressed, fighting each other and hiding. Do you have any extra cups that you could maybe put them in so they are seperated? And just leave one in the bowl?
> Employee: I don't care.
> 
> WHAT!!!! IM SO MAD!


I wonder if you could make a complaint with your local country authorities, Animal Control or your local animal shelter could probably direct you.


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## MyBabiesHaveScales

Today at PetSmart I was looking at the overcrowded comet goldfish tank and there were a couple that had died. A group of goldfish were playing an advanced game of 'Don't let the balloon touch the ground' with one of the dead bodies, passing it back and forth between the groups of them. They seemed to be enjoying it. Disturbed, I walked away to look at the baby plecos they had and an employee began showing a customer how to use an air pump and used the goldfish tank as an example. The pump was surrounded by the dead bodies, and both the employee and the customer were unphased. Rest in Peace comets  

On the bright side, they were giving the bettas water changes, and the water didn't even appear visibly dirty, meaning they must keep on top of that, so that's a point for them.


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## Aquastar

This conversation was shortened. But I love this store so much right now. So I was 'replacing' Mist, as they call their garuntee, but it was more of 'here's her body for proof, the water is good, I'll have another for free' type thing. I will always use the refund for rescues that die within the gaurantee, the store won't make money and I get more fish into a comfortable life. I do keep the body for burial.

*The guy has finished testing my water for faults, of which there were none*

Me: do you have more females in the back?
E: No, I'm afraid not, all that's on display is what we have, everyone wants a Betta for Christmas.
M: *cringes* sooooo, do you have any bettas?
E: just two.
M: that nice (they sell lots of death chambers, so I was annoyed a bit)
E: I only have room for two, a 5.5 and a 2.5
M: that great! 
E: it's nothing compared to some other coworkers, some have up to ten!
M: wow.
E: we are trying our best to sell proper tanks, but it's hard with our display.

I can understand what they are getting at, they almost never sell a Betta to a tank, and do they have most of the things seen on Terrible Tanks and so on, but with new knowledge, how are they supposed to fix it? They can't sell them, and trashing them will erase a good $150, which they need. Despite their higher prices, I'm glad I've found a store who is close and cares. Each hamster has a personal 15gal tank without mesh wheels, which is better than most stores I've seen. I can't say much for their reptiles, but turtles get a 50 gal each. Their basic Betta essentials include:

Live plant
2gal+ bowl, tank
Thermometer
Prime

Not bad.


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## Crash

Went to Petco yesterday. There was a woman with her 2 children looking at the bettas. The woman was kind of rude, using a tone with the workers whenever she talked to them. The little girl decided on a baby female betta, and I think the boy decided on a veiltail (thank goodness the kings were $20, she was only allowing $5). She was looking at the smaller than a gallon bowls "it says these were made for bettas!"

Saw the little girl a few more times, running around with her baby betta, shaking it up. When purchasing my king the cashier told me apparently the little girl had dropped the cup on the way out and the workers had to run to the back to get the betta into water. Ugh....

I just know the baby isn't going to survive  I don't have much faith in the VT either, but the boy seemed to have a good head on his shoulders so maybe he has a chance.


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## Overprotective Fish Lover

That's horrible...the poor baby...


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## Sadist

Crash said:


> Went to Petco yesterday. There was a woman with her 2 children looking at the bettas. The woman was kind of rude, using a tone with the workers whenever she talked to them. The little girl decided on a baby female betta, and I think the boy decided on a veiltail (thank goodness the kings were $20, she was only allowing $5). She was looking at the smaller than a gallon bowls "it says these were made for bettas!"
> 
> Saw the little girl a few more times, running around with her baby betta, shaking it up. When purchasing my king the cashier told me apparently the little girl had dropped the cup on the way out and the workers had to run to the back to get the betta into water. Ugh....
> 
> I just know the baby isn't going to survive  I don't have much faith in the VT either, but the boy seemed to have a good head on his shoulders so maybe he has a chance.


Poor guys. Even if the boy has a good head on his shoulders, there's no guarantee the parents will listen and let him have the right equipment. When my daughter's ready for her pet that she takes care of 100% by herself (one of my bettas is actually hers), I will make her research it and write up a paper and such to know she's ready.


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## OUOhYeah2016

^ That right there is parenting. 
Those are the stories that bother me more so than the pet store employees that don't know what they're talking about. Like....teach your kids to respect their pets. If they can't handle them on their own then carry it for them. Its wasteful of time, money, and the poor fish's life. They aren't toys, they're living beings.


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## stellenternet

^^
That story is horrible if I was that girl and I did that my mom wouldn't let me have the fish and she would tell me maybe when I'm more ready. That's crazy. My cousin sometimes throws her betta into the swimming pool.


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## bettagurl777

Thats so sad. Some people are so cruel. If you aren't going to care for your pets then don't buy them


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## Olivia27

*sigh* I just gotta share this one. Naga, my foster, passed away yesterday. I took his body and a water sample back to the pet store for refund. The store manager asked me to describe what happened. This is our conversation:

Me: So I do a hundred-percent every other day, because it's such a small container and I don't wanna deal with ammonia poisoning. He's constantly gulping air from the surface, and...
Him: well, Bettas breathe air, you know?
Me: ... yes. I do know that. (( doesn't mean they should be hanging on the surface gasping for air 100% of the time ))

Disclaimer: I do love my LFS. I know they take great care of their stock and Naga was just an odd one out. But the way they treated me like an idiot when explaining what happened to MY fish, in MY tank, was appalling. I know they must protect the store reputation and try to shove the blame towards the customer as much as they can. I know that's just business. But still. I've just lost a friend. It's not nice to hear my concerns being trivialized ._.


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## Sadist

I saw a female guppy in the male tank today, and the girl moved her right away! 

And sadly, I looked at the walmart bettas. They now have instructions on the lid:

Care Information
1. Feed sparingly 3-4 times per week.
2. Change water at least once a week using dechlorinated tap water.
3. Keep out of direct sun.


I guess that works while they're at the store, but I wish they had a real care sheet for any costumers who buy them! Of course, I perpetuated the crime of walmart selling fish by buying one of them that looks like he could be rehomed with a few weeks of care. Shame on me.


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## FishyBets

I have one: It was at the petstore in the mall, where I got my first betta three weeks ago.

Me: *goes up to counter with cup in hand* Hi, I want to buy this betta. Can I have his water changed before I take him home?

E: Sure, I can do that, but he doesn't actually need clean water since they live in... rice things in China

Me: I insist

E: Whatever *goes to back, does water change*

Me: Thank you. Did you put water conditioner in?

E: Yeah.

Then I paid and left. It's ridiculous- 'they come from rice things in china'. So _obviously _they don't need water changes when they are in 4oz. of water.

No wonder the poor fish had popeye- its a wonder he didn't have some serious disease.

Of course, he now has some unidentified disease after 3 weeks of having him... God knows how I'm going to manage that. My mother is already mad about me making her buy the 2.5 tank he's in, and refused to get a heater (we live on a latitude equal to Mexico City). Now she wants to buy two or three goldfish for the 1gal bowl I had the betta in for a week. When I told her that she couldn't keep one in there, let alone three, she said that 'they grow to the size of their environment, did you know that?' I don't know a lot about goldfish, but I'm pretty sure that stunting the poor fish is morally wrong, like keeping a child in a hall closet and giving it food occasionally. She once had a few goldfish in a 1gal bowl by her bedside. She killed three in three weeks before deciding that keeping them was a waste of money. 

Btw, she wanted to get a cheap .5 gal for my betta. I'm so glad I found this website while researching betta fish keeping. Otherwise I would have said the same thing since the darned things are marketed to keep bettas in. Thank God Dad has a few years of aquarium keeping under his belt.

Sorry. Didn't mean to go off on a tangent there- it's just that I'm so frustrated with my mother, and don't have the heart to argue with her about fish keeping. Now Tsuki won't eat, and I'm so worried about him, especially when I keep getting told by you well-meaning folks to get a heater to see if that fixes his problem but can't because of several issues. 

Have any advice?


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## Sadist

It's hard with that sort of environment. If you wrote up a paper with documented sources and such, would they read it and get a heater? Would they read it and let you earn money towards a heater? It reads like your mom wouldn't want to waste money on medicine for him, but he could require medicine, too. If you can't get medicine or heater, are you allowed to put plants in there?


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## SiameseFightingArt

FishyBets said:


> Now she wants to buy two or three goldfish for the 1gal bowl I had the betta in for a week. When I told her that she couldn't keep one in there, let alone three, she said that 'they grow to the size of their environment, did you know that?' I don't know a lot about goldfish, but I'm pretty sure that stunting the poor fish is morally wrong, like keeping a child in a hall closet and giving it food occasionally. She once had a few goldfish in a 1gal bowl by her bedside. She killed three in three weeks before deciding that keeping them was a waste of money.


Yeah no. Fancy goldfish need 20g ea. while common/comet goldfish need 55g+ per fish! They get HUGE and produce a lot of bioload so weekly water changes and a strong filter is needed.


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## FishyBets

I would be allowed to put plants in there, even if I highly doubt that she would read a paper on the benefits of heaters. She comes home so tired from looking at computer screens all day... What kind of plants would you recommend in which substrate?

SiameseFightingArt- We didn't know a thing about fish keeping, and goldfish are some of the most abused fish out there, as are bettas. That was several years ago, at any rate. I was 12 and immersed in fiction 24/7, and not really interested in fish.


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## BettaBoy11

FishyBets said:


> I would be allowed to put plants in there, even if I highly doubt that she would read a paper on the benefits of heaters. She comes home so tired from looking at computer screens all day... What kind of plants would you recommend in which substrate?
> 
> SiameseFightingArt- We didn't know a thing about fish keeping, and goldfish are some of the most abused fish out there, as are bettas. That was several years ago, at any rate. I was 12 and immersed in fiction 24/7, and not really interested in fish.


Anubius or mosses are super-easy and great for begginers, although not as beneficial as some other plants.


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## FishyBets

Would it work with glass pebble substrate? Or do I need gravel/sand instead?


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## BettaBoy11

I don't think it matters.


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## FishyBets

I thought you needed nutrients for the plant in the substrate... But then again, I don't know much about water plants  

Thank you- I will look for those at my LPS!


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## BettaBoy11

I use gravel for mine, but I don't THINK it needs special substrate. I'm not 100% sure though.
Back on topic: 
"Oh yeah, we take great care of our fish. Don't bother with Petsmart or PetCulture." Just over one month, three of the five guppies were dead. Nope! Don't think so...


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## Overprotective Fish Lover

Anubias and Java ferns can literally be tied onto rocks with fishing line and placed in a tank, just like a silk plant. They don't need to root. Or you can just forget tying and let them float around. They're really that easy.


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## teeneythebetta

Reading these horror stories has me cringing! situations like these are what prevented me from applying for jobs at pet stores. I don't think I could deal with these situations on a daily basis while maintaining my sanity.


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## FishyBets

There is hope, though. When I went into Petco to get a 2.5 for Tsuki, the guy working in the fish department, while not extraordinary, at least wasn't under any misconceptions- i.e. "they live in Antarctica". Said he had 3 bettas at home in 5gals each, which was good.


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## BettaBoy11

I got a great surprise at our LFS today:
Sure, the cups were filthy and bettas ill BUT they used NLS food and Prime. Previously, they didn't even use conditioner! The other fish looked decent too, but the bettas were ill: one had columnaris. We got a supposed healthy, and happy one though.
He even added Prime to the bag he put the fish in (he just put a splash in, probably too much, but it is hard to overdose) 
I almost bought NLS pellets, but I just bought some OO ones a few weeks before, so I'll wait. Finally a store that sells NLS! They also sold Metroplex, I assume that isn't the same as Kanaplex, right? Good stock!
Also, at Petsmart we got filter pads for my Chi, so double yay!


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## Crash

stellenternet said:


> ^^
> That story is horrible if I was that girl and I did that my mom wouldn't let me have the fish and she would tell me maybe when I'm more ready. That's crazy. My cousin sometimes throws her betta into the swimming pool.


How is your cousin's betta not dead?  The amount if chlorine in a pool would be overkill I would think. Plus the shock of different water params/temps/etc...


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## stellenternet

Crash said:


> How is your cousin's betta not dead?  The amount if chlorine in a pool would be overkill I would think. Plus the shock of different water params/temps/etc...


I honestly don't know.


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## BettaStarter24

I went into my local Petco last night on my way back to campus just to see the pretty fish they had if they had anything and saw two teenage girls walking out with a beautiful red BF halfmoon boy and a half gallon bowl and literally NOTHING else. Kinda broke my heart.


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## SunnySideIvy

I tried the "I'm pre-vet let me help" gig the other day and it once again failed. Mom and two daughters, mom mentioned something about the fish, daughters immediately pounced and wanted them. They left with two fish and two small bowls. The mom even went "You want THAT fish? He's so ugly!" to the smallest girl, and the older girl was walking around kind of torn up going "I don't want him to die while I'm holding him". Even better the mom went "Why did I even say anything about them they're just going to die".
From there I went to the other pet store across the street and ended up taking home a little female betta with bad fin rot (This makes four, someone stop me I'm way over the dorm limit lol) who I had seen there last week. The checkout lady shoved her cup inside the little hospital tank I bought with her and I was struggling to get the cup out after. The poor thing was nearly sideways and the water was sloshing out everywhere.


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## Sadist

Poor girl! I probably would have broken the cup trying to pry it out of there.

Usually, the local pet stores are semi careful with the live animals at check out. One time, they shoved the fish bag in with the frozen food. Just wow. I took them out and dropped them into my jacket.


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## ThisDragonisNerdy

*I spoke up today!*

I was at petco for a regular run, needed some silk plants. Walking past the betta stand, I spot a woman, man, and small child looking at them. They're discussing different prices and trying to decide on one. I think "Oh no" but continue on with my own business. This happens pretty much every time I walk into a pet store. I see someone about to purchase a pet (usually betta) who looks like they have no idea what they're doing. I always strain to just _say something_, anything, to help that poor animal. Buuut, I'm incredibly shy and awkward, so I can never make myself do it. 
Well, today I did. I finally said that the betta they picked (a female) would be much better off in a bigger tank, upon seeing them pick up a tiny kritter keeper. Then I pointed out a 2.5 kit, and let them do their thing. I see the man a couple minutes later, picking up the kritter keeper again and heading to the counter. :| As far as I can tell, all they got was that, the betta, some food, and some water conditioner. :blueworry: Poor thing.

So I wasn't able to steer them right- but it's a start! I spoke up! I'll be able to speak up again in the future! :mrgreen:


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## Overprotective Fish Lover

I would call that a success! Which is better: a betta in an itsy-bitsy ammonia-filled unheated tank or a betta in a decent-sized unheated tank? Great job!


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## ThisDragonisNerdy

No, I think you read my post wrong- they _didn't_ end up picking up a bigger tank. _sigh_.. But, maybe I planted the idea in their heads? :-?


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## stellenternet

Ugh... Today at petsmart:

*A dad walks in with 2 daughters about 6 to 10 years old. And grabs a fish bowl and starts looking at the feeder fish.
*Employee:* Hi, can I help you?
*Dad:* I'm just getting a fish.
*Employee:* Are you looking into buying a fish for that bowl?
*Dad:* Yeah
*Employee:* Goldfish can't go into bowls. They usually end up outgrowing bowls. Goldfish need at least a 20 gallon tank
*Dad:* Well what can? 
*Employee:* Our bettas are pretty much the only fish we have that can go in a bowl. They breathe air at the top of the bowl and they don't like big tanks. They make bettas uncomfortable. So that bowl is a perfect tank for them.
*Dad:* Ok. 
*Girl #1:* I want a goldfish.
*Dad:* No we aren't going to get a goldfish. They don't fit in bowls. We are going to get one of these instead. *Points at bettas*
*Girl #2: *I don't like those
*Girl #1: *Me either. 
*Dad: *Well that's what we have to get. 
*Girl #1:* I WANTED A GOLDFISH
*Dad:* _Insert Name Here_ Calm down. 
*Employee:* Do you need anymore help?
*Dad:* No I think I can figure it out from here, thanks.
*Girl #2:* *Picks up a blue halfmoon* I want this one.
*Girl #1:* Ew these are all ugly. I want a goldfish instead.
*Dad:* Well it's betta fish or no fish
*Girl #1:* Fine. *Grabs random fish off shelf* I want this one.
*Girl #2:* No we are getting this one. *Points at blue halfmoon*
*Dad:* You will have to make a decision together.
*The girls keep arguing about what fish they should get.*
*Dad:* **Guess what he picks up. GUESS. One of the divided .5 gallon betta tanks. ** Here you girls can both have the fish you want. 

And they both left without water conditioner or anything. Just the fish and the tanks. I should have told them that bettas need bigger tanks and stuff. I just didn't know how.


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## Overprotective Fish Lover

THATDragonLovesBettas said:


> No, I think you read my post wrong- they _didn't_ end up picking up a bigger tank. _sigh_.. But, maybe I planted the idea in their heads? :-?


Oh, yeah - missed that. :/ Oh well; it's good that you tried.


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## BettaTalk

I personaly love Petsmart. I have never had any problems with them and I have always been able to find everything that I need. The Bettas are in cups but they are always lively and fed well and the water is always in good quality. My little brothers hermit crab didn't make it through the molting process alive so we took him to go and get another one. There is this very nice employee who is very good with explaining things to him so that he understands how to care for them and what he needs to get when he goes to the store. I was just "browsing" the Bettas (thats what I tell my mom) and I saw one cup that had a dead female betta on top of the cups lid. The corpse was stinking up a storm which tells me that it had been there for a while. I was so shocked to see that and then to look over and see that there were three dead males inside their cups. Thank the heavens that they were in their cups still but I just couldn't believe it! I told the employee that was helping my brother and she said she would clean it up right away but I have no idea how the betta even fit throgh the hole at the top of the cup! Has this happened to anyone else before? What are you guys' opinions on Petsmart?
-BettaTalk


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## Euro

Just leaves this here...


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## Tourmaline

Euro said:


> Just leaves this here...


I have that tank kit.. I shook my head in disappointment when I read that.


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## BettaBoy11

Well it COULD be worse... That label could be on a fish bowl...
Two plecos in a 5.5 *shivers*


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## Olivia27

Goldfish and pleco in a 5g. Sure. Maybe there's a fine print somewhere saying it's just for QT??

And here I am freaking out about whether or not it's acceptable to have one three-spot gourami (6" max) in a 20 Long with no tank mates. The answer is probably "no", by the way


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## Euro

I really am curious about this mythical goldfish that can fit in a 5.5 gallon tank because I want one -loves goldfish too much-


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## Olivia27

Yeah it's so mythical, we probably haven't found that species yet


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## Tourmaline

I wonder if breeding mini goldfish would be possible. I imagine they would have a ton of health issues.

Stupid question? I don't know anything about breeding fish.


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## BettaBoy11

Wait! I read it again! I can put 5 plecos in a 5 gallon! I might do that... Don't worry, I'll change the water once or twice a year.










Just kidding, of course. Where do people get these ideas?!


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## Emlcloud

Ugh... Those guidelines are just ridiculous. Is Aqua Culture part of Walmart? That's what I'm guessing since it says to go back to Walmart to buy the fish. Sorry if that's a stupid question, haha... not that familiar with brands and stuff...


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## Euro

yeah its a wally-world thing XD

I hate giving walmart my money but I really needed the space heater and its the only place around that had them that wasn't super expensive. So out of curiosity, I stopped by the fish just to see how much of a train wreck it was and oh boy, thats the gem I found. I also found this really beautiful pineapple VT boy that I had to walk away from simply because I DONT want to give wal-mart my money. :CCC I hope he went to a good home.


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## Sadist

Our walmart has been carrying new colors, too! Still veil tail and crowntail adults only, but they have a variety of gorgeous colors, now.

The last time I went to petsmart, but the plant guy was all excited to see me buying plants and had to point out their new plant tank. He was tired of having one of the fish display tanks for plants in a corner where no one noticed, so he set up a nice display tank from their buyable equipment (light, plants, etc) and was super excited.


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## FallDeere

I've just joined here, but I wanted to write about my experience getting my betta.

The Petco employee told me several things.
1. The betta would be fine in a cup for up to a week while I set up the tank.
2. Only feed him five pellets twice a week. "You'll be lucky if it even eats that" he said. (the back of the package of food he gave me said to feed up to 10 pellets TWICE a day, rofl).
3. The betta I bought had been feed the day previous, so I was to wait several days to feed him while he settled in. He probably would want to eat anyways. (he gobbled up his food happily when I fed him later that day and has had no issues eating at all).

Overall, this guy wasn't awful. He helped me pick out a nice 5 gallon tank (though it came with a filter I can't use), a siphon, and even the food he recommended, I have found many people feed their bettas. Though, it also was annoying that he pretty much refused to talk to me and only spoke to my mother who was there with me... who knows nothing about it, lol._ I _was the one with all the info, yet he refused to even look at me. Maybe because I look 16? I'm in my early 20's! I mean, yes, my mom paid for it all because it was meant to be _our _fish and I'd already bought some stuff for him. And I'm the one who has been doing weeks of research and actually knows what I'm talking about! Which I thought I made clear to him...

Oh, he also said the betta didn't need a heater... until I said my house is generally in the low 60's (I love cold). He did help pick out a heater, though. However, I may end up needing a better heater.


----------



## Sadist

FallDeere said:


> I've just joined here, but I wanted to write about my experience getting my betta.
> 
> The Petco employee told me several things.
> 1. The betta would be fine in a cup for up to a week while I set up the tank.
> 2. Only feed him five pellets twice a week. "You'll be lucky if it even eats that" he said. (the back of the package of food he gave me said to feed up to 10 pellets TWICE a day, rofl).
> 3. The betta I bought had been feed the day previous, so I was to wait several days to feed him while he settled in. He probably would want to eat anyways. (he gobbled up his food happily when I fed him later that day and has had no issues eating at all).
> 
> Overall, this guy wasn't awful. He helped me pick out a nice 5 gallon tank (though it came with a filter I can't use), a siphon, and even the food he recommended, I have found many people feed their bettas. Though, it also was annoying that he pretty much refused to talk to me and only spoke to my mother who was there with me... who knows nothing about it, lol._ I _was the one with all the info, yet he refused to even look at me. Maybe because I look 16? I'm in my early 20's! I mean, yes, my mom paid for it all because it was meant to be _our _fish and I'd already bought some stuff for him. And I'm the one who has been doing weeks of research and actually knows what I'm talking about! Which I thought I made clear to him...
> 
> Oh, he also said the betta didn't need a heater... until I said my house is generally in the low 60's (I love cold). He did help pick out a heater, though. However, I may end up needing a better heater.


Even if you were 16, the employee should have talked to you both. Maybe he was telling your mom because she looked clueless, and he didn't want her to do something to hurt the fish? Maybe he was rude. Who knows?

I've found that heaters online are a bit cheaper than ones in the store. Maybe it's just our stores. An adjustable heater is twice the price of a set heater in our store, and they're about the same online. It's worth looking into, especially in a cool home. I've found that I need a larger heater in my tanks during the winter, as our house drops below 60 at night. 10 watts/gallon (instead of the usual 5 watts/gallon) keep the tanks 78F if I have a space heater keeping the room at 65.

Good luck with your fish! I've found so much info on these forums even after my months of research.


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## FallDeere

I suppose... my mom did come across as pretty clueless, but that's because the fish was to be in _my _care at _my _house. She doesn't _need _to know how to care for it, lol. She helps me, for sure, but she does what I tell her to, rofl. She actually refuses to even feed the fish or interact with it in any way other than looking at it because she's afraid she'll do something wrong. 

But I mean, I'd ask the guy questions and he'd tell my mom the answer.... I don't get it. Normally, I'm all for people not making eye contact with me (I have extreme social anxiety + I'm autistic, so eye contact isn't fun!), but it felt really disrespectful that I'd ask a question and he wouldn't even directly tell _me _the answer.

I suppose he mainly didn't look at me when answering questions about products. Perhaps he wanted my mom to know what to buy because he figured she'd be the one paying? Which she did, but I was the one with the final say in what we bought because I was the one who had researched it all. He did answer me directly when I had picked up the betta and was asking questions about care rather than products (to which, he gave no answers I didn't already know aside from those he answered incorrectly), but by then I was already irritated by him.

Thanks for the tips on the heater! I will likely buy one online rather than in a store. Just need to find the right one.

I've been reading through this thread page by page and my goodness... Some of the things mentioned may give me nightmares! I'll really never understand how a person would buy a pet without proper research first, but I'm someone who spent three years researching pet rats and pet mice before acquiring any... and several years researching bettas before getting one... So maybe I go overboard the other way, haha. I've never gotten a pet I hadn't already found a forum where I can ask questions, read many many websites on their care, made a Word document with notes about care and products with links to helpful sites, and watched countless youtube videos about their care.


----------



## Sadist

He may have been trying to sell his favorite products to your mom. I'm also wondering if he picked up on your anxiety and thought you would be more comfortable if he talked to your mom. I'm guessing he was just trying to sell certain products and that your mom would fall for it because she doesn't know anything about fish.


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## ThisDragonisNerdy

FallDeere said:


> I've been reading through this thread page by page and my goodness... Some of the things mentioned may give me nightmares! I'll really never understand how a person would buy a pet without proper research first, but I'm someone who spent three years researching pet rats and pet mice before acquiring any... and several years researching bettas before getting one... So maybe I go overboard the other way, haha. I've never gotten a pet I hadn't already found a forum where I can ask questions, read many many websites on their care, made a Word document with notes about care and products with links to helpful sites, and watched countless youtube videos about their care.


Wow! That's fantastic that you do all that before ever thinking of getting an animal! If only others were the same.. sigh. But seriously, that's great. Really admirable.


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## Olivia27

Unfortunately it's human nature to forget that other living beings are just as deserving of a comfortable life as any fellow human out there. We forgot we're animals too. 

Thanks for being responsible.


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## SunnySideIvy

Yesterday I did a quick walk by in my local Walmart's fish section and found someone had stuck two bettas in one cup. Needless to say I was mortified. One was already dead with the other still going after it by the time I found them. The animal department lady was on break so I had to tell the woman in makeup and she seemed at least upset by what had happened, I had to leave for class so I don't know what happened but I'm still ruffled up by it.


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## Bettajungle

I was in my local petco getting some snails and started a conversation with the lady before me. I told her I was getting snails to eat the algae in my tank. She asked the store clerk if snails were a good idea for her algae problem considering she had a goldfish in a 3 gallon. He recommended a pleco. ..and not just any, but a common pleco! He kept asking her how much room she had and she said, not much. She thought he meant a pond snail because she kept pointing to the little snail in the tank. When he netted the fish she was like, THAT THING! he said yeah. Luckily she had the sense to leave it at the store


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## Sadist

Wow, a pond snail would have worked for her. I really feel for her gold fish.


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## Emlcloud

Well, this isn't from a pet store, but when I was in high school I had a teacher that kept a common goldfish in a 10 gallon tank, which is not the worst thing out there but very far from ideal. I told him so and that keeping him in that small of a tank would cause stunting. When I suggested that the teacher rehomed the goldfish, they said that they are okay and they wanted the goldfish to stay small. Not to mention that the water was never changed. Granted, it was like a forest of plants in there, but still...

The same teacher had another tank full of tropical fish that didn't have a heater, and the classroom was always freezing the first half of the day, poor guys.


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## Sadist

So sad! I'm pretty sure our schools had situations like that, but I didn't know enough about fish to know better. I'm not sure if I would have been brave enough then to say anything, either.


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## RMKelly

This happened today, I wasn't a bystander but my partner was lol I went to a local fish store to get Sasuke his very own light. The only reason I go to this store is for the ornaments, anyway, as my partner was paying for the new light, I noticed on the counter that they had this BEAUTIFUL half moon blue and black Betta sitting in a bowl with a few colourful rocks and that was it...he was their personal Betta and he looked rather sick and peeved off, clamped fins, hovering at the top at the back of his bowl. I spoke up saying their Betta doesn't look healthy, they just said he's perfectly fine. I told him I have 2 Bettas and they are a lot more happier and energetic than the one they had stuffed into a bowl, also told them he needs to be in a tank with a filter and heater and PLANTS! I also told him the size of the tanks my 2 boys are in.

He told me 20L was too big for a Betta and that I should get one of their Betta bowls or cubes. I asked him, "So they can be a miserable as this poor guy!?" 

Luckily before I was able to pull the Betta from the counter and "fishnap" him, my partner pulled me out of the store. I've never been so tempted to kidnap a fish before. Poor little guy deserves better than the stupid bowl. 

Definitely have had it with that place.


----------



## Sadist

I've been told my tank was too big, too, that the betta would grow to the size of the tank and die. I think they're just badly misinformed. Big fish put into a small tank will do that and then die because their organs are smooshed into the tiny body, but small fish don't grow bigger and expand to death!


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## Hallyx

Sadist said:


> .... Big fish put into a small tank will do that and then die because their organs are smooshed into the tiny body, ...


Sorry, that's not accurate. Fish of many (most? all?) species exude a stunting pheromone which can limit the growth rate of their cohabitors, as well as themselves. But, other than size, the growth is in no way abnormal or distorted. They are perfectly healthy fish -- just small.


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## Sadist

Sorry! I'd read that gold fish will stunt on the outside but have their organs keep growing and get all squished up. I guess I should research more than one place before posting!


----------



## BettaSplendid

Sadist said:


> Sorry! I'd read that gold fish will stunt on the outside but have their organs keep growing and get all squished up. I guess I should research more than one place before posting!


I've read that countless times here as well. I didn't know it wasn't right either.


----------



## BettaSplendid

RMKelly said:


> This happened today, I wasn't a bystander but my partner was lol I went to a local fish store to get Sasuke his very own light. The only reason I go to this store is for the ornaments, anyway, as my partner was paying for the new light, I noticed on the counter that they had this BEAUTIFUL half moon blue and black Betta sitting in a bowl with a few colourful rocks and that was it...he was their personal Betta and he looked rather sick and peeved off, clamped fins, hovering at the top at the back of his bowl. I spoke up saying their Betta doesn't look healthy, they just said he's perfectly fine. I told him I have 2 Bettas and they are a lot more happier and energetic than the one they had stuffed into a bowl, also told them he needs to be in a tank with a filter and heater and PLANTS! I also told him the size of the tanks my 2 boys are in.
> 
> He told me 20L was too big for a Betta and that I should get one of their Betta bowls or cubes. I asked him, "So they can be a miserable as this poor guy!?"
> 
> Luckily before I was able to pull the Betta from the counter and "fishnap" him, my partner pulled me out of the store. I've never been so tempted to kidnap a fish before. Poor little guy deserves better than the stupid bowl.
> 
> Definitely have had it with that place.



Oh but I love your response. Perfect.


----------



## Huyeuy

So many dumb people... I have a betta in a 2.5 gal and compared to how these bettas are being treated, he is living the dream!


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## Hopefish

hahaha! love that "Expand to death" thing, I can see a cartoon pane about it now.


----------



## Huyeuy

Tourmaline said:


> On Saturday, when I went to pick up a better filter and some plants at PetSmart, I ran into a family of 6, with a little girl screaming and whining that she wanted a hamster, then she wanted a bird, then a cat.. She basically started crying every time she saw something new. I saw her parents pick out a tiny bowl, and the girl was screaming she wanted one of the fancy goldfish. The PetSmart employee said that they should get a 1 gallon bowl instead. :-? I chimed in and said they need 30 gallons minimum, it will die very quickly in that tiny bowl, and the parents laughed and the employee asked if I worked there instead of her. I asked to speak to her manager, and she said he wasn't in. I gave up, I saw no point in arguing with people who wouldn't listen. Luckily, my local PetSmart is MUCH better. They take very good care of their fish, even the Bettas always have clean water. The staff is knowledgeable and every time I have bought a fish, they have told me proper ways to care for them, and my own research always backs up what they say. I only went to that one because I was in the area, I'll stick to my PetSmart from now on.


Are you kidding? 30 gallons minimum? Tell me you meant to say 3 gallons...


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## Tourmaline

Huyeuy said:


> Are you kidding? 30 gallons minimum? Tell me you meant to say 3 gallons...


Uh, goldfish in a 3 gallon tank? No.


----------



## Huyeuy

Tourmaline said:


> Uh, goldfish in a 3 gallon tank? No.


Oh sorry, I thought you were talking about betta fish. yes definetly 30 gal


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## SunnySideIvy

I was out and about today and went to what I have dubbed "The Worst Pet Store in Town" just to show my friend their fish (and check to see if any are bad enough for me to complain to management). I discovered their betta price chart tucked away. They had this thing called a "Split Tail Betta". Even the picture used for the price chart is weird.







I'm assuming they mean double tail but the fish in this photo just confuses me too much.


----------



## Crash

FallDeere said:


> I've just joined here, but I wanted to write about my experience getting my betta.
> 
> The Petco employee told me several things.
> 1. The betta would be fine in a cup for up to a week while I set up the tank.
> 2. Only feed him five pellets twice a week. "You'll be lucky if it even eats that" he said. (the back of the package of food he gave me said to feed up to 10 pellets TWICE a day, rofl).
> 3. The betta I bought had been feed the day previous, so I was to wait several days to feed him while he settled in. He probably would want to eat anyways. (he gobbled up his food happily when I fed him later that day and has had no issues eating at all).
> 
> Overall, this guy wasn't awful. He helped me pick out a nice 5 gallon tank (though it came with a filter I can't use), a siphon, and even the food he recommended, I have found many people feed their bettas. Though, it also was annoying that he pretty much refused to talk to me and only spoke to my mother who was there with me... who knows nothing about it, lol._ I _was the one with all the info, yet he refused to even look at me. Maybe because I look 16? I'm in my early 20's! I mean, yes, my mom paid for it all because it was meant to be _our _fish and I'd already bought some stuff for him. And I'm the one who has been doing weeks of research and actually knows what I'm talking about! Which I thought I made clear to him...
> 
> Oh, he also said the betta didn't need a heater... until I said my house is generally in the low 60's (I love cold). He did help pick out a heater, though. However, I may end up needing a better heater.


I feel you, when I go to fish stores nobody takes me seriously because of my ridiculous baby face :lol:

We were asking if the store owner had any job openings for me and he was like "Can she drive? Is she over 16?" I'm 21 :lol: I've just come to the realization that I'm doomed, my dad has a bit of a baby face as well and ya know, genetics :roll:


----------



## Sadist

SunnySideIvy said:


> I was out and about today and went to what I have dubbed "The Worst Pet Store in Town" just to show my friend their fish (and check to see if any are bad enough for me to complain to management). I discovered their betta price chart tucked away. They had this thing called a "Split Tail Betta". Even the picture used for the price chart is weird.
> View attachment 743450
> 
> I'm assuming they mean double tail but the fish in this photo just confuses me too much.


To me, that picture looks like a normal veil tail whose tail was ripped by decorations. It could be a double tail crossed with a veil tail, and the lobes are just lopsided.


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## A Betta Future

Oh my god some people, you should have to have a licence to buy fish...


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## A Betta Future

Crash said:


> I feel you, when I go to fish stores nobody takes me seriously because of my ridiculous baby face :lol:
> 
> We were asking if the store owner had any job openings for me and he was like "Can she drive? Is she over 16?" I'm 21 :lol: I've just come to the realization that I'm doomed, my dad has a bit of a baby face as well and ya know, genetics :roll:


Lol yes this happened to me when I asked the store if they were interested in purchasing some of the guppies I've bred


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## FishyBets

A Betta Future said:


> Oh my god some people, you should have to have a licence to buy fish...



No, not a license- the state and feds will tax the heck out of it and make it impractical for minors to get one. It should be a test.

Question 1: How often do you need to change the water of a 2+ gallon fish tank?

Question 2: How much and how often do you need to feed a single fish?

Question 3: What is cycling?

Etc. Etc.

Also, the advanced test: What should you do in a shared tank if all the fish are getting sick with Ick/Velvet?


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## MyBabiesHaveScales

Today at PetSmart I saw a poor red crowntail that had passed away in the cup and was unattended to for so long it was growing a white fuzz all over its body. Its eyes completely clouded over too. I felt so bad for him. How could a store associate have not noticed the poor thing? There were quite a few on the sales floor.  I wish I had the bravery to mention something like others here have, but I have too much social anxiety to do that so I just said "Swim in Peace". You will be remembered, Mr. Crowntail Betta.


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## FallDeere

I just went to a Petco last night where the bettas had sparkling clean water... In fact, they were in the middle of water changes while I was there. Yes, some seemed sick, but none were dead. All of heir fish actually seemed fairly well cared for, compared to what I've seen elsewhere.

Though, there may have been a dead turtle... I don't know. I tried not to look too hard. But I was quite in awe of how nice everything seemed overall.

I just wanted to share my shock. I've never seen Betta cups without a speck in them. And definitely never seen a complete lack of dead fish. Maybe I just timed it right where they had just cleaned everything, lol.

About my previous post, my mother and I discussed and she agreed he likely was talking to her because he assumed she was the one buying/in charge of what we were buying. I mean, I do look young.


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## Sadist

While the tanks in our Petsmart are usually bad, their bettas seem well-maintained. If I ever see a sick betta and point it out, they tank me and take him or her to the back for a meth bath.

I went there for some guppy females, but their tank was horrible. 60% of the fish were dead, and there were newborn fry everywhere, too. They were sharing a tank with neons, which someone on the forum has pointed out need different hardness or ph or something than guppies. Most of the neons were okay, so I guess the water was set up for them.


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## BettaBoy11

Guppies are quite adaptable, so I don't think that they share the same tank with neons is that bad. I suspect most pet stores doesn't bother changing the hardness for different fish anyway.
Petsmart seems to take terrible care of their guppies. I don't know why
Our Petsmart has all the tanks on the same filter system :0!!!!


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## Sadist

I'm pretty sure ours does that, too. I went today, and there was just one female guppy and 0 fry. The neons were still okay.

One of the employees was visiting on his day off, brought his dog. She was a real sweety, came right up and asked for some loving. I squatted down so I wouldn't hurt my back, and she stuck her nose right on me without getting all licky.


----------



## RMKelly

Again my partner was the bystander at the same store as last time because I was looking for an ornament for Sasuke's Greek/Atlantis themed tank. When we walked in there, there was another chick abusing the employee there but I didn't catch what she was yelling about but it ended in her saying she was reporting the store to the RSPCA. 

Anyway, of course I have to look at the Bettas since I'm planning to get a Crown Tail in the next few weeks and ALL of them had Dropsy, some further through than others, faded colour, lethargic, bloated, raised scales. Anyway, I call the guy over, tell him about his Bettas and how they all have Dropsy. His response was..."Oh no, those are a special breed!" 

So I decided to play dumb, and asked about this _special breed_. Apparently they came all the way from Japan, they use the raised scales as defense blah blah blah. So after he tried feeding me this BS story about this _special breed_ of Betta, I just looked at him and asked, "Do you think I'm that *BLEEP*ing stupid? These Bettas clearly have Dropsy and you've obviously haven't tried treating them! And you're trying to sell them as some BS special breed? I wouldn't be surprised if that poor half-moon on the counter has it to!...." of course I let out a whole heap of other colourful words before he told me to get out of the store or he'd call security...the store doesn't even have security but I left anyway. 

I really don't know how they've stayed in business for so long. 

But I did find Sasuke an ornament at a different store who had a gorgeous orange VT sitting on the counter with a plant, small filter and a heater in his tank.


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## Sadist

Wow, I'm glad you found a different store for your business! "Special breed" indeed.


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## MyBabiesHaveScales

It makes me sad to think how a uninformed person is going to come in expecting the best of advice from the pet store employees, only to be fed the "special breed" nonsense and be sold a betta the employee knows only has a few days left of its life. That's pretty messed up.


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## Witchipoo

What's really messed up is them letting those Bettas suffer and die while making up stupid excuses not to help them.


----------



## XTashX

Okay I have found this pet store that stock some of the most beautiful betta's I have seen around here.

There is a guy looking for "a new cheap betta" cause the one he had "disappeared". The pet store guy said "maybe he jumped out" the customer said " I couldn't find it". Anyway the customer said "could it of been the water quality" the pet store guy said, "oh betta's can breath oxygen from the surface so the water quality does not really matter".

I just walked away, I know I will end up getting in an argument with these people and customer obviously didn't give a crap about the fish.

:roll:


----------



## SunnySideIvy

I went to the Pet Supplies Plus in town to see if the filter cartridges had gone on sale yet and of course did the drive by betta fish check. Usually this store is pretty good with their fish, although last week I found a poor little veil tail guy who had lost most of his fins in their display. I went to check on him today and he was perked up and had new fin growth! I was extremely impressed. I prefer this store just for their pricing over Petsmart, and over the other pet chain in store that is just ungodly terrible so it still surprises me when their fish are all happy and clean. I also made a pit-stop at Petsmart to compare prices and found some gorgeous crown tail girls there, having a pre-vet/animal science college in town does help with the care at pet stores I believe.


----------



## FishyBets

My pet-co is actually very good with their betta fish. The other fish- Well, let's say that i've seen more dead fish i the filters than I wanted to see. But the betta's are very well cared-for.


----------



## Crash

RMKelly said:


> Again my partner was the bystander at the same store as last time because I was looking for an ornament for Sasuke's Greek/Atlantis themed tank. When we walked in there, there was another chick abusing the employee there but I didn't catch what she was yelling about but it ended in her saying she was reporting the store to the RSPCA.
> 
> Anyway, of course I have to look at the Bettas since I'm planning to get a Crown Tail in the next few weeks and ALL of them had Dropsy, some further through than others, faded colour, lethargic, bloated, raised scales. Anyway, I call the guy over, tell him about his Bettas and how they all have Dropsy. His response was..."Oh no, those are a special breed!"
> 
> So I decided to play dumb, and asked about this _special breed_. Apparently they came all the way from Japan, they use the raised scales as defense blah blah blah. So after he tried feeding me this BS story about this _special breed_ of Betta, I just looked at him and asked, "Do you think I'm that *BLEEP*ing stupid? These Bettas clearly have Dropsy and you've obviously haven't tried treating them! And you're trying to sell them as some BS special breed? I wouldn't be surprised if that poor half-moon on the counter has it to!...." of course I let out a whole heap of other colourful words before he told me to get out of the store or he'd call security...the store doesn't even have security but I left anyway.
> 
> I really don't know how they've stayed in business for so long.
> 
> But I did find Sasuke an ornament at a different store who had a gorgeous orange VT sitting on the counter with a plant, small filter and a heater in his tank.


What a ****. That's one of the most messed up stories I've heard. Not only are they letting those poor fish suffer, they're trying to sell them off to unknowledgeable people as a "special breed". All of those fish will more than likely die, probably at the hands of an unsuspecting fish owner who fell for the BS story thinking they got a rare fish. Just disgusting :redmad:


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## Scarlettfishes45

Yesterday I went to Petsmart to get cat food and of course I stopped to see the fish. I was admiring a light orange halfmoon male betta fish and then went to go get my things and on my way to pay I past the fish section again. And as I was walking past, a mother with three boys came into the store. I assumed they were 8 or 7 and they immediately started running all over the place looking at the pets. One of the boys ran completely off another ran around in a circle and another went towards the lizard section and started tapping on the glass which was enough to make my blood boil. Then the mother went off and two of the boys followed her, while one went to the fish section and picked out a male betta and grabbed a half gallon tank that had a divider and ran after his mother with the fish in hand. I hope, oh I hope, that the mother said no.


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## BotandArlo

So at my local PETsMART they have a fish guru (literally, he has owned fish for 30 years, since he was a kid, has over twenty tanks and works at PETsMART for the discount as he has another job working overnights at a local company) but he doesn't work the weekends. When we went to pick up some plants one day there was a dad and his kid looking at bettas. I found one with dropsy (BC I have to look even if I don't buy) and put him in the back until someone came into the department and of course the kid found the one with dropsy and we let them get helped first as all three of my kids are animal lovers and we have to look at everything while we are there. So hubby took the kiddos as I waited. The girl (new) first reccomended a .5 gal tank, with nothing in it, no conditioners or anything and then told him the fish looked fine. Then I stepped in...
Me: Okay, I'm sorry but I have to interrupt. First off, that fish is not fine, he has dropsy and I put him in the back so I could show a team member once they showed up, dont get this guy for you kiddo. Secondly, what is your budget BC this is not the best home for his new friend.
The dad then told me he didn't have a budget but that his son had worked on chores for six months to earn this friend and could I help them.
At this point the girl employee told me that her betta live in one of those and has been fine for two weeks. I asked her to call Kylie (the weekend fish person I trust almost as much as the guru) to the department so she could learn something while I helped the guy. He ended up with a five gal, live and silk plants, a leaf, castle and correct water conditioners and testers. 
Just a couple of weeks later I saw the same dad there and asked how his fish was doing. He told me great and that they were getting another tank and betta! 
If you work at a pet store and don't know, ask!! Dont give people wrong info!!


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## Sadist

Wow. Our Petsmart people don't seem to be fish experts, but they will take sick fish to the back and give them meds if I point out the illness. Even if their reply is, "Oh, he does look a bit battered," when I point out fin rot.


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## BotandArlo

I think if it were for Casey "the guru" working there for five years, the people would know little to nothing. He is the one that helped me convince the manager to not use baking soda when euthanizing. Kylie knows quite a bit, but she knew Casey before working there, he helped her with her sick betta when she bred them. Most of the others aren't really super good at help with fishy friends.


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## BettaBoy11

Yay! A success story!


----------



## Engel

I went to Pecto last week to check out how big the 10 gallons are. One of the clerks there knows me fairly well because I'm always there for fish stuff. Once she saw me, she told me to wait, and came back with a goooorgeous dragon scale that she had hid away for me. I couldn't get it; I have my hands full as it is. So I stood there admiring it and trying to talk myself away from it. Within a few minutes, two large family groups came in to raid the betta section for new bettas for their kids. I'm talking about greasy, smelly, sweatpants wearing lazy parents with 5 kids each. I grabbed and walked around the store with the dragonscale and an adorable tiny elephant ear (who I wanted so bad I couldn't stand it) just to protect them from the kids. 

I felt kinda bad about it, until I saw them picking out small .5 "betta containers" and the cheapest flake food. They didn't even pick out water conditioner until the store clerk told them their fish would die without it. I tried to intervene when I heard one of the mothers say that all their bettas die within a month to the store clerk. She told her kids to pick out a lively one so that it would last longer. I told her that the droopy ones probably just need clean water and a heater. I tried explaining how important a heater was and she just noped out of the store. Sigh. Those poor VTs are going to die, if they aren't dead already. An 8 year old child needs a responsible parent to help keep a fish alive, and those children certainly don't have one. 

In the end, I spent a whole hour hiding the two bettas from young children. I wish I was rich. I'd buy all of them lol.


----------



## BettaBoy11

What did she say to your comment about the heaters?


----------



## Engel

Absolutely nothing. Just stared at me blankly like I was speaking Korean.


----------



## RMKelly

Crash said:


> What a ****. That's one of the most messed up stories I've heard. Not only are they letting those poor fish suffer, they're trying to sell them off to unknowledgeable people as a "special breed". All of those fish will more than likely die, probably at the hands of an unsuspecting fish owner who fell for the BS story thinking they got a rare fish. Just disgusting :redmad:


A guy I work with went there over the weekend because he's thinking of getting a Betta and he was looking for a filter, he said he went in there just to see what I was complaining about every time we talked about fish stores. Said his experience in there, the staff didn't have a clue what they were talking about and when he noticed the Bettas still have Dropsy, they tried to feed him the same BS story they gave me. 

I told him about the aquarium I usually go to and he said he'll check them out on the coming weekend.


----------



## FishyBets

This is why I have no hope for humanity... The vast majority are too ************** stupid!


----------



## BettaBoy11

I went to Pets Unlimited and I saw a dead fish (not sure if it was a betta) in a 0.5 gallon tank with a betta! They also had other bettas in 5 gallon tanks with tankmates (isn't that great!) so I assume they tried a tank mate in that tiny tank but the betta killed it. The body was rotten too! Apparently none of the employees noticed it. 
I did here an employee give good advice on goldfish though, even reccomending a 55 gallon tank!

Also, at least 2 of the bettas has finrot, oddly enough, they were the ones in the heated 5 gallon tanks!


----------



## charliegill110

This didn't happen in a pet store but on fb. A girl posted a pic of her goldfish in what looked like a 1-2 gallon tank.. I sent her a message trying to explain how wrong that was in the nicest possible way, including links to websites saying what the proper care is so then she says "thanks for the advice but why are there goldfish bowls then?" With pictures of goldfish in bowls. Not sure if it was a geninune question or not but I answered it and provided 11 links in total of proper care she just replied "thanks for the info.." So idk if she will take my advice or not  I hope she does. She said she got him from petsmart.


----------



## MyBabiesHaveScales

Today I was in a pet store I usually don't go to because it's not exactly in my area. Whilst there, I noticed they had a pet betta on display. On top of the checkout counter was a betta in an unheated tank *I kid you not * was not much bigger than a tall drinking glass. There was a grassy plastic plant in the middle that took up pretty much the entire cup. The betta was squished between a fake blade of grass and the side of the glass. He wasn't moving. At all. I can't even tell if he was sleeping, alive, or if he had passed away. He was pure black - a potentially gorgeous fish - and his fins were short and jagged. I don't know if he was a crowntail with fin rot, or a completely shredded veil tail with fin rot, because he wasn't flaring and his fins were shorter than either type of fish - but I know he wasn't a plakat or any other short finned betta, because they were too long for _that._Now, I'm not the type to critisize people on their tank size. I've had bettas in one gallons myself (although I don't anymore), and don't think it's nice to degrade someone for their care unless it literally is affecting the betta's life dramatically, but, this tank was probably less than a quarter gallon.


----------



## RMKelly

I went back into that crappy pet store again, went looking for the black orchid CT I saw there last week who had dropsy...guess I was hoping for some miracle that he'd be healthy? Or to just _try_ and help him. But he wasn't there.

Anyway, while I was in there, a woman with her young son was in there looking at the Bettas, she was going to get him one as his first pet. She asked the guy there why they weren't moving very much, his answer was, "Fighting fish aren't very active fish so they just sit there all day." he began feeding her all this BS, he clearly had no idea what he was talking about, she told him she'll keep looking and call him over if she needed any help. I then went to her while she was holding a velvet infested...blue? Betta, he was covered that much I couldn't tell, I told her, "I have two _Bettas_ at home and they are a lot more active than these ones." Showed her pictures of my boys and their tanks so she could compare them to the ones in the store and so she had an idea of how to keep her son's new tank, told her everything I know and suggested she go to Westside Aquarium, my favorite LFS, gave her the directions and told her the owner will help her out with anything she needs. She thanked me and left. 

Once she left I got an ear full from the guy working there from making him loose a sale. To which I just said, "Well maybe you should treat your fish better."

After I left there, I went to Westside Aquarium to pick up a part for Sasuke's filter which the owner had ordered for me and I saw the woman and her son in there buying one of his beautiful blue and red CTs along with everything else she needed. When I walked in there the woman told the owner I was the one who sent her there and how glad she was that I did. I've never felt so good!


----------



## Sadist

Awesome story! I feel bad for the neglected, sick bettas in the aweful store. Any lost sales from there will make me happy, especially if you sent someone to the good place that knows what to do.


----------



## moodynarwhal

When I got my first fish (technically my second, but I was 4 the first time and my parents pretty much took care of him.) I did tons of research on the proper care of bettas. So I went to the pet store (Monster Pets) and got the proper equipment, and all that. The Bettas were up high on a shelf, all lined up next to each other. I couldn't even see them, I had to ask my dad to take them down so I could see. (I was little.) Every single one had fin rot! Even I could tell, inexperienced fish keeper that I was! We just bought the healthiest looking one. The employee said he looked 'healthy' After I got him home, I realized he had fin rot too! :-( He got better with proper care and a petco opened near me that's really good! so it all worked out. Pet stores really do need to take better care of their pets though, its so sad!


----------



## Crossroads

Not as a bystander but chatting with the aquatics guy in one of two stores I go to now. I frequent one petco and my LFS, Fish Gallery. My petco has awesome specialists in their pet sections so I go in to just chat.

The aquatics specialist was chatting with me while I was making a purchase, asking how my 40 gallon was running. He noted me staring at the store's G. tile (brackish snowflake eel) and warned me to steer clear of it because it became a monster of a fish.

Now G. tile requires about 150 gallons of brackish water. It's a two foot aggressive monster related to morays. It can take a thumb if the keeper isn't absolutely careful. He knew that and so did I because the day I saw it, I researched it and then noped. I like eels so I always check to see if I have a chance at keeping them. I just laughed and told him no worries, I wasn't gonna shove that monster in anything less than a 150. He told me so many people had asked about it and tried to cut corners and he wouldnt let the eel go. He always warns me about potential problems and laughs when I have simple solutions that turns them into non issues. One story he told me was a family with small children wanted to keep the eel (!!!) in a 10 gallon (?!!!!!?!?!!) Their justification? "Well it's doing fine here!"

I just gawked at him and pleaded him to tell me he was joking. He wasn't. Conversation went something like this. A is him, M is me.
A: The eel in the 75 isn't even the worst I've had, that's at least a reasonable start.
M: For that size, yeah. It's just a baby.
A: I had a family come in...
M: oh no...
A: They had 3 small kids...
M: Oh god A, I know where this is going.
A: and a 10 gallon tank
M: You're kidding right? Tell me you're kidding A.
A: I wish. They wouldn't give up until I told them that it would eat their children's fingers.
M: well, you're not wrong. Wait, wouldn't give up? I assume that means you told them it needs a huge tank.
A: Yeah and the mom told me, well it's doing fine in there!


----------



## HTageant

This is kind of a more cute/happy story about when I got my first plakat male Wraith.

So we were looking at the bettas at my local Petco, and I was eyeing this nice black orchid plakat (who just happened to be Wraith). The fish specialist then came up. (E= employee, M= me)

E: Do you need any help today?
M: Naw, I'm just looking at the bettas. I'm thinking about getting one.
E: What size is your tank?
M: 10g filtered and heated, with live plants. (At this he became visibly excited).
E: *Him quickly grabbing Wraith's cup* You should get this guy, he's my favorite! He's always the most active when I do water changes, and he's my little buddy!
M: *Can tell he's really trying to sell this fish to me* I was certainly eyeing him. He's a beauty.
E: Please get him! I don't want him to end up in a bowl, or dying on this shelf.

Needless to say, I came home with Wraith. He is now a fat, happy old man that enjoys eating and sleeping. And the employee asks about him every time I come in to get supplies


----------



## DangerousAngel

Aww OMG That is is sweet!!

My latest experience with our PetCo was me looking for some plants, and having to wait to get help because the pond snails in their plant tank stopped up filtration (I gave the aquatics specialist the business card of a store that has assassin snails) and standing there waiting a huge ROACH ran out from under the fish tanks, there were a few dead on the floor too...That can't be healthy....I might write a note to the store manager about that, they seem to have a problem with cleanliness..


----------



## HTageant

Oh gosh! I forgot that other states have to deal with roaches! Washington FTW! (Except we have slugs )


----------



## DangerousAngel

I might just need to move up there! I'd take slugs over those nasty thing any day!


----------



## HTageant

Lol I'd bet you'd take those words back the second you step on a slug barefoot!


----------



## FishyBets

PetCo seems to be doing consistently better than Petsmart, for whatever reason. Mine is pretty good too with the bettas; just not the _other_ fish. Mom was eying a gorgeous white and blue rosetail the last time we were there. So was I, in fact. Thinking about getting one for her for Mothers Day or her birthday, which is in June. SHe is so jelous of Tsuki (who's fins have grown a 1/4 inch in three months, so they are ridiculously long now. Gotta remember to get some more plants for him...)

Also, concerning the goldfish, what fish can actually live in a 1gal humanly, other than snails and shrimp (which aren't fish)?


----------



## BettaBoy11

FishyBets said:


> Also, concerning the goldfish, what fish can actually live in a 1gal humanly, other than snails and shrimp (which aren't fish)?


 Bettas. That's about it, unfortunately.


----------



## Engel

There's a pretty boy at Petco that has diamond eye :C 
I feel so terribly bad for him, but I can't handle anymore fish at the moment. He's been there for awhile too.


----------



## mingking

HTageant said:


> This is kind of a more cute/happy story about when I got my first plakat male Wraith.
> 
> So we were looking at the bettas at my local Petco, and I was eyeing this nice black orchid plakat (who just happened to be Wraith). The fish specialist then came up. (E= employee, M= me)
> 
> E: Do you need any help today?
> M: Naw, I'm just looking at the bettas. I'm thinking about getting one.
> E: What size is your tank?
> M: 10g filtered and heated, with live plants. (At this he became visibly excited).
> E: *Him quickly grabbing Wraith's cup* You should get this guy, he's my favorite! He's always the most active when I do water changes, and he's my little buddy!
> M: *Can tell he's really trying to sell this fish to me* I was certainly eyeing him. He's a beauty.
> E: Please get him! I don't want him to end up in a bowl, or dying on this shelf.
> 
> Needless to say, I came home with Wraith. He is now a fat, happy old man that enjoys eating and sleeping. And the employee asks about him every time I come in to get supplies


That is AWESOME!!!!!!! 

I can relate to the employee. Whenever I ask customers, "How big is your tank?" it's usually asked with bated breath. :lol:


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## DangerousAngel

HTageant said:


> Lol I'd bet you'd take those words back the second you step on a slug barefoot!


LMAO! Is it bad that I actually would prefer that. I have a serious fear of Roaches. :lol:


----------



## FishyBets

Try little fire ants. Ants about a millimeter long with a bite like a scorpion, and manage to find _the absolute worst places to bite_. Including things that are layered with 3-5 pieces of clothing. *wince*


----------



## VillagerSparky

"I would like to buy this Nerite snail that you seem to think hasn't been attacked by the Goldfish"

"They only live in cold water"

"..... Get me someone who knows about aquatics, and not rabbits"


----------



## BettaStarter24

HTageant said:


> This is kind of a more cute/happy story about when I got my first plakat male Wraith.
> 
> So we were looking at the bettas at my local Petco, and I was eyeing this nice black orchid plakat (who just happened to be Wraith). The fish specialist then came up. (E= employee, M= me)
> 
> E: Do you need any help today?
> M: Naw, I'm just looking at the bettas. I'm thinking about getting one.
> E: What size is your tank?
> M: 10g filtered and heated, with live plants. (At this he became visibly excited).
> E: *Him quickly grabbing Wraith's cup* You should get this guy, he's my favorite! He's always the most active when I do water changes, and he's my little buddy!
> M: *Can tell he's really trying to sell this fish to me* I was certainly eyeing him. He's a beauty.
> E: Please get him! I don't want him to end up in a bowl, or dying on this shelf.
> 
> Needless to say, I came home with Wraith. He is now a fat, happy old man that enjoys eating and sleeping. And the employee asks about him every time I come in to get supplies


That's great! Made my day!


----------



## Hopefish

Fire Ants are true Wonders Of Nature! They both bite AND sting!


----------



## stellenternet

I was at petsmart. And this is what I overheard at the betta section:
*A mom comes in with her daughter and after her daughter picks out a fish, the mother chooses one of those Marina betta cubes. (Hate those.)*


*Kid:* Mom is that the tank for my fish?
*Mom:* Yeah. What background do you want?
*Kid:* Isn't that a little small though?
*Mom:* No. It;s just a fish honey. The tank is for a betta fish.
*Kid:* _Points to a 5 gallon_ Can I get this?
*Mom:* No. That's too expensive. You have to get this tank.
*Me:* Don't mean to be eavesdropping but your daughter is right, her fish would really enjoy a bigger tank.
*Mom:* But this one is too expensive.
*Me:*_Shows a 2.5 gallon_ This should be perfect for her fish, it's in your price range, and it gives quite a bit of space!


I GOT THEM TO GO HOME WITH A 2.5 GALLON TANK AND A REFERENCE TO BETTAFISH.COM! YAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYYAAYAYAYAYAYAY :lol:


----------



## DangerousAngel

OMG Awesome daughter, and great on you for helping!! That made my day!


----------



## stellenternet

DangerousAngel said:


> OMG Awesome daughter, and great on you for helping!! That made my day!


I know right! I was so happy!


----------



## Crash

stellenternet said:


> I was at petsmart. And this is what I overheard at the betta section:
> *A mom comes in with her daughter and after her daughter picks out a fish, the mother chooses one of those Marina betta cubes. (Hate those.)*
> 
> 
> *Kid:* Mom is that the tank for my fish?
> *Mom:* Yeah. What background do you want?
> *Kid:* Isn't that a little small though?
> *Mom:* No. It;s just a fish honey. The tank is for a betta fish.
> *Kid:* _Points to a 5 gallon_ Can I get this?
> *Mom:* No. That's too expensive. You have to get this tank.
> *Me:* Don't mean to be eavesdropping but your daughter is right, her fish would really enjoy a bigger tank.
> *Mom:* But this one is too expensive.
> *Me:*_Shows a 2.5 gallon_ This should be perfect for her fish, it's in your price range, and it gives quite a bit of space!
> 
> 
> I GOT THEM TO GO HOME WITH A 2.5 GALLON TANK AND A REFERENCE TO BETTAFISH.COM! YAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYYAAYAYAYAYAYAY :lol:


Dang, that kid is smart! Wish more kids (and parents...) would think like that, I mean, looking at the 1 and under gallons you would think it would be obvious it's too small of a space. The fish takes up like 1/4 of the room


----------



## Crash

FishyBets said:


> PetCo seems to be doing consistently better than Petsmart, for whatever reason. Mine is pretty good too with the bettas; just not the _other_ fish. Mom was eying a gorgeous white and blue rosetail the last time we were there. So was I, in fact. Thinking about getting one for her for Mothers Day or her birthday, which is in June. SHe is so jelous of Tsuki (who's fins have grown a 1/4 inch in three months, so they are ridiculously long now. Gotta remember to get some more plants for him...)
> 
> Also, concerning the goldfish, what fish can actually live in a 1gal humanly, other than snails and shrimp (which aren't fish)?


I notice double-tail halfmoons normally grow MASSIVE finage. My oldest boy is one and used to have so much fin going on that it would weigh him down, could barely swim around with all the weight. Few weeks ago I noticed his caudal is much shorter and a bit tattered, guess he picked up fin biting :shake: Whatever helps him feel better I guess, least he didn't take the whole fin off. My sister also has a DTHM and he's huge too :lol:


----------



## ThatFishThough

You guys should go see Olivia27's Technocolor. Oh my god. He has some MASSIVELY finnage! And, he's a foster. *nudge*


----------



## stellenternet

Crash said:


> Dang, that kid is smart! Wish more kids (and parents...) would think like that, I mean, looking at the 1 and under gallons you would think it would be obvious it's too small of a space. The fish takes up like 1/4 of the room


I know right!


----------



## Hopefish

Oh, good job stellenternet! That's the best news I've heard in days.


----------



## Sadist

Crash said:


> Dang, that kid is smart! Wish more kids (and parents...) would think like that, I mean, looking at the 1 and under gallons you would think it would be obvious it's too small of a space. The fish takes up like 1/4 of the room


+1 smart fish! Plus, the 5 gallons aren't more expensive than the "betta cube" things that I've seen.


----------



## stellenternet

Hopefish said:


> Oh, good job stellenternet! That's the best news I've heard in days.


Thanks you!


----------



## FishyBets

Crash said:


> I notice double-tail halfmoons normally grow MASSIVE finage. My oldest boy is one and used to have so much fin going on that it would weigh him down, could barely swim around with all the weight. Few weeks ago I noticed his caudal is much shorter and a bit tattered, guess he picked up fin biting :shake: Whatever helps him feel better I guess, least he didn't take the whole fin off. My sister also has a DTHM and he's huge too :lol:


I'm worried he's gonna pick that up too, although i would definitely understand. He's actually a crowntail- not a double halfmoon. It's nuts, actually, cause the room he's in has been fluxuating between 75 and 85 degrees, and he has no heater. I almost convinced my mom, too... Then Dad (who had expirience with schooling fish and such) stepped in and said 'nope'. One day!!!!!

Rant aside, I'm shocked. I have pictures of the day after I got him and then one now. It is very visible. Reminds me of when we had chickens and I didn't see them for three days and were then unrecognizable. Of course, fish are not chickens, LOL.

I'm really just wondering how the heck it happened...


----------



## Crash

FishyBets said:


> I'm worried he's gonna pick that up too, although i would definitely understand. He's actually a crowntail- not a double halfmoon. It's nuts, actually, cause the room he's in has been fluxuating between 75 and 85 degrees, and he has no heater. I almost convinced my mom, too... Then Dad (who had expirience with schooling fish and such) stepped in and said 'nope'. One day!!!!!
> 
> Rant aside, I'm shocked. I have pictures of the day after I got him and then one now. It is very visible. Reminds me of when we had chickens and I didn't see them for three days and were then unrecognizable. Of course, fish are not chickens, LOL.
> 
> I'm really just wondering how the heck it happened...


As long as he's not taking the whole tail off I don't really mind, though it is frustrating that they just tear such impressive looking finage off :lol: I've seen some pretty large-finned crowntails as well! and veiltails. Sometimes it sure is crazy :lol:

Yeah it's amazing what a little care does for bettas! I also have chickens and totally understand haha


----------



## FishyBets

I really need a better camera for him. My phone camera can get a few angles, but it's very hard to get him in focus. Of course, that's a struggle we all have to deal with XD 

To get more back on track, I was looking anacharis last month. I went to five different stores in a hundred mile radius. Every last one was out of stock! Petco said to try in three days' time. Have not heard back. I only want three stems... And a moss ball, which is nonexistent too :roll: 

Where is a good place to buy plants for cheap online?


----------



## Crash

FishyBets said:


> I really need a better camera for him. My phone camera can get a few angles, but it's very hard to get him in focus. Of course, that's a struggle we all have to deal with XD
> 
> To get more back on track, I was looking anacharis last month. I went to five different stores in a hundred mile radius. Every last one was out of stock! Petco said to try in three days' time. Have not heard back. I only want three stems... And a moss ball, which is nonexistent too :roll:
> 
> Where is a good place to buy plants for cheap online?


Oh gee. I used Bamaplants for any I can't find in-store. They have a wide variety of plant species and variations to choose from and their plants have always arrived pretty healthy in my experience.


----------



## Olivia27

FishyBets said:


> I really need a better camera for him. My phone camera can get a few angles, but it's very hard to get him in focus. Of course, that's a struggle we all have to deal with XD
> 
> To get more back on track, I was looking anacharis last month. I went to five different stores in a hundred mile radius. Every last one was out of stock! Petco said to try in three days' time. Have not heard back. I only want three stems... And a moss ball, which is nonexistent too :roll:
> 
> Where is a good place to buy plants for cheap online?


If a single moss ball and a clump of Anacharis is all you need, then you're better off waiting until the pet store restocks. Keep in mind there's always an extra ~$7 for shipping fee whenever you buy plants online. So if you're not stocking up an entire tank, it's not worth it. 

Forum member JDAquatics could probably help you - not only by selling you the species you want but also by helping you pick. A lot of my plants are from him. I especially like his tissue cultures :-D then again: there's shipping fee.

EDIT: and I buy a lot from Bama Plants as well! My plants are, like, 5% from Petco, 5% from forum members, 45% from JD and 45% from Bama Plants. The cool thing about Bama Plants (never sure what his real name is LOL PayPal says Daniel but people call him Ken?) is that he also sells iron tabs, iron capsules, aquascape tools, handmade caves, etc.


----------



## Crash

Olivia27 said:


> If a single moss ball and a clump of Anacharis is all you need, then you're better off waiting until the pet store restocks. Keep in mind there's always an extra ~$7 for shipping fee whenever you buy plants online. So if you're not stocking up an entire tank, it's not worth it.
> 
> Forum member JDAquatics could probably help you - not only by selling you the species you want but also by helping you pick. A lot of my plants are from him. I especially like his tissue cultures :-D then again: there's shipping fee.
> 
> EDIT: and I buy a lot from Bama Plants as well! My plants are, like, 5% from Petco, 5% from forum members, 45% from JD and 45% from Bama Plants. The cool thing about Bama Plants (never sure what his real name is LOL PayPal says Daniel but people call him Ken?) is that he also sells iron tabs, iron capsules, aquascape tools, handmade caves, etc.


I think both Ken and Daniel run the site, Ken mostly does all of the customer service though.


----------



## Olivia27

*gasp* there are TWO people! I never knew! Aaaah ><


----------



## myexplodingcat

Found a couple in PetSmart looking at betta fish for their daughter. Ended up holding an impromptu 15-minute crash course in water chemistry, appropriate habitat size/temperature, recognizing fin rot, deciding whether decorations are safe, making sure they had water conditioner, and general advice on live plants ("go for it, but Google it first").

They were really attentive and listened carefully. The mom was a vet and didn't mind the information overload, and about 10 minutes into the lecture an employee walks up to ask if we're doing okay, and at one point she gives this advice:

Emp: Well, these kids, they like to pick out the most unique-looking fish they can find, and then the parents come in later saying "we've gotta replace it," but there aren't any more that look like theirs. So maybe steer your daughter to get one that's not so unusual.

She got this response from the guy...

Dad: Well, we believe there's a right way to do it, and care for it, rather than treating it as disposable and just replacing it.

Best pet store customers ever. It was a real God thing that I met them. I gave them my email, this site's URL, and directions to the LFS. (I wonder if they're here? I should go poke around the intros.)


----------



## Engel

Olivia27 said:


> *gasp* there are TWO people! I never knew! Aaaah ><


Ahahaha! At least you know now :lol:



myexplodingcat said:


> Emp: Well, these kids, they like to pick out the most unique-looking fish they can find, and then the parents come in later saying "we've gotta replace it," but there aren't any more that look like theirs. So maybe steer your daughter to get one that's not so unusual.


Wooooow. -1 faith in humanity


----------



## HelloThere123Betta

Since I'm just getting back into the betta fish community again and now that I have a place where I have enough room for tanks, I told my boyfriend that I wanted to get another betta again. He has never had any fish before so he didn't know anything about them and told me a was crazy for wanting to spend so much money to get a 5 gallon tank, a heater, and a filter and all the other expensive stuff that goes along with a betta fish. I told him to do a little research online because he, like just about every other person, took Petcos suggestion of a .25 gal tank seriously. 

A few days later we go to walmart and I decide on a 5 gallon set and a heater and then we get a whole bunch of decorations for the tank as well. At this point we haven't even looked at fish yet because I wanted to make sure we had the tank set up first. 

After the tank was all set up and ready we decided to go to the local Petco for a fish. He got took the research seriously and got pretty upset when he saw all of the bettas in those tiny cups. He even found one that he liked a lot but we decided to come back the next day to actually buy it.

The next day comes and when we go to look at the bettas an employee is taking all of the ones that are dead or need a water change down. You can guess where this goes... The fish that he fell in love with the night before had died. We both felt sooo bad that we hadn't just bought it the night before and potentially saved it. But we did manage to find a Betta that we both love and took it home  

Today my boyfriend exclaims after looking at out fish "I wish we could get another betta fish! I LOVE betta fish!" Hahahah oh gosh I can feel the betta Fever kicking in already.


----------



## ThatFishThough

Yassss. It only took 2 months on me; I now have 12!  I need pictures!!!


----------



## Crossroads

I, at one point had 20-something bettas, including a sorority. I realized the need to whittle it down when I started burning out on them. I have 3 now xD


----------



## Witchipoo

I'm down to 7. Had to cut the numbers a bit.


----------



## FishyBets

Looking at making it 2 soon (Dont have a lot of space, unfortanately  ).


----------



## HelloThere123Betta

ThatFishThough said:


> Yassss. It only took 2 months on me; I now have 12!  I need pictures!!!


Lol this is the one we both picked out and named him Finnley


----------



## Overprotective Fish Lover

Aww so cute! I love dumbos!


----------



## mannyguillen

saw this online today  what was really sad was how many people said that was totally fine... apparently caring that your pet is happy makes you an animal rights activist/ vegan hahaha


----------



## Sadist

Even if you don't care about pet emotional health or don't believe fish have emotions, you've got to see that water changes would be too challenging in something like that! Wow. At least they have plants. At least I think I see plants in it. Edit: wait I think those are rocks. Wow.


----------



## Witchipoo

No heater, no cover, no kind of life for any creature.
I'm hoping that was only used for the photo shoot.


----------



## mannyguillen

just marbles... others now want to do the same thing


----------



## Witchipoo

Can you give me a link to where you found that, I'm in the mood to mouth off.


----------



## stellenternet

I think my petsmart got a new manager. It used to be wonderful. The fish were always well cared for. But today there were dead fish in almost every tank. I was gonna buy some ADFs but there were only 2. And they looked very sick. Barely moving.


----------



## FishyBets

OMG. How did they even get the fish in that in the first place!? This is why I have NO faith in the majority of humanity


----------



## mannyguillen

FishyBets said:


> OMG. How did they even get the fish in that in the first place!? This is why I have NO faith in the majority of humanity


she said she "sanitized the bottle first" (lord knows with what) then she dunked the bottle his previous slightly larger home and he just swam in on his own (more like vacuumed in)

this was on a facebook group titled "astonishing school of gifted nerds" and the OP was told off thoroughly to no benefit other than she will look for a bigger patron bottle... and i quote her gorgeous black betta is "just a fish anyway"

although i will admit i overheard two petco employees exchanging the usual .5 gallon myth which i quickly corrected and was happy to be actually listened to by BOTH employees (one of which was changing water for the bettas) i asked if i could use store credit to get a new ten gallon and asked about driftwood. she showed me a small mopani and a pine bark shell where i informed her that pine, especially that fresh, contains lots of sap and oils that are harmful to fish, to which she looked at my 4 year old and said "wow im learning soo much today"

this petco just opened in my super small resort town and this lady is the "fish expert" but if she is this open minded to good information, i see lots of potential compared to some of the stories ive read of other petco employees. they only have three fish there btw, bettas, guppies and goldfish, as i dont actually get my ten gallon till tomorrow and i havent read nearly as much on guppies or goldfish i didnt mention them this time


----------



## mannyguillen

the fish expert= F other customoer= C me= M

F:in the wild they live in small muddy puddles and that is the habitat they proffer
C:really? so this .5 G should be good for my female?
F:well that might be a little big for a female but its our smallest "tank" (she called it a tank xD)
Mdeciding enough is enough) AHEM! actually!! females need just as much space as males and they need a minimum of 3 gallons with filtration, heating, and proper sleeping and hiding spots.
F:i thought theyre used to little puddles?
C: So this is no good for my girl?
M: sorry but no the smallest you should get now is a 1 gallon minibow set up but you will need a bigger one within weeks as she will grow faster than you think. and no that is actually a myth... they sometimes DO get trapped in tiny puddles in the hottest months of the year and that is why they evolved to breathe from the surface and why they can jump out of tanks but this is like forcing a human to stay in an 8X8 cell its whole life, it CAN survive, doesnt mean its ok to keep them there...
F:OMG! i had no idea! as soon as i get off im doing proper research!


this is also the same lady we bought our Nemo from. she seemed appalled by all the false information she was given by petco


----------



## Olivia27

mannyguillen said:


> the fish expert= F other customoer= C me= M
> 
> F:in the wild they live in small muddy puddles and that is the habitat they proffer
> C:really? so this .5 G should be good for my female?
> F:well that might be a little big for a female but its our smallest "tank" (she called it a tank xD)
> Mdeciding enough is enough) AHEM! actually!! females need just as much space as males and they need a minimum of 3 gallons with filtration, heating, and proper sleeping and hiding spots.
> F:i thought theyre used to little puddles?
> C: So this is no good for my girl?
> M: sorry but no the smallest you should get now is a 1 gallon minibow set up but you will need a bigger one within weeks as she will grow faster than you think. and no that is actually a myth... they sometimes DO get trapped in tiny puddles in the hottest months of the year and that is why they evolved to breathe from the surface and why they can jump out of tanks but this is like forcing a human to stay in an 8X8 cell its whole life, it CAN survive, doesnt mean its ok to keep them there...
> F:OMG! i had no idea! as soon as i get off im doing proper research!
> 
> 
> this is also the same lady we bought our Nemo from. she seemed appalled by all the false information she was given by petco


is "she" one of those Petco babies then? I'm afraid it's not true that she will outgrow the 1g. Babies... er, _fries _emit this thing called growth-stunting hormone. This means if you put them in a small space since a young age, their growth will be stunted. In plain English: she will stay small. Whether or not that is good, you decide. If she's just a regular adult Betta, as long as the owner is willing to do frequent WC, a 1g is completely OK as her permanent, lifelong habitat. BUT seeing as the customer appeared to be 100% clueless, I would push for at least a 3g. Good on you for suggesting an eventual upgrade.

Also: tank size is not exactly about the fish' physical size, it's about their bioload and swimming space needed. This is why I don't like it when people put a shoal of zebra danios in anything smaller than 20g. They're zippy and need room to go be zippy in. Just a quick note for next time :-D

Alright I'll shut up now.


----------



## MyBabiesHaveScales

Not a pet store experience, but I find it funny how the advertisement banner at the top of the forum right now (on MY iPad, at least) is for the Aqueon Betta Falls tank. Out of all places to try to pick up customers, this is not going to be a successful audience


----------



## Witchipoo

MyBabiesHaveScales said:


> Not a pet store experience, but I find it funny how the advertisement banner at the top of the forum right now (on MY iPad, at least) is for the Aqueon Betta Falls tank. Out of all places to try to pick up customers, this is not going to be a successful audience


I noticed that too and thought the same thing!


----------



## mannyguillen

Olivia27 said:


> is "she" one of those Petco babies then? I'm afraid it's not true that she will outgrow the 1g. Babies... er, _fries _emit this thing called growth-stunting hormone. This means if you put them in a small space since a young age, their growth will be stunted. In plain English: she will stay small. Whether or not that is good, you decide. If she's just a regular adult Betta, as long as the owner is willing to do frequent WC, a 1g is completely OK as her permanent, lifelong habitat. BUT seeing as the customer appeared to be 100% clueless, I would push for at least a 3g. Good on you for suggesting an eventual upgrade.
> 
> Also: tank size is not exactly about the fish' physical size, it's about their bioload and swimming space needed. This is why I don't like it when people put a shoal of zebra danios in anything smaller than 20g. They're zippy and need room to go be zippy in. Just a quick note for next time :-D
> 
> Alright I'll shut up now.


yeah i really hope the customer (who was actually another worker also) doesnt just stick with the 1 gallon i was pretty firm with her about her fish needing more care especially in small containers. i suggested 30-40 percent every 1-2 days to be safe

do all of their bettas stay small? ours wasnt a baby when we got him and i swear hes grown a little. i hope hes not stunted.. that seems like it could come with some health complications 

psh no reason to stop. i love all the info this is so much fun for me. my daughter gets a good kick out of the hobby too. she already wants more fish and shes not even 5


----------



## Sadist

MyBabiesHaveScales said:


> Not a pet store experience, but I find it funny how the advertisement banner at the top of the forum right now (on MY iPad, at least) is for the Aqueon Betta Falls tank. Out of all places to try to pick up customers, this is not going to be a successful audience


There was a LFS with one of those set up. Even if I didn't know better, I could tell it wasn't good for the fish. The current was too strong, there was yucky black stuff that they had to clean off every day, and one of them had their tail sucked over the water fall and chewed on by his neighbor. All three fish were stunted or very young, too.


----------



## bettasforeverrescue

myexplodingcat said:


> Found a couple in PetSmart looking at betta fish for their daughter. Ended up holding an impromptu 15-minute crash course in water chemistry, appropriate habitat size/temperature, recognizing fin rot, deciding whether decorations are safe, making sure they had water conditioner, and general advice on live plants ("go for it, but Google it first").
> 
> They were really attentive and listened carefully. The mom was a vet and didn't mind the information overload, and about 10 minutes into the lecture an employee walks up to ask if we're doing okay, and at one point she gives this advice:
> 
> Emp: Well, these kids, they like to pick out the most unique-looking fish they can find, and then the parents come in later saying "we've gotta replace it," but there aren't any more that look like theirs. So maybe steer your daughter to get one that's not so unusual.
> 
> She got this response from the guy...
> 
> Dad: Well, we believe there's a right way to do it, and care for it, rather than treating it as disposable and just replacing it.
> 
> Best pet store customers ever. It was a real God thing that I met them. I gave them my email, this site's URL, and directions to the LFS. (I wonder if they're here? I should go poke around the intros.)



She was a Vet and didn't know about any of that? Not insulting her it's just....we had an entire part of our education dedicated to exotics and aquatic species in school....that's why I go to these stores and get so mad, we learned about all of this. I'm just surprised is all, not that she'll probably end up on this forum and read it lol. Carry on, my two cents has been inserted :lol:


----------



## Richiko06

lol What?? They should know never to put any kind of fish with long fins in with a male betta! Especially not an Angel fish and ESPECIALLY NOT with another betta! Unless its female and they're mating.


----------



## Richiko06

"Lets see if this one lives for a week"? Really? That poor betta! It deserves a better home then with someone like that!


----------



## Richiko06

Wow Sathori I can't believe that *facedesk* omg this person does NOT know how to take care of a betta at all.


----------



## bettasforeverrescue

Just read through a couple pages of these stories....I literally can't believe just HOW stupid some people are. Like for real? Were you born with a brain in your skull or is it empty? Are they too lazy to google something to at least find out the very basics of proper care.....half of these people I would have knocked unconscious LMAO.

Never ceases to amaze me just how ignorant some people truly are. I feel like there are different species of humans, smart ones and then the idiots that natural selection should've taken care of XD


----------



## Crossroads

bettasforeverrescue said:


> Just read through a couple pages of these stories....I literally can't believe just HOW stupid some people are. Like for real? Were you born with a brain in your skull or is it empty? Are they too lazy to google something to at least find out the very basics of proper care.....half of these people I would have knocked unconscious LMAO.
> 
> Never ceases to amaze me just how ignorant some people truly are. I feel like there are different species of humans, smart ones and then the *idiots that natural selection should've taken care of XD*


I firmly believe it used to, and then we started putting warning signs on EVERYTHING.

I mean really, if you order a coffee, do you really need a warning that the coffee will be hot?


----------



## Witchipoo

Or that ice is slippery?


----------



## Olivia27

Literally guys in my visit to a Chicago elementary school there's a notice that reads 

IN CASE OF EMERGENCY PRESS THE 12-INCH HELP BUTTON


----------



## MyBabiesHaveScales

My dog's medication from the veterinarian had a big bold label saying "Not for Human Consumption". Like who would even try to eat a dog's medication? How many people tried before they assumed that was necessary? :/


----------



## Crossroads

What's worse is the knowledge that the label is there because someone did it, got hurt, and then sued the company for not protecting them from their own stupidity.


And _*WON*_


----------



## Sadist

MyBabiesHaveScales said:


> My dog's medication from the veterinarian had a big bold label saying "Not for Human Consumption". Like who would even try to eat a dog's medication? How many people tried before they assumed that was necessary? :/


I noticed many water conditioners say the same thing. Really? Someone tried to eat the water conditioner?


----------



## Witchipoo

Dog food, fish food, cat food, and every other non human or non consumable product has to have that warning label on it. It's even on those desication packets that come in some products to keep moisture at bay. 
Back in the early 70's there was a big uproaor over poor senior citizens not having food, so, according to media sources, they were eating canned dog and cat food. I kind think it was sensationalized, but whatever. 
That's what triggered the fda to regulate labels on pet foods.
Now every product out there has a label of some sort to avoid law suites. I guess a good defence could be "I didn't know I couldn't eat it!"
What I shake my head over is the "organic" labeling now. 
It's ridiculous, organic farmers have to pay a ehole bunch of money every year to get "certified" organic. Where agribussiness can go right on poisoning us with pesticides, antibiotics and growth hormones. It's upside down! 
If they're going to use those short cuts they should have to be inspected and certified safe.
Organic food should not have to be labeled organic, it's food! Real food.


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## bettasforeverrescue

Witchipoo said:


> Dog food, fish food, cat food, and every other non human or non consumable product has to have that warning label on it. It's even on those desication packets that come in some products to keep moisture at bay.
> Back in the early 70's there was a big uproaor over poor senior citizens not having food, so, according to media sources, they were eating canned dog and cat food. I kind think it was sensationalized, but whatever.
> That's what triggered the fda to regulate labels on pet foods.
> Now every product out there has a label of some sort to avoid law suites. I guess a good defence could be "I didn't know I couldn't eat it!"
> What I shake my head over is the "organic" labeling now.
> It's ridiculous, organic farmers have to pay a ehole bunch of money every year to get "certified" organic. Where agribussiness can go right on poisoning us with pesticides, antibiotics and growth hormones. It's upside down!
> If they're going to use those short cuts they should have to be inspected and certified safe.
> Organic food should not have to be labeled organic, it's food! Real food.


Amen! Why in the world should we have to pay more money for a healthier option? Organic is EXPENSIVE, due to the stupid certifications they have to get. But over here we have some cheaper, pesticide riddled foods that may or may not be that good for you. Can't afford organic? That's ok, eat these chemicals we don't care :evil:


----------



## Crash

Sadist said:


> I noticed many water conditioners say the same thing. Really? Someone tried to eat the water conditioner?


It's a strange world full of stupid people :lol:


----------



## FishyBets

I believe in the conspiracy theory that they are attempting population control. I don't say anything, because I believe in Darwinism. 

There is a very lot of bloodsucking lawyers who are very fat because of warning labels, and lack thereof. I'm just surprised that it isn't electronic devices.


----------



## mingking

I was busy helping a customer bag their fish while a mother and daughter were looking at the bettas. A third customer took it upon themself to "educate" the mother and daughter, saying things like "Betta fish aren't very active! And they don't need a heater!" And I could do nothing but listen, unable to break my interaction with the customer I was helping at the moment to give the correct information to the mother and daughter. 

Sigh...


----------



## Sadist

:-( Of course they aren't active if they don't have a heater!


----------



## MyBabiesHaveScales

My friend's sister owned two goldfish. She kept these two goldfish in a bowl. So not one, TWO, in a gallon of water. She also NEVER cleaned the bowl. The water was so brown you could barely see the fish. Her reasoning for this? "If I make the water super dirty, they'll build an immunity to all waterborne diseases, so they'll never get sick!" *hits head on table* I talk about them in past tense, because of course, they died. However, they lived a year. I can't imagine that was a great year for them, though. Sad thing is, she sobbed for HOURS when they died, because she apparently worshiped them. I don't understand how you can love something so much, and not research on how to care for it properly. Poor fishies  Of course, my friend didn't tell me about how her sister kept her fish until after they had died, because she knows I will not agree with how they were kept. Which implies they were hiding it because they were embarrassed by it, knew that it wasn't proper, and did it anyway. *sigh*


----------



## RMKelly

The store where I brought Zelda from, I go in there every week hoping to find a Black Orchid boy, when I went in there a few days ago, the manager of the store was doing water changes on the Bettas...when I was looking at the boys, I noticed this poor little orange VT boy laying on the bottom of his 1 Liter cube tank that they keep them in and his face was going pale. I tried capturing the little guys attention in case he was just resting but nothing, so I pointed him out to the manager and told him he doesn't look so good, he moved a little when the manager picked up the cube. The manager said he was doing water changes, so he'll change the little guy's water, add an IAL and put him in the back room where it's quiet to see how he goes in case he's still stressed from the kids earlier. I think this store is slowly becoming my second favorite.

Last time I pointed out a sick fish in another store, I got kicked out.


----------



## FishyBets

How rude of them to kick you our for pointing out a sick fish!

You'll love my story...

I was out with my mother getting a betta for mothers day. While she was looking and bringing them over for me to see who looked healthy, a woman with her extended family was being helped out by the fish department manager, who is VERY knowledgabe (all the bettas were faily healthy- I wanted to hug him when I saw a betta with SBD on his desk, waiting for treatment). She was holding up what was labled as a 'temporary pet carrier' and asking if she could keep four fish in it. I stood there in horror- four of any fish in _less than a gallon_ was horribly cruel. He replied "Sure- for a week. Actually, for two or three days." She looked uneasy, but I was then pulled over to look at baby bettas (I convinced her against one, thank goodness.)

The sad thing is that I saw that lady checking out while we were in line, with that 1 liter plastic 'tank' and FOUR goldfish. I expect they are doing poorly now... *cringe*

On the bright side, the new betta is doing well. Wonderful blue veiltail- he is very personable and happy on the table. He refused to eat the NutriFin flakes and bloodworms, so i'm starting him on Tetra betta mini floating pellets left over from a starter kit. Hopefully I can get him phased in on the new food...


----------



## galaxyfish429

Reading through all of these has inspired me to share one of my stories.

One of my good friends has been wanting to start keeping fish and after seeing her setup I nearly had a heart attack. 

Her setup includes a five gallon "Glofish" starter kit with four "Glofish" (the larger ones, can't remember exactly which type of fish they are) and two mollies which one is most likely pregnant. I was over at her house the other day and was mortified when she told me that she wasn't going to purchase a filter until she came to the conclusion that a filter means she will not ever have to do a water change.

She also told me she was considering adding a couple goldfish to the mix once she has the money, and I wanted to slap her a million times for even thinking that was ok. I have tried telling her that these conditions not ok, but she rolled her eyes and told me that the petstore employees know a lot more about keeping fish and give great advice. 

Let me remind you that this is the girl who owned a bunny for a few months (thank god) and kept the poor thing in his cage 24/7 because she didn't have the time to give him any attention (she finally gave him away to a lady who has owned bunnies for over 15 years). I have finally come to terms that there is nothing I can do, and just have to turn my head the other way. It really makes me appreciate websites like this because it shows that there are people out there who really care and do their research before adopting or purchasing a pet.


----------



## Euro

I dont remember if I've posted this story here already or not, but Ill post it again anyway. So I saw some couple with one of those like half gallon bowls with the blue spotties on them that petsmart sells, a beautiful blue and red veiltail and like a pagoda that takes up half the bowl and just a bit of food. They were in front of me in line and I sort of panicked and didn't know where to begin because I knew this guy was most likely going to a miserable existence. So I picked the most obvious of the evils in my mind at the moment.

Me: "What a beautiful boy he is. I love bettas :]"
Woman: "Oh, thanks, its for my birthday to replace my old betta."
Me: "Aww, do you have any water conditioner at all for him?"
Man: "Whats that?"
Woman: "We have like a little ph balance thing."

and before I could open my mouth to tell them that's not the same thing, they paid and left and I just... I'm so sorry fish-friend, I tried my best. :c

My good story though is, I finally sold my 20 gal on craigslist, so I delivered it to this guy and his family. He was really sweet and it was him, his mom who was like 70 and like three small kids and he was saying he was probably going to put a couple small goldfish in the 20, so I stopped him right there. Good for him, I also tossed in one of my spare heaters so he could have tropcal fish. so I showed him pictures of what my "small" goldfish turned into and that they werent going to do well in a 20, like one fancy but since goldfish are social you need at least two and the kids were like we want happy fish dad and the grandma was actually paying attention. so I wrote down a list of good species for a 20 and suggested he do a little research about them and pick which ones him and the kids like best. I even wrote it down like "pick 1 centerpiece fish" and like listed dwarf gourami and betta (also explained the science of having community bettas and good for him I got rid of a crap tonne of plastic and silk plants so if he puts all them in it would be plenty of cover for a betta in a community.) and then was like pick 6-8 of your schooling fish and listed some options and then like explained what to do if he wanted bottom fish and I showed them what cory cats looked like and the kids were like I WANT THOSE. so hopefully they will get many years of joy out of this tank and fish stock instead of just making a bunch of goldfish suffer in it. also explained siphoning and gravel vaccing because I forgot to give them one so I was like here youll need to get this


----------



## mingking

I love when people are receptive to advice. And glad you were able to convince the family that goldfish in a 20 is a no-no. 

It's so frustrating when people come in and ask, "What's an easy fish?". And they stare at the goldfish. And I'll go on my spiel and tell them about my goldfish that was 26 cm long and how I had a huge tank. And how tropical fish are your best bet if you have a 10 G or up. Only for them to go, "Naaaah. Gimme a goldfish." And I say my apologies to the sad goldfish as I bag them. 

Although, a couple of times, I've refused to give people goldfish because they'd have a bowl or something or a 5 G tank. Angry people, yes. But happy goldfish! 

Bystander story: watched as my coworker sold a male and female Betta to a woman who was also buying a 1.5 G. I tried. I said, "That's not a lot of space for 2 fish." I also felt like I was overstepping my bounds with this coworker because she has fish of her own and they're "doing fine". And many times, I've butt in when she was talking to a customer to try to give correct info but I can feel the tension and frustration I cause by counteracting her advice or suggestions. For example, she feeds her bettas every other day. I feed mine twice a day and fast one day a week. And she told her suggestion to a customer. And the customer came back after looking at decor and asked me more questions and I gave my spiel and customer said "Oh, but your coworker said this." And said coworker was nearby and said, "Well, that's how I feed my bettas and they're fine." 

Sigh. I didn't want to butt heads so all I could say was, "It's up to you how you want to feed your fish and what you think is best. You can always research what way is best, of course "

Coworker is always saying it's okay to put a female and a male betta together. She told me one time she found a male and female together in a cup and they were "fine". Fine for those few moments... But it will be disaster pretty soon...


----------



## Sadist

I recall an employee telling me it's okay to "get a girlfriend for your betta" before, too. I imagine that tiny 1.5 gallon tank filled with blood and fish bits when they wake in the morning some day.


----------



## mingking

Oh geez... I can only hope it was a quick death. 

There are also questions like "Won't he be lonely??" that annoy me. NO.


----------



## bettasforeverrescue

I went to a local pet/fish store the other day. Near the front register was this poster regarding information on their refund policy for tropical/fresh water fish. It went along the lines of:

Did your fish have a heater? (76-82)
Was your tank filtered?
Did you have the correct tank and size for your selected fish? (betta, goldfish etc)

If you answered no to any of these questions your refund is void!


So I thought ok, this place must take great care of their fish if they refuse refunds if you didn't properly set your tank up and care for your selected fish. They must know about proper fish care to have all that listed...right?

Turned the corner to go for the bettas and they're sitting in small glass cups about half the size of the Petco cups. Their water is freezing cold and brown. The goldfish are all dead (about 20 in 5G) and half the cory cat's were dead. 


So.....what about that refund policy if the fish aren't properly cared for?


----------



## RMKelly

This afternoon when I went to my favorite aquarium to pick up a new ornament for Kirito, there was this woman on the phone, I overheard her saying, "I just looked at the fighter fish, they're boring, they just sit there. What's the point of having fighter fish if they don't fight?" Luckily my partner stopped me from sticking up for the poor little guys and educating her on Betta fish. They were just babies, like half an inch long if that and they were dancing and showing off their colours to anyone who walked past, how are they boring?


----------



## sabrinah

I went to PetSmart today to kill time. I saw a lady eying the bettas, so I stuck around just in case it looked like she needed to be educated on betta care. I now wish I had gone up immediately and started a conversation. A female employee eventually asked her if she needed anything, and the customer was concerned about bubbles at the top of the tank and her betta always laying on the bottom. They wandered farther down an isle so I followed them on the other side. The employee was asking if she had checked her water, and unsurprisingly the customer had no idea what she was talking about, so they went to look for test strips. The female employee couldn't find the strips so a male employee was called over, and even together they couldn't find the strips (which were very clearly hanging up directly in front of them). The customer asked the male employee if he had any idea what was wrong with her betta, and I decided I should probably step in. Now, I'm a highly introverted, anxious person. Just the thought of talking to multiple strangers makes me shake. My knees were quivering when I went up to them and said I may be able to help. The female employee looked extremely irritated with me. I asked what the problem was and then what kind of tank she had, to which she replied a divided 2.5 gallon with a tiny filter. I told her that's too small, each betta needs his own 2.5 gallon, heavily planted tank, even if it's with silk plants. The female employee snorted. Loudly. She actually snorted. That made me very angry, but I bit my tongue. I then asked if she had a heater and she didn't. Her tone of voice and facial expression implied she thought the idea of a heater was preposterous. So of course I said bettas are tropical fish and should be in warm water, 76-82 degrees, and that should be the first thing she gets. The female employee rolled her eyes. I wanted to slap her so bad. So, so bad. My hand was twitching. The female employee promptly angled the customer away, back to hunting for test strips, and the male employee thanked me. 

I still want to go back and slap her.


----------



## Hopefish

Don't you know how to take care of a betta. I'll tell you all the stuff I learned in this column.

Betta fish come from cold tiny mud puddles, in southern Mexico, a place called Antartica. they lay on their sides when they are bored. They're real easy to take care of. You just take the cup they come in and dump out the water and put in new water about once a week. Tap water is fine. or you can put them in a vase with a plant in the top. They eat the roots so you only have to feed them about once a month, and the plant cleans the water. But don't go bigger than a half gallon or they'll die. If you go for half a gallon you have to change the water once a month. If you get algae just put some chlorine in.

Your betta with be lonely so get him lots of friends. 3 or 4 goldfish would be good and some angelfish. Or you could get a 3-gallon tank and have a fraternity with 5 or 6 male bettas.

If you follow these guidelines and take real good care of your betta, it could live 6 months or even more!

Does that about sum it up?


----------



## Nova betta

Hopefish said:


> Don't you know how to take care of a betta. I'll tell you all the stuff I learned in this column.
> 
> Betta fish come from cold tiny mud puddles, in southern Mexico, a place called Antartica. they lay on their sides when they are bored. They're real easy to take care of. You just take the cup they come in and dump out the water and put in new water about once a week. Tap water is fine. or you can put them in a vase with a plant in the top. They eat the roots so you only have to feed them about once a month, and the plant cleans the water. But don't go bigger than a half gallon or they'll die. If you go for half a gallon you have to change the water once a month. If you get algae just put some chlorine in.
> 
> Your betta with be lonely so get him lots of friends. 3 or 4 goldfish would be good and some angelfish. Or you could get a 3-gallon tank and have a fraternity with 5 or 6 male bettas.
> 
> If you follow these guidelines and take real good care of your betta, it could live 6 months or even more!
> 
> Does that about sum it up?


Pretty much!


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## sabrinah

Oh my gosh I've been doing it wrong the entire time! I can't believe my bettas are still alive! I'll go get the tiniest vase I can find and fill it half way up with marbles.


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## tillyfromnowhere

*not staff... this time*

Me *staring at 2 bettas trying to pick*

Woman: Excuse me do you work here?

Me: No, I'm just picking out a betta, you too?

Woman: I want one for home, I got two for the nursing home I work at, a baby boy and girl so the residents can watch them grow up and change.

Me: *warily, but thinking that that might be the only good reason for buying one of the poor babies* That sound fun... *attempts to educate* I was thinking about getting a baby but they are harder to care for and need special food, points out the "First Bites" 

Woman: Yeah I got some of that!

Me: *obviously relived* that's nice, its just so hard to decide, I have narrowed it down to two...

Woman: Get them both!

Me: I only have one tank ready right now...

Woman: Buy another!

Me: *chuckles* I only have room for the two I have, I guess I'll just have to choose 

Woman: Just start putting them in vases...

I visibly recoiled at that statement and managed to squeak out that vases are hard to put a heater in...


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## Hopefish

Who needs vases when you have Dixie cups?


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## tillyfromnowhere

Hopefish said:


> Who needs vases when you have Dixie cups?


I felt extra bad because untill my most recent fish the betta's I had owned in the past got the same treatment, I know better now and my betta are much better for it! I am just so shy and didn't want her thinking I was crazy.


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## EJHath

Starburst44 said:


> I asked a Petsmart employee how to cycle a tank. Her response?
> 
> "Most people do it by getting some fish they don't care about and putting them in the tank for a while, then getting rid of them and putting in the fish they actually want."
> 
> what?


I was told this exact same thing by a locally owned pet store employee. She said to get half a dozen guppies for my 5 gallon tank and I could even do 10 if I chose to seeing as during the cycling process all but a three or four would end up dying. No thanks. She also tried selling the false fact that Betta's will not survive in larger tanks. She's no longer allowed to talk to customers about fish...


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## stellenternet

EJHath said:


> I was told this exact same thing by a locally owned pet store employee. She said to get half a dozen guppies for my 5 gallon tank and I could even do 10 if I chose to seeing as during the cycling process all but a three or four would end up dying. No thanks. She also tried selling the false fact that Betta's will not survive in larger tanks. She's no longer allowed to talk to customers about fish...


I hate when they say that.


----------



## pishthing

Fantastic story:

Went to Petco to look for the freshwater master testing kit (ours is a smaller petco, I think, which is why they didn't have it). One of the employees stopped to ask if I needed anything. I told her I really didn't want to buy the expensive (16+) test kit for ammonia only plus the test strips for everything else (8+) that I was getting to hold me over until I got the real test kit ordered online, or from another store.

She asked if I had ammonia strips or the color chart at home as it was "very important". I told her I didn't. 

She went over to their cabinet above the sink, got out a handful of ammonia test strips, pulled the color chart off the bottle, handed them to me and told me "just you tuck those in your purse and this conversation never happened". 

Irritating story:

Mentioned to my brother that I wanted a couple snails, so he gave me a 4.5g tank he didn't want anymore (good). I went to a lfs to get snails. Immediately fell in love with a little female betta. Asked the employee if the tank was enough room for her and if snails would be okay in there with her. They told me she'd be fine with snails. Buy conditioner and the animals (no heater though we did discuss it)

Betta immediately booping the snails though thankfully not hurting them.

Read online, realize I need a set up for her, a heater, etc etc. $100.00 later she has her own 2.5g set up with a heater. 

Went back to original lfs, got a mystery snail and algae eater for bigger tank. Read more online and now I'm wondering if my unidentified 'algae eater' is going to get massive. 

Probably not going to bother asking them questions anymore. I'm going to do all research ahead of time.


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## mingking

Just wanted to update on my story with my coworker who told a customer she can have a female and male betta in a 1.5G: 

Customer came back. Showed me pictures and the male was all torn up. She had a spiky fake plant and asked me to show her some better plants because she read online that that may be the cause of her betta's fins being ruined. 

Me: "I'm going to say this with 100% certainty that it's not your plant. It's the two fighting each other. One of them or both will die eventually. You need to separate them. Now."

Her: "But your coworker said it's okay..."

Me: "I'm sorry about that. I don't agree with her. Maybe in a huge tank it's doable but it's not a good life for them."

She ended up buying another tank to separate them. So it's a win in that the bettas didn't die... 

You know, I'm so sick of hearing my coworkers saying stuff like "Bettas don't need heaters. Bettas can live in vases." I just want to throttle something. I know I should say something but I don't want to embarrass them and frankly, I don't think they'll believe me. 

Sigh.


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## Hopefish

There's a scene in the book Black Beauty where an old man jumps up and shouts, "You're wrong! You're wrong!"
It's sooooo tempting. Just think how satisfying it would be!


----------



## EJHath

Either that or the commercial where the old ladies are looking over their "wall" of pictures-"That's not how this works. That's not how any of this works...."

I think I would have pushed my husband to get our daughter a kitten or puppy if I had known just how much work setting up and properly caring for a betta would be. Never mind the money! &#55357;&#56837;


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## sabrinah

Is there any way you could pull your coworker aside and talk to her? Tell her she's wrong and ask where exactly she's getting her information? Maybe beat some sense into her with one of those vases she's so fond of? If she refuses to accept new information a manager really ought to be consulted because she shouldn't be allowed to speak to customers about fish. I personally put the welfare of animals above emotions and relationships, but I can understand how difficult it would be to work with someone who hates you.


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## NiceCrocs

My sister happens to be a manager at a local petstore, and a general lover of all animals, but especially aquatic ones.
A couple weeks back I went to pick her up from work, and ended up browsing the aquarium decor and accessories. At this time I was in the process of setting up Ruby Gus' tank. I flagged down the employee who seemed to be taking care of the aquatic section, to get some advice...

Me: Hiya, I was looking for advice on setting up an aquarium for a single betta.

Her: Oh, I'm the one to talk to, then! I have a few bettas at home!

Me: Oh, excellent. So, so far I have a 10 gallon-

Her: *incredulous look* Oh, you don't need anywhere near that much room! Mine all live in about a gallon or so.

Me: *internal cringe* Well, yess, I suppose that's an option... it's hard to fit a filter or heater in a gallon though.

Her: Oh, heaters are only for tropical fish!

Me: *knowing full well that bettas are tropical* So... bettas... aren't tropical?

Her: Nope!

Me: *giving up* I see. Well, I think I can find what I need, thanks.

About 20 minutes later, in the car with my sister, I relay the story. Sister looks angry and says she will speak to the employee.

Three days later, at dinner with my sister:

Me: Oh, what happened with that employee I told you about?

Sister: I told her she had the wrong information, and sent her to research betta care for an hour. I'll be quizzing her tomorrow.

Apparently she does this fairly regularly; if she gets a whiff of bad information about animal care (be it a mouse, fish, or dog) she'll make them take time out of their day to do research. ALL PET STORE MANAGERS SHOULD DO THIS. It's fantastic!


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## mingking

NiceCrocs said:


> Sister: I told her she had the wrong information, and sent her to research betta care for an hour. I'll be quizzing her tomorrow.
> 
> Apparently she does this fairly regularly; if she gets a whiff of bad information about animal care (be it a mouse, fish, or dog) she'll make them take time out of their day to do research. ALL PET STORE MANAGERS SHOULD DO THIS. It's fantastic!


Your sister is so amazing!!! I agree, all managers should do this and pet stores should really train their employees... We have instruction manuals, of course, but different fish have different specific needs, I'm assuming there's just too much info to include besides the basics like the nitrogen cycle and which fish go with which in general. I had to learn all that stuff through my own research and talking to my managers. 

I'm not comfortable with the idea of "confronting" my coworker. She's good with all the other fish but it's only the bettas where she falls into the trap of those darn stupid myths. It's really a marketing thing too... To be able to sell fish to people who won't/can't commit to a full sized tank. I honestly dislike those people so much and I warn them their fish will die within months repeatedly. 50% of them still insist on getting fish. I have yet the nerves of steel to flat out refuse giving them fish because why would we sell small 1G tanks if we shouldn't put them in there? 

*shakes my fist at all those products* (although, I understand the only real rational purpose of those things is to use as a temporary housing tank for whatever reason) 

Anyway, I know I need to speak with her. And as uncomfortable as it is, I will do it... Does anyone have some non-confrontational suggestions on how to bring up this topic? 

I've tried some indirect ways like "People really shouldn't be putting these guys in small 1Gs" and telling in front of her to customers that males and females need to be separate. Only to have her tell me her male is lazy and likes to hide in the plants and couldn't give a damn about the other fish and females in the tank. I WONDER WHY???? Siiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiigh. 

There's another fish store that I love and they put all their bettas in filtered and heated tanks. This whole thing with my coworker is making me consider trying to apply to work in that fish store despite the 45 minute commute.


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## mingking

sabrinah said:


> Is there any way you could pull your coworker aside and talk to her? Tell her she's wrong and ask where exactly she's getting her information? Maybe beat some sense into her with one of those vases she's so fond of? If she refuses to accept new information a manager really ought to be consulted because she shouldn't be allowed to speak to customers about fish. I personally put the welfare of animals above emotions and relationships, but I can understand how difficult it would be to work with someone who hates you.


You're absolutely right. My emotions are definitely less important than the welfare of animals. I'm going to have to suck it up and confront her eventually!!


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## NiceCrocs

Honestly I don't know of any ways to go about it without a manager's power of putting them in the corner to think about what they've done. I'm not one for confrontation myself, or I'd have given that employee a piece of my mind XD

Really, my sister is a hero to me. She regularly refuses sales to people if they plainly demonstrate to her that they cannot or will not care for an animal properly. I wish i could have a fraction of her guts and moxie xD


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## mingking

Same! I'd like some of what she has


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## sabrinah

I'm afraid I can't think of a gentle way to confront your coworker about her betta knowledge. I'm the blunt, brutally honest type with a fondness for foul language and sarcasm. Works great at getting the point across and making people change, but not if you want to stay friends afterwards (although sometimes they develop an appreciation for your honesty and want to stay friends anyway). Maybe try telling her that you admire her knowledge of other fish species and would greatly appreciate it if she would extend that dedication to bettas as well? Maybe recommend that she check out this forum?

Or, if you want to give bluntness and brutal honesty a go, tell her she's single handedly causing the death and torment of dozens of bettas and should not be permitted anywhere near an establishment carrying fish if she is going to advocate their abuse. Ask her how she would like to to live in an 8x8 room with a tiny window, no heating or air conditioning, a bucket to go to the bathroom in that's rarely ever emptied, and rotting food everywhere. If that's not bad enough, add to that tiny room a person with the potential for great violence, maybe an ex con, a murderer, or someone with multiple assault and battery charges. Does she have children or a younger sibling? Put them in the room instead of her. Of course I highly recommend telling her to take her head out of her a** at some point. You may also want to ask if she would care more if bettas could vocalize like dogs or cats. If she could hear them whining while they pace in their vases, hear them scream and whimper when they're bullied by having another betta in the tank, hear their teeth chattering and see them shaking from the cold. Maybe pull up a couple animal abuse pictures that are the equivalent of the condition of the bettas. 

Is all this a little much? Probably. But most people don't like to change or admit they're wrong unless they're forced to, and even then the cognitive dissonance has to be forced out of them.


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## Hopefish

Is there a local Betta expert you respect who could come in and give a Betta care seminar to all employees?
Could you get the manager to approve a Betta care/ fact sheet for employees to follow and to hand out to potential customers?


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## Sadist

I recall a woman bring someone in to tell them about fish. She described the female bettas as "ugly, you need to get one of the males with the long, pretty fins." I wanted to point out the gorgeous females there with vibrant coloring. The red and blue females were just as colorful as males!


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## Hopefish

Well, yeah, not every "expert" is expert, and even some that are, aren't very helpful. That's why it's best to get somebody you know and respect.
Besides which, that would be like me telling somebody that they shouldn't like red, since blue is a "better" color. Or that chocolate tastes better than vanilla.


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## pishthing

Anybody seen the betta care post petco put on facebook within the last day or so? I was impressed with the information. People were tearing them apart in the comments though.


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## bettafishsam

im standing in the petco line buying some betta fix for my male that had gotten sick during the week (He's fine now) and the women behind me was amazing.
MAN: I hope your betta doesn't eat these pretty guppies.
WOMEN: If these guppies arent fast enough to get out of the way of my betta they deserve to die
MAN: Isn't that a little harsh?
WOMEN: Nature is harsh love, besides that betta is too cute to get mad at if he eats a guppy.


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## stellenternet

Prepare yourselves for plain stupidity and cringeworthy outcomes.

*Little girl and her dad buying a betta, get a .5 betta tank*
Me:Hi, I know this from experience, in a tank that small the heater will heat up too high and hurt the fish.
Dad:Oh it's ok, we aren't buying a heater.
Me:You need a heater. They are tropical fish
Employee steps in: No they don't need a heater. They aren't tropical fish. They are just... normal.

WHAT'S A NORMAL FISH WHAT THE HECK I'M SO CONFUSED THERE'S DIFFERENT TYPES THERE ISN'T A NORMAL TYPE OF FISH OH MY GOSH SEND HELP.


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## EJHath

This isn't exactly pet store related, but I think my husband got some of his I for from asking at a pet store. He believes that my daughter's betta will get lonely by himself and putting a female in there is fine. They'll breed and make a happy little family for themselves.... No. Just no. He also thinks that our daughter will get bored with her betta. She adores him so far, and he's taken pellets right from her fingers the last couple of days. What toddler wouldn't adore a fish that does that? She sings to him every morning, lol!


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## Sadist

pishthing said:


> Anybody seen the betta care post petco put on facebook within the last day or so? I was impressed with the information. People were tearing them apart in the comments though.


Thanks for pointing this out! I read it, and it was mostly good information. I didn't bother reading the comments, though.


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## Hopefish

What the employee meant was... they are like gold fish. You know, they can live in a tiny bowl, they don't need any fancy stuff like filters, the cheapest flake food is fine...
Overall, goldfish might be even more abused than bettas, if that's possible. Except goldfish actually don't need/shouldn't have heaters.


I don't understand how so many people think bettas are a coldwater fish! They're TROPICAL! It's so basic!


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## fleetfish

I dropped a betta at Petsmart today, smack on the floor, the cup broke in half and the poor little CT boy inside was flopping around in a puddle. I would have bought him on the spot to bring home and heal him, but he was getting progressively worse when he did get another cup, which he jumped out of and fell AGAIN. I was feeling like a horrible monster, and I didn't want to risk him not making it home. 

"Happens all the time," the salesperson reassured me. 

I bet it does.Who can say how the dropped boy is now . I probably sealed his fate. 

I did find a CT boy that I liked though, and at least this little guy is safe.


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## stellenternet

Hopefish said:


> What the employee meant was... they are like gold fish. You know, they can live in a tiny bowl, they don't need any fancy stuff like filters, the cheapest flake food is fine...
> Overall, goldfish might be even more abused than bettas, if that's possible. Except goldfish actually don't need/shouldn't have heaters.
> 
> 
> I don't understand how so many people think bettas are a coldwater fish! They're TROPICAL! It's so basic!


I guess. It still annoys me how this is how petsmart educates their employees.


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## Crossroads

Not fish but I wanted to smack someone. My local petcos are trying to get rid of the RES turtle displays and dedicate the room to more profitable stuff. My favorite one is vying for a plant tank, which would be fantastic since they order high volumes of a lot of really interesting plants and have a really good team. So lately the RES have been on sale.

Customer: Look honey we could get this turtle for 6.95!

Me: You don't want to do that. Red-eared sliders need a lot of room, and get massive. Most in the wild easily reach a foot long which means you need at least 130 gallons of water to support one. (General rule of thumb is 20 gallons to start and then +10 per inch of shell) 

Customer: No, it's okay, we'll just release it when it gets too big

Luckily for them the aquatics guy came up and distracted me. Oh man I about lost it.


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## mingking

Update on the coworker who sold a female and male betta in a small tank: I decided to go with the most non-confrontational way of handling it and told my manager lol!!! So she'll be dealing with the coworker. I didn't want to tattle and just started with "Someone did this" but she forced me to tell her who.


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## BettaStarter24

My petco has really improved in their care for Bettas. In the past they only did water changes once every 3 weeks or so and maybe fed once every two weeks. Since then they've upped their WC schedule (to at least once a week.) and they feed twice a week now. Still not the best but better. The number of dead/dying fish has decreased dramatically and they actually properly treat the fish if they are sick. My new girl Millie had fungus two and a half weeks ago or somewhere around there and wasn't looking good and the other day when I went in she was still there but fungus free and healthy again. Brought her home today finally. 

They also really seem to care about the fish going to good homes and everyone I've talked to besides one has been very happy that I have all my fish in 2.5g or up heated tanks. Seeing employees care like this makes me happy


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## xBanditcatx

I'm very upset that Petsmart is having events like come in Saturday to get a free .5 gallon fish bowl! I'm going to lose it.....
I'm also upset at what I saw in the small animal section...
Customer: Hi, we'll buy a guinea pig. Does he need a friend?
Employee: Nope! He'll kill his own kind.
C: Okay, what cage does he need?
E: (walks over to cages and looks at the smallest one) This will be fine!
C: What kind of bedding?
E: He'll do fine on pine.


I was very close to blowing up.


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## pishthing

Went to about 4 different pet stores today for some odds and ends and just to look around. One store had some bettas in cups, some in tanks with other fish. They were all pretty alert, poking at the sides, swimming around, etc. 

Petco's fish looked the worst (even worse than the bettas at the puppy mill place). I honestly teared up, it made me so sad to see them. The one was gorgeous and looked healthy other than a pretty bad case of something involving SBD. He was trying so hard to keep from being drug up to the top of the tank. :-(

The few I saw at petsmart were alright, but there was a definite case of fin rot on one of them. 

The puppy mill place had some dirty cups and they were pretty lethargic, too. One almost 100% had some kind of fungus. They had a set up at the front with three teeny square cube "tanks". Probably 1/4 gallon each. One cube had a freaking frog in with the betta. Poor guys.


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## Sadist

:-( What a sorry store.


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## BettaStarter24

So I went to petco after work today to cool off after a maddening update from one of my jobs and found a sad little blue VT with possible graphite disease...the end half to full centimeter of his tail was gray like graphite, no other areas which is making me question if it actually is graphite disease as I know it acts fast but it's so similar in appearance to pics I've seen of graphite to make me think it is. Brought it up to an employee and they pretty much blew it off. So...I will be holding of on any aquatic purchases for a while. I've seen how they change betta cups. All the fish pass through the same net so...yeah...Not much they could do for the poor thing anyway if it is graphite disease but the least they can do is not use the same equipment on his cup. And no he did not come home with me because 1) if it is graphite disease he'd be gone soon and most of all 2) I do not want to risk bringing that into my healthy tanks.


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## Aluyasha

If you think about it, it makes sense that a lot of the people talking to employees about getting a fish ask ridiculous questions. If you knew how to care for fish you wouldn't need to ask an employee. I never ask the workers any questions when I am there, they try to approach me to "teach" me something but I always tell them no thanks. lol


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## NickAu

> I guess. It still annoys me how this is how petsmart educates their employees.


PetXXXX is a chain store driven by profits, They train their staff to make sales, that brings in money, That money pays bills and wages. Telling a customer no sir you can't put that gold fish in a 1 gallon bowl results in no sale. No sale = no income, no income = somebody getting fired.

To upper management of big chain stores, fish are just stock just like cans of dog food, or driftwood, They are just numbers of a computer screen, Losses are built into prices.

On the upside for the big chain store, If the customer buys a goldfish and a 1 gallon tank, its sales sales sales.

When the fish gets sick they sell you stuff.
You may upgrade to a bigger tank that just happens to be on sale.
And if the fish dies well thats fine too, Usually kids are so upset " Nemo " died the parents go out and buy another one.

Its not right but thats how it is.


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## MysticSky22301

I almost freaked out when a guy at Walmart bought a few glow fish and an Oscar i was going to say something until I heard him on the phone saying they were going in different tanks 

One of my bettas does live with guppies and Honey gouramis with no issues a little flaring with the male gourami and it was settled no problem I've been told this is a bad idea but it works for me it all depends on your fish and how their personality is


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## Amberjp

I'm only on page one and this is already killing me, long post ahead 

When I got my betta, I went to Petsmart & pre bought everything the same day I got my betta, I then went to petland to get my betta. Now here's the kicker, I make my own money just to be clear & my mom came with me, she kept asking BOTH petsmart & petland clerks if he really needs a heater, a big tank and a fitler(because I got a 5.5 gal,filter and heater) of course both clerks said "They don't need heaters or filters, they are very hardy fish and can live in very small bowls" and other BS, I tuned them both out as previous to buying my fish I did my research(2 days of researching)

Unlike my mom who didn't do any research and didn't trust the knowledge I gathered because "They keep them in small bowls so it must be okay" Any person with common sense & a heart would know that such tiny bowls are not meant for ANY living being, not even shrimp.


I went back a couple of days later cause I'm a worried betta mother(turns out he was just stressed) and he asked how I acclimated him, I said "I had his bag in the tank & was putting some tank water every 5-10 minutes for a hour" as suggested by forum users & he replies while he looks at me like I'm stupid "That's...odd"

Another time was for my brothers tank, we got his water tested and his ammonia was off the charts so I tell my mom "Only way to get rid of ammonia is to do water changes more often" but no, she goes to petsmart & asks the clerk on how to remove ammonia and ends up buying "Ammonia remover" because the clerk said he uses it for his fish and that it works, I stood there annoyed and angry


----------



## Amberjp

averyecho said:


> THIS conversation was the reason I no longer have any hope for humanity. (Note: At the time, I only had 3 bettas, and not 5 and a guppy.)
> 
> So I'm walking through Petsmart, looking for some more Stress Coat, when an employee sees me and asks what I'm looking for.
> Me: Oh I'm just looking for some API Stress Coat, I can find it myself.
> Employee: What kind of fish is it for?
> Me: Um, all of them. I use it as water conditioner.
> Employee: But what kind of fish do you have?
> Me: Just 3 bettas.
> Employee: Are you crazy? You shouldn't be giving bettas water conditioner! What kind of tank are they in?
> Me: Well two of them are in 5 gallons and one is in a 3 gallon...
> Employee: That's WAY too big! You'd better get them into something MUCH smaller or they'll die!
> Me: Um, dude, bettas are supposed to have a minimum of 2.5 heated, filtered gallons. I'm not going to downgrade them.
> Employee: They have a filter and heater too? That's INSANE! They're definitely suffering in there!
> Me: No they're not.
> Employee: Listen, whoever told you that you have them in the right habitat is WRONG. They will die. Bettas can only be in 0.25 gallons max. How much are you feeding them anyway?
> Me: They each get 2 pellets a day.
> Employee: No, no, no, NO! You're only supposed to feed them half a pellet, once a month, or they'll explode!
> Me: Who even told you this?
> Employee: Doesn't matter, becuase it's all correct. If you follow my advice right now your bettas could live up to 6 months! Wouldn't that be great? The average lifespan of a betta is 3 months, but if you care for them like the way I just said, you can double that.
> Me: I'll have you know that one of my bettas is nearly five years old.
> *silence*
> Employee: Um... well... you're still doing it wrong!
> Me (really frustrated at this point): No, I'm not! I'm doing everything right! Go look up some proper betta care and see for yourself.
> I walked away after that. Never went to that Petsmart again.



What's with employees thinking that fish die in BIGGER tanks? seriously, I would just love to hear how they would attempt to explain that backward knowledge. I also think that most of the LFS employees think that bettas are freshwater fish....when they're tropical, that or they don't know the difference? 


Your super sassy responses though, I loved it <3


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## NickAu

> I also think that most of the LFS employees think that bettas are freshwater fish....when they're tropical, that or they don't know the difference?


Bettas are freshwater tropical fish, Unless I am mistaken there are only 2 types of water on this planet fresh water and salt water.

Most of the fish in the aquarium trade are tropicals both salt and fresh water.


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## Amberjp

NickAu said:


> Bettas are freshwater tropical fish, Unless I am mistaken there are only 2 types of water on this planet fresh water and salt water.
> 
> Most of the fish in the aquarium trade are tropicals both salt and fresh water.


I did think I was wrong when I wrote that but googled it and this is what came up "Water temperature needed. Freshwater fish may be out of cold water regions like lakes or rivers. Tropical are from the tropical areas, and need warm water to survive." so I thought I was somehow right lol, thanks for notifying me though, means a lot for you to point it out and further educate me.


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## Hawker

NickAu said:


> Bettas are freshwater tropical fish, Unless I am mistaken there are only 2 types of water on this planet fresh water and salt water.
> 
> Most of the fish in the aquarium trade are tropicals both salt and fresh water.


Actually there is a third type of water; brackish. It's mixture of fresh and salt that is most often found where a fresh water river runs into an ocean. And there are a number of fish in the hobby that live in this water. Most however, can adapt to either fresh or salt.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brackish-water_aquarium


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## Amberjp

Hawker said:


> Actually there is a third type of water; brackish. It's mixture of fresh and salt that is most often found where a fresh water river runs into an ocean. And there are a number of fish in the hobby that live in this water. Most however, can adapt to either fresh or salt.
> 
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brackish-water_aquarium


Seriously? this is the first time I'm learning of this, thanks for telling me that & for the link, now I'm curious about it so hello Wikipedia


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## NickAu

Brackish water is salt, Why because it has salt in it.


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## FishyBets

Its typically brownish with algae and seaweed in the wild. I speak from experience, since I lie near the ocean. I have seen places where it is clear, though. The fish living there would be rather temperature-fluxuation tolerant, I could imagine. thats just a theory though; dont quote me on that


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## aussieJJDude

NickAu said:


> Brackish water is salt, Why because it has salt in it.


No not always. ;-)
Remember that there is the tide, so sometimes brackish water fish can be in almost full strength salt and then on the opposite side of the spectrum, virtually freshwater.  
And yes, these fish are amazing; their response to marine/freshwater fluctuations are amazing.


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## MysticSky22301

Going to Petco, a worker was trying to sell a disabled after and his school aged daughter a fish bowl for a pretty little Betta, I walk over after the employee leaves and explain how they should really be housed and what they need he left with a 3g with filter gravel water conditioner good food a couple plants and promised me he would get a heater the next week and thanked me for all the help and keeping his daughter from crying in a couple of months


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## Hallyx

Some older keepers -- who don't get out much -- call saltwater fish "tropical," I guess because that was the terminology when they were coming up. 

Freshwater fish included Betta, Goldfish, Guppy, Angelfish, Paradise, Gourami, Tetra etc. Most don't need heaters, they tell me. There has been an increase in the number of "freshwater" species available that need warmer water. "Then get them a heater," is their response. Heating a tank from the outside was a real bother in the old days, I'm told.


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## MyBabiesHaveScales

Today at a small pet store they had a betta bowl. It wasn't a gallon bowl, it was maybe a half gallon bowl. In it was 1 plastic plant. And TWO FEMALES. Two. Females. In. One. Practically. Empty. Half. Gallon. Bowl. I probably don't have to mention that it is also not heated or filtered. Come on, pet store. You're a pet store. One lay barely alive only flaring once and a while, while the healthier of the two poked the weak one over and over. I feel terrible for people who can't manage a sorority in a lush 10 gallon while these fish manage to not kill other in an empty bowl.


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## Crash

We went to a pet store to get some feeders today and while looking at the bettas (all male, in terrible little .000001 gallon tealite bowls, one had some weird grey fungus covering half his body :-( ) I started to walk away until I noticed a tank labled "female bettas" with at least 3 girls in there, no cover what so ever. Everyone was fin-clamped and dull-colored, 2 girls were pecking eachother 

I always hate going there, their fish section is atrocious but they have cheap feeders.


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## Tourmaline

I mentioned this in my journal and a thread for the Betta that caused this, but I figured I'd post it here too. 

I went into Petco a few days ago to look for a new Betta, and I saw this HMPK male, red and cello with a white face, with blue scales. He was gorgeous. When I walked away to look at the others and see if any others caught my eye, two kids with their mother had run over to the Bettas and said they wanted him because I guess the kids saw me looking at him, I don't know. The mother had a 0.5g Betta cube in hand. Keep in mind this HMPK is large (he's 1.7" BO), so I tried to educate them. 

I told the mother that if they're going to get a Betta and want it to live for more than two weeks, they need a much bigger tank than that, a heater, water conditioner, and some decor for it to hide in to start. She looked at me like I was speaking a different language, didn't even say anything in response, and picked the PK I liked up. As a last ditch effort to keep them from buying him, I told her he looked sick and I wouldn't get him. She put him back (thank god), and went to look at the other Betta rack in the next aisle. I grabbed him and practically ran to the register with him. He's mine now. I'm pretty sure they did wind up getting a different Betta but what can ya do? I tried. 

Those are the kind of people who make me hate pet stores. An employee was standing right there and didn't say anything either. I really wish they'd stop selling those horrible cubes, but it's a money maker, they never will. Or I wish they'd at least post a care sheet next to the Bettas.. They can have a sheet there with prices but not a sheet saying not to stick them in 0.5g cubes then wonder why they die in a week. I don't know why I bother trying to tell people how to care for them, that's exactly why I usually keep my mouth shut when I see something like that happening, but I wanted the Betta they decided to try to kill slowly.


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## RMKelly

My two favorite stores actually TRY to get people to buy the 3 Gallons and up tanks for Bettas. They do have the cubes but they tell them it's only for "photo purposes" or "temporary homes until they get a bigger tank set up." Today I went into one of them to by new plants, and I saw a 3 or 4 Gallon tank, with plants, sponge filter and a heater and a nice happy little HM boy


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## Tourmaline

If I had a pet store like that around me, I'd be the happiest person alive, not having the incredible urge to slap a Betta cube out of someone's hand and knock the whole rack of them down by 'accident' every time I go in there. My PetSmart is usually pretty good, a few times I've seen people go in there for a Betta and they recommend 2.5 gallon tanks, heaters and Prime, but even they have the Betta cubes on a rack directly under both Betta displays. They don't say anything unless they're asked about care. Oh, and they had one of those Finding Dory tank displays out with a Betta in it, gorgeous DTHM boy, half dead with no heater or any decor in it. They took it down, I guess he died.. But that person in Petco just irritated me, if you don't want your two bratty kids crying in a week's time when their poor little fish dies, maybe you should listen to the random helpful stranger trying to prevent that. If you're not prepared to spend at the very least $80 on a setup for a Betta, don't get one, it's very simple. 

I'm turning this into the Rant Thread.. I'll shut up now.


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## RMKelly

I've seen stores try and shove cubes down customer's throats when they've brought a Betta. 

A girl I work with has two MALE bettas in the same, undivided tank...she said it's a big tank and all she had was a filter. She heard me talking about my three with my supervisor and asked why hers weren't doing any good. I asked her why she had two males together and she told me "the guy at the store told me I could keep two together because they're fighting fish and it's what they do." I gave her all the information she needed and what to do if she wanted both fish to stay alive. She didn't tell me the name of the store because she couldn't remember but I suspect I know which one. She said she wanted a "low-maintenance" fish, as in, "sit-and-leave-it"


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## Sadist

There is no pet, even plants, that can just be sit-and-leave-it. Everything needs at least weekly maintenance of some sort!

To be honest, I originally looked at bettas as the same thing because a friend of the family had one in a tiny bowl with half the water evaporated out. I figured they were just super tough. My daughter wanted a pet fish for her birthday. I did the research, though, and found out that an unheated, unfiltered bowl isn't ideal. Our ten gallon has grown a lot in the past two years.

The plant guy at Petsmart likes when I come in. He got excited when they changed their plant display tank. I didn't even know they had one before that because it was tucked in a corner. He had to show me the display tank with all the plants (and pond snails, ha!). When I go there, I always get at least one more plant. Gotta fill in those bare spots!


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## BettaBoy11

Am I the only one who talks loudly to my family whenever I see someone looking at the bettas? Oh, these half-Gallon bowls are so terrible, aren't they..." 

The first time I got a betta, we went to an LFS to see if they had five-Gallon tanks. This was a few years ago, but I believe the conversation went something like this:
"Hi! Do you have five Gallon tanks?"
"Let me look... what fish is it for?"
"A betta"
"Your getting a five Gallon for a BETTA?" He was clearly thinking 'are you crazy?'

Not sure if I posted that before. I don't think so.

There are always piles of dead goldfish in the bottom of the tank in our Petsmart. Ugh.


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