# Betta Fish Awareness Day



## Sivan (Aug 30, 2010)

Hello!

As some of you may know, I have started a betta fish care awareness group on Facebook dedicated to educating people on proper betta care and raising awareness of betta abuse. The group is called Betta Fish Awareness Day. 

There is a planned _actual_ awareness day by the same name scheduled for June 21, 2012 that will be used to try and change harmful and abusive betta practices conducted in pet stores such as PetCo, PetSmart, Walmart, etc., by actively sending mass complaints to these companies by utilizing their company headquarter contact forms, posting horror stories on their FaceBook walls, handing informational Myth VS fact fliers outside their locations, and so forth. Spamming and harassment is not supported by the group, however, but creative methods for awareness are.

This is not the only goal of the group. The main goal is to educate new and old betta owners in order to destroy harmful practices perpetuated by companies, such as the use of less than 1 gallon tanks. Education is the best way to end abuse and when more people become aware of the abuse, the sooner it will stop. Just like with puppy mills, awareness of the problem is the best plan of action for the time being.

If anyone would like to join, please do so! I would also like some critical feedback and suggestions. So far the page has a resource guide for betta care that includes a list of forums (such as this one), ebooks/books/magazines, informational websites, and a PDF on creative ways to entertain your betta. I also have a series of Myth VS Fact "fliers" highlighting popular myths that are harmful to bettas and tackling them with the correct information. 

Any thoughts?


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## Mo (Mar 15, 2012)

I feel like my work is done at my Petco. they love me an enjoy talking with me. They will talk to me about adopting there sick bettas at times and I recently had a discussion with them about betta genetics


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## Sivan (Aug 30, 2010)

Good work, Mo! Unfortunately the headquarters is the larger, harder to combat, problem...especially if still selling harmful tanks/products.


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## Bombalurina (Oct 10, 2011)

I don't know how much good I can do here in Australia, but I've liked it.


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## Sivan (Aug 30, 2010)

Thank you! This is not a country specific group and does not target only companies but people who harm the fish intentionally or unintentionally as well. : )


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## LinkLover (Apr 3, 2012)

I am so glad someone is doing something like this (I already liked it)! I have only been a betta lover for a few weeks now, but as soon as I found out the truth about their care I felt the same way about them as I do about all other animals. Hopefully this will bring attention to the horrible treatment of these amazing creatures. You rock!


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## Wolfboy51 (Oct 12, 2011)

Hey bombalurina i live in australia too. In WA.
(i liked the page aswell)


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## Twilight Storm (Apr 14, 2011)

I know I will probably get a lot of people hating me for saying this, but realistically I doubt the size of their cups will change in the stores to 1 gallon+ containers.... They can be cared for properly in stores in their jars. 

I think what you guys are doing means your hearts are in the right place but contacting corporate maybe with pictures of filthy conditions of their cups (A picture with the store location, date, etc.) would get corporate to come down on managers/employees to take better care of them might have a good effect? Maybe get them to change their care sheets from 1+quart to 1+gallon and stop the company from buying the small novelty aquariums (less then 1 gallon)- which would in turn force the tank companies to stop making them?? Somehow get permission _*from corporate*_ to film their managers- backing up the "quality care" of their bettas by asking the store to test the water in the cups for ammonia etc. and post the results on youtube? (Kind of like betta secret shoppers that pop in and ask for random tests?)- For that idea you DO need permission to film, take pictures, and post them. (You would have to do more research on the legal aspects of pictures and film on private property.) Petsmart at least DOES have a aquarium water care guide, and I am sure corporate *does* take this seriously... (The high school kid who got the job to play with animals may not. <-example!!!!)

- Just ideas anyway. 

As soon as just one person turns into an animal terrorist, that one person can ruin any progress made. (I know you stated clearly you don't condone crazy people.) Just like customer service though, if you are nice, state your problem in detail and are calm and in some cases persistent, you can go pretty far.

Better cup care would be a good thing

Good luck


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## MollyJean (Dec 29, 2009)

It's less about the size of the cups they are kept in at the stores, something that hasn't really been the issue so far and is not likely to change no matter how many people complain, it's more about the care they receive IN the cups; lack of proper water changes and feeding while they are in the store waiting to be bought, that is the problem. Big chain pet stores care for their other fish with regular feedings and proper water conditions, but because of misconceptions about the care of Betta, their water is not changed for days and they are not fed as they should be. Much of the time, they are left in an isle away from other pets and forgotten. The point is to raise awareness about the proper care of betta, and part of that is by contacting corporate pet stores and local betta sellers and telling them what they are doing is wrong, and the betta they sell are suffering for their ignorance. Laws from state to state are all different, and for the most part, it's impossible to take pictures, but that isn't really the point, either. Informing the public on the correct care for betta is one more way of pushing this care on corporations. How many people have we seen come to these forums looking for help and discovered the information from the pet store was all wrong? How many people have changed their outlook on Bettas and how they are treated just through this site? The point of the Facebook page, the awareness day, all of it, is to inform people, and hopefully our passion for Betta will spread with every new betta owners. The more of us, the louder the voice.

The other part is to inform the buying public that those "micro mini betta condo" type tanks, some holding a liter of water or less, are not suitable for a betta. The point of this.. well yes, push the companies into marketing larger tanks. Leaving fliers and reminders, posting on forums like this, or local city to city forums, about the proper care of a betta serves this goal. A betta is traditionally a "Throw away" pet, and the only way to change this is one store, one person, one betta at a time.


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## Sivan (Aug 30, 2010)

Its not so much about the cup treatment as it is the false information and deadly products they sell. Also, while in the UK I saw firsthand how a pet store CAN treat their bettas in proper tanks. Not to mention, I have seen videos of bettas being properly taken care of in MASS numbers, way more than what any store can hold, in Thailand on betta farms. They have much better conditions and tanks, so I do not see why it would be impossible to stop using cups when other places have.

Again, the cups are not necessarily the issue.

Lately I have seen the return of betta vases, a push for tiny, less than a gallon, tanks being sold, and false information being distributed not inly by employees at the store but on the care section of Petco's website as well. A while back, I saw their betta care fliers stating that the fish should be fed sparingly, about 4-6 pellets a week. It also said they should live in small tanks and water changes should take place about once a month. So I believe that fixing these problems is a first step in resolving poor treatment of these animals.

I would also like to state that I am 100% anti-PETA and 100% anti-ALF. I will NOT condone any acts of sabotage, harassment, or threats against pet stores or pet distributors. Education the way to fixing problems. Peaceful, creative, means work well too. Nobody should take out their frustrations on the employees or members of customer service, especially since they have no power over the betta conditions.


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## BeckyFish97 (Apr 9, 2012)

Sivan said:


> Its not so much about the cup treatment as it is the false information and deadly products they sell. Also, while in the UK I saw firsthand how a pet store CAN treat their bettas in proper tanks. Not to mention, I have seen videos of bettas being properly taken care of in MASS numbers, way more than what any store can hold, in Thailand on betta farms. They have much better conditions and tanks, so I do not see why it would be impossible to stop using cups when other places have.
> 
> Again, the cups are not necessarily the issue.
> 
> ...


 
I have to agree here that a lot of pet shops can be very dangerous when distributing false information, I liked it (facebook group), paws for thought (a uk chain) are VERY good at taking care of their fish, they are kept in big, community tanks (with appropriate fish only) and positively spoilt, I wish this was the same for Pets at home (a Very large chain) I see fish in there on a daily basis dying, yes they are in tanks of over 1 gallon, but they still are not revieving the proper care so I will do my best in the UK!


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## Sivan (Aug 30, 2010)

Where in the UK are you? I visited the Preston branch of Pets at Home and was impressed with their care of the bettas. My only complaint is that one was being bullied by tetras and one was dead (he was the only one isolated, so it looks like they were quarantining him).

We need global awareness! Thanks for the support!


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## Twilight Storm (Apr 14, 2011)

*This is long! beware! LOL*

In our area cup care is really *quite bad* which is why I suggested that would be a good first step. I don't really like seeing bettas swimming in slimey goo trails with a tablespoon of poo in their cups while they float on their sides.

I agreed that educating people and corporate on the proper care to change their sheets would also be a nice step, it is very possible to do.

Re-writing their care sheets and submitting them in the same format as their current ones maybe? Perhaps publish them to a website for the community, breeders etc could help edit.? Citing scientific research and well known betta people such as research done by well known members of the IBC maybe? If the research can't be backed up it would probably be discarded. Companies want hard facts, and won't change without them.

Convincing corporate to not sell small tanks, less then 1 gallon, would be the hardest of them all. They are money makers due to the misconceptions of the care sheets. Betta CAN survive in tiny bowls after all, and what everyone raising awareness is trying to change.

I guess my obsession with working with corporate offices might be silly? I was just suggesting it as an idea to start at the top and good things would filter down through the system. It's not a bad idea in my opinion anyway. Maybe not something to do on the dedicated DAY but something that can be worked on through the year?

I wasn't really disagreeing with you guys/gals!

I just disagreed with the whole getting them out of cups into big containers in the stores marketing space in stores is limited. A space that could hold, just say, 6 cups would probably only hold 1 gallon. If a store had 24 betta for sale, that would cut down their stock to 4. 
(Above is just a kind of lame example, but if anyone has worked in retail you prob know the whole cost of shelf space, + shipping cost, etc. + how many money making items can be jammed into X amount of display space.) 

Educating the public both first time, and experienced owners, is super! 

I try to talk to other customers about the pets I am experienced with when I am shopping. I also point them to the internet to research their pets. (For Betta this forum usually, since it is easy to remember. Some people just look at me turn up their nose and think they know it all, or figure that I am not an employee so I don't know jack, but I do what I can.)

Those were just my ideas to help raise awareness to the high ups. Doing this would filter down and be a good thing for everyone. Educating the public needs to be done! - *Making sure corporate is living up to their standards about how their stores should be taking care of their animals is important all year round!*

The last thing is, having worked in retail for years, I found that _*Customers DON'T READ 99% of the time!*_ Passing information by word of mouth may be better then written words. *I bet a lot of people skimmed or didn't bother to read most of what I said in this post just because it's long*, which is also a problem with care sheets, or even pointing people to great websites on the internet. (I have had that problem even on this forum!!!)


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## thekoimaiden (Oct 19, 2011)

This will make an excellent entry in my blog while I finish writing the betta fish care article. And I liked it on facebook. Keep up the good work! 

Bomba, maybe you could share your betta pamphlets with this group?


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## Sheldon31 (Mar 21, 2012)

Twilight Storm said:


> I know I will probably get a lot of people hating me for saying this, but realistically I doubt the size of their cups will change in the stores to 1 gallon+ containers.... They can be cared for properly in stores in their jars. *Pet stores in the UK, where I live, male bettas are kept in half gallon (abouts) filtered and heated tanks! Sometimes they are kept in larger desplay tanks with compatible tank mates such as cory cats and Otos. Females are sold like this as standard. They are well looked after and I find look better than some of the horrible and sickly looking bettas in the cups I see on the net. **Also, even though you can buy those tiny bowls I never see anything below 3 gal being sold in our pet stores. 15ltrs is the smallest they stock in my LFS. **Bettas are not as popular as community fish like tetras etc but they are still farely well informed about the care.*
> 
> I think what you guys are doing means your hearts are in the right place but contacting corporate maybe with pictures of filthy conditions of their cups (A picture with the store location, date, etc.) would get corporate to come down on managers/employees to take better care of them might have a good effect? Maybe get them to change their care sheets from 1+quart to 1+gallon and stop the company from buying the small novelty aquariums (less then 1 gallon)- which would in turn force the tank companies to stop making them?? Somehow get permission _*from corporate*_ to film their managers- backing up the "quality care" of their bettas by asking the store to test the water in the cups for ammonia etc. and post the results on youtube? (Kind of like betta secret shoppers that pop in and ask for random tests?)- For that idea you DO need permission to film, take pictures, and post them. (You would have to do more research on the legal aspects of pictures and film on private property.) Petsmart at least DOES have a aquarium water care guide, and I am sure corporate *does* take this seriously... (The high school kid who got the job to play with animals may not. <-example!!!!)
> 
> ...


I think what you guys are doing is great. I'd love to help. Maybe by showing examples of UK care in stores? The proper tanks and the lack of "betta bowls".


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## BeckyFish97 (Apr 9, 2012)

Sivan said:


> Where in the UK are you? I visited the Preston branch of Pets at Home and was impressed with their care of the bettas. My only complaint is that one was being bullied by tetras and one was dead (he was the only one isolated, so it looks like they were quarantining him).
> 
> We need global awareness! Thanks for the support!


Yorkshire, the thing is some people don't care as long as they make money from it!


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## Sheldon31 (Mar 21, 2012)

Becky our pets at home is currently changing their suppliers and are getting better with their info and care. They have a quarentine tank now which is new. Sometimes I have to point out a dead fish but I guess they can't be there watching all the time. Although, their fish do seem to be stressed when you get them home more than my other LFS and everytime I go there I get a bout of white spot. And their plants are always riddled with snails but the care and info isn't too bad.


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## Sivan (Aug 30, 2010)

thekoimaiden said:


> This will make an excellent entry in my blog while I finish writing the betta fish care article. And I liked it on facebook. Keep up the good work!
> 
> Bomba, maybe you could share your betta pamphlets with this group?


I am honored, thank you! I LOVE your fish blog and have it bookmarked.

Betta pamphlets would be great and helpful for the actual awareness day.

Becky: I spent a lot of time in Yorkshire. Aside from visits with my boyfriend to his mum's and cousin's homes, I spent about a month there around Christmas time. Specifically, I was in Oakworth, Keighly--just a short (uphill) walk to Haworth. Beautiful place. Saw no pet stores though, not that I was looking for them.

Twilight Storm: I feel that your input is very valuable. Have you written any letters of complaint to the store or contacted headquarters? That is a first step to fixing your cup problem. And I agree about getting supporting evidence or else corporations will not listen. What baffles me is my hometown Petco was selling a betta care book by Animal Planet that addresses myths and improper care for bettas, all while IN STORE encouraging people to do those very things! How embarrassing would it be to cite informational books THEY sell as proof of proper care?

I will consider this education for corporations through supported evidence as part of the awareness day. Thank you!


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## Twilight Storm (Apr 14, 2011)

Sheldon I wasn't calling anyone an animal terrorist if ya re-read what you commented on. I was just pointing out the "creative" thinking of some people might just turn into tossing a tank of dead bettas/red paint on someone to prove a point... (or blow up a building) for example... THAT is animal terrorism.  Some of the larger animal animal activist groups that may or may not have been named earlier in this thread do such things.

I call people who do such things crazy


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## Bombalurina (Oct 10, 2011)

I agree with Sheldon on the cups issue. We don't have those here and I was shocked and horrified when I first saw them. 
I also think it's awful that department stores like Walmart are allowed to sell living creatures.


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## Sheldon31 (Mar 21, 2012)

Walmart horrified me! Do you just pick up a cup with a fish and take it to the checkout like you would with a microwave meal? Scary! Is there no questions asked at all? Like when I go to pets at home I am asked a series of questions that are written down on my receipt like what size is my tank, how long its been running, if there is any other fish in there and when the tank was last stocked. They also check you have a heater before they will sell you tropical fish. Their goldfish care is slacking compared to tropical fish. I think it's because goldfish are £1.29 and they do do 2 for £2 offers and stuff while a betta is £4.99 for a male. (they will not under any circumstances sell you 2 at the same time even if you swear down blind that you have 2 tanks) Females are £3.99. 

Don't worry TwilightStorm I wasn't calling you out on it or anything lol. I know you weren't accusing anyone of anything. I think we've got our wires crossed. It's hard on the net where it's just words and no body language etc. Sorry if I came across wrong.


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## Sivan (Aug 30, 2010)

Yes, the sad truth is you just pick up a fish, place him in your basket and move on. Nobody checks to make sure you have the right equipment unless you ask, in which case you get directed to the "betta tanks" which are all under a gallon. Oh, and, I just saw a revival in the horrid betta vases in my Walmart. Absolutely terrible.


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## Sheldon31 (Mar 21, 2012)

<<Insert completely shocked and horrified face!


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## Sivan (Aug 30, 2010)

Yeah. Personally, I would prefer if they didn't sell ANY animals at all. There is no need or place for it in a store like that. The goldfish are almost always kept in the tanks with long-dead fish, have diseases, and the clerks will just scoop them out and hand them to you in a baggy to ring up at the cash register.


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## Betta16 (Mar 13, 2012)

As a person that works for a chain, I have bin working on trying to get the Cups out and 1/2 gal Barracks put in, Iv even invested my own money into looking at how to do this. If you want this typ of change you need to show new ideas and show other places that have put said ideas or better one into use. if you want a big company to lisssen to you talk about how the low cost could put them ahead of the others in the market and how a bigger viewing window from the 1/2Gal would sell more fish. Ideas are heard complant are mean nothing with out wel thout out ideas. try being a voice of reson. an note a nagging blow hard like Peta (sorry but peta has a horried track recorder out here). Ill like your page glad to see poeple working at this.


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## BeckyFish97 (Apr 9, 2012)

Sivan:
Thats not far from me!Lol if you want OHM white fish and you're passing in a couple of months (lol after my boy and girl arrive on the 5th I will be breeding them!) then let me know and I might have one or two for you 
Sheldon:That sounds like they're finally realising that the things they sell are actually living animals lol!


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## Sivan (Aug 30, 2010)

Becky: Not only do I LOVE OHM and have always wanted a solid, strong, white one, but I'd love knowing mine came from a reputable person who takes good care of betta fish! That being said.... unfortunately, I am no longer in England, or the UK for that matter. I have returned to the United States and will not be able to take a beautiful betta from you.  I do hope you will find a good home for them though!


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## Sivan (Aug 30, 2010)

Betta16 said:


> As a person that works for a chain, I have bin working on trying to get the Cups out and 1/2 gal Barracks put in, Iv even invested my own money into looking at how to do this. If you want this typ of change you need to show new ideas and show other places that have put said ideas or better one into use. if you want a big company to lisssen to you talk about how the low cost could put them ahead of the others in the market and how a bigger viewing window from the 1/2Gal would sell more fish. Ideas are heard complant are mean nothing with out wel thout out ideas. try being a voice of reson. an note a nagging blow hard like Peta (sorry but peta has a horried track recorder out here). Ill like your page glad to see poeple working at this.


I would give you pictures but unfortunately I am no longer in the UK and have not seen store set ups over here that are good. Sheldon, can you take pictures of proper set ups in pet stores?


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## Pitluvs (Jun 22, 2011)

Our pet store has a Betta wall, a wall with 0.33g tank, about 48 of them. They are not heated and not cleaned as often as they should be but they are better than cups. I have personally only bought 1 betta from a cup, and that's because he wasn't put in the tanks yet. But my store still promotes small tanks, no heaters needed, bloodworms are fine blah blah blah. I've actually officially sworn off buying anything from there and plan to email corp tomorrow. Found out tonight that the reason we only have blue and red VTs is because all the workers take home the nice Bettas when they arrive in shipment 

Oh and our WalMart stopped selling Bettas in 2004, I bought the last one


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## Sivan (Aug 30, 2010)

Glad to hear you're contacting them, Pitluvs. Be gentle, they are on their way to better care. Education is the best way to go. If they are shown facts I am sure they will listen!


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## BeckyFish97 (Apr 9, 2012)

Sivan:Maybe I can ship to you instead lol (when I get round to breeding them!)


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## Sheldon31 (Mar 21, 2012)

The next time I am at my lfs which is hopefully Wednesday I will try and take a pic or 2. They might not like me doing it so I can't guerentee anything but will sneak some on m phone or something if they do complain.


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## Sivan (Aug 30, 2010)

Becky: Haha. That's okay, it costs a leg and an arm and a kidney to ship animals internationally. I do appreciate it though!

Sheldon: Sounds excellent! I will add it to the photo album I just made on the FB page called How Betta in Stores COULD Be Kept. It has a handful of pictures I found around the web, most from Thailand though. I would be nice to show people that Thailand isn't the only place that can do it properly, that England can as well!


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## Bombalurina (Oct 10, 2011)

I'll see if I can get a snap from some shops around here. All but the most dodgy ones do it pretty well.  Shame the best one has closed down.


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## Sivan (Aug 30, 2010)

That would be great! Thanks!


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