# Ever wonder how Petsmart does water changes for the Bettas?



## PNP (Mar 30, 2013)

Well, I did, and now I almost wish I didn't know.

I stopped in today to get a water test kit, and of course, I had to go by the bettas. One of the employees was taking each betta cup, turning it upside down over a bucket to drain the old water :shock: and then dunking the cup into a second bucket to get new water. :shock::evil:

The fish looked positively shell shocked. No wonder their fins look ratty if they've been there for a while. I'm still sort of boggled about it.

Poor fishes. :-(


----------



## registereduser (Jul 30, 2010)

Ay "my" Petco they put a net over a plastic container, dump the fish into the net and the dirty water goes into the container. Then the fish goes into a new cup of water. Dirty water is dumped and the next fish is up at bat.

Unfortunately it doesn't happen often enough. :-?


----------



## Briz (Mar 22, 2013)

It depends on the location, what facilities they have, and the employees. Sometimes they are expected to do too many tasks in a day so they have to do things quickly rather than ideally in order to be able to fit in water changes at all. Other times they simply may not care, but the manager would probably not promote of such rough behavior as it does ruin the fish that they want to sell for its beauty.


----------



## Xeek (Sep 28, 2012)

I'm missing something, are they dumping the fish into the bucket? They would have to be doing that if you said they are turning the cup upside down. Where is the fish during all this?


----------



## Myates (Aug 2, 2011)

Petco employees are only allowed to change the betta cups once a week, and feed once a week - feed one day, the next they change the water. They are not allowed to do any more.
This is quick/efficient way to change the water.. it's not fun nor a good way, and each employee may do it differently. But the water they use tends to be the same temp/warm so it's the out of water for a moment that gets them confuzzled. Most of mine are left in a cup with no water at times when I'm changing them out. Just depends on the person.. usually they bounce back fine if they are healthy.


----------



## PNP (Mar 30, 2013)

He was turning the betta cup upside down so it drained through the hole in the lid, and then flipping it over and dunking it into the second bucket so water would run in. The poor fish were getting tossed and turned. It was unpleasant to watch, and the fish that were done were just terrified. Granted, it only took a few seconds per cup, but I just couldn't believe what he was doing.


----------



## kyle89 (Mar 1, 2013)

I always assumed they didn't change the water the way some of the cups look. Its unfortunate that we see a gorgeous Betta that is a living creature like all of us but all the big box stores see is dollar signs


----------



## jadaBlu (Feb 14, 2013)

I made a Petco employee change water for a fish I eventually bought from them. They put him in the clear container by the sink with the dirty water filled the cup with new water netted him and put him back in. Most of the methods described would spread disease.


----------



## Starfish1 (Dec 9, 2012)

Myates said:


> Petco employees are only allowed to change the betta cups once a week, and feed once a week - feed one day, the next they change the water. They are not allowed to do any more.
> This is quick/efficient way to change the water.. it's not fun nor a good way, and each employee may do it differently. But the water they use tends to be the same temp/warm so it's the out of water for a moment that gets them confuzzled. Most of mine are left in a cup with no water at times when I'm changing them out. Just depends on the person.. usually they bounce back fine if they are healthy.


I'm confused. Most of your bettas are in cups with no water when you're changing them? Am I reading this wrong?


----------



## SwayLocks (Sep 5, 2011)

You should have told that employee that their stupid


----------



## registereduser (Jul 30, 2010)

SwayLocks said:


> You should have told that employee that their stupid


they're


----------



## Myates (Aug 2, 2011)

I do agree 100% flipping them around in the cup was wrong and the way it was done is not ideal.



Starfish1 said:


> I'm confused. Most of your bettas are in cups with no water when you're changing them? Am I reading this wrong?


For a moment some will be in a cup with no water - when moving a fish from medicated water after being in with a male/female I will sometimes cup them, gently pour out the water from the cup and then gently place them into their homes (without medication). They are out of water for only a few seconds and usually are calm during that time - I don't flip the cup or even straighten it up completely during the transition. I use the cup rather than the net to avoid fin damage - even my females get split fins when a net is used, so I forgo it for the cup method. My fish are safe and healthy. 
Sorry for the confusion lol.. I don't leave them in no water during a whole water change lol  

So I don't condone the fish being out of water for a very short time, I do condone flipping them around and possibly injuring them in an empty cup such as what the employee did.


----------



## NeptunesMom (May 4, 2012)

I've never seen water changed that way at my PetSmart. I've only seen them moved to a new cup. I would think that would get water all over the cup and then you would have to take the time to dry off the cup, defeating the "speediness" of that water change.


----------



## OrangeAugust (Jul 23, 2012)

I'm not sure how they do it at my Petsmart. I did see an employee changing the betta water, but I only saw the part where she put the water back in. I didn't see if she was dumping it out through the lid with the fish in it. She was over at their plant tank changing their water there, and it did look like the lids were open, so I don't think she was dumping like you described.
Their bettas are always in good shape, though. I have never seen males in poor condition, but I have only seen a couple of females in bad shape.


----------



## Starfish1 (Dec 9, 2012)

PNP, why don't you speak with the store manager and let them know what is going on? I'm wondering if maybe they aren't aware of how the water is being changed. I wonder if the employees were just being too lazy to take the lids off?
Not that the net is much better but at least the fish aren't being smacked around in the cup...


----------



## PNP (Mar 30, 2013)

I'm in that Petsmart fairly frequently, so I've been thinking of doing just that. They get worried enough when the cup is moved with water in it. To see them flipped over when there was no water to cushion them even a little bit was a bit of a shock. And I don't imagine that having water pouring in on them from the top was much better. 

When I do a water change for Jazz, I scoop him up in his original cup and put the lid on. He gets upset enough to be back in the cup with water. I can't imagine how those poor fishies I saw must be feeling.


----------



## Starfish1 (Dec 9, 2012)

Yeah, it's cruel to treat them like that. I do the same thing scooping into the cup and I always feel bad because they hate being in the cup while I'm cleaning. 

Let us know what they say, I bet you can really help those fish if you say something!


----------



## Blue Fish (Jun 11, 2012)

I agree, that's rough on the fish. But...I'd rather them have clean water and be a bit shocked by it than being poisoned by the high ammonia that builds up SOOO fast in those little cups.


----------



## Blue Fish (Jun 11, 2012)

As for those people who are cupping their bettas, mine actually seem to prefer to be picked up in my hands. It's easier for them, their fins don't get caught on the edges of the cup, they're easier to catch, and especially when I scoop up a little water with them, they just seem very much less stressed. 
It may not work for everybody, but you might want to try it next time.


----------



## Vier (Feb 1, 2012)

For me, I fill up a bucket with room temp water (to not temp shock the bettas), pour the betta out into a small soft net, rinse cup- wipe if there is algae and refill with water. Toss betta back in.

Repeat for the next few bettas. I remember spending over 5 hours working on them once. Theres just no time to do them, especially if theres 100 fish to do and customers to help.


----------



## Starfish1 (Dec 9, 2012)

Blue Fish said:


> As for those people who are cupping their bettas, mine actually seem to prefer to be picked up in my hands. It's easier for them, their fins don't get caught on the edges of the cup, they're easier to catch, and especially when I scoop up a little water with them, they just seem very much less stressed.
> It may not work for everybody, but you might want to try it next time.


Just be careful you don't drop the betta because I've done this and had one flop right out of my hands! 

Also make sure the cup has a lid because I've had a betta jump out of his cup while I was cleaning. He was just sitting on the table waiting for me and scared me so bad! He was ok though thankfully.


----------

