When speaking with floor manager, insert: >> I was just at your betta display again and noticed a few more dying bettas. I returned again today thinking I should save them but didn't want to be a part of the problem that perpetuates this practice of selling sick fish. I am sincerely concerned that these sick and dying fish will die and needed to bring this to your attention immediately. Therefore, I request to file a formal complaint at this time. I will return again the near future and if there continue to be sick or dying bettas for sale, I will file a formal complaint with the Better Business Bureau on behalf of the local betta keeping community in this city.
That's a good one, I should use that one. I know I'll get a reply like "who's gonna save space in the house?" Or it's already so hot and humid in here we don't need to turn the heat on anymore
It irks me too. It isn’t right how these places treat fish, but at the same time the potential heros don’t realize that when they buy them all these big corporations order double.
I saved many many bettas over the years. Healed them and rehomed them. I would get them for free all the time. But I also made a point to complain to the managers and contacting the company to complain. I would continually return to the stores to look for improvements and continue to complain until I would see improvements on their betta care. It works when you complain enough! So my suggestion, complain to the managers and contact the companies online, providing pictures of the sick bettas. In my experience, they will make changes.
@@galadrielwoods2332 A friend of mine worked at Petco and lasted two months. She said more bettas died on the truck than the ones they got to stock on the shelves when there were already bettas who had been there for three or four months. A third-party vendor stocks them and people at the corporate level couldn't care less about anything other than sales. Alexander is not wrong. Petco and PetSmart counts on "pity purchases" to pay their CEOs the obscene salaries they receive.
@@galadrielwoods2332He is talking about people who buy dying fish, not necessarily those who get them for free like the person above in the comments. He's correct: buying sick fish so you can make a RUclips video and get views is NOT helpful, it's an incentive for big box Stores to buy more fish that will be poorly taken care of.
@@quack-head0 Life isn’t perfect. I’ve also paid to get dogs and cats away from garbage people. It varies store to store depending on the employees whether they will give a betta for free or heavily discounted. The ones near me will not. They also threaten to bring them to the back when I point out the ones in need. They say “we can’t sell you sick animals. We’ll take them to the back”. Sick sacks of shit. I don’t say anything anymore. Many stores have employees that have a soul and they do the right thing. It just depends on the store and the people working there. I see in the aquarium world that people look at fish as replaceable products. I do not see them that way because they are not a t-shirt. They are little beings that deserve good lives. If that means I sacrifice replaceable money for an irreplaceable being to have a good life experience then I will do it. Never stop advocating for laws to be changed. It is the right path. Advocating for what is effectively the genocide of bettas is wrong on every level.
This conversation still needs to be had. Thank you, Alex for adding your thoughts to the pre-existing dialogue. You are completely right that this is not helping the Bettas at all. Stores are profiting from these people that, while they may have the best of intentions, are just perpetuating the cycle of abuse and neglect of these fish, as these fish will be replaced with other fish. Analogous examples to this include buying other species of animals from big box stores, (i.e. snakes, rodents, puppies, etc.) who are bred in mills that churn out a product at the deficit of the overall health of the animals and their parents, and the free kittens" epidemic, which result in kittens with no prior veterinary care provided, and their parents remaining untreated medically and/or altered. The bottom line is this. Please rescue an animal from a reputable organization or through a rehoming service, regardless of the species, as we have an overabundance of animals displaced, abused and neglected; especially since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. They would be truly indebted that someone takes them in and cares for their wellbeing. Those are the animals that REALLY need to be rescued. If rescue is not your style, please go through a reputable breeder with ethical protocol. This applies to any and all animals, even Bettas and other fish.
THANK YOU! I work in a pet store (we have proper aquariums for our bettas), and every time I see the title of this videos, this is what I'm thinking. You will never ever "save" any type of pet by buying them from a store. You just show the store that someone is buying them. I've managed to get our store to stop selling fancy goldfish, simply because it's always the wrong people buying them (it's still possible for customers to place an order on them though). However, it was difficult for me to get this to happen, just because this "But we're getting money from them... People buy them!". I'm sure it's better for the fish if people don't buy these on impulse. Getting a pet of any kind should always be well thought of from the beginning.
You rock. "Feeder fish, goldfish , and fancy goldfish" health, quality and conditions are disgusting across most my region. They are a very specialized fish and people don't have any idea about their needs. Thank you for making a difference!
@@Fishtory I really do my best ♥ When our store opened, we had a "start setup" with fish that were common to keep in stores and that "should be good for us"... Well. Many fish were too big for 90% of our customers aquariums, or too difficult, or too unhealthy. Now there's just one of those "bad" fish left, all the others we have changed to small, pretty community fish that goes well into 99% of our customers aquariums. Happy fish, happy customers and everybody wins.
I am very glad you made this video. The typical "bEtTa sAvErS" are the same arrogant and rude fishkeepers who make new hobbyists feel shamed or ignorant, argument in comments, and just have to put their righteous opinion in everything. The Karen's of the hobby, if you will.
I went to a "local, trusted" shop and they had a giant tank loaded with female bettas and the salesperson went to into great detail about how easy it is to throw a bunch of girl bettas in the same tank and have a fun sorority as if they'll have parties and sleepovers instead of trying to constantly kill each other in the little, unplanted tank that some unsuspecting fool will put them in. I completely agree that Petco and PetSmart are horrible but greed pops up everywhere so please call out the "reputable" guys if they're doing the wrong thing too.
If people want to save the bettas from the big box stores... Here's an option from someone who has worked for both.. granted it's been a wile but .. the worse thing you can do is buy them... If you buy them there only gonna order a few more the next time... You should complain to the manager about how horrible they look and then make a yelp type review then email corporate about the conditions and your store number.. corporate will come down on them after only a few complaints.. and keep complaining until things change... You might even get some store credit out of the deal win win for everyone
There's this big chain of pet stores here in Brazil called Cobasi, Just recently I went there out of curiosity and their betta section was just incredible, bettas shared a big horizontal tank with divisions between them, and the wall behind them had openings that led to another part of the tank where the pumps and filters circulated the warm water for them, I was so impressed that a big chain would take such good care of their animals.
I saw a creator do that with a couple of goldfish. He went to the store, saw the fish checking out and got them for free. Unfortunately, only one survived, but he was clear, and like you, he said, "do not buy these fish from these stores. If you see they are in bad shape, ask for them. You might get them for free"
Smh, box stores treat aquarium fish like food stores treat food... tossed out bc of expiration dates... or a blemish... not right. I have to say my box pet store employees all keep fish, I know I can ask them questions and we look things up on the web almost every time ve been there. So glad they have some solid knowledge 🙌🏻
I’m in a facebook beginner aquariums group because I’d like to work at a pet or aquarium store eventually, and sometimes people post or comment about “saving” their betta. I once commented as tactfully as I could but shared how much better treated and how much MORE BEAUTIFUL all the bettas were at one local fish shop, and they only priced their bettas at $20, which is not as expensive as half of the most expensive bettas sold at Petco, and that in my opinion “saving” a betta would be more like adopting one from a college student who does not plan to move their fish cross country when they graduate and return home.
I laughed out loud when I saw the subject-- as I 'sit on myself' whenever the FB pages I populate high lites such virtue signally. I mean I have to sit on my hands in order not to be a jerk about it. But as usual you nailed it-- enabling a giant corporation to never change it ways is not a plan. I also appreciate you fortified one of my preachings- Bettas really do not need 20 gallons of water. My get 9 gallons each and it sometimes seems too spacious compared to how they have been raised. These righteous movements make me nuts- Big hearts driven by innocent unaware brains. Bless their hearts.
exactly right. I keep hens, (as well as fish); but I won't buy old battery hens, to 'rescue' them; it just allows the battery farming to continue. Best way is keep your own healthy, carefully raised, hens and they won't get your egg buying business.
I'm in the boonies in a right to farm town, I've seen people go to the auctions to save the goats, save this or that, save the chickens smh. Give your money to the responsible people raising their stock with respect and care. Same goes with the fish people
I wanted to rescue a betta but didn't want to pay petco or PetSmart and give them a thumb up for keeping them in cups. So what I did is I spent a couple months looking thru Craigslist and marketplace to see if someone had one needing rehoming. Just got my betta a couple weeks ago from a uni student moving out of town after graduation. The fish was free but I had to buy the 5 gallon tank it came with. Betta fish is now in a 39 gallon aquarium with a couple of ghost shrimps and some corys. I plan to repurpose the 5 gallon as a hospital tank just in case.
OT Pretty butt lady accounts commenting.. You've made it man. Congrats! Also, pushing for law changes is really the way. Sweden has a minimum requirement of 40l for fish, as-well as otherwise suitable conditions for any fishkeeping. I've never seen a sick Betta in a store.
I have stopped keeping bettas entirely because the last few I had ended up with genetic health issues, and that sucked ☹️ paradise fish are a lot more my style these days.
To be fair, every time I see a Beta in a cup at a store or a Goldfish in a cup of 90 degree water at the county fair, I feel like rescuing the poor thing. I simply don't have space to rescue a bunch of fish.
Just write them a mail, send photos to the press and your politicians that this practise has to end. This is a way better way to handle it than to buy them as as mentioned in the video, this will only show the store that they can earn money off of selling bettas
I recently bought a small fin galaxy koi beta so beutiful, but i was so anxious and almost had to walk outside to throw up. I felt so bad leaving the others to waste away. I think ill probably try to find some local breeders next time, but its hard in the small town I live in.
Even local pet stores over here dont really care about the well being of animals, especially fishes. First is to make money. If you ask advice, they will always give advice to sell you something soon or instantly. I also don't believe in stuff to add to your water for being able to introduce fishes earlier. It's a patience game, aquarium hobby. And I think we all made the same mistakes in the beginning. And after years of experience we know that you can cut some corners when you know what your doing.. but will never advice other people to cut these corners. Stores do. Cause they need to make money first. Personally I can recommend Betta smaragdina as a good starter betta. They're still wildshape, beautiful colors. But more importantly the strongest betta I have held. They breed easily, can take shifting water conditions very good and they seem to be a little less agressive.
Uh oh lol, I said I saved my sons beta, too. 😅 my son wanted his black Betta. Sorry Alex 😅 I'm listening. The problem is, the bettas are so prevalent and worldwide we see them in the smallest cups with no real knowledge on them. I have to say, mine is in a 5 gallon glass tank, I used oak leaves from outside, I'm laughing bc he has a bunch of real aquatic plants but I made DIY hammock just to see if he'd rest on it, but nope. He has a heater too. I made my son research here in RUclips before I allowed him to puck one. Due diligence! He also knows there's a type of wild beta losing it's habit and he was so angry about it and asked why people would do that. He loves his Black Eyed Jack and wanted to do his tank THE RIGHT WAY. ❤ I seriously wish we had a great fish store near us that wasn't hours away 😫 I envy you. We set up a 5 gallon and a 29 gallon planted tanks. At least I'm not rescuing sick fish and have been researching for 4 years on how to on planting tanks and nano fish. Thank you for your knowledge too, I have a great bunch of people I watch and trust bc of their common sense. Btw, I don't tik tok lol, I was like WOW!
If you ever going to buy more aquariums or more fish, try to see if there's anyone selling fish private close to you! There might be some serious breeders close to you, or someone who have getting tired of fish keeping and just wants to get rid of all their fish. In that way you could either help serious breeders, or save fish from someone who's not wanting them, and get fish without having to deal with bad pet stores.
If anyone wanted to "save" betta by making a video, they wouldnt advertise Petsmart/Co/barn/market, or even show betta on camera. We could start the next "licking ice cream and putting it back" viral crime spree, but instead its inflating demand for inbred fish 🤷
It's the same where I live. It's actually illegal to keep Bettas in cups here, so IF a store would have them like that, it would be an easy deal to report them and they would have to stop selling fish. Also, no one sell fish in supermarkets here. There's so much things required to be allowed to sell fish, so only pet stores do it. (You need to have proper aquariums for the fish, a lot of document showing how the fish are taken care of, the staff need specific education about fish keeping and so on)
Wow. I'm writing this after watching the video and reading all of the comments. Will admit to not seeing the "save the betta" videos. At first I thought this was going to be a rant about keeping bettas in tiny tanks, like Fish For Thought. What i DO know is that most people will not pay good money for a properly cared for fish!! Bettas are an introduction-to-the-hobby fish and are often impulsively bought. Communicate to the manager that youre buying to rescue the fish to a larger and more natural, healthier setup and that you think the store should sell them that way. Pet chains have their place but their husbandry practices need to change. Indeed, write your elected officials. Sadly, two of the six bettas ive owned over the years died shortly after paying top dollar at my local fish store and bringjng them home. Why? One had a tumor and the second recently died of having been fed too many dry pellets by me and the store and died of swim bladder despite my last minute efforts to rid constipation. So the opposite can be true too: your local LFS may provide larger jars or tank plus plants but feed incorrectly. I loved and miss my betta and will eventually get another. My pet chain Bettas actually lived longer lives than the LFS ones! Boycotting a pet chain store isnt going to stop them from selling them in cups. New laws will. Please write to your elected officials. I will.
Sure if laws get it done faster, then great. Most state's laws exclude fish from animal cruelty sadly ... in Canada and EU changing the law would be more likely to occur. Watch my video on the 5 most common mutations or traits, bred into the fish in our hobby. Bettas and goldfish are the worst impacted species by far. Long fins, short bodies, inbred for color extremes... it all causes issues and cancer is the most common way for most large Finned bettas to die. They live 3 to 5 years in the wild and fancy lines live 1.5 in captivity. But plakat and wild lines can live long and healthy lives! I also have a whole deep dive on bettas being domesticated and what it did genetically, behaviorally and visually to the fish
I saw a clamped up betta in a small, privately owned fish store near my house. I grabbed the cup, told the clerk I was rescuing it and that if she wanted to call the cops on me for theft, she could. The story doesn't have a happy ending. The little guy was too far gone. But, I regret nothing.
Yeah buying natural things always seemed sinister I always goto a local river, lake, even beach for my drift woodand leaves lol I seen them go for as much as $100
It sounds patronizing when people claim they "saved" a fish. Top 3 most notorious groups: Bettas Axlotles Pea puffers All the gateway species where everyone else is wrong lol
Alex. I desperately need your help. You once said not guaranteed for liability reasons, but you said it’s a possibility that sea chem’s excel could kill my Val. so my question is can I use tiny amounts of flourish sea chem with no risk to all of my vowel, or any other plants or shrimp or fish dying? EVERYONE CLICK LIKE FOR EVERY VIDEO ALEX DOES & look for his videos by going to his channel, even when you’re subscribed. The algorithm is screwy. Keep up the good work you’re a lifesaver. You’re the world’s greatest Fish RUclipsr.
There is an amount you can use... but it's different for every tank and Val strain. Basically you start with a few drops and each day increase that dosing until you see the damage to val. But it shouldn't kill your shrimp unless in very high doses above the recommendation on the bottle. I hope that helps, if not just ask me another question hehe. Thank you for your support and kind words my friend
Damn right. Pretty much the same shit as people who rescue/adopt dogs from irresponsible breeders. They just gave the irresponsible breeder money and practically ensured they continue.
I just started working at a Petco (I know) but this one is pretty good and a lot of them are doing better. They put up signage on tank requirements and we are allowed to ask questions and refuse sales and I think they remove the bettas that don't sell like the first day from the cups and put them in tanks.
Way to go! But what you're saying is that people working in other stores aren't allowed to ask customers questions about their aquariums? Am I right? If so, that's insane! That's not only making customers feel more happy about customer service (they like when the staff is caring), but also give a good chance for selling more things. I can't even count how many times I've asked people about their aquariums, ended up selling them a few plants and more of a fish they weren't thinking about getting in the first place. Just because they've got to know that it's better for them. Like when they have just a one fake plant and one tetra, and wants maybe two more tetras. If they buy plants and maybe 5-6 tetras, everyone will be happier. But I wouldn't know if I didn't ask questions! Also, the customers will be happier and the store will get a better reputation and more customers if we recommend the proper fish to every aquarium. If we sell big fish to a 5 gallon aquarium, everyone will just see us as a bad store and the serious fish keepers, who buys a lot of fish, won't even come to our store. Please tell your boss this!
I keep a top on my betta tank because I know they are prone to jumping I’ve heard, but I have six tanks of fancy guppies and endlers and I love being able to look down from above them and watch them eat and swim and play but I have lost one of them somehow and it’s probably jumped out and I’m thinking about lids but I’m of the opinion that it’s better without a lid and the lights are more effective, how far down do I need to keep the water down to prevent loss of fish ? and I’m also thinking of using polycarbonate around the edges two inches? So I can still see them on just use polycarbonate on all or buy expensive glass lids? I’m heartbroken and could use a tip from a more experienced fish keeper, please?
if i get another betta it will be one that looks like the wild ones, not all these hybrid concoctions - they always pass away from some weird BS randomly due to bad genes. Just like your other video about mutatoins was talking about. I do think they mostly are cruelty
Oh, one question: how much do a Betta cost in the US? (including tax and all that). Where I live, it's normally about the equivalent to 10-15 USD for a cheap one. The more expensive goes for the equivalent as 20-30 USD.
Woah are they that expensive now? When I started fishkeeping 15 years ago they were about £3 - £5 for the regular coloured ones and 10-15 for the rarer colours / patterns.
I think why betta specialist are a little more abrasive is for the simple fact that betta fish are just so simple to take care of compared to other fish and require such minimal care that it almost feels offensive because 15 seconds of research probably would have told them what they were looking for -Betta owner
I dont feel like bettas are any easier than other fish to take care of? They're the same as any average tropical fish, or more work really. There are fish that are much harder to take care of but I wouldn't say bettas are the easiest. They're quite specialized in that you can't put them with many other fish, so they can't go in a community tank like most schooling fish can. You have to set up their own little tank... extra work. I don't have a betta right now because it means a whole other tank that I'd have to look after. My barbs and danios are easier imo. Bettas are also much harder to breed if fish breeding is something someone wants to try.
You have a valid point about any community fish that doesn't mind 68- 80 degrees or so. But wild bettas are simple to care for. The fancy types get more difficult by far though
I work at petsmart and do the water changes and feeding for the betta. What is something I can do to help this? They won't let me add plants, I've already been through that argument with my store manager and DM.
Water changes daily is the best thing honestly. Also....they won't like it, but dim lights and a piece of torn leaf...just a silver dollar sized piece of almond leaf...those 3 things would likely extend their life and survival 150% I bet. Feed at night, water change in morning or reverse...so they have a good 12 hours of clean water. Also don't leave the methalyne blue that ships in some cups, it'll irritate their gills and kill good bacteria on their slime coat...which is like out immune systems or out sinus lining almost. THANK YOU, for caring. It makes a huuuge difference if just those things are done ...Even just the fresh water top off thing...so many are sitting in their own waste and bacterial stew. You are the difference we need to see!
Supply chain management is so important. But Dan's fish continues to import cory's from Israel and I'm not going to support that right now. Nestle and Ferrero have child labor and slavery so I no longer get my chocolate from them. As a federal Contracting Officer I recommend everyone to know where their money is going and where they get their products and services from. So many things in our control that we can actually do. Maybe you could do a whole series on other scams/scammers (especially on socials). THX
It's hard to track in this hobby since the supply always is evolving. But compiling a list of what is made or bred where would be epic. I'd love to see that ,/ would assist, but don't have time on my own, sadly
The only time I've done anything similar was buying a male betta from a chain store that was marked down to almost free because it was only 1/2 grown. At the time I didn't know how much transport in those conditions before they're grown would affect how long he lives and other possible issues, but I'm still happy with him and I don't blame the chain at least for that mistake.
I still keep an eye out for incorrectly named/sorted color morphs, I can't lie. But I only shop at the 2 in the Seattle area out of 11 big box stores, that treat the fish well.
Ive got another question.. i rescued some fish yesterday, 4 larger type tetras, 3 glofish, and 4 bristlenose plecos, the glofish and the plecos were being kept together in a 5gal with 1 baby guppy, so im sure there was ALOT more guppies in there recently. Anyways.. my substrate is 1in of dirt and 2in of sand, about every 1/2in there is a sprikling of filter carbon stones and small rocks, and ontop there is a sprinkling of small rocks, a large piece of driftwood larger rocks and plants. Problem is, the biggest pleco, about 3in, has started digging through the substrate and kicking it up everywhere, shes digging up my plants and creating deep tunnels under the driftwood. Why is she doing it? Is she unhappy? Shes in a 27gal now which is a huge upgrade from an overstocked 5gal. How do i get her to stop doing it before i need to tear down the tank andrestart? How can i fix the damage to the lasagna?
Thank you for doing so ! Oooo yeah sometimes plecos are tough. I get them ceramic caves, and half bury the entrance, then as a game they'll uncover the rest and go inside for a while. If they're alone the digging is common, if they have other plecos, it becomes a game to see who gets the cave / caves... and that really helps sometimes. You can even buy ceramic water spikes (for slowly watering potted plants) ... usually 4 to 8 in a pack for a few dollars each to use as a terracotta cave
@Fishtory maybe I will just carefully add some thick drifts of sand. I got a 55gal along with the 5gal, which only had 2 fish in it, weird that they had the 5gal so overstocked and the 55 so understocked.. but I'm building a stand then switching the big females into the bigger tank. A few hides with 1 buried entrance is perfect because it will hopefully keep the bettas from swimming through a tunnel full of bristlenose, which is also turning out to be an issue. Right now they have a large driftwood knot with a natural made tunnel through the wood that turns into a handy cave at the bottom with an escape entrance. Online it says plecos are a good match for bettas but I'm sure now that bristlenose are not on that list! They may just be having fun finally being able to dig around, they were used to only gravel in the tank they were in and I don't think they know what veggies or pleco pucks are either so I'm very grateful for that driftwood. They seem to be making it into home base.
Hey Alex, I finally got my tank and cabinet. I'm just waiting to get a hand with the cabinet assembly and I am going to setup my substrate and hardscape! Going to have to save up a little more before I can buy all the plants, though. I just wanted to ask your recommendation for low-maintenance, low-med light plants that grow tall but not wide. Im doing an asymmetrical scape and I want something I can tuck in the back corner behind all of my eucalyptus roots.
I go in to my LFS the morning they get their fish. My current betta never made it into a display. He went from his shipment bag to a new bag of water to my tank. I spent half an hour looking through the baby bettas to find him and even offered to help distribute the boys to their tanks.
"Save" it's so nauseating when they say that. Did you crawl under red lazers,kicked the a door down and untie the fish from a chair and make a courageous escape to freedom? SHAAATAP. You BOUGHT a fish. .that's what you did. ..You gave them money and then they buy more fish.
I'm so suspicious of those videos... Believe it or not PetSmart use to always spend 100s of dollars at the vet for sick hamsters. And I mean like every shipment . I've seen them even take some Oscars and bigger ciclids to vet... And half the time end up adopting the animals out for free if they don't look perfect once there healthy... Petco... Just put them in the back did have vet grade meds they gave them and hoped for the best.... But not once in 3 stores did they ever throw out a single live fish even if they knew he would die they would wait till he was dead and color started to turn milky before they tossed it in a bag with no water tied it then trashed it in a normal trash bag . Unlike all these people show ..
Advocate for laws to be changed so that fish are treated properly instead of accepting they have no protections and instead advocate for their deaths. Disgusting and unacceptable.
You can do both. But I still stand by the fact that betta shouldn't be purchased from anywhere that mistreats them. If you can offer to take home sick fish for free, great! But buying even one, pays for dozens more
@@Fishtory Life isn’t perfect. I’ve also paid to get dogs and cats away from garbage people. It varies store to store depending on the employees whether they will give a betta for free or heavily discounted. The ones near me will not. They also threaten to bring them to the back when I point out the ones in need. They say “we can’t sell you sick animals. We’ll take them to the back”. Sick sacks of shit. I don’t say anything anymore. Many stores have employees that have a soul and they do the right thing. It just depends on the store and the people working there. I see in the aquarium world that people look at fish as replaceable products. I do not see them that way because they are not a t-shirt. They are little beings that deserve good lives. If that means I sacrifice replaceable money for an irreplaceable being to have a good life experience then I will do it. Never stop advocating for laws to be changed. It is the right path. Advocating for what is effectively the genocide of bettas is wrong on every level.
IF THEY WANT TO SAVE FISH THEN THEY NEED TO GO TO THAT STORES DUMPSTERS. BECAUSE THEY ARE THROWING AWAY LIVE FISH. SAVE THE ONES THAT ARE GOING TO BE DYING HORRIBLE DEATHS. SAVE THEM. THE DUMPSTER FISH. THERE'S USUALLY A BIG VARIETY OF FISH BEING THROWN AWAY. AND THEY'RE HEALTHY TO.
@thraciensis3589 THEY throw them away in the plastic bags with water just like if someone bought them. You have to do it at night after they close or they will come out and stop you. If you do this then take a 5 gallon bucket or a cooler with fresh water TREATED with PRIME not just to get rid of chlorine but it will also keep the waste (urine and poop) from being toxic to the fish. And take an ararator and nets.
I can't believe I haven't seen anything about this before. It always drives me crazy whenever I see content like that. Like do you know what you're actually doing???
I'm not trying to start a nuclear war here, but the exact same thing applies to dogs. common petco betta are a *hybridized domesticated* species, they have NO native range and some of these lines have literally just been bred for color for decades, hell even centuries, slowly isolating them from the indigineous native species of these fish. We don't need to save these fish, we created them for livestock like we created the common cow, theres literal dozens of species of wild betta with actual habitat loss/concerns we need to address, we don't need to be focusing on what are essentially bred as feeder fish at a corporate level
@@thraciensis3589 I agree, but if you want to find sustainable habitats for 25 billion domesticated livestock that won't disrupt the ecosystem, be my guest. Animal husbandry also teaches you to *cull* bad genes, that is inherently an aspect of nature, and the morally correct action in the long run. Telling Petsmart to get bent in the process is just an added bonus tbh
Most people are not conscious enough to create sanctuaries for their domestic animals. For domestic animals, it is called sanctuaries, not sustainable wild habitats. They are not wild species!
Yeah. Those betta keepers are the worst. (My last 2 bettas were rescued 😂) BUT from a place that treats them correctly. What do you think about that? 😂
I'm a person that have never saved a betta but i have a rescue dog and I find the arguments against shelter dogs and other rescue animals are pretty much all the same. And i do want to add to this conversation that this issue is not completely black and white. Yes while saving an animal you might give your money to someone that doesn't deserve it however for this individual animal it doesn't really matter. You've saved one life and maybe, sometimes that can be what matters the most. Again not saying your arguments are invalid, just that there are many ways to approach this topic.
I hear what your saying, but in the case of fish economics, selling one 15 to 20$ betta allows them to purchase between 15 and 40 more fish. So even if most people boycott, the sale of just a few is still worth it. This is why they don't care if 4 out of 5 fish die on the shelf. Ultimately. Doing anything but paying for the fish Is a better solution in this specific economic ecosystem sadly
Not a minute into the video and I already know what you're going to say. The generation of instant gratification does not see the future as long as its nose and is completely unaware of the consequences of its actions. It's always someone else's fault. “Rescuing” 100 bettas from the cups will only make the product more popular. The market will notice an increase in sales, next week it will be necessary to "rescue" 200 and so on... Capitalism has it's rules, to really change a behavior you have no choice to educate and buycot. But there is another way around: Instead on "shaming" the bad guy by BUYING ALL ITS PRODUCTS 🤦, you can also put forward the store that is actually taking great care of the fish and encouraging people to go there instead. Of course no one will listen to me like the usual ... I wan't this to be written on my tomb stone when I die : "R.I.P. I WAS RIGHT ABOUT EVERYTHING"
Im sorry 😢, I fell in love with my little girl, and i got her from petsmart. My petsmart staff are very good to their fish and Ive never had an issue with them, like I see in our petco. Yall can judge me if you want, ive been called worse for less, being a furry n all. But I got her for free. She is now in a 10 gallon natural style tank. I just thought i was doing the right thing. . . . Honestly, this is the same conversation pertaining to BYB of dogs. The breeders are gonna keep breeding. It's not gonna stop overpopulation without *legislation* to regulate these issues. But thats a personal perspective after watching raids of BYB homes, i know regulation is possible as long as the ramifications are steep enough. But regardless, Those dogs are still deserving of a good home, even if I wouldn't ever buy a byb dog. . Pugs and Merles are the Bettas of the dog world.
I think that's very kind of you to take on animals that need a little extra love. I'm more specifically annoyed with people making videos acting like it's some thankless and noble act...for views or perhaps to also make themselves feel a bit better...but still, it doesn't help when they BUY things lol. Thanks for talking to the managers too, we all need to keep the pressure on them.
@Fishtory for sure, I know you're not judging me, it was more for folks who may get feisty with me lol . I always appreciate your videos and you're so awesome and informative! And I appreciate you!
@@Fishtory Not every store will give discounts or give them for free. A person then must make a decision. Do they sacrifice replaceable money or leave the betta(s) to die slow miserable deaths.
The fact that you felt you needed to apologize for respecting a little being and choosing to save them is quite sad. Never apologize for doing the right thing. No matter how much someone might appear to be nice and knowledgable don’t let that overshadow what’s actually important- respect for life.
@galadrielwoods2332 he has a very good point though, but as I said it comes down to regulation. Same with byb. It's so hard to get a boycott going these days, even if we have a good chunk of solidarity online. It Normally stays online and doesn't translate to IRL. I felt the need to apologize because I want to be honest and upfront about my decision, I do not feel bad for getting her, but I do feel bad that purchasing them contribute to them continuing the cycle of abuse. I can see both sides, thats why I feel that if it was more regulated on how they're bred and kept, that this moral delima may be dodged. I appreciate all your kind words very much 🥰
I highly approve of this lol. The fakeness of the Internet and the masses has always bugged me. Also, it's crazy to me that people do absolutely zero research before getting fish. To me. That's worse than doing. No research. Getting a land animal because You also have to know how to keep the water not just the animal. People are crazy.
I've covered the "saving fish" topic so many times. Lol
(not suggesting we don't keep talking about it)
When speaking with floor manager, insert: >> I was just at your betta display again and noticed a few more dying bettas. I returned again today thinking I should save them but didn't want to be a part of the problem that perpetuates this practice of selling sick fish. I am sincerely concerned that these sick and dying fish will die and needed to bring this to your attention immediately. Therefore, I request to file a formal complaint at this time. I will return again the near future and if there continue to be sick or dying bettas for sale, I will file a formal complaint with the Better Business Bureau on behalf of the local betta keeping community in this city.
I tell my wife that I’m just “saving” the aquariums when I come home with another 10 gallon 😅
Me telling my roommate I was “saving” a piece of hades buce from the fish store
FYI petsmart has the dollar per gallon sale going on 😂 do with that information as you wish
Me: living in Australia where a 19lt cube is $140 😭😭😭
That's a good one, I should use that one. I know I'll get a reply like "who's gonna save space in the house?" Or it's already so hot and humid in here we don't need to turn the heat on anymore
@@hydrocooledcarrot cubes are so expensive I have no clue why even a 5 gallon in the use it’s like $40
It irks me too. It isn’t right how these places treat fish, but at the same time the potential heros don’t realize that when they buy them all these big corporations order double.
I saved many many bettas over the years. Healed them and rehomed them. I would get them for free all the time. But I also made a point to complain to the managers and contacting the company to complain. I would continually return to the stores to look for improvements and continue to complain until I would see improvements on their betta care. It works when you complain enough! So my suggestion, complain to the managers and contact the companies online, providing pictures of the sick bettas. In my experience, they will make changes.
You are great! 👍
Good on you! 💞 Alexander has a broken moral compass as do most of the people who left comments.
@@galadrielwoods2332 A friend of mine worked at Petco and lasted two months. She said more bettas died on the truck than the ones they got to stock on the shelves when there were already bettas who had been there for three or four months. A third-party vendor stocks them and people at the corporate level couldn't care less about anything other than sales. Alexander is not wrong. Petco and PetSmart counts on "pity purchases" to pay their CEOs the obscene salaries they receive.
@@galadrielwoods2332He is talking about people who buy dying fish, not necessarily those who get them for free like the person above in the comments. He's correct: buying sick fish so you can make a RUclips video and get views is NOT helpful, it's an incentive for big box Stores to buy more fish that will be poorly taken care of.
@@quack-head0 Life isn’t perfect. I’ve also paid to get dogs and cats away from garbage people. It varies store to store depending on the employees whether they will give a betta for free or heavily discounted. The ones near me will not. They also threaten to bring them to the back when I point out the ones in need. They say “we can’t sell you sick animals. We’ll take them to the back”. Sick sacks of shit. I don’t say anything anymore. Many stores have employees that have a soul and they do the right thing. It just depends on the store and the people working there.
I see in the aquarium world that people look at fish as replaceable products. I do not see them that way because they are not a t-shirt. They are little beings that deserve good lives. If that means I sacrifice replaceable money for an irreplaceable being to have a good life experience then I will do it.
Never stop advocating for laws to be changed. It is the right path. Advocating for what is effectively the genocide of bettas is wrong on every level.
This conversation still needs to be had. Thank you, Alex for adding your thoughts to the pre-existing dialogue. You are completely right that this is not helping the Bettas at all. Stores are profiting from these people that, while they may have the best of intentions, are just perpetuating the cycle of abuse and neglect of these fish, as these fish will be replaced with other fish. Analogous examples to this include buying other species of animals from big box stores, (i.e. snakes, rodents, puppies, etc.) who are bred in mills that churn out a product at the deficit of the overall health of the animals and their parents, and the
free kittens" epidemic, which result in kittens with no prior veterinary care provided, and their parents remaining untreated medically and/or altered. The bottom line is this. Please rescue an animal from a reputable organization or through a rehoming service, regardless of the species, as we have an overabundance of animals displaced, abused and neglected; especially since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. They would be truly indebted that someone takes them in and cares for their wellbeing. Those are the animals that REALLY need to be rescued. If rescue is not your style, please go through a reputable breeder with ethical protocol. This applies to any and all animals, even Bettas and other fish.
THANK YOU! I work in a pet store (we have proper aquariums for our bettas), and every time I see the title of this videos, this is what I'm thinking. You will never ever "save" any type of pet by buying them from a store. You just show the store that someone is buying them. I've managed to get our store to stop selling fancy goldfish, simply because it's always the wrong people buying them (it's still possible for customers to place an order on them though). However, it was difficult for me to get this to happen, just because this "But we're getting money from them... People buy them!". I'm sure it's better for the fish if people don't buy these on impulse. Getting a pet of any kind should always be well thought of from the beginning.
You rock. "Feeder fish, goldfish , and fancy goldfish" health, quality and conditions are disgusting across most my region. They are a very specialized fish and people don't have any idea about their needs. Thank you for making a difference!
@@Fishtory I really do my best ♥ When our store opened, we had a "start setup" with fish that were common to keep in stores and that "should be good for us"... Well. Many fish were too big for 90% of our customers aquariums, or too difficult, or too unhealthy. Now there's just one of those "bad" fish left, all the others we have changed to small, pretty community fish that goes well into 99% of our customers aquariums. Happy fish, happy customers and everybody wins.
@NinniAquariums awesome! I love to hear that!
I am very glad you made this video. The typical "bEtTa sAvErS" are the same arrogant and rude fishkeepers who make new hobbyists feel shamed or ignorant, argument in comments, and just have to put their righteous opinion in everything. The Karen's of the hobby, if you will.
Exactly 💯 💯 💯 seriously 💀
Yep. I quit keeping Bettas several years ago due to the Karen’s of the groups. Don’t need their self righteous junk.
I went to a "local, trusted" shop and they had a giant tank loaded with female bettas and the salesperson went to into great detail about how easy it is to throw a bunch of girl bettas in the same tank and have a fun sorority as if they'll have parties and sleepovers instead of trying to constantly kill each other in the little, unplanted tank that some unsuspecting fool will put them in. I completely agree that Petco and PetSmart are horrible but greed pops up everywhere so please call out the "reputable" guys if they're doing the wrong thing too.
Those videos are ridiculous. In protest for keeping fish in poor conditions have all my business so you can restock tomorrow. Well done 👍😂
If people want to save the bettas from the big box stores... Here's an option from someone who has worked for both.. granted it's been a wile but .. the worse thing you can do is buy them... If you buy them there only gonna order a few more the next time... You should complain to the manager about how horrible they look and then make a yelp type review then email corporate about the conditions and your store number.. corporate will come down on them after only a few complaints.. and keep complaining until things change... You might even get some store credit out of the deal win win for everyone
This is so important! Thank you for sharing 🌻
There's this big chain of pet stores here in Brazil called Cobasi, Just recently I went there out of curiosity and their betta section was just incredible, bettas shared a big horizontal tank with divisions between them, and the wall behind them had openings that led to another part of the tank where the pumps and filters circulated the warm water for them, I was so impressed that a big chain would take such good care of their animals.
That is awesome! Thanks for sharing that with us
I saw a creator do that with a couple of goldfish. He went to the store, saw the fish checking out and got them for free. Unfortunately, only one survived, but he was clear, and like you, he said, "do not buy these fish from these stores. If you see they are in bad shape, ask for them. You might get them for free"
Smh, box stores treat aquarium fish like food stores treat food... tossed out bc of expiration dates... or a blemish... not right. I have to say my box pet store employees all keep fish, I know I can ask them questions and we look things up on the web almost every time ve been there. So glad they have some solid knowledge 🙌🏻
*_THANK YOU!!_* I've been saying this for *_years!_* If you're buying you're not saving, you're
*_co-signing_*
I’m in a facebook beginner aquariums group because I’d like to work at a pet or aquarium store eventually, and sometimes people post or comment about “saving” their betta. I once commented as tactfully as I could but shared how much better treated and how much MORE BEAUTIFUL all the bettas were at one local fish shop, and they only priced their bettas at $20, which is not as expensive as half of the most expensive bettas sold at Petco, and that in my opinion “saving” a betta would be more like adopting one from a college student who does not plan to move their fish cross country when they graduate and return home.
Excellent points
I laughed out loud when I saw the subject-- as I 'sit on myself' whenever the FB pages I populate high lites such virtue signally. I mean I have to sit on my hands in order not to be a jerk about it. But as usual you nailed it-- enabling a giant corporation to never change it ways is not a plan. I also appreciate you fortified one of my preachings- Bettas really do not need 20 gallons of water. My get 9 gallons each and it sometimes seems too spacious compared to how they have been raised. These righteous movements make me nuts- Big hearts driven by innocent unaware brains. Bless their hearts.
Amen
exactly right. I keep hens, (as well as fish); but I won't buy old battery hens, to 'rescue' them; it just allows the battery farming to continue. Best way is keep your own healthy, carefully raised, hens and they won't get your egg buying business.
I'm in the boonies in a right to farm town, I've seen people go to the auctions to save the goats, save this or that, save the chickens smh. Give your money to the responsible people raising their stock with respect and care. Same goes with the fish people
I wanted to rescue a betta but didn't want to pay petco or PetSmart and give them a thumb up for keeping them in cups. So what I did is I spent a couple months looking thru Craigslist and marketplace to see if someone had one needing rehoming. Just got my betta a couple weeks ago from a uni student moving out of town after graduation. The fish was free but I had to buy the 5 gallon tank it came with. Betta fish is now in a 39 gallon aquarium with a couple of ghost shrimps and some corys. I plan to repurpose the 5 gallon as a hospital tank just in case.
Very thoughtful and kind
OT
Pretty butt lady accounts commenting.. You've made it man. Congrats!
Also, pushing for law changes is really the way. Sweden has a minimum requirement of 40l for fish, as-well as otherwise suitable conditions for any fishkeeping. I've never seen a sick Betta in a store.
This is what we are trying to say about land hermit crabs! Sales only encourage bad practices.
Happy to see you again buddy! Keep on popping out those videos, you're on a roll 😊 IMHO, you're 100% right on this topic.
I have stopped keeping bettas entirely because the last few I had ended up with genetic health issues, and that sucked ☹️ paradise fish are a lot more my style these days.
To be fair, every time I see a Beta in a cup at a store or a Goldfish in a cup of 90 degree water at the county fair, I feel like rescuing the poor thing. I simply don't have space to rescue a bunch of fish.
Yes, I won a fair fish once, IthinkIwas 6. Thankfully they no longer do this at our county fair ❤ lol im in my 50s now
Just write them a mail, send photos to the press and your politicians that this practise has to end. This is a way better way to handle it than to buy them as as mentioned in the video, this will only show the store that they can earn money off of selling bettas
Totally agree. It just fuels bad traders.
I recently bought a small fin galaxy koi beta so beutiful, but i was so anxious and almost had to walk outside to throw up. I felt so bad leaving the others to waste away. I think ill probably try to find some local breeders next time, but its hard in the small town I live in.
Even local pet stores over here dont really care about the well being of animals, especially fishes. First is to make money. If you ask advice, they will always give advice to sell you something soon or instantly. I also don't believe in stuff to add to your water for being able to introduce fishes earlier. It's a patience game, aquarium hobby. And I think we all made the same mistakes in the beginning. And after years of experience we know that you can cut some corners when you know what your doing.. but will never advice other people to cut these corners. Stores do. Cause they need to make money first.
Personally I can recommend Betta smaragdina as a good starter betta. They're still wildshape, beautiful colors. But more importantly the strongest betta I have held. They breed easily, can take shifting water conditions very good and they seem to be a little less agressive.
Uh oh lol, I said I saved my sons beta, too. 😅 my son wanted his black Betta. Sorry Alex 😅 I'm listening. The problem is, the bettas are so prevalent and worldwide we see them in the smallest cups with no real knowledge on them. I have to say, mine is in a 5 gallon glass tank, I used oak leaves from outside, I'm laughing bc he has a bunch of real aquatic plants but I made DIY hammock just to see if he'd rest on it, but nope. He has a heater too. I made my son research here in RUclips before I allowed him to puck one. Due diligence! He also knows there's a type of wild beta losing it's habit and he was so angry about it and asked why people would do that. He loves his Black Eyed Jack and wanted to do his tank THE RIGHT WAY. ❤ I seriously wish we had a great fish store near us that wasn't hours away 😫 I envy you. We set up a 5 gallon and a 29 gallon planted tanks. At least I'm not rescuing sick fish and have been researching for 4 years on how to on planting tanks and nano fish. Thank you for your knowledge too, I have a great bunch of people I watch and trust bc of their common sense. Btw, I don't tik tok lol, I was like WOW!
If you ever going to buy more aquariums or more fish, try to see if there's anyone selling fish private close to you! There might be some serious breeders close to you, or someone who have getting tired of fish keeping and just wants to get rid of all their fish. In that way you could either help serious breeders, or save fish from someone who's not wanting them, and get fish without having to deal with bad pet stores.
Local fish clubs in the nearest metro area. As well:)
If anyone wanted to "save" betta by making a video, they wouldnt advertise Petsmart/Co/barn/market, or even show betta on camera.
We could start the next "licking ice cream and putting it back" viral crime spree, but instead its inflating demand for inbred fish 🤷
I’m so happy to say in NZ I have never seen Betta in bad condition.Here they are expensive.So they are looked after.Never seen them in cups either.
Awesome indeed! USA and Asian bettas😢😢😢!
It's the same where I live. It's actually illegal to keep Bettas in cups here, so IF a store would have them like that, it would be an easy deal to report them and they would have to stop selling fish. Also, no one sell fish in supermarkets here. There's so much things required to be allowed to sell fish, so only pet stores do it. (You need to have proper aquariums for the fish, a lot of document showing how the fish are taken care of, the staff need specific education about fish keeping and so on)
@@NinniAquariums Where do you live, if I may ask?
Thanks for saying this! The save the Betta videos drive me nuts!
You bet!
Thanks for getting that off your chest... Respect! And educational.. Godbless.. Glasgow Scotland
I couldn't agree more. Thanks for posting this with the awesome commentary.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Love to see the opulent new homes the fish end up in. What's the old saying: "out of the frying pan into the fire."
You are so right, Alex!
This also happens in the reptile and amphibian world.
Wow. I'm writing this after watching the video and reading all of the comments. Will admit to not seeing the "save the betta" videos. At first I thought this was going to be a rant about keeping bettas in tiny tanks, like Fish For Thought. What i DO know is that most people will not pay good money for a properly cared for fish!! Bettas are an introduction-to-the-hobby fish and are often impulsively bought. Communicate to the manager that youre buying to rescue the fish to a larger and more natural, healthier setup and that you think the store should sell them that way. Pet chains have their place but their husbandry practices need to change. Indeed, write your elected officials.
Sadly, two of the six bettas ive owned over the years died shortly after paying top dollar at my local fish store and bringjng them home. Why? One had a tumor and the second recently died of having been fed too many dry pellets by me and the store and died of swim bladder despite my last minute efforts to rid constipation. So the opposite can be true too: your local LFS may provide larger jars or tank plus plants but feed incorrectly. I loved and miss my betta and will eventually get another. My pet chain Bettas actually lived longer lives than the LFS ones! Boycotting a pet chain store isnt going to stop them from selling them in cups. New laws will. Please write to your elected officials. I will.
Sure if laws get it done faster, then great. Most state's laws exclude fish from animal cruelty sadly ... in Canada and EU changing the law would be more likely to occur.
Watch my video on the 5 most common mutations or traits, bred into the fish in our hobby. Bettas and goldfish are the worst impacted species by far.
Long fins, short bodies, inbred for color extremes... it all causes issues and cancer is the most common way for most large Finned bettas to die. They live 3 to 5 years in the wild and fancy lines live 1.5 in captivity. But plakat and wild lines can live long and healthy lives! I also have a whole deep dive on bettas being domesticated and what it did genetically, behaviorally and visually to the fish
I saw a clamped up betta in a small, privately owned fish store near my house. I grabbed the cup, told the clerk I was rescuing it and that if she wanted to call the cops on me for theft, she could. The story doesn't have a happy ending. The little guy was too far gone. But, I regret nothing.
Yeah buying natural things always seemed sinister I always goto a local river, lake, even beach for my drift woodand leaves lol I seen them go for as much as $100
It sounds patronizing when people claim they "saved" a fish.
Top 3 most notorious groups:
Bettas
Axlotles
Pea puffers
All the gateway species where everyone else is wrong lol
Good call
Have you seen the Flower Horn Betta? I had to turn off my phone, my brain couldn’t process it.
Oh no... no I haven't yet lol
Thanks Alex
what do ya know big box pet stores often have terrible or NO loss prevention to begin with and are so understaffed no one would even notice anything.
Alex. I desperately need your help. You once said not guaranteed for liability reasons, but you said it’s a possibility that sea chem’s excel could kill my Val. so my question is can I use tiny amounts of flourish sea chem with no risk to all of my vowel, or any other plants or shrimp or fish dying?
EVERYONE CLICK LIKE FOR EVERY VIDEO ALEX DOES & look for his videos by going to his channel, even when you’re subscribed. The algorithm is screwy.
Keep up the good work you’re a lifesaver. You’re the world’s greatest Fish RUclipsr.
There is an amount you can use... but it's different for every tank and Val strain. Basically you start with a few drops and each day increase that dosing until you see the damage to val. But it shouldn't kill your shrimp unless in very high doses above the recommendation on the bottle. I hope that helps, if not just ask me another question hehe. Thank you for your support and kind words my friend
Damn right. Pretty much the same shit as people who rescue/adopt dogs from irresponsible breeders. They just gave the irresponsible breeder money and practically ensured they continue.
I just started working at a Petco (I know) but this one is pretty good and a lot of them are doing better. They put up signage on tank requirements and we are allowed to ask questions and refuse sales and I think they remove the bettas that don't sell like the first day from the cups and put them in tanks.
Way to go! But what you're saying is that people working in other stores aren't allowed to ask customers questions about their aquariums? Am I right? If so, that's insane! That's not only making customers feel more happy about customer service (they like when the staff is caring), but also give a good chance for selling more things.
I can't even count how many times I've asked people about their aquariums, ended up selling them a few plants and more of a fish they weren't thinking about getting in the first place. Just because they've got to know that it's better for them. Like when they have just a one fake plant and one tetra, and wants maybe two more tetras. If they buy plants and maybe 5-6 tetras, everyone will be happier. But I wouldn't know if I didn't ask questions! Also, the customers will be happier and the store will get a better reputation and more customers if we recommend the proper fish to every aquarium. If we sell big fish to a 5 gallon aquarium, everyone will just see us as a bad store and the serious fish keepers, who buys a lot of fish, won't even come to our store. Please tell your boss this!
I keep a top on my betta tank because I know they are prone to jumping I’ve heard, but I have six tanks of fancy guppies and endlers and I love being able to look down from above them and watch them eat and swim and play but I have lost one of them somehow and it’s probably jumped out and I’m thinking about lids but I’m of the opinion that it’s better without a lid and the lights are more effective, how far down do I need to keep the water down to prevent loss of fish ? and I’m also thinking of using polycarbonate around the edges two inches? So I can still see them on just use polycarbonate on all or buy expensive glass lids? I’m heartbroken and could use a tip from a more experienced fish keeper, please?
This is so important! Thank you for sharing 🌻
Recently a big pettuber did the same thing “saving” frogs. I was shouting into the wind in the comments
I saw that! It triggered me
To be fair, I think that only happens in America.
I have “saved” a few bettas and I see now how that makes the problem way worse.
No worries. Your heart was in the right place. Just try and avoid paying for any that you rescue if possible. Cheers rake care
I love jackfruit leaves, they're by far the best thing for my shrimp, snails and fish. Thanks very much for your awesome video on them 👍
You are very welcome. I also like jack fruit above all other leaves... if I get to have my pick
❤
The only videos i like are the ones that take the bettas out of the trash bins behind the store. Its unbelievable how they throw them in the trash.
That is how I've always proceeded. Most lock it up unless you ask them nicely to leave them on top
if i get another betta it will be one that looks like the wild ones, not all these hybrid concoctions - they always pass away from some weird BS randomly due to bad genes. Just like your other video about mutatoins was talking about. I do think they mostly are cruelty
Very true!
Oh, one question: how much do a Betta cost in the US? (including tax and all that). Where I live, it's normally about the equivalent to 10-15 USD for a cheap one. The more expensive goes for the equivalent as 20-30 USD.
Woah are they that expensive now? When I started fishkeeping 15 years ago they were about £3 - £5 for the regular coloured ones and 10-15 for the rarer colours / patterns.
5 to 40$ at the large stores. They started selling fancy strains 3 or 4 years ago
Great vid and a very valid point. Stop rewarding bad behavior!
Couldn’t have said it any better myself 🙏 excellent video ❤
Thank you kindly!
Thank you u, thank you, thank you!! I've been wanting to add a betta or 2 to my fish hobby, I'll watch all your videos to make the right choice.
I think why betta specialist are a little more abrasive is for the simple fact that betta fish are just so simple to take care of compared to other fish and require such minimal care that it almost feels offensive because 15 seconds of research probably would have told them what they were looking for -Betta owner
I dont feel like bettas are any easier than other fish to take care of? They're the same as any average tropical fish, or more work really.
There are fish that are much harder to take care of but I wouldn't say bettas are the easiest. They're quite specialized in that you can't put them with many other fish, so they can't go in a community tank like most schooling fish can. You have to set up their own little tank... extra work. I don't have a betta right now because it means a whole other tank that I'd have to look after. My barbs and danios are easier imo.
Bettas are also much harder to breed if fish breeding is something someone wants to try.
You actually can put a betta in a community tank, no problems! :) but don't put 2 males in a tank unless you know what you're doing.
You have a valid point about any community fish that doesn't mind 68- 80 degrees or so. But wild bettas are simple to care for. The fancy types get more difficult by far though
I work at petsmart and do the water changes and feeding for the betta. What is something I can do to help this? They won't let me add plants, I've already been through that argument with my store manager and DM.
Water changes daily is the best thing honestly. Also....they won't like it, but dim lights and a piece of torn leaf...just a silver dollar sized piece of almond leaf...those 3 things would likely extend their life and survival 150% I bet. Feed at night, water change in morning or reverse...so they have a good 12 hours of clean water. Also don't leave the methalyne blue that ships in some cups, it'll irritate their gills and kill good bacteria on their slime coat...which is like out immune systems or out sinus lining almost.
THANK YOU, for caring. It makes a huuuge difference if just those things are done ...Even just the fresh water top off thing...so many are sitting in their own waste and bacterial stew. You are the difference we need to see!
Thanks for calling this out! And doing it in a very entertaining way!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Supply chain management is so important. But Dan's fish continues to import cory's from Israel and I'm not going to support that right now. Nestle and Ferrero have child labor and slavery so I no longer get my chocolate from them. As a federal Contracting Officer I recommend everyone to know where their money is going and where they get their products and services from. So many things in our control that we can actually do. Maybe you could do a whole series on other scams/scammers (especially on socials). THX
It's hard to track in this hobby since the supply always is evolving. But compiling a list of what is made or bred where would be epic. I'd love to see that ,/ would assist, but don't have time on my own, sadly
The only time I've done anything similar was buying a male betta from a chain store that was marked down to almost free because it was only 1/2 grown. At the time I didn't know how much transport in those conditions before they're grown would affect how long he lives and other possible issues, but I'm still happy with him and I don't blame the chain at least for that mistake.
I still keep an eye out for incorrectly named/sorted color morphs, I can't lie. But I only shop at the 2 in the Seattle area out of 11 big box stores, that treat the fish well.
I love it, thank you, Alex!👍
Great video Detroit 😊
I love this video
4:28 in Minecraft what 😂😂😂
Betta theft speedrun 😂
well said ;)
Ive got another question.. i rescued some fish yesterday, 4 larger type tetras, 3 glofish, and 4 bristlenose plecos, the glofish and the plecos were being kept together in a 5gal with 1 baby guppy, so im sure there was ALOT more guppies in there recently. Anyways.. my substrate is 1in of dirt and 2in of sand, about every 1/2in there is a sprikling of filter carbon stones and small rocks, and ontop there is a sprinkling of small rocks, a large piece of driftwood larger rocks and plants. Problem is, the biggest pleco, about 3in, has started digging through the substrate and kicking it up everywhere, shes digging up my plants and creating deep tunnels under the driftwood. Why is she doing it? Is she unhappy? Shes in a 27gal now which is a huge upgrade from an overstocked 5gal. How do i get her to stop doing it before i need to tear down the tank andrestart? How can i fix the damage to the lasagna?
Thank you for doing so !
Oooo yeah sometimes plecos are tough. I get them ceramic caves, and half bury the entrance, then as a game they'll uncover the rest and go inside for a while. If they're alone the digging is common, if they have other plecos, it becomes a game to see who gets the cave / caves... and that really helps sometimes. You can even buy ceramic water spikes (for slowly watering potted plants) ... usually 4 to 8 in a pack for a few dollars each to use as a terracotta cave
@Fishtory maybe I will just carefully add some thick drifts of sand. I got a 55gal along with the 5gal, which only had 2 fish in it, weird that they had the 5gal so overstocked and the 55 so understocked.. but I'm building a stand then switching the big females into the bigger tank. A few hides with 1 buried entrance is perfect because it will hopefully keep the bettas from swimming through a tunnel full of bristlenose, which is also turning out to be an issue. Right now they have a large driftwood knot with a natural made tunnel through the wood that turns into a handy cave at the bottom with an escape entrance. Online it says plecos are a good match for bettas but I'm sure now that bristlenose are not on that list! They may just be having fun finally being able to dig around, they were used to only gravel in the tank they were in and I don't think they know what veggies or pleco pucks are either so I'm very grateful for that driftwood. They seem to be making it into home base.
Hey Alex, I finally got my tank and cabinet. I'm just waiting to get a hand with the cabinet assembly and I am going to setup my substrate and hardscape! Going to have to save up a little more before I can buy all the plants, though.
I just wanted to ask your recommendation for low-maintenance, low-med light plants that grow tall but not wide. Im doing an asymmetrical scape and I want something I can tuck in the back corner behind all of my eucalyptus roots.
Stem plants. Ludwigias, rotalas, bacopas, cabomba, elodea and water sprite are all excellent and affordable choices
I go in to my LFS the morning they get their fish. My current betta never made it into a display. He went from his shipment bag to a new bag of water to my tank. I spent half an hour looking through the baby bettas to find him and even offered to help distribute the boys to their tanks.
Awesome
"Save" it's so nauseating when they say that. Did you crawl under red lazers,kicked the a door down and untie the fish from a chair and make a courageous escape to freedom? SHAAATAP. You BOUGHT a fish. .that's what you did. ..You gave them money and then they buy more fish.
Lol . 😆
It is good to save pet fish if they are in bad condition in pet stores
Agreed. Try and negotiate not paying for it though
K
Do you know any oscar breeders? I could save a few oscars. Finding an animal in a dumpster is my favorite video to hate on! lol
I'm so suspicious of those videos... Believe it or not PetSmart use to always spend 100s of dollars at the vet for sick hamsters. And I mean like every shipment . I've seen them even take some Oscars and bigger ciclids to vet... And half the time end up adopting the animals out for free if they don't look perfect once there healthy... Petco... Just put them in the back did have vet grade meds they gave them and hoped for the best.... But not once in 3 stores did they ever throw out a single live fish even if they knew he would die they would wait till he was dead and color started to turn milky before they tossed it in a bag with no water tied it then trashed it in a normal trash bag . Unlike all these people show ..
I do not sadly
awesome video✌✌
Thanks ✌
I’ve always thought about doing a betta heists. Alex trying to get my intrusive thoughts going again.
Use the force, young jedi!
Great upload, Alex ❤
Thanks for listening
Sounded like Jurassic World (betta breeding)
Advocate for laws to be changed so that fish are treated properly instead of accepting they have no protections and instead advocate for their deaths. Disgusting and unacceptable.
You can do both. But I still stand by the fact that betta shouldn't be purchased from anywhere that mistreats them. If you can offer to take home sick fish for free, great! But buying even one, pays for dozens more
@@Fishtory Life isn’t perfect. I’ve also paid to get dogs and cats away from garbage people. It varies store to store depending on the employees whether they will give a betta for free or heavily discounted. The ones near me will not. They also threaten to bring them to the back when I point out the ones in need. They say “we can’t sell you sick animals. We’ll take them to the back”. Sick sacks of shit. I don’t say anything anymore. Many stores have employees that have a soul and they do the right thing. It just depends on the store and the people working there.
I see in the aquarium world that people look at fish as replaceable products. I do not see them that way because they are not a t-shirt. They are little beings that deserve good lives. If that means I sacrifice replaceable money for an irreplaceable being to have a good life experience then I will do it.
Never stop advocating for laws to be changed. It is the right path. Advocating for what is effectively the genocide of bettas is wrong on every level.
Id rather buy them from a breeder were is a good place to get them at
IF THEY WANT TO SAVE FISH THEN THEY NEED TO GO TO THAT STORES DUMPSTERS. BECAUSE THEY ARE THROWING AWAY LIVE FISH. SAVE THE ONES THAT ARE GOING TO BE DYING HORRIBLE DEATHS. SAVE THEM. THE DUMPSTER FISH. THERE'S USUALLY A BIG VARIETY OF FISH BEING THROWN AWAY. AND THEY'RE HEALTHY TO.
Wow. Atrocious!!! Do they throw them without water or with water?
@thraciensis3589 THEY throw them away in the plastic bags with water just like if someone bought them. You have to do it at night after they close or they will come out and stop you. If you do this then take a 5 gallon bucket or a cooler with fresh water TREATED with PRIME not just to get rid of chlorine but it will also keep the waste (urine and poop) from being toxic to the fish. And take an ararator and nets.
20 years from now they will still be in cups lol
well said
I was not into betta shopping at petco one day decide to get one that day got home i spotted hole in his heAd i touvht BETTA FIX will help 😢😢😢
You meant well. Sorry to hear that though
I can't believe I haven't seen anything about this before. It always drives me crazy whenever I see content like that. Like do you know what you're actually doing???
I'm not trying to start a nuclear war here, but the exact same thing applies to dogs.
common petco betta are a *hybridized domesticated* species, they have NO native range and some of these lines have literally just been bred for color for decades, hell even centuries, slowly isolating them from the indigineous native species of these fish.
We don't need to save these fish, we created them for livestock like we created the common cow, theres literal dozens of species of wild betta with actual habitat loss/concerns we need to address, we don't need to be focusing on what are essentially bred as feeder fish at a corporate level
Both wild species and domestically bred ones need to be cared. They are all beings!
@@thraciensis3589 I agree, but if you want to find sustainable habitats for 25 billion domesticated livestock that won't disrupt the ecosystem, be my guest.
Animal husbandry also teaches you to *cull* bad genes, that is inherently an aspect of nature, and the morally correct action in the long run.
Telling Petsmart to get bent in the process is just an added bonus tbh
Most people are not conscious enough to create sanctuaries for their domestic animals. For domestic animals, it is called sanctuaries, not sustainable wild habitats. They are not wild species!
My answer is everyone shop at a live fish store that respects both their fish and their employees!
Agreed
Yeah. Those betta keepers are the worst. (My last 2 bettas were rescued 😂) BUT from a place that treats them correctly. What do you think about that? 😂
I think that's great, :)
They only Rescue those fish if they snag them out of a swirling toilet bowl. 😂
I'm a person that have never saved a betta but i have a rescue dog and I find the arguments against shelter dogs and other rescue animals are pretty much all the same. And i do want to add to this conversation that this issue is not completely black and white. Yes while saving an animal you might give your money to someone that doesn't deserve it however for this individual animal it doesn't really matter. You've saved one life and maybe, sometimes that can be what matters the most. Again not saying your arguments are invalid, just that there are many ways to approach this topic.
I hear what your saying, but in the case of fish economics, selling one 15 to 20$ betta allows them to purchase between 15 and 40 more fish. So even if most people boycott, the sale of just a few is still worth it. This is why they don't care if 4 out of 5 fish die on the shelf.
Ultimately. Doing anything but paying for the fish Is a better solution in this specific economic ecosystem sadly
Not a minute into the video and I already know what you're going to say.
The generation of instant gratification does not see the future as long as its nose and is completely unaware of the consequences of its actions.
It's always someone else's fault.
“Rescuing” 100 bettas from the cups will only make the product more popular. The market will notice an increase in sales, next week it will be necessary to "rescue" 200 and so on...
Capitalism has it's rules, to really change a behavior you have no choice to educate and buycot.
But there is another way around: Instead on "shaming" the bad guy by BUYING ALL ITS PRODUCTS 🤦, you can also put forward the store that is actually taking great care of the fish and encouraging people to go there instead.
Of course no one will listen to me like the usual ... I wan't this to be written on my tomb stone when I die :
"R.I.P. I WAS RIGHT ABOUT EVERYTHING"
Yep, I said all that. But primarily to support , local breeders and or LFS
Econ 101! You buy well sell it
Exactly
Im sorry 😢, I fell in love with my little girl, and i got her from petsmart. My petsmart staff are very good to their fish and Ive never had an issue with them, like I see in our petco.
Yall can judge me if you want, ive been called worse for less, being a furry n all. But I got her for free. She is now in a 10 gallon natural style tank. I just thought i was doing the right thing.
.
.
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Honestly, this is the same conversation pertaining to BYB of dogs. The breeders are gonna keep breeding. It's not gonna stop overpopulation without *legislation* to regulate these issues. But thats a personal perspective after watching raids of BYB homes, i know regulation is possible as long as the ramifications are steep enough. But regardless, Those dogs are still deserving of a good home, even if I wouldn't ever buy a byb dog.
.
Pugs and Merles are the Bettas of the dog world.
I think that's very kind of you to take on animals that need a little extra love. I'm more specifically annoyed with people making videos acting like it's some thankless and noble act...for views or perhaps to also make themselves feel a bit better...but still, it doesn't help when they BUY things lol. Thanks for talking to the managers too, we all need to keep the pressure on them.
@Fishtory for sure, I know you're not judging me, it was more for folks who may get feisty with me lol
.
I always appreciate your videos and you're so awesome and informative! And I appreciate you!
@@Fishtory Not every store will give discounts or give them for free. A person then must make a decision. Do they sacrifice replaceable money or leave the betta(s) to die slow miserable deaths.
The fact that you felt you needed to apologize for respecting a little being and choosing to save them is quite sad. Never apologize for doing the right thing. No matter how much someone might appear to be nice and knowledgable don’t let that overshadow what’s actually important- respect for life.
@galadrielwoods2332 he has a very good point though, but as I said it comes down to regulation. Same with byb. It's so hard to get a boycott going these days, even if we have a good chunk of solidarity online. It Normally stays online and doesn't translate to IRL. I felt the need to apologize because I want to be honest and upfront about my decision, I do not feel bad for getting her, but I do feel bad that purchasing them contribute to them continuing the cycle of abuse. I can see both sides, thats why I feel that if it was more regulated on how they're bred and kept, that this moral delima may be dodged. I appreciate all your kind words very much 🥰
They should close these stores they should stop doing that
I highly approve of this lol. The fakeness of the Internet and the masses has always bugged me.
Also, it's crazy to me that people do absolutely zero research before getting fish. To me. That's worse than doing. No research. Getting a land animal because You also have to know how to keep the water not just the animal. People are crazy.
Right?
Free=saved. Buy=nont saved.
Nailed it
God i love this vid. You are a star. Still smiling. My daughter was just talking about exactly what you said and i've shown her this, awesome
Aww well thanks. Glad we are on the same page!
Virtue signalling of the highest order. If they couldn’t film it and post it - would you still do it?