the sad truth, about betta fish care

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for the sad truth, about betta fish care

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Luimeril - 12 years ago

no problem! that's what i'm hoping for, to help people out lots! and thanks. i was big into FFVII when i made this, and this song fit almost perfectly!

Jay Geralde - 12 years ago

i just bought my first fish ever for me and my daughter, and i ended up here lots off good info thanks. P.s i love this song its Aries song from FF7

Luimeril - 12 years ago

that is a VERY dangerous myth. females will fight to the death, just like males. and females and males will also fight to the death. i knew a breeder who had a female that would kill EVERY male she was put with to breed. and my own females will flare up a storm to my males. even established sorority tanks, in HUGE tanks, are a risk. one person had a sorority set up and peaceful for a year. then, she woke up, to EVERY female dead except one. that one killed over 5 other females.

Dolly D - 12 years ago

Males and females don't fight only males

Luimeril - 12 years ago

through careful conditioning. if conditioned properly, they have the urge to spawn, rather than fight. but, that's not to say the male won't beat the crap outta the female once done, to get her away from HIS nest. breeding bettas is a task that takes alot of time and money, and is still risky to both fish.

Emma Young - 12 years ago

Wait, if males and females fight- how do they mate?!?!?

TheLippspa - 12 years ago

Wow these fish look like shit i work at a pet store and yes betas come in small bags with little water there sturdy fish and usually live in low water areas. but our cups don't have lids and nor are they stacked i sell probably 2 a day and we don't have the fish for long and at least once a week they get there water changed and there fed every other day i'm pretty sure the Walmart most people get them from are not the experts in fish care.

patty teifert - 12 years ago

I love betta fishes they are sooo intelligent and can really show thier moods. I just recued a sad little guy from walmart today i plan to take some video of him

Luimeril - 12 years ago

well, it all depends on the size of your tank, how many you got, whether it's cycled or not.. you can't just plop fish into a tank and hope for the best. i don't know much about rosy reds, other than they're a different coloration of the minnows my dad fishes with, but they do get pretty big, and are schooling fish, and are very active, so 20 gallons sounds about right....

10. comment for the sad truth, about betta fish care

RICK BURCHILL - 12 years ago

my betta was from pet smart and i got some rosy reds with it. and their so over protective their they said that the feeder fish needed a 20 gallon tank minimum.and they said i have to all this other crap that I already have i dont need a lexure and those minnows are fine now and the betta was left in a cup its whole life and you know how happy the fish are right now their so happy that their grand guppies will be happy!

Luimeril - 12 years ago

they do. it's a myth that girls don't fight. they're all very territorial fish, and it takes very specific conditions for the females to live together. and you can NOT keep males and females together. it's a rare chance that it works, and would be better off just NOT risking it.

PedramPay - 12 years ago

since you have a male you can buy like 5 females. the girls dont fight

Luimeril - 12 years ago

it's actually 4-6 YEARS. i had one live over 4 years, and many have reported 5 years as the maximum.

D and Re Royalty - 12 years ago

i want to help them so i went to walmart and sat them where they all could breath

Luimeril - 12 years ago

if you see gross conditions at your local walmart or pet store, call the manager over, and tell him/her how gross things are. if you're there, and you see someone looking at the small 'betta tanks', strike up a conversation. let them know how those aren't good tanks for them at all. try and talk them into at LEAST a gallon tank. i did that the day before mother's day, and the lady left with a three gallon and a five gallon for two lucky bettas!

calawolfsong - 12 years ago

How can I help these guys? I have one, in a tank like the one you showed at the end. I can't get more at one time though since you can't have males together. But what can I do to help my favourite little fishies?

Luimeril - 12 years ago

just like people, ever betta is different. some are calmer than others, some more aggressive. you may have a calm betta, while your friend may have a more aggressive. keeping other fish with bettas is hit-and-miss. i had a betta who seemed calmer, never flaring at another, but he viciously attacked one of my guppies for no reason! your friend may have to stick with bland colored female guppies, or try out neon tetras or cory catfish, both are schooling and need 4+ to stay happy, though.

Luimeril - 12 years ago

the big money to these stores, comes in the form of tanks, medication, decor. they buy these fish for pennies, and sell them for dollars. the best way to save a fish, if you feel like you HAVE to buy them, is to get the manager there. tell him/her you will buy the fish today, but you are buying the tank and stuff elsewhere and will NOT buy from that store again until they get things cleaned up. and you will tell your friends to do the same, who will tell their friends, ect.

Chuck Norris - 12 years ago

you say you saved a betta from buying one my bad for buying two but your actually makeing matters for the fish worse then before because your paying the people who buy these fish so they can get more fish like this i bet if we all stop buying these fish just to save them then most likely Walmart and places would stop buying these fish cause theyd think nobody dont want them

20. comment for the sad truth, about betta fish care

muse54 - 12 years ago

Go to change dot org to sign a petition. Search: walmart-stop-the-sale-and-abuse-of-betta-fish

EatMehKeyblade - 12 years ago

Feeding only blood worms to a betta on a constant basis is bad for them. Blood worms are very high in fat and should only be fed maybe once every one to two weeks. If your betta stopped eating, it's because he either got bloated or constipated, and that's what initially caused death. If they become bloated or constipated, you should stop feeding them for 1-4 days till their stomach stops looking bloated. You also need to soak blood worms in water before you feed it to them.

Luimeril - 12 years ago

it's VERY unusual for bettas to not eat. they'll actually eat till they burst if you let them! a diet of just freeze dried foods is like you eating potato chips your whole life. it's not that good. x: don't let one bad experience keep you from bettas. next one you buy, get him or her some pellets, rather than freeze dried foods.

buy best - 12 years ago

i had betta n housed in a aquarium lil bit smaller than the last aquarium you showed...my betta used to eat dried blood worms from my hand....but i dont know why one day suddenly it stopped eating n it died...since then i dont buy bettas even though i like them than any fish..i dont want it to die in my aquarium...if u shed some light in it?where did i go wrong...

Luimeril - 12 years ago

aahh, yes. :v i gotta agree with you. the gallon per inch is for adult fish, mostly, but IS pretty outdated. my babies are in at LEAST a gallon for my tiny veiltail male, and three gallons as my biggest tank. i know Remy was fought. how? the way his fin is shredded, and the bite marks i found on his side and gill flap. also because i've found males in the same cup there before. had to separate two myself once.

chamath1985 - 12 years ago

Thanks for making this vid. Our local shops fill them up in much smaller jars which is the reason why I buy them and put em in a proper tank.

Luimeril - 12 years ago

poor little guy. D: i knew basic knowledge when i got my first betta, and thought they could live happily in bowls with no water changes. x-x luckily, i had a hardy little guy who lived four years, but he spent his last year in a 10 gallon to himself. now, all my babies are in tanks over a gallon and are all super happy.. :V

Tanya Marie - 12 years ago

I agree. A guy who was in my class got a betta that his parents could not afford so it lived in a shot glass with out food for a week then he gave me the betta beautiful color but the little guy couldn't make it. Such a shame people need to do research before buying a fish

Luimeril - 12 years ago

that may be true, but they can still feel pain, and have simple emotions. it's even been proven that they can feel depression to a point. a father betta gets depressed, and even stops eating when removed from his babies. while they can't get sad like we can, they can feel the pain of the ammonia burning their fins and gills. they can feel depressed and bored in those cups. but, none of that should matter. they're living creatures, and deserve better than the care they get at many stores.

Benny D - 12 years ago

you do realize that the brain of a fish is too small to have the ability to think very much, right?

30. comment for the sad truth, about betta fish care

Luimeril - 12 years ago

3 gallons is perfect for a betta! it's not too big, and not too small, even if you go by the gallon per inch rule! i bet your betta's super happy in that tank. :3

Luimeril - 12 years ago

that's great. :3 just don't get the sickest, saddest one there. :V if you see any sick ones, make sure to tell the manager, and let him/her know it's not good and you want the conditions to improve. that way, they know things aren't good, and they'll lose money if too many keep dying. get the happiest, healthiest one there, that way you know he won't get sick. or, don't pass up an adorable female for a pretty male! the girls are great pets, too!

Luimeril - 12 years ago

that's great. one of my boys was the store's last betta. a lovely dark blue crowntail i gave to my niece. she named him King Steve, and he's a spunky boy, so full of life. he had fin rot when i got him, but now, he's so much bigger and more active than when i got him.

Luimeril - 12 years ago

it's because i made sure to credit who made the song. on this video, up top, is a link to the movie. lol

Luimeril - 12 years ago

thank you for saving him. :3 it makes me so sad when people 'try to make them die' just because they don't want them, or grow bored of them. :I i've heard stories of people not feeding fish or not changing their water 'to try to make them die' just because they don't want them anymore. i'm adopting a pair that were going to be flushed, just because someone didn't want them! they're two beautiful fish, and i'm glad they were rescued before flushed.

Tanya Marie - 12 years ago

Sad but true :(. Its such a shame considering how beautiful they are. People treat them like they are nothing just cause a betta fish doesn't talk doesn't mean it can't feel pain. I've rescued many just to give them a better life. I went to a fair and one of the prizes was a betta fish , later on 2 teenagers were throwing it and making it die, I went over and saved the betta before it was too late luckily the betta barely survived but is a happy 3 year old today :)

Luimeril - 12 years ago

mine had some lovely girls, who were all happy and looked good, but every single boy had swim bladder disorder except the one i bought. :I i haven't been back since, but i'd love to, to see if they cleaned up things. my local PetCo, on the other hand, was a dream to go to~

FullSwing9 - 12 years ago

I saved my two boys from walmart. One a Crowntail and a Vailtail. My sweet little Vailtail looks much worse then the betta at the beginning. The Crowntail has grown quite a bit and turned out to be a tail biter. Both are smart and such good pets, I don't know how long the Vailtail may live but I could not leave him for the life of me, atm he is active, eats well and is under treatment.

Christianna McLean - 12 years ago

My Betta lives in a 3 gallon filtered tank all by himself, Wish I could go bigger but I just don't have the room for it.

Luimeril - 12 years ago

i've heard of vets caring for large fancy goldfish and koi, but didn't think they'd do it for smaller fish! that's just great that he does that. :3 i'm glad you did! i go by Luimeril on bettafish and Lui on Ultimate bettas, if you wanna check out my current bettas. the guys and gals on both will help you make sure your future betta stays happy and healthy. :3

Luimeril - 12 years ago

it's better than the cups i see. best i've seen was walmart, where the cups were the size of a small tupperware container. plenty of room, if they'd fill them up more than they do...

Luimeril - 12 years ago

not always. i've seen petsmarts that are bad. my own local one was horrid. every betta there had swim bladder issues, ranging from unable to sink, to nose-up, to one boy who was on his side. i bought the healthiest one there, and he died that night. :I

Luimeril - 12 years ago

stacking them wouldn't be bad if they'd not cover the air hole.... and i've seen cups that range from smaller than a DS game case, up to the size of a small tupperware bowl at PetSmart.. i'm glad your betta's doing fine. :3

Luimeril - 12 years ago

goodness! a vet that cares for bettas? that sounds amazing! they don't do that at my vet, but thankfully i have friends on forums who know enough about bettas to help me out. when one of mine got Dropsy, they helped me out, and one even gave me medication to try to treat her! sadly, it didn't work, but now i have extra medication, just in case.

Luimeril - 12 years ago

zebra danios can get nippy, so watch your girl. x: i don't know much about them, but i'm glad they're getting a bigger home! and i'm glad you're going to help your sister's betta out. :3

Luimeril - 12 years ago

i heard they don't put bettas in cups in the UK, and that they don't sell bowls and 'betta tanks'. i wish they'd do that over here. :I

Luimeril - 12 years ago

wow, that's horrid. :I must not have wanted to go back in and spend a few more dollars for another bowl. i'm glad your boy is doing fine! i bet he's lovely~ i wish i could have saved Remy, but i'm glad i'm able to spread the things he taught me.

Luimeril - 12 years ago

i know the difference between pets, and food.. my bettas are not food. the bass my dad catch are not pets. i've had pet chickens, i've been on a diary farm. there's a difference in them all. i eat chicken and beef, yet had a pet chicken as a kid and helped raise a cow from a calf. and, i'm allergic to seafood, so i do not eat fish, but my family does. i do not do things the way PETA does. i spread information, instead of just saying 'don't eat fish! they have lives!'.

Luimeril - 12 years ago

actually, i started allowing comments pending my approval after getting an argument on betta fighting in the comments, and people posting stupid things like 'they're just fish' or 'i like buying them and watching them fight'. why should it matter if it's a dog, cat, turtle, or fish? they're all living beings, all can feel pain and fear, and none deserve the treatment they get. bettas and goldfish are abused more than dogs because of the 'it's just a fish' thought, and that's wrong.

yonz2nugget - 12 years ago

I see YOU'RE only allowing comments pending your approval, which means if we don't agree with your sympathetic lifestyle, it won't be shown. I know this comment won't go up, but research about real life animal cruelty (such as dogs who are beaten) instead of posting a stupid video about fish who have more tougher things to worry about (like living in a vast ocean full of more dangerous things like sharks instead of housed in a bowl).

50. comment for the sad truth, about betta fish care

yonz2nugget - 12 years ago

You tree-hugging sensitive idiots amaze me. So tell me....I guess none of you have ever eaten fried fish, never had a hamburger, and have never had a piece of chicken before ever in your life. To agree with your sympathy, I suggest you all eat lettue for the rest of your lives then. But then you might turn around and say that that poor head of lettuce had its life cut too short and never grew into a full head. lol

thedorkinabubble - 12 years ago

I rescued my buddy from a parking lot. Somebody had bought him and left him and his bowl (which he wasn't in yet, btw [said bowl was smashed yet filled with gravel and plastic plants]; he was still in his cup and looking pretty good, actually) on one of the parking lot islands behind the men's dorm at my university. My little boy is literally a gift from God; he is named Cadeau (French for "gift"). Thank you for making this; my little boy looks just like the fish that died in this video...

Jo-Ann Valenti - 12 years ago

This video made me sad. I've got a female Betta living in a 3.5 gallon tank with 4 other zebra danios (GloFish Form(which Bettas are compatible with). This tank has a filter. I totally agree with this video and I will be upgrading to a ten gallon tank soon. My sister also has a betta but in a bowl maybe 1.5 gallons. I will be giving her my tank for the betta to swim in and have more room.

ALL_117 - 12 years ago

that is why you bye your betta at petsmart, they are way more healthy then walmart

Luimeril - 12 years ago

ONLY if it's a divided tank. if it's just a 10 gallon with three males, you will have 1-3 dead fish.

Herbivore King Therizinosaurus - 12 years ago

i got 3 males living together in a 10 gallon, is that good

Luimeril - 12 years ago

goldfish, like bettas, are often kept in tanks far to small for them. fancy goldfish need 20+ gallons, and common/feeder goldfish need ponds to be truly happy. if your brother wants fish, too, you can have neon tetras or cory catfish with a betta, but only in tanks bigger than 10 gallons. anything smaller, and you really can't have much. shoot, in a 5 gallon, you can only really have a betta, despite what pet store employees will tell you. 10 gallons and bigger are what's best for most fish.

Mudassar Shaikh - 12 years ago

awesome video i was literally crying thanks spreading this message to all of us

Luimeril - 12 years ago

nothing at all! i'm saying, that that is a a PERFECT tank. not too big, not too small, wonderful amount of plants.... that fish is super happy in that tank. :3 your plan sounds great! with bettas, the more plants, the better. in a tank that size, though, you couldn't add but maybe a snail. but, that's fine, because bettas are happier alone. :3

Carl Flegg - 12 years ago

forgive me if im being stupid or ignorant but what is wrong with the last picture ? is the tank overcrowded or? it looks to me like a big tank with plenty of plant life and looks very clean. I only ask because I am thinking about getting one in the next few weeks, i have a 30litre tank, filter, heater, some bog wood and am getting a small tropical plant.

MasterXG - 12 years ago

Well not only fishes but also many other animals aren't keep how they should be. I'm happy that my local pet store changed their attitude over the years how to keep the animals right and I hope this will not change in the future.

Luimeril - 12 years ago

that's wonderful! make sure you do research and find out what they need. a quick trip to a pet store would get you two 2 gallon Kritter Keepers for the price of one 1.5 gallon tank. Dollar store will get ya a bag of rocks for a dollar each. plants and decor are easy. scrub an unused coffee mug with JUST hot water and vinegar, and you have a cave! best plants are silk, and the prices of those vary from store to store.

Luimeril - 12 years ago

i've talked to people who work in pet stores in the fish department. in many, there ARE rules, but few abide by them. i've walked into PetSmart at one point, and EVERY betta there had Swim Bladder Disorder. often times, the employees do the minimum amount of work needed, and don't care about the bettas.in the pet store i shop at, the bettas are well taken care of, cups changed daily, and they're on a rotating display, so every betta gets light. but, you can NOT explain away the photos i show.

Luimeril - 12 years ago

no, it would not. they are tropical fish, and require warm water. also, the bright colors of your fish would attract predators. they would not survive very long at all in there. also, introducing non-native species into habitats like ponds, lakes, and rivers is dangerous to the ecosystem, and is illegal in many areas. bettas are domestic fish, bred for looks alone, and are incapable of surviving in the wild.

krmusicbird3 - 12 years ago

There's a small lagoon (I guess more like a large pond)- would my betta fish survive if I released him there?

EBonQuiQui - 12 years ago

Some good ideas, and some good intentions I'm sure, however, I ask you this... Have you ever worked in a Pet Store before? Do you know that there are in fact specific P&P's that are abided by to ensure the lives of all Bettas are kept happy at the store. Water changing 3 times a week, preventing mass ammonia spikes. Any fish with fin rot, immediately treated with Betta-fix etc. Also, the betta fish on display are rotated daily so all fish can have equal espose & sunlight.

Luimeril - 12 years ago

yeah. :I they're super gross. i've been lucky to only see cups like those once irl. the pet store i shop at takes great care of their fish now, so the bettas are always healthy and active. i don't see why bettas are 'decorations' to most people. :I they never get to see how great the little guys are, when they shove them in bowls and vases with plants on top.

kong yaj - 12 years ago

damn bro ive seen alot of these in pet stores omfg lol i'm a betta breeder but i always keep them tanks all clean and nice looking and well fed

Luimeril - 12 years ago

it varies from fish to fish, but generally, they enjoy larger spaces. i've had bettas in tanks that vary from .5 gallons, all the way up to 10 gallons. King Steve LOVED the 10 gallon. he built THREE bubble nests in it, and grew ALOT, from the tiny grey thing i picked up at walmart last Easter, to a BIG, beautiful, dark blue boy who's SUPER aggressive. i DO have one that doesn't like bigger tanks, but the other nine love larger. :) but, 1.5 is fine for a betta. i have one in a tank that size now!

Jordan Thomson - 12 years ago

actually betta like small areas and i researched and it was just the rights sive 1.5 gallons its good for a few silk plants and 1 betta and he is making a bubble nest so he is pretty happy but other than that totally agree!!!!!!

Luimeril - 12 years ago

@TheSpiritSai i understand that, but the cups need to be CLEANED regularly. daily, actually. i love the stores that keep them in bowls, or in tanks with other fish. some even have specially made tanks, divided into many half-gallons for the bettas. stores with the cups, though, don't clean them often. i love teh ones that do, though.

Sai Vang - 12 years ago

of course they will be in the cup at store, why should you put them together in the fish tank while the store is selling? if its like that THEY WILL FIGHT AND DIE!! where will they put them? IN THE CUP ofc but the 1st picture was rude it has little water on the cup it suppose to be full

Luimeril - 12 years ago

@SparkyTK i don't know much about white cloud minnows, personally. most people i know have small schools of 5-6 Neon Tetras or a small school of 5-6 cory catfish. as for plants, it's up to you. if you wanna go with live, go with live. plastic may rip his fins, though. i tend to stick with silk with my males, plastic and silk for my females, due to their shorter fins.

SparkyTK - 12 years ago

I just upgraded my one gallon tank to a ten gallon about two days ago and I have to say I noticed a huge difference in his activity once I placed him in the larger one. I was considering putting some white cloud mountain minnows in his tank with him but I'm not sure if its a good idea. Currently I have all silk and plastic plants as well, would you recommend sticking with those or should I switch those out with some live plants?

Luimeril - 12 years ago

@LavenderFlowers8 yeah, after a bit, they WILL fight. there are VERY few cases of males living together peacefully, but it's always because they're father and son, grew up together and one is the alpha male. that underwater camera sounds amazing! O_O

Luimeril - 12 years ago

@foxieygrl i recently lost a beautiful CT named The Doctor to dropsy. :I it's a pain in the butt when they get it, because so few can come back from it.

Luimeril - 12 years ago

@foxieygrl thank you. :3 you seem to know your stuff! :D

Luimeril - 12 years ago

@LavenderFlowers8 nah.. domestic bettas are more aggressive than wilds, actually. wild bettas will flare, maybe fight for a bit, but generally would rather run than fight. domestics will fight to the death if they're allowed. they were probably so calm because, new environment. there've been people who've put domestics together and said "look, they're friends! they've not fought at all in the few days they've been together!" give them time to claim territory, and you'll have a dead fish or 2...

Luimeril - 12 years ago

@T0DBettas flaring isn't that bad, honestly. constant flaring can stress them out, but it's not that horrid. stacked on top of each other is, however. the holes the get air from is covered, so they can't get fresh air. i'm glad you did that. at my walmart, i'd stack them up so the holes were never covered, but someone would always move it. :I bleh. goldfish tanks are always bad. x-x even at the pet store i go to. but, constant death is a sign of overstocking and lack of care. :I

Luimeril - 12 years ago

@BlueGumball1 because of the whole 'they live in puddles' myth, people think it's okay to keep them in bowls so small, they can barely move. that's never okay, no matter what they live in in the wild. Domestic bettas are SO different from wild, for one. breeders keep theirs in half-gallon jars, but the water's constantly changed, and they're let out to breed, which gives them plenty of space to swim. that's the main difference. the water's ALWAYS clean in those half-gallon jars. :I

Luimeril - 12 years ago

@LavenderFlowers8 they can live with certain tropical fishes, but are generally happiest when alone. but, that sounds great! your bettas lived long lives, which is great. :3 4 years is usually the oldest they get, but some have lived 5-6 years. sounds like you took great care of them! i know some people who's bettas don't even last a year. :I

Luimeril - 12 years ago

@ndibarra i don't cycle any of my tanks, except my 10 gallon. all my tanks are 2 gallons, with one being 1.5, and one being 3 gallons. Remy was an impulse, so i got the first tank i saw that wasn't over $30. i'm on well water, so conditioner isn't a MUST, but i did add some to his tank. bettas don't need filters either, but the tank DOES come with one. he, however, was too ill to fight the current, so i didn't add it. also, my room was always hot so heaters weren't needed either.

Varmer - 12 years ago

@patricklalyopal You are an idiot.

Luimeril - 12 years ago

@patricklalyopal actually, they live in streams, rivers, ditches, and rice paddies. only time they live in puddles is during the dry season, but they will jump out of the puddle and flop to a new one once the water quality in their puddle gets to be too bad. the colors in our modern day bettas was made by MAN, not nature. a bright yellow betta in a stream in Thailand will be killed and/or eaten before he can flare. their natural color is black with red and blue on the fins.

Luimeril - 12 years ago

@SparkyTK that's great! often, the stress of moving from store to home will cause them to not want to eat for a few days, but i've never had a betta resist the food i have. sounds like your new boy's doing fine!

Luimeril - 12 years ago

@minihorses10 that's a great size for a betta! i have a male in a 1.5, and he's happy as can be! just be sure to get a heater if you don't have one. ZooMed makes a betta bowl heater that'd be perfect for a tank that size. also be sure to get a thermometer to monitor the temp of the water so it doesn't get too hot!

Luimeril - 12 years ago

@suicidevixen666 i've heard that the UK keeps their bettas better. it saddens me that here, you find them in tiny cups, less than a child's sippy cup, and they're almost always gross. :I i'm lucky that the pet store i buy from takes good care of their bettas.

DaltonCarew - 12 years ago

I Bought my self a betta... i know about the rotting and stuff but i bought a betta kit for the betta to be in the week until iget a tank for him, Saddly my little 3 year old sister took him out of his little kit and she his tail up, im trying to get a tank asap so he can start to be happy :/ i feel so bad...

pat lal - 12 years ago

I hope you realize betta fish live in puddles as there natural habitats and there fins aren't designed for swimming in big tanks with water flow there fins are made to attract females with there vibrant colors obviously this person is a crazy animal rights person that doesn't know what the #%*$ there talking about and is giving useless emotion about this.

SparkyTK - 12 years ago

I just bought a Betta last week from a store specializing in fish - and even they kept all their poor Bettas in individual cups and bowls. :( The water was all dirty and icky in all of them. I got him a 1 gallon tank with a light and water filter and put a couple of plants in there, they said he wouldn't eat for a few days due to moving but within a day he was eating and seems to be fairly content. But this video makes me want to adopt more of them. Poor things ;_;

minihorses10 - 12 years ago

I have a 1.75 gallon tank with one betta in it. I got him yesterday.

Kraven Foxy - 12 years ago

i know in the UK, i have never seen them being sold in tiny tubs/bowls or plantpots but im sure some may keep them like that.Bettas are such gorgeous fish they deserve to be in tanks to show their fins off. Its sicking that ppl still think its ok and fine to keep them in anything less just because their fish. I have kept betta for years, bred them which can be tricky and fed them on special betta pellets and even taught them to jump for their food,mine are in 5 gallon tank and nothing smaller.

Luimeril - 12 years ago

@parisshoufar i've had bettas in less than a gallon. while it looks like they have plenty of room, they really don't. one of my current bettas looks so tiny in his 1.5 gal. tank, but i know he'll grow. you also have to factor in the amount of ammonia they build up from poo, food, and waste from their gills. in anything less than a gallon, you really have to do water changes every day to keep it at safe levels. i must congratulate your mother, though, for having hers for so long.

shantilly - 12 years ago

my mom has a beautiful, healthy, vibrant, energetic, happy blue betta fish and he is perfectly fine and content in his less than one gallon fish bowl. He has plenty of room to swim in so go with whatever is best for your betta! He is already over a yr old :)

Luimeril - 12 years ago

@Fire23eater :I it was. nothing short of a betta ripping it, could have done that. i've had tail biters in my two years in the betta keeping hobby, and i know a tail ripped from a betta when i see it. fin rot would have taken the whole tail, and not left the strand that was left. he also had two small, circular marks, one on his gill plate, the other on his side, telling me something bit him. i'm not stupid. i know what happened to Remy. you can say that didn't happen all you want.

Luimeril - 12 years ago

@johnnythao that is true, but i've had some that are, indeed, claustrophobic. it sounds odd, i know, but i've had bettas that are unhappy in smaller tanks. but, on the flip side, i have one that doesn't do well in anything bigger than her gallon. it's suggested that you have 2+ gallons, so you can include a good heater, and don't have to do as many water changes as you would in a smaller tank, though. ammonia builds up fast in small tanks!

Luimeril - 12 years ago

@runescapetubemaster that's great! honestly, bettas are happiest alone. many are far too agressive for tank mates at all! but, if you wanna try it, anything small and dull-colored, without flowing fins. many find that the best are cory catfish(which need schools of 5+), or neon tetras(which also need schools). a tank of 10 or more gallons is a must if you want tank mates, as well. or, if you want smaller, you can fit a betta and a snail in a tank of 5+ gallons!

Anonymous Allen - 12 years ago

u almost made me cry, i was thinking about getting a Betta because of there beauty but now im gonna get one to save it and i promise ill take care of it and get a tank, long plants, idk what other fish i should add....and fun decorations to! :O

{{{{Ké Bay}}}} - 12 years ago

Great....just bawled my eyes out. Nice video, though, very caring and thoughtful. I've "rescued" more beta's than i can count due to this. Unbelievably sad....the lack of humanity in some people hurts.

Roberto Crescenza - 12 years ago

My God!! I never thought about that. Thanks for opening my eyes. Bettas demand respect and their own proper living space. Thanks again for educating me.I have a Betta .He lives a bowl aquarium with a filter. He has lots of room to swim and enjoy his day. This video is truely an eye opener. Liked, Faved and Shared!!!

100. comment for the sad truth, about betta fish care

johnnythao - 12 years ago

Honestly Betta's don't really need a big tank, if they are home fishes. They are not free swimmers, nor are they very claustrophobic. A 2 to 4 gallon tank is enough, but if you want a bigger one then that's fine as well. If you keep your Betta's in jars or bowels, then make sure you buy on according to your Betta size.

Montana Nelson - 12 years ago

I don't care if it's just a tiny fish, it had a life. Until Walmart killed it. That has happened to me so many times:( We should like protest against keeping fish in nasty little cups and maybe Walmart will stop torturing animals:/

MyBadFool - 12 years ago

People who don't own fish and care for fish like living creatures wouldn't understand.

PixiSpit - 12 years ago

@Luimeril My main objection with the cups is that they're seen as nothing more than decoration so in a lot of cases they don't get the care they need. Though if kept in the right conditions I understand these fish don't need an awful lot of room to be content. Goldfish and Betas seem to be the most commonly used "decoration" fish and in a lot of cases don't receive the right care wish makes me sad :( Betas have quite good memories aswel, they can learn to take food from your fingers :)

Luimeril - 12 years ago

@PixiSpit i get all kinds of nasty comments on this video. "They're just fish!"... well.... you're just a human. :I a dog, is just a dog. no one says "it's just a dog! buy a new one if it dies!".... nah. they mourn the loss of the dog. well, i mourn the loss of my fish. when Remy died, even though i knew to expect it, i was upset. it doesn't make me a weirdo, because i care for fish like i do humans. it makes me BETTER than many. :I the cups aren't bad. it's the care they get that is.

PixiSpit - 12 years ago

@Luimeril A lot of people seem to forget that a fish is a living creature. They wouldn't keep a guinea pig in a shoe box, but they'd keep a fish in a cup? Worse still, I can just imagine the bacteria in the water of those little cups! ammonia burns, fin rot and fungus must be a common thing in those conditions. Like you said, these fish are far more active, healthy and exciting in a decent size tank which you can use your imagination on with decorating. I think cups should be banned!

Luimeril - 12 years ago

@Hernandez2192 i've had old fish. they don't grey from age. Remy was STRESSED OUT, as seen by the stripes on his sides, called STRESS STRIPES. my oldest betta is a natural-colored plakat female, who's 2 years old, possibly 3 by her size, and she's as dark and colorful as the day i bought her, two years ago. iv'e had enough bettas to know what was wrong with Remy, and it was stress, brought on by a nasty cup and being fought in the store, as well as being sick with parasites. :I

Luimeril - 12 years ago

@PixiSpit thank you for not selling him to her! people need to learn that, while they CAN live in those tiny things, they do MUCH better and live MUCH longer in larger tanks! my own boys and girls all have tanks bigger than a gallon, with my largest being a 3 gallon tank. my tanks are beautifully decorated, and look SO much better than those 'tanks'. my bettas are also ALOT more active than the ones in those things. :I

PixiSpit - 12 years ago

LOL I got a complaint where I work because I wouldnt sell a woman a beta to go in a tiny cup. I told her she needed a bigger tank and she kicked off a right storm at me. What annoys me is how there are "tanks" (pots) designed for betas which gives the impression to people that its OK to keep them in cramped conditions when the reality is it's not good for them! I keep mine in a 60ltr tank which is more pleasing to the eye then a stressed fish in a cup.

00neoneva - 12 years ago

a wonderful video I have 3 wonderful bettas that are my heart and soul. An it breaks my heart seeing them this way, an you did a wonderful job telling the truth about how they are treated. tyvm

Masterjedi688 - 12 years ago

When I got my first betta, I kept him in a tiny tank less then a gallon. That was years ago. Nowadays, I prefer to keep them in larger tanks like 5 gallons or in a community tank with other fish. Its more Humane for the fish to have a large tank with plenty of room for swimming and exploring.

thelastgood1forever - 12 years ago

@warofthewalruses petco does take good care of their bettas, but the one here in wyoming they don't take care of their other fish, there are always dead ones and when you do buy fish, you are lucky to get them to last a month. the employees also always catch the fish that are the easiest to catch, meaning the sick ones. why do they not bother to get good employees every where? wish we had a good petstore here

Luimeril - 12 years ago

@jaykmvang that's a sorority. in the right conditions, females can tolerate each other, but are honestly happiest alone, like males. i have enough females for a sorority, but i can tell that they'll do best separated like they are. putting them together is something I would want, not them.

LegitimatelyBrown - 12 years ago

Because of this video, i got a 2.65 gallon tank for my betta Triton for christmas

Matthew blake - 12 years ago

im getting a betta today and nameing her Remy in memory of Remy

Luimeril - 12 years ago

@africancichlidfamily well... my betta that didn't flare for a year, is a delta. it could just be that he doesn't want to use up the energy needed to flare. i think in HMs and deltas, their tails are way heavy, so they don't flare as much. again, though, each fish is different. some HMs could be nasty little buggers, but my two Deltas didn't flare as much as my veiltails or crowntails.

Luimeril - 12 years ago

@jaykmvang females WILL fight. my plakat female will smash her tail against the tank wall if i let her flare too much. i've heard stories of females destroying sororities, which is the ONLY way females can be kept with each other, and even then there's always that risk. females, can be just as nasty as males, when it comes to fighting. it's a HORRIBLE bit of misinformation that females wont' fight each other.

Luimeril - 12 years ago

@africancichlidfamily what do you mean, no rays? some bettas just don't flare. i have a male who hasn't flared for a year. i have a male who only flares sometimes. it all depends on the personality of your betta. what size is your tank? he could just not feel up to flaring.

Luimeril - 12 years ago

@immNOTaBelieber truthfully, they're happiest by themselves. x: but, some tropical fish they can live with are peaceful schooling fish. many betta owners find Neon Tetras or Cory Catfish do best. you don't want anything that'll nip their fins, and nothing too colorful, nothing with longer fins. in a 10 gallon, you can have a small school of 5-6 neons, or 5-6 cory catfish. :3

immNOTaBelieber - 12 years ago

i have a 10 gallon and im now thinking about getting a betta:] but what are some other tropical fish that i could put with him/her for a friend and he/she wont hurt it:)?

Dahmerxx - 12 years ago

This is so sad. Betta's are my favorite fish. They are very curious and you can really get connected to them. When they live in a large tank they spend their day investigating which is a beautiful sight. No fish can live a good life in a tiny bowl. Fish need to swim!

Luimeril - 12 years ago

@ryansloan14 i've never heard of a small species of pleco... some don't get but a foot long, but still need tanks larger than yours. i had a common pleco, lived in a 29 gallon tank with my goldfish. found out, even THAT wasn't big enough for his species! o-o i'd still find him a new home, though. cory cats do the same thing plecos are supposed to do, and don't get big at all! and, they're kinda cute. lol

Luimeril - 12 years ago

@ryansloan14 that sounds like a wonderful tank, but you might want to find a new home for the Pleco. they get REALLY big! i had one, who was well over a foot long when he died. x: you might also want to get about three more cory cats. they're like the neons, and are schooling fish. otherwise, it sounds like betta heaven! with the live plants, that takes care of the ammonia issues, and you probably don't have to do alot of water changes. :3 i'd love to have a tank like that one day!

Luimeril - 12 years ago

@xXxBOLTxX males can't live with other bettas at all. x: there've been a few cases where they have, but the owners have been breeding bettas for years, and in one case, the male was totally blind. if you wanna breed, check out some forums like bettafish(.)com or ultimatebettas(.)com, and read up on their breeding sections. betta breeding is hard, and really risky to both the male and female. i've been researching betta breeding for two years, and STILL don't feel ready!

LP - 12 years ago

@Luimeril Thank you for your answer. Reading it I found out about the bubble nests! :) Somewhere in October or November (I'm not sure), I've noticed a lot of bubbles in my betta's aquarium.I was worried and thought he's sick or that his food is bad.But I didn't do anything because I didn't want to risk his health.Now I realised those are nests! I would like to breed my male,so I have a question: Can he live with a female betta or should I move her in before the mating season?And in which period?

Luimeril - 12 years ago

@VxdVxn they ARE very smart fish! my first betta knew exactly what time of day he was fed, and would get SUPER excited when i'd pick up his packet of food! i have 9 right now, and each one is unique, not just in color(i have some unusually colored ones!), but in personality! i have one who's feisty and flares at everything, one who will only flare for a certain female i own, and the others are just as unique! i'm glad yours was so happy!

Luimeril - 12 years ago

@ultimaflame268 (cont.) learn your stuff, then come talk to me. i've done well over 2 years worth of research, and currently have 9 happy, healthy bettas, all in over a gallon of water. my biggest tank, is a 3 gallon Aquaview 360. my smallest is a one gallon triangle tank for my Plakat female, who actually dislikes bigger tanks. i advocate larger tanks for new owners, because it's easier to care for, rather than the 3x a week water changes needed for a small tank like hers.

Luimeril - 12 years ago

@ultimaflame268 it's a proven fact that fish feel pain. bettas are some of the smartest fish out there. yeah, their brain is tiny don't mean they WANT to fight. in fact, they'd rather NOT fight. fighting is a last resort when it comes to defending their territory. i never once said, give your betta the biggest tank out there. read the comments. i've said many times one or two gallon tanks are fine for the. two and up is better. they NEED warm water to stay healthy.

Luimeril - 12 years ago

@sailorhamlett offer him a few pellets at a time. it's not uncommon for new bettas to refuse food. they're stressed from the move, and probably aren't used to what you're feeding them. if he doesn't eat in a few days, try crushing the pellets up. some brands out there are actually far too big for bettas to eat. if THAT doesn't work, try getting some garlic, like.. a fresh garlic, and cut it up, smash it, soak his pellets in it.

Dakota - 12 years ago

got one yesterday.he won't eat.

VxdVxn - 12 years ago

I've had betta's in the past and they are some of the smartest fish I've ever owned. I used to play with one using a hand held mirror and everyday he seen me near his tank he'd come rushing over near the glass and wait for me to hold up the mirror so he can flair at himself. I did this every other day since he was the only betta in the house... also he was kept in bad condition before I got him and his color improved drastically within a couple weeks.

ultimaflame268 - 12 years ago

this video is so stupid first of all yes sometimes walmart does mistreat their fish second whats with the sad music third you dont know how the bettas feel they fight each other can you explain why? fourth they dont need a huge amount of space to live in why? because some fish are like that they sell beta cubes with less than half a gallon of water. i had one with a betta in it who lived for 2 and a half years i even tought him how to swm through a hoop for food and why give 1 fish a 20 gal tank

Luimeril - 12 years ago

@Kaleofox76 that would be wonderful, but goldfish and bettas can't live together. x: not only is your tank WAY overstocked(fancy goldfish need 20 gallons for one then 10 additional for each additional goldfish), but the goldfish will get big enough to eat the betta, if she doesn't bully them to death first. also, bettas need heaters, goldfish don't. goldfish need MASSIVE amounts of filtration, which bettas can't live in. x:

Kaleofox76 - 12 years ago

i saved a little betta that wasnt living to well when i got him, i brought him home and put him in a nice clean tank and named him Dayamoni and lived his life happily for 4 months and passed away cause of how badly he was treated.I then also bought a little female betta from walmart and behind her were 2 dead little bettas and most of their water was total yuck and filth, her swim bladder is stating to go out now but she lives with two orandas in a 10 gallon tank! shes quiet happy!

Luimeril - 12 years ago

@xXxBOLTxX actually, you're half-right. :3 as long as the tank has plenty of plants and hiding spaces, they won't feel nervous at all. i've had them in my 10 gallon before, and they did great! the one male would build three bubble nests at a time! and, i've seen people who have them in 20 gallon communities! it all depends on how many plants you're wiling to shove in the tank.

LP - 12 years ago

I think that putting a betta into that big tank is bad. They should be in a medium-sized bowl (one fish in it), because if they're in a big tank they feel nervous... Why, you ask? They feel unsafe there, because they feel like something's going to attack them in that big space. I have a blue betta and i love him so much, and hope i'm getting him good care and that he's happy. So sorry for your betta who died. But i see you care about them so much, so for that, i congratulate you! :)

Luimeril - 12 years ago

@562bitchkilla some bettas can live with other fish. some can't. you gotta know the betta's personality and understand 'fish language', or you risk stressing them out. i hope your bettas aren't males at all. :T males, can NEVER live with other bettas, not even with females. females, can live with other females, though. but, it sounds like your tank's WAY overstocked. o-o

Luimeril - 12 years ago

@ElDoMiniKan36 my record is four years. my first betta, an orange dalmatian Veiltail named Zach. strongest little guy ever. bettas DO swim alot, and my new video proves that. i don't base mine on aggression, but personality. because i don't fight them. yeah, i know fighter bettas are more aggressive, but that's because the bettas i keep are bred for looks, not spunk. don't come on my video and diss my care, unless you want me to tear you a new one. :T also, spell check, dude.

Luimeril - 12 years ago

@sissalee1010 one betta to them, isn't alot. they buy them for dimes, sell them for dollars. yeah, i know i did a bad thing by buying Remy, but thankfully, that doesn't matter. they don't sell bettas anymore, just a bunch of epic tanks. i'll admit it, too. i bought their last live betta last Easter. he's doing great, thriving in my care. if you want to save one, don't buy supplies from them. talk to the manager, and tell them, you won't shop there anymore till conditions improve.

Luimeril - 12 years ago

@JayDarn55 yeah. he died two days after i bought him. he had Swim Bladder issues, columnaris, and gill flukes. :T things he wouldn't have, if his cup was changed often, and if they had someone there to watch the bettas so brats don't fight them for fun. thankfully, they don't sell bettas no more.

Luimeril - 12 years ago

@BlindParrot69 that myth is based on the dry season, when the huge rice paddies they live in dry up. but, they jump out and flop to new puddles, or even ponds and streams, when the water quality gets too bad, so it's not like they live in dirty, gross, stinky water. i DO agree that they need water changes every few days, depending on tank size. my local petsmart takes okay care of theirs, but everyone one had SBD, and the one i bought died that night. :T Petco's better here.

Luimeril - 12 years ago

@TytoProductions i won't lie and say if you don't give your betta the best, he'll die. because my first one ever lived in a bowl half his life, then a one gallon, then a 10 gallon, and he lived to be four. but, it's proven that, if given a good-sized tank, a heater, and clean water regularly, they'll be happier and healthier. you don't need a fricken HUGE tank for these little guys. anything bigger than a gallon is great. :3

Luimeril - 12 years ago

@kaitlyntalks2girls there's nothing wrong with that betta, other than maybe a little fin damage. it's nothing to worry about, really.

Luimeril - 12 years ago

@nic16144 i'm on well water. well water, doesn't have chlorine. those are just air bubbles from new water, because i wasn't able to let it set for the 24 hours, because i got him on impulse. :T

G-Sans Serif - 12 years ago

It's true that betta fish don't get the right amount of care from stores or most people who havn't researched them yet... But for those who do and know what a treasure they are, I'm happy. :3 I just got my third Betta today, and I hope he'll live long too. My second one is already a year and a half old.

TytoProductions - 12 years ago

My last fish who I had for five years was a WalMart rescue. He had no problem living in a bowl though. Anything was better for him than a dirty cup. I don't have a full aquarium because I can't fit one in my house. Luckily enough for my bettas, I take them on trips, so they don't always have to see the same surroundings. I also play with my fish and give them room to swim. I do my best to make sure that even though my betta lives in a bowl, he can still enjoy life.

Jamie Mcmiller - 12 years ago

he died?? aww... R.I.P Remy

triface72 - 12 years ago

i keep my little fish in a 20 gallon tank with lots of green! hes a happy fish

Luimeril - 12 years ago

@exxcel19 if you do that, talk to the manager. tell him/her 'i'm buying this fish. but i will NOT buy supplies here, until conditions improve.' then, point out the other sick fish, buy the fish, and leave. buy meds and tanks and stuff at another store, to prove a point.

Luimeril - 12 years ago

@cptacotime they're not puddles, really. rice paddies are HUGE. THOUSANDS of gallons! they only stay in puddles during the dry season, but jump out when the water quality gets too bad, and end up in small streams, rivers, and ditches. so... the myth, that they live in puddles, is only PARTLY true. :3

Luimeril - 12 years ago

@TheCrippledCrow thank you. :3 my boys and girls go crazy with the exploring when they come home! when i clean their tanks, i rearrange their decorations, so when they get out of the cups, they have a blast exploring! they rarely rest during the day, always swimming around, exploring. they're VERY active fish, most people just don't get to see that, because they're stuck in bowls and vases and tiny death traps. :T

Luimeril - 12 years ago

@Ankhesenamunou that's wonderful! don't go for the sickest one there, though. try for the most active. get one that interacts with you, flares at his/her neighbors, and seems generally happy. also, be sure to get a good tank. one gallon is okay, two and up is better. a heater will make them super happy, but can get expensive. silk plants will make them SUPER happy! mine sleep in theirs, and the silk won't rip their fins. :3

Luimeril - 12 years ago

@ElDoMiniKan36 oh, man. nine months. that's sooooo long. :T bettas can live up to 5 years with proper care. my current oldest is 2 years old. my record oldest, is four YEARS. he was such a unique coloration, there's no way my Ma swapped fish when he died. they swim ALOT. check out the female in my other video for proof. learn your crap, before you come on my video, spouting pure MYTHS in all caps.

JessyBeeee - 12 years ago

Thank you for making this video!! It made me soo sad to watch though ): I hate how fish are treated.. As if they are just there for decoration.. Thankfully I have never seen this in real life... I think I'd have to buy out the lot of them if I ever came across them =/

exxcel19 - 12 years ago

seeing this video I am more determined then ever to rescue a betta from a cup at petssmart or harbor pet center or petco.Every time i go to petssmart i go to the bettas a lot of the time after i go to the plant care stuff.and just watch them.it saddens me that the only have wholes on the top of the lids to breathe.and half of them aren't even that active.,,makes me want to take the less active ones home and nurse them back to health.

HappyFace - 12 years ago

I wish I still had bettas. I bought them ALL the time when I was ten and under. I had a huge bowl for one and then I got a tank. They loved it. People think that they actually "like" tiny space because they don't look like they're stressing out. But when I put my old one in the tank, he swam around in laps and looked so happy. His tail fins were up and not drooping

Vic Blackwood - 12 years ago

Oh that is so horrible! I am glad I am buying one soon and taking it out if that horrible environment :)

Luimeril - 12 years ago

@marshmallowrulez since they're babies, you'll need to take extra good care of them. feed them twice a day, only a few pellets at a time, maybe two each feeding. crush them, because the babies are small. change their water 2-3 times a week and make sure you acclimate them well. it's great, taking care of baby fish, but they're hard work.

marshmallowrulez - 12 years ago

I just got 2 beta fishes today and i day the dead ones getting fed to birds and it felt really sad then i saw baby ones and i thought since there small for their age i will take care of them so they wont die 1 of them lives in a big bowlish vase thingy and theres room for it to swim the other one has a mini tank which is also big enough to swim and i have enough food for them but i dont know how much i feed them cause i heard they sometimes die when there overfed

Nikki Ktegfdsd - 12 years ago

when i watch these kind of videos i wanna take them all home!... it's so sad. :(

DiamondTeardrop6 - 12 years ago

I hate how people think Betta's are only for decoration. We went to a wedding once and ever table had a tiny vase with a Betta and a floating candle in it. It was SO sad. The poor things :'(

Luimeril - 12 years ago

@GKreviews that's great! anything over a gallon is good. anything over 2 gallons is better. one of mine is in a 3 gallon, and he adores it, always swimming around. once or twice a day is fine. if you want to, give him a day where you don't feed him, called a fasting day. that helps them digest everything and clean their little systems out and helps prevent bloat.

Luimeril - 12 years ago

@KuvaPefo that happens sometimes. if you keep your house/room warm, or live in an area where it's warm all year round, you often don't need a heater. before i moved, i kept my room warm all year round, so mine didn't need them. after moving, though, i needed them.

Leafyr Oakfyst - 12 years ago

@Luimeril Well here I am with a Betta, no heater, and the thermometer thingy is almost always in the green zone. I have had HORRIBLE experience with heaters.. If I used one now, the temp. would go above the green zone and my betta would likely die. Yeah it is best to use LARGE bowls/vases if that's all u can do, but best to give em a couple gallon tank. :)

Bob Nugget - 12 years ago

this makes me g;ad about how my petco treats their bettas. they give them fresh water every day, and have a vertical stand with sections, like a bookshelf so the fish get noticed, and have a daily feeding schedule. my petco rocks.

Luimeril - 12 years ago

@NinjanateKitty we must be. because i'm talking about the ones in Thailand, that are miles and miles wide and long, that have slow-moving water that's always refreshed by streams and rain during the rainy season. they DO need water. check the weather in Thailand. warm. all year round, every day. they can SURVIVE without a heater. they THRIVE with them. i've been doing research DAILY for the past 2 years, and have personally seen the difference in bettas with, and without them.

Luimeril - 12 years ago

@NinjanateKitty the difference? the one in the tank is happy, healthy, and is thriving. the ones in the bowls and vases? cold and rather bored, and they won't live nearly as long as the one at the end. i'm not saying, get your betta a 10 gallon or you're bad. i'm saying, give them with they need. they need good food, and heated, clean water. plants and caves entertain them, and mine sleep in their plants, and love exploring when i redecorate. they're built, as fragile fish.

Luimeril - 12 years ago

@NinjanateKitty a rice paddy is thousands of gallons of constantly,but gently flowing water. the water is FAR from dirty, and there's a difference in dirty from dirt, and dirty from ammonia and other waste products. it's NOT okay to keep them in vases and bowls, because you cannot safely HEAT them. put a heater in a vase or bowl, and where's the room for the betta to swim? or for decorations for him to enjoy? get a good two gallon tank, and you can put in a heater, and decor.

Luimeril - 12 years ago

@reininghorses57 there are many ways, depending on the type of fish. the most humane, in terms of bettas, is clove oil. you add pure clove oil to a cup of water, and it puts them in a deep sleep that they won't wake up from. the least favorite, is putting water in the freezer till it's close to freezing, then plopping them in it puts them in shock and they die. that's what i had to do to mine, though. D:

reininghorses57 - 12 years ago

@Luimeril wow! How do you put a betta fish down? My 10 gallon tropical comunity tank just had an ich outbreak, 4 fish died, including 3 of my pregnat guppies, and my breeder dalmation mollie. But they are on the way to being cured, an dthe betta fish is still healthy. I have an extra tank for really sick fish.

Luimeril - 12 years ago

@reininghorses57 right now, nine. i just had to put a very sick one down yesterday. i had 10, before i had to put him down. :< the rest, are happy and healthy, though.

reininghorses57 - 12 years ago

@Luimeril wow, I have never had one that lived to be four! I hope your oldest lives a long, happy life :) How many do you have?

Luimeril - 12 years ago

@reininghorses57 that's wonderful. :3 your new boy sounds beautiful! and, three is amazingly long for a betta! my oldest was 4 when he passed, and my current oldest is about 2 years old. :3

Luimeril - 12 years ago

@sassykitten92 that's great! but, be careful keeping him with the gouramis. they're all in the same family, and all are top swimmers. they may end up fighting one day. x: keep a spare tank ready, just in case one or more need to be removed.

reininghorses57 - 12 years ago

I love this video. I have 3 betta fish, 1 is in a 10 gallon tank, 1 is in a 3 gallon tank, and the other is in a 1.5 gallon tank. My newest one was white when I got him, but now he is gaining colour, he is a dark pink with blue hints and blue eyes! My oldest one is 3 years old :)

Luimeril - 12 years ago

@fullmetalxxxnx i have it set this way, because i have gotten trolls in the past. i am NOT putting up with people who bash what i believe. about 90% of the comments, i approve, because they aren't trolls, or jerks who talk about 'i got two bettas and fought them and it was cool then i flushed them because it was funny'. :T i'm not putting up with people who say stuff like this is stupid, or talk about fighting bettas for fun. THAT is why i have it so i gotta approve the comments.

Luimeril - 12 years ago

@fullmetalxxxnx they don't come from puddles. they come from rice paddies, which are shallow, but are hold thousands of gallons. as long as the tank is under a foot tall, which most tanks people keep them in are, including 20 gallon wide tanks, they are fine. i never said "give them all 10+ gallons, or you're bad!". anything over a gallon is fine. two of my own are in one gallons! i DO know people who have them in 20 gallons, but most keep them in 2-5 gallons for one, 10 for two.

fullmetalxxxnx - 12 years ago

note also haveing make it so you have to approve comments is kinda wrong. u posted a video on youtube so ppl may watch and learn but from the looks you only approve the comments that are + on this video. you do not know everthing there might be a thing wrong with what u are saying. the point of youtube is to let ppl comment debate. its how ppl learn. only approveing comments YOU like and that are good fro your video is just retarded

fullmetalxxxnx - 12 years ago

k so im all for helping even the smallest of living things that can feel fear or pain but after spending no less then 20 mins of research everthing has said these fish need smallish tanks 5-10g for in the wild they often live in puddles and often just stay near the top since they need to breath air not though the water. so having a 20g tank is some what pointless since they should not often swim even half way down the tank. how the pet stores are is wrong but they dont need that much

Luimeril - 12 years ago

@TheCaptainSqueak my first ever betta was kept in a half-gallon bowl. then, he got a one gallon. he lived the last 2 years of his four-year life, in a 10 gallon, where he swam around alot, coasted in teh current, and was a happy boy! i'm glad your new boys have such big tanks to live in!

Deanna Longo - 12 years ago

I truly regret ever having kept any of my previous Betta fish in a tiny bowl like the one pictured at 3:32. I feel so, so bad. I wish I had done my research! However, I'm happy to say that I currently have 2 Betta boys (kept separately!) which have big Critter Keepers to swim around in now and are spoiled rotten! R.I.P to the previous Betta boys I had in the past. I wish things were different! :(

Luimeril - 12 years ago

@Laura65177 thank you. it's great to see people who know that myth is a load of crap. while, in the wild, they do sometimes live in puddles, they escape from them once the ammonia level reaches toxic levels. AND, the domestic bettas we have today are far more fragile than their wild cousins, and do best in tanks of 1 gallon or larger. mine, live in mostly 2 gallons, heated.

Luimeril - 12 years ago

@largeaquaticmammal most of the photos in this video are from walmart. i got Remy from my local walmart, last Valentine's day. i've seen some petstores that DO take horrid care of their bettas, but the one i shop at takes amazing care of them. the water is changed almost daily in the cups, and often if they get alot of veiltails, they're put in tanks with peaceful fish like guppies, platies, and neon tetras.

Laura Alexandrine - 12 years ago

Pet shops say to me its better for them to be kept in small tanks/bowls and they 'prefer it' because they were found in thailand in elephant footprint puddles. WHAT A LOAD OF CROCK. I wouldn't put any fish in a tiny bowl! This is shocking that people give this advice at aquariums and omg.. its a world wide disaster this myth about them being fine to live in tiny untreated or filtered cups.. sickening!!

Luimeril - 12 years ago

@Tsukoe that is true. but, unlike your bettas, the ones in this video never had a chance to get hurt. they lived in the cups. that were never cleaned. the ammonia started burning their fins, opening wounds for the bacteria to get in and rot their fins away. the first one, was fought. the rips are too clean to be from fin rot. he also developed fuzz on his side, in a nearly perfect circle, showing he'd been bitten by another betta.

bram van de veerdonk - 12 years ago

betta do need some room but they aren't great swimmers aspecialy they long fin males are bath swimmers. but still i also agree they need a good clean live and somting bigger then a fish bowl. keep it up!

Luimeril - 12 years ago

@Horerczy many i've heard about know jack about actual betta care. one person was told her betta would DIE if put in a 5 gallon. he's happily thriving in said tank. they'll tell you things ranging from 'they like tiny bowls', to 'you can have a boy and girl living happily together!', which anyone that knows enough about bettas, knows is so far from the truth. not ALL are bad, but generally, you'd want to do your own research instead of relying on them. x:

Horerczy - 12 years ago

A sad video. Though I dislike the don't believe the pet store associate thing as many pet store associates do know what they're talking about despite popular belief. As for wal-mart ones, well, I work for wal-mart and there are 14 aquariums in my house so I'd say some of us know what to do with fish.

Luimeril - 12 years ago

@sweetif26 one gallon is okay, but it's not easy to heat. bettas need warm waters, and even breeders who keep them in half-gallons have the water at a constant temp. i, personally, have one of my females in a gallon, because she stresses in anything bigger, but my room stays warm all the time. i'm glad it's only temporary. it LOOKS big, for smaller bettas, but you gotta factor in the ammonia your betta lets out from their gills, poo, and molding foods. x: bigger tanks, dilute it.

Paulina Milkowski - 12 years ago

its true and sad i have a 1 gallon tanki think it big enough for my betta there r not alot of rock theres like 30 and he has one plant my betta like it. im hoping for a bigger tank when i get more money :) but i had him for 3 monthes and hes doing very well. and if anyone says its too small its only tempory and its pretty big for temperry my betta is haoppy and thts what matters but please reply anyone if u think its small cuz i dont know

Wayne's Fish World - 12 years ago

@Luimeril agree 100%

Luimeril - 12 years ago

@samuelwaynefoleyjr 2 gallons is minimum. with a 2 gallon, you can buy an adjustable heater and safely heat the water, which they need, because they're tropical fish and get sick easier in colder waters. plus, there's some really nice 2 gallon tanks out there. yeah, they cost a lot more than a vase or bowl, but it's worth it to see your betta happy in his/her rather large, heated tank!

Wayne's Fish World - 12 years ago

cool, but bettas are labyrinth fish and have an organ to breathe from the surface lol, also....ehhh 10 gallons are nice for them but i think they can go a little smaller

Luimeril - 12 years ago

@jk3wagner the betta cups, are not. they are actual pictures a person took at their local walmart. i got permission from them to use them. the first two bettas, Remy, are mine. i saved him from walmart, but he died three days later. the nasty, disgusting bowl with brown water, is a betta someone was given on a forum. got her permission to use it. only the bowls, vases, and the tank at the end are from google, because i don't know anyone who keeps their bettas in bowls and vases.

Kathy Wagner - 12 years ago

please tell me you got those forom google!

SammyTheShark - 12 years ago

i felt so sad i just bought my betta a 2.5 gallon, is that big enough?

Luimeril - 12 years ago

@lissettecaballero66 the baby bettas need special care. he/she will need a tank of at least 2 gallons, a heater to keep the water warm, and for a while special fry foods or real good, crushed pellets. i suggest New Life Spectrum grow, which i feed all my bettas and it's a good food for baby bettas. as long as you keep the water clean and warm, he/she should live about 3-4 years!

Luimeril - 12 years ago

@TheWhiteb1 they're like any other fish. they LOVE room. i've seen bettas go from nearly colorless and clamped, to bright and colorful and spreading their fins, when put from a cup or bowl to a 2 gallon tank! just because they've been known to live in puddles for a month or so in the wild, doesn't mean the domestic bettas we have today like it.

Luimeril - 12 years ago

@Rebelphoenix i actually have that same tank! my crowntail, who i got from walmart, loves it! it's the perfect size for bettas!

Rebel Phoenix - 12 years ago

I really hope the tank I'm getting isn't too tall for it. I'm getting a 3 gallon aquaview 360... Will that be alright? I'm new to all this but I was horrified to see the fish at wal mart. I was in the store looking just the other day, it was so wrong, I felt so bad for them.

lissettecaballero66 - 12 years ago

@4YouTwocute hi, i just bought a baby betta, from petco. i was wondering how you got your to live so long?? i am getting mine a tank soon, but for now she is in a pretty big bowl. any tips???

Yakan Ume - 12 years ago

T^T I remeber seeing them like that I had 50 dollars one time and bought alot of them the sick and sad ones only two males died but it cause the werent fed right there all happy and in new homes even now some are in my koi pond they get along well

JBHOPKINS - 12 years ago

@Luimeril -- I know! There are so many options! They deserve a life, and by life I don't mean being in a flower vase with 1 inch of water on your bathroom counter. They deserve company, habitat, space.. And not to survive, but THRIVE!

Baileya White - 12 years ago

i heard that bettas like to be crowded, bowls r the best i think...smart video though

Luimeril - 12 years ago

@4YouTwocute Peta's good in those undercover things, but i don't support them. they want to get rid of ALL domestic pets and animals, period, and i ain't standin' for that. i DO agree, that one shouldn't buy from a pet store that abuses any critters, even bettas. if you see sick ones, notify the manager. if nothing's done right away, don't buy ANYTHING from that store, AT ALL. if you DO cave and buy a betta, buy your supplies elsewhere!

Justyna - 12 years ago

This actually made me cry. I live in the UK though and I've never seen any bettas in the sops like that. I don't see why people think that bettas should be kept away. We've got a red fella a year ago, we were advised that it'd probably fight with the two angel fish we've already had in our tank. None of these actually happened, the betta and angelfish are so peaceful together! I hope that people realise that fish are animals too, and need even more care and time than dogs or cats do.

YugiSora - 12 years ago

Makes me so sad. My little guy had a whole big tank to himself. Something should really be done about this.

Luimeril - 12 years ago

@GlobalCriticX that is so true! some people can keep them with small schooling fish, like neon tetras or Cory catfish as well. more peaceful bettas can even live with plain-colored guppies!

Luimeril - 12 years ago

@mycrasymonkeys they can live up to five years with good care. most in the pet store are already a little older, so most live only about three years. i had one years ago who lived four years!

Devin Steele - 12 years ago

@usuck214 no. not likely. remember you are suppost to put Betta Conditoner in the water for the betta to live in healthy water. (BettaStart may work to)

cashboy JADON - 12 years ago

Sad they onlel live one to the years.

JBHOPKINS - 12 years ago

Just cause bettas are stereo- typed as viscous, argumentative, and solitary, they are forced to live in cramped, filthy and poor conditions and live a lonely life. THE TRUTH- bettas ARE social, just particular and moody! Some great companions for bettas include- ghost/ other fresh water shrimp --- african dwarf frogs--- any snails that are too big to swallow ..... ALSO- provide the bettas companions with plenty of caves, nooks & crannies , as the betta will be dominant and likely intimidate .

usuck214 - 12 years ago

@Luimeril if i get a betta thats in dirty water and put it in a 5 gallon with clean water. will it die since the change is being made quickly.

Sena Hansler - 12 years ago

Lui, this is an awesome vd :) thanks for linking it to me!

Jennifer Draven - 12 years ago

I'm proud to say my betta was given a 10 gallon tank and lived a happy life in all his beauty. I have videos of him on my account if anybody wants a more uplifting video of bettas hes gorgeous! This video makes me want to cry. Americans are so proud of their country, proud of what this sick twsited abuse!? Here in England this does not happen. The closest thing is goldfish at fairs but they are given more care than this...

CatfishCO - 12 years ago

You have really shown people how to care for these lovely fish. You have definitely sent your point across and how people treat these fish is disgraceful! You have done a great job and hope people change how they treat these innocent fish.

Alexa Heart - 12 years ago

this is just like the betta i got from petsmart :( he died of a disease he had @ the store

Tsuki - 12 years ago

i saved a betta from wallmart and he is sooooo pretty he wasnt in good shape when i got him but he is alot better he is in a 2.5 gallon bowl and im saving up to buta bigger one

Luimeril - 12 years ago

@Bonelessduckfood bettas require easy access to the surface to breath. unlike most fish, they get most of their air from the surface. so, if a tank's too tall, over a foot tall, it's harder for them to reach the surface. longer-finned bettas, like Halfmoons and veiltails, have a tougher time reaching the surface. in bettas and other labyrinth fish, longer, is better than taller.

Bonelessduckfood - 12 years ago

at 3:à! u say a tank is too tall, how can a tank be to all for a fish. taller i better

Luimeril - 12 years ago

@speedmaster001 it's okay. :3 many have pointed out the bubbles, but that's not what killed Remy. it was pure neglect on walmart's part. he had bad bloat, SBD, gill flukes, and columaris, along with being fought and a possible internal bacterial infection. x: poor boy lasted 2 days in my care, and was looking better hours after i put him in. i wish he'd made it, though. D:

Luimeril - 12 years ago

@ThatWretchedKid i'm not gonna lie. my first betta lived in a half-gallon bowl, and i barely changed the water. i saw, however, how happy he was when my mom got him a gallon tank, and kept him in it. then, he was moved into our 10 gallon, and oh, boy the change! he was always swimming! i know, now, how happy bettas are in bigger tanks, so my smallest is a gallon. i always suggest at least a gallon for one betta, but bigger is better.

Chloe McCarty - 12 years ago

Unfortunately, this is how my betta lived for a long time, and the one before him. My little boy Fruitcake has a deformed flipper, similar to Nemo... My fish before him, was very ugly and brown. After a few weeks of living with us, she turned to a nice blue and green.. The price mixups makes people not want them. It also pains me when small children are given bettas because they're sturdy fish. Dont use them as decoration, give them a loving home. They're too intellegent not to. Buy locally!!

spartan381 - 12 years ago

Just bought a delta tail betta from petco and im keeping it in a planted 20 gallon long. it seems VERY happy

Romeo W - 12 years ago

@Luimeril OK, you seems to know what you are doing. My bad, I stand corrected.

Luimeril - 12 years ago

@TheMoua07 it's true that they don't need HUGE tanks, and actually don't do well in very tall ones, but everything needs room to move and swim, to explore and live. anything above a gallon is fine, but anything above 2 gallons is better. in larger tanks(2+gallons), you can safely heat them with an adjustable heater, which bettas NEED. they are TROPICAL fish, and need warm, stable temps to stay happy and healthy.

Moua Thao - 12 years ago

hey a bowl that has plants in it the fish can breathe and BETTAS dont need that whole lot of space...only need a 5 gallon fish tank

Luimeril - 12 years ago

@speedmaster001 they aren't chlorine. i am on well water, which doesn't have chlorine in it. they're normal bubbles that appear any time you add water to anything. it was a brand new tank, which i got the same time i got Remy. i wasn't expecting to have to rescue a betta, so i didn't have water setting out. and, i use water conditioner. Prime, to be exact, and the bubbles STILL appear. took those two pics soon after acclimating him and letting him out of the nasty cup he was in

Romeo W - 12 years ago

so you are an expert in betta hun, rescuing them from walmart. At 0:15 fine bubbles on the tank's wall are chlorine bubbles. Have you ever heard about water conditioner?

Luimeril - 12 years ago

@HawkWhisper23 make sure you get the proper stuff to care for him/her. a good-sized tank, heater since its cold now, good food, and decor. they're amazing fish, if taken care of the right way. :3

HawkWhisper23 - 12 years ago

Thats it. Going out to buy a Beta AND TAKE CARE OF IT.

RawVeganThings - 12 years ago

@Luimeril haha, it's hard to take a photo of her, she is so tiny :o

Luimeril - 12 years ago

@lunarblessing told ya. :3 now, we're gonna want photos of Melanie. xD i'm glad you were able to get her lots of stuff. she'll be super happy!

RawVeganThings - 12 years ago

@Luimeril Yep, I have reviewed a lot of information on that site. They are super helpful. My girl, "Melanie" I hope is a lot happier with all the room she has now. ^^ I have pretty much everything I need to keep her healthy, so I'm happy. I just now have to relax after the stress of dashing out to get her supplies :P

Luimeril - 12 years ago

@lunarblessing thank you for taking her! bettafish(dot)com is a great site for info! i'm part of it(under the same name as here), and they're all super friendly and understanding! they'll give you lots of good info, and will help you make your new girl super happy! they'll even give tips on caring for her while on a budget! if i get a gift betta, i'm prepared, because i have 8 others, but not everyone wants them, or knows how to care for them. :T

RawVeganThings - 12 years ago

Thank you for posting this!! I just rescued a beta fish because an ignorant girl in my school was giving them to her friends and teachers as Christmas gifts. One of my teacher's had one and he didn't have a tank for her so he asked me if I would want to take her. Of course I did! Living beings are NOT gifts! Throwing a living being onto someone who doesn't know or want to take care of them is super ignorant. I just got her today and I'm looking up info right now.

Luimeril - 12 years ago

@FUllMERPRODUCTIONS if you see a sick one and want to get it, be sure to tell the manager "i'm going to save this one, but you need to do something about the others". also, don't buy tanks or supplies for him/her at THAT store. instead, tell the manager you're going elsewhere to get supplies, and will continue to do so until conditions improve.

Luimeril - 12 years ago

@22MidgetMan22 that's great! :3 anything over a gallon is great. above 2 gallons, and you can get an adjustable heater, rather than rely on a preset heater.

Luimeril - 12 years ago

@XXSoren01 It's Aerith's Theme from Final Fantasy 7. this version is from Advent Children.

Luimeril - 12 years ago

@lyndaKu 1 pellet, twice a day, may be too LITTLE, actually. many people feed their bettas about 4-6 pellets daily(that 2-3 pellets, twice a day), and i feed mine a small pinch of sand-like pellets once a day. one person feeds them until they get a healthy little belly on them. it all depends on the brand of pellets. soaking the pellets, can sometimes suck nutrients out of the pellets, too.

Luimeril - 12 years ago

@CorexShank i should. xD but, some of mine don't like the camera. two of my females freak out over it. :T i may just take some videos of them one day, then edit them all together. xD

Sarah T - 12 years ago

@Luimeril they sound amazing! you must really take great care of them :) you should make a video posting pictures of your fish! i'd love to see them! :D

himroker16 - 12 years ago

wow this really opened my eyes to a world i didnt know existed. i will make sure to visit those website before buying any betta from any pet store. thank you for uploading this video :'}

Luimeril - 12 years ago

@CorexShank i know. :3 i was agreeing with you! i buy the ones that sit there forever, too. like, this beautiful orange Crowntail, that was there for a month! or, my blind white Halfmoon Plakat who was there nearly 2 weeks. or, the ugly grey Veil who turned into a beautiful, spunky boy after just days with me!

Sarah T - 12 years ago

@Luimeril that's what i was saying... i buy the "ugly" ones. if you re-read my comment you can see that i'm saying that.

Luimeril - 12 years ago

@CorexShank the ugly ones are always the prettiest! they just need TLC! if you judge them on color alone, you'll pass up the ones with the best personality and the most potential!

Luimeril - 12 years ago

@SuperTrapper101 what pet store? for me, it varies. there's a Petco about an hour away. went there once. they take amazing care of their critters. a PetSmart an hour in the opposite direction. hate them. :T a small pet store called PetLovers is where i got alot of my bettas from. now, i buy from a breeder in Arizona. better quality bettas.

SuperTrapper101 - 12 years ago

what pet story do u go to

Hurlanator - 12 years ago

you can report abuse to the rspca

Sarah T - 12 years ago

i normally choose my bettas from the corner where the "ugly" ones are kept.. you know the discolored, half dead ones. i personally find them to be the sweetest and most loving. i actually chose one tonight that my friends thought was absolutely disgusting looking. turns out, when i brought him home and he regained some of his color.. i had never seen such a beautiful fish! i knew he was perfect even when he was almost completely gray.

Grazk - 12 years ago

:( this is soo sad, Im happy we don't see this often here in sweden. great vid

Luimeril - 12 years ago

@themousemaster i'm not familiar with measurments of tanks, as far as width, length, and height. as long as you do regular water changes, he should be fine. if it's less than five gallons, avoid putting in any tank mates, though, as that can cause ammonia to build up really quick.

XSyntax - 12 years ago

I had a big 5 gallon tank, but my nanny replaced yesterday for a 30X13 or 13x30 divider tank. I plan to get a new tank as soon as i'm old enough. how long do you think he'll last in there? it's not excessivly tiny, it's one of the better ones but still..

Luimeril - 12 years ago

@emsteffi that is SO true! although, you could do it like this: get the manager. tell him that you will buy this fish, but you will NOT buy anything else from that store until conditions improve, and will instead shop at their competitor. that may not work at walmart, but it will at pet stores. dont' buy ANYTHING with that fish, just him/her. buy the equipment at the other store. that way, they'll know you're serious!

anie6142 - 12 years ago

R.I.P. Remy Emma, our female Betta (mine and my dad's) lives in a bowl, but wait don't start to judge, it's a bowl big enough to host about ten golden fish, she has plenty of space to swim freely and she doesn't feel crowded. She has a home inside the bowl whcih is appropiate for Betta's and loves to swim in it. On winter time we put a thing to warm up the water to an appropiate temperature so she doesn't get sick. We feed her everytime she's hungry and clean her home weekly. She is lives happy.

pdev - 12 years ago

I am so happy my Betta fish is living happily in hiw own tank, which is perfect for his size and gives him plenty of room. He has little plants and a cave to sleep in. I feed him twice a day. He likes to swim in the sunlight, and he's really energetic. I clean his entire tank once a week and use a chemical to make the water safe for him to swim in. I love him. I really wish I could find a way to help those other poor, poor fish. :(

UnKnOwN992jr - 12 years ago

@ZeDStarZz57 i know mate but its in america because not only the RSPCA would be involved but trading standards would be right up their ass in selling mishandled goods (fish)

AweSomo84 - 12 years ago

good video it's sad indeed

Luimeril - 12 years ago

@animalfanatic1010 bettas will fight from about two months old. most you get from a pet store or walmart are about six months old. when the flexibacter attacked him, you could see two little circle-shaped wounds, one on his side, the other on his gill plate. that's how i know he was fought. also, PetCo/Smart/Land can be just as bad as walmart in fish care. if you want a healthy betta, buy from a breeder. it costs more, but it's worth it.

Luimeril - 12 years ago

@jpets561 most of mine are in 2 gallons, as well. i have on in a 3 gallon(he's a large male), one in a one gallon(she's terrified of bigger tanks. tried them), and one in a 1.5(she's still young and small). a lucky female i bought my mom from a breeder is getting a 10 gallon. my boys and girls are super active, and people love watching my video of Caroline on my channel, amazed at how active she is!

jpets561 - 12 years ago

@Luimeril Yes what a life. I see other people's bettas in bowls and they look so lifeless. Mine's in a 2 gallon, which seems small compared to people who keep them in 10 gallons, but she is very happy and loves it. I wish more people knew how much fun they are when they have enough room to swim.

Luimeril - 12 years ago

@ZeDStarZz57 the SPCA doesn't really care. you can call them, and complain, but generally, you'll have to threaten to get DHEC on them. :T PETA cares, but i don't like the way they go about things.

Luimeril - 12 years ago

@volcanolover that's amazing! five years is the longest i've heard one living! i had one, years ago, who lived 4 years, which is pretty good for bettas. i DO have a female who freaks out at bigger tanks, no matter how well planted they are, but most adore bigger tanks. anything larger than a gallon is good, but gallon tanks need alot of work. x:

Luimeril - 12 years ago

@jpets561 it's really sad that they're classified as "decor" to many, and they only buy them to match the decoration of the room they live in. then, they're forced into bowls and vases, where they live miserably, cold and bored, until they die. :T

Luimeril - 12 years ago

@jstorly that sounds wonderful! most of mine have 2 gallons with at least two plants and a clump of Java moss, with only two having less, and one having a 3 gallon. my new girls i bought are going in bigger tanks, too. one's getting a 10 gallon, all to herself!

Sarah P - 12 years ago

My betta is in a heated ten gallon. x3 Glad to read that at least some bettas seem happy.

jstorly - 12 years ago

My female betta, Lady, got a five gallon tank of her own for a Christmas present. She's happy. My other betta, a male, lives in a filtered 3 gallon bowl with some healthy java fern and a betta leaf where he sleeps at night.

German Shepherd - 12 years ago

poor bettas. i wish i could take care of them.

Alexis Szymanski - 12 years ago

i wish i can just buy all of them and take care of them the way thay should be takin care of this makes me cry to see animals in bad condisions

Pittypat's Reborn Nursery - 12 years ago

I have my betta in a 5 gallon hex with one mystery snail and he is a very happy little guy~

jpets561 - 12 years ago

I hate how so many people buy bettas, put them in vases, and treat them like table decorations. People shouldn't take advantage of the fact that they can live without filters. My betta lives in a good sized tank with lots of plants and space to swim and I love her to bits. She's the sweetest little fish. :)

Artha Agminalis - 12 years ago

I got a small tank for my first betta ... He loved it. Absolutely loved it. It had plants and gravel and everything. He died when my friend's kid put all his food in the tank at once while I was gone.. I was pretty upset cause I had him for almost 5 years.

Luimeril - 12 years ago

@annettemint yeah, it can get expensive, but it's worth it when you see how much happier the fish are. i've had bettas in bowls, i'll admit that. my first one was in a bowl. he was cool, he was pretty active considering what he went through, but i noticed a big change in him when i moved him to the 10 gallon! he was SO much more active and happy! i'm sure you'll enjoy your new babies! :3

annettemint - 12 years ago

I just want to let you know that I've had bettas off and on for five years. Because of this video, I went out to pet store and bought my two bettas, bigger tanks (3 gall), new pretty plants, a heater, and filter. Within the next month or so I'd like to move the fish into their own 5 gallon tank. I spent nearly $75 on them today but it was worth it. THanks for the video.

Luimeril - 12 years ago

@MidnightMessage123 bettas are insectavors. they eat bugs, not plants. they need room to swim, just like any fish, and need very clean water. the guys at the pet store, from what i've noticed, rarely know what bettas really need. check out the websites i posted at the end of the video, and look at their bettas. yeah, they don't need fricken HUGE tanks, but they need at least a gallon, with two being the best. they also need heaters, or they get sick easily. x:

skidoobabe1988 - 12 years ago

That is unfortunate. Thankfully the place i work at never stacks cups, keeps water full and fresh, and we dont have more than 10 at a time, we would rather run out then let them sit and die due to overrages. if water isnt tinted they can see eachother on the shelf and they injure themselves tryin to attack... Walmart never cared about their aquariums...

ozzinamso - 12 years ago

I bought megatron like a week a ago and he came with finrot. Please, can anyone give me a solution to this problem? And watching this vid wants me to buy all of the names of deciptacons i know!

Bataraja Harahap - 12 years ago

Thx for your information dude,.

traveric3 - 12 years ago

@FreeBassResources yeah, instead of "rescuing" them, people should boycott the bad stores and only support sellers that take good care of them.

Luimeril - 12 years ago

@hellcattiff87 sorry about your betta. D: things like that happen often. one of my favorites got his head stuck in a hole in his cave, and i didn't notice it until he got sick from infection. he hid just a little too well, otherwise i would have been able to find out and save him. it's great that you're gonna save another! pet stores are starting to get more and more interesting bettas!

hellcattiff87 - 12 years ago

my betta just passed away the otherday he liked to play with the rocks in his tank and got his head stuck under one while i was at work. i work 12 hours so no one was here to help him. i saved him from a flea market over the summer when it was really hot. he was very friendly for a fish. he was so pretty and flowy. im going this weekend to adopt a new one at the pet store in town. im taking my nephew who was sad to find out "blue" went to fish heaven.

Lindzuniverse - 12 years ago

I buy my Bettas from a local store It's really good and treats the animals right (they sell fish, hamsters ect not puppies or kittens)

Luimeril - 12 years ago

@34SkiLLz14Luck bettas have evolved in such a way that they can drown if there's no way to get to the surface. they NEED to be able to get air from the surface of the water. that's why, when your betta has trouble swimming to the top, they suggest you put him/her in a shallow container, like a cup they come in or a small tank with a few inches of water, because they will drown if they can't get up top. that's also why long tanks are better than tall for them. easier to get air.

Luimeril - 12 years ago

@PattithePooh i'm sorry Mr. Fatty passed. that's why, any good site on betta care will remind you that they need a heater. they're tropical fish, and will get sick of the temperature's too low. i keep my room warm because of that fact, just in case the heater doesn't heat right.

PattithePooh - 12 years ago

I'm missing my Mr. Fatty already.. he passed away this fall. I had him for a year, during which he experienced a lot. He almost died last winter because the temperature was too low. I tried all sorts of treatments and he was alive again:)) maybe not that pretty again but that's my first pet that I use my heart to take care.. RIP

Sombrero Dan - 12 years ago

Ok, i agree to an extent about this video, however, i am not quite sure where you think they cant breathe, please understand that water is composed of 2 things... Hydrogen, and oxygen... their air is in the water itself. Also, anytime you see a plant, understand that it is a natural filter... just think, in the wild there are no Aquaclear filters running. its all because of plants that anything gets filtered... other then that i agree... chain stores treat beta's terribly.

Luimeril - 12 years ago

@Manstr that's good. you scared me! i really HAVE seen videos like that, though. :T 3 gallons is WONDERFUL for a betta! i have a CT in a 3 gallon myself, and he's super happy!

Mantvis - 12 years ago

@Luimeril I was just kidding :P I already have a crown tail betta in a 3 gallon tank (10L) not with my oscars :D and he is pretty happy

Luimeril - 12 years ago

@sonofsid1 i do agree. my last three bettas were from a breeder. two Doubletail females of unusual coloring, and a veiltail male. paid $16 for him, but it was worth it, and he's so much healthier than many veils you find at pet stores. i do gotta disagree that they breed easy. it's pretty hard to breed bettas. i've been researching for over a year, and still don't feel ready. you could lose one or both parents to so many causes during and after breeding, because it's stressful.

sonofsid1 - 12 years ago

GREAT VIDEO, but the answer to the problem is not to buy the bettas from the stores that miss treat them. Bettas breed pretty easily, why not breed them and give them away. Put an add in the paper, then you will be destroying the demand for them. and if other people do the same, then walmart will not carry them any more. I do admit that when I see the Betas stacked up at the store, I spread them out so they get air. and someone has to go behind me and restack!

Luimeril - 12 years ago

@Manstr oh, please don't do that. x: while the water quality is great for a betta with oscars, he WILL get eaten. best thing to do, is get a totally separate tank. i've seen FAR too many "Oscar vs. Betta" videos.

Mantvis - 12 years ago

Damn you. Now I want to get a betta into my large tank with a couple of oscars and a couple of red terrors and a pleco. It's your fault if he gets eaten.

Luimeril - 12 years ago

@ItzCaszi alot of the time, the illness is something that clean water will help. things these poor guys die from are so easily prevented. Ick, Velvet, even SBD... it's sad that they can't take a few moments and clean the water, to prevent them from dieing.

Luimeril - 12 years ago

@BanerjeeARVN that poor girl. D: i'd complain loudly to the manager, and demand they improve conditions, or you'll talk to a higher-up.

Luimeril - 12 years ago

@cassidyoluv very few bettas will dislike a large tank. out of my 7, only two have 'small tanks'(one's a gallon, one's 1.5 gallons). the rest have 2 gallons, with one living in a 3 gallon. the general rule is, the tank shouldn't be taller than a foot. some claim their betta hates big tanks, but as long as you put enough plants and hiding spots in it, they'll be fine.

SurprizdArv'n - 12 years ago

those poor little bettas! i just got into them last month (OCTOBER) and this video almost brought me to tears! I got a female, the conditions at the pet store are SO bad, 5 DAYS later it DIED!

Luimeril - 12 years ago

@pictureperfectbratty last year, many walmarts randomly got bettas again. i was shocked when my local one(the one i got Remy from) did. they hadn't had live fish in 10 years, then BOOM! Bettas. :/ thankfully, they stopped selling them alltogether, and changed the layout of the fish section so there's no room for them at all.

Luimeril - 12 years ago

@FishyChannel01 please don't put them in the same tank, unless it's divided. x:

Luimeril - 12 years ago

@Thexplodingunicorn it depends on how big the bowl is. many bowls sold for bettas don't have enough room for them to swim and grow, and many are too small to put plants in(fake or real). bettas LOVE having places to hide. also, bowls often need to be cleaned every day, or every few days, or ammonia builds up and can poison and burn them.

John94098 - 12 years ago

@Luimeril, i feel sorry for you and the poor fish (not blaming you by the way).

SwettTV - 12 years ago

This is so sad up until the end when the last one has an awesome tank and he's like:D

Thexplodingunicorn Red - 12 years ago

Uhh.....My betta fish does live in a bowl. But he has a place to breath. And alot of water. And some bamboo...and rocks...Is that still good?

Maplewing95 - 12 years ago

I hate how people treat them like decorations they are a living animal!!!! Thats cruel and unessasary! How would u feel if someone got u and just used u for a decoration around the house! I saved my male Betta Crayola and he liver in a nice ten gallon tank and is spoiled rotten :). Because I actually love him :)

daleandstephanie - 12 years ago

I rescued a betta from walmart that had fin rot and saved his life! I named him Walter:)

Luimeril - 12 years ago

@ayfk87 there aren't breeders everywhere, but my last few bettas have been from a breeder in Arizona. i DO support buying from breeders, not pet stores. i namely wanted people to see what happens in many pet stores, and how they're treated outside of them as well, shoved in bowls and vases, to look pretty instead of being loved. in fact, it is deemed stupid, but i spent $16 on a veiltail recently. a 'common' betta. because he came from the breeder in AZ. i agree with you totally.

Luimeril - 12 years ago

@xxDancerJ i wish i had the money to do that! thankfully, the only stores around here that don't care for them, is walmart(who stopped selling them), and PetSmart. i don't shop at PetSmart because they don't care for them. bought one from them once, and he died THAT NIGHT. didn't even make it to his tank! died in the cup. :/

Luimeril - 12 years ago

@rsboss123 my delta tail bit his tail after his neighbor, who was a blind Halfmoon Plakat, died. i guess it was a form of mourning, because now that he's beside my doubletail female, he hasn't bit his tail at all! all i did was keep his water extra clean, and it's growing back just fine!

xxDancerJ - 12 years ago

When I bought my betta I felt bad for the ones that didn't get bought... So I bought the other 5.. xD They all live happily in different tanks(:

Luimeril - 12 years ago

@americangirl17175 i've heard horror stories from PetCo, too. i just couldn't get any pictures at the time i made this. PetSmart, PetLand... any pet store, really. there are good, then there are bad. best thing to do, is not shop at all at pet stores or walmarts that keep them in horrid conditions like these, and let the managers know you won't shop there anymore until things improve.

Eleanore Xiong - 12 years ago

this is why id buy mine from petco

Luimeril - 12 years ago

@hcs626 it's not just at walmart. mine was pretty bad, as was the one behind the PetCo. some have wonderful walmarts, like yours. just like, my local PetCo was WONDERFUL in care, but many see scenes like in the video every trip there. some small pet stores neglect them, while my local one takes great care. it varies from place to place, and for every one that takes good care, there's dozens that don't.

Phoenix - 12 years ago

i am sorry but that mit just be at your local walmart/petmart because all the bettas i see are healthy and they are clean every day and have a full cup of water in there thing so because when i go in 1 week they are healthy next week they are being bought off the shelfs like 100% off 100 inch flat screen with purchase of 10 packs of gum lol.

Luimeril - 12 years ago

@Almostanaccountname i'm glad you, at least try. at my local walmart, no one was ever in the pet department, unless they were restocking the shelves. some days, the water would be almost yellow! they haven't sold live fish in almost 10 years, so.... :V when i got Remy, the betta at the start, his water was still almost blue, which showed me they'd just capped his water off when it'd get low, instead of changing it. i'm thankful for the few employees who DO care about the little guys. :V

Luimeril - 12 years ago

@rsboss123 thank you! sounds like your bettas are pretty happy! do you have issues with tail biting in your HMs? where they take chunks out of their tails? my delta has that issue. :/ annoyed me at first, but he seems happier with his shorter tail, so i let him do it. i just keep his water extra clean, so he doesn't get an infection.

Luimeril - 12 years ago

@larsonny77 you breed them? i'd love to see your stock and pairs. i plan on breeding one day, too. i have a marble Veil male i wanna breed. it's great, that you're breeding. if more people bought from breeders, walmart wouldn't sell bettas at all, because no one would buy them..

larsonny77 - 12 years ago

Thats why I breed betta fish so people know how they are treated and so people DO NOT buy them from walmarts/pet stores.

Karrdeh - 12 years ago

I have a 16 gallon aquarium cycling up for one lucky betta :)

violinman - 13 years ago

Thank you!! This is why I buy betta's because all fish deserve to be happy and it makes me sick to my stomach and extrememly sad when I go to stores and see how they're kept!! Thank you for making this video because it shows that you care and I'm sure you touched the heart of many people with this video. Eventhough bettas are fish, they are living and deserve to be happy!! Thanks again!!

Almostanaccountname - 13 years ago

I work at a wal-mart in the pet department.. I try so hard to keep the water changed for the betas and keep all of the fish healthy but they rarely give us time to do any of it. Pet department is combined with Paper and Chemical goods... which at my store is on the complete opposite side, some days I never even get a chance to visit the pet department.. not to mention we are understaffed... I love the video though, and I love my betta. I'll keep trying my best to take care of them in my store.

Racingjunkey20 - 13 years ago

I'm glad i saved my half moon albino betta :) In a nice big 20 gallon tank

Spectoral - 13 years ago

Best fish video I've watched. Thank you for it.

Luimeril - 13 years ago

@kuvtuagnoobs trust me. i know that not all pet stores are like this, but many are. i went to PetSmart nearest me, and every betta had swim bladder issues. the one i did buy, who was the healthiest, didn't last the night before he died. but, the PetCo near me is AMAZING in care. every betta had clean water. one was dead. ONE. the pet store i buy from is good, as well, and i'll only get bettas from them, or a breeder. but, many pet stores ARE like this, petsmart/co included.

Thai Xiong - 13 years ago

Where do you live? Wal-Mart is useless for buying fish as they don't even take care of their fish. Pet stores are not so bad as they do care for their animals. Where I live, there about 7 small racks of bettas at the PetCo in town and they are all healthy. If I go into Wal-Mart, I bet you'll see most of the fish not swimming at all because they're sick. Bettas include as well, but Pet stores are more reliable than Wal-Mart. Not all Pet stores are as bad as what you're stating.

Melmo - 13 years ago

@JonnyNann9 Fish do not need ammonia to survive...in fact, it kills them. They need bacteria to eat the ammonia and nitrites, and plants to consume the nitrates.

Luimeril - 13 years ago

@JonnyNann9 i filled his tank with the same water i use for all my bettas, and used dechlorinator and everything. i know how to care for my bettas. Remy was far too sick to survive long. he had parasites, Swim Bladder disorder, columaris, and gill flukes, and who knows what else. poor guy, at least he died in a warm, clean tank, rather than a gross, disgusting cup.

Luimeril - 13 years ago

@yes6463 they don't need a huge tank like what i posted. anything above 2 gallons is just fine! i do have one, though, that doesn't like big tanks, but her small one-gallon is much harder to care for than my others. bettas LOVE plants, so at least 2 plants or more is great! i have at least 2 plants in all 7 of my tanks. depending on the tank size, you should clean the water at least twice a week, so it stays clean. i'm going to make a care video soon, so keep an eye out!

Luimeril - 13 years ago

@dumbtweed nothing's wrong with the betta in the third pic. that's a healthy one, and what Remy's supposed to look like. sorry for just now getting to this. D: Youtube never told me i had more messages on here!

Luimeril - 13 years ago

@Az0ngl33 if done properly, you can keep a small group of females in a tank. but, it has to be a tank about 10 gallons or larger, with about 5-7 females or more. it's called a sorority, but even then, you'll have small spats between the females, and even the most peaceful of sororities can turn deadly over night. it's NOT recommended for the beginner betta keeper at all.

Luimeril - 13 years ago

@EmilyBaileyQuest in a 10 gallon, you can't get alot to live happily with him. a small school of about 5-6 neon tetras, or about the same number of Pygmy Cory Catfish is about all you can get. most of the fish that are good with them are schooling, but most get too big to be happy in a 10 gallon with a betta.

Luimeril - 13 years ago

@flaco20flaco Kasumi sounds like a very happy boy! it sounds like a lot of space for one betta, but they're very active, very territorial fish, so 10 gallons is perfect for them, imo!

Luimeril - 13 years ago

@DaveTube24 that's not surprising. often times, the pet store/walmart doesn't have the filtration goldies need. they produce a TON of ammonia, and need tons of filtration. he could have had fin rot because of that, other goldies could have eaten them off, or any number of other things. the poor thing. :<

Betsy M Warren - 13 years ago

@Kakashisd Um, my betta is in a 10 gallon tank by himself. Not a man, but still. We had the tank from before, and found a betta we couldn't pass up. Till we can find some tank buddies who won't get eaten or eat his fins, Picasso gets a whole 10 gallons all to himself, yes, with plants and rocks an the full 9 yards. I figure, he's a happy little guy after his time in the tiny cup, cause yes, I got him from Wal Mart!

joleen - 13 years ago

@pontazy69 if you have a betta and know how to tell when its not feeling well, they will actually get sick weak tired and depressed when kept in a small dirty tank which is how most petstore fish are and once being put in a good home will be active and show brighter colors. there is a huge difference between the cloudy water in nature which is not filled with poop and old food but filled with natural stuff such as algae. get your facts right.

Pitluvs - 13 years ago

As a Betta owner with many bettas who enjoy suitable tanks with clean, treated, filtered and heated water... I want to thank you for this video. Most of my larger tanks cost the same if not cheaper than these too small "betta tanks" you buy at your local pet stores. I don't get why people use the money excuse. If taking care of a betta is too expensive for you, and you don't want to put effort into finding a suitable tank, don't get one PERIOD.

bob smith - 13 years ago

you are awsome!!!!!! i didn't know about this until now. that was pretty sad. the music was good

kathybaca - 13 years ago

@pontazy69 Their natural habitat in Thailand and Vietnam (and other Asian countries) is rice paddies. Not puddles, or filthy water, and many Bettas live in clear shallow streams and lakes. They are adapted to survive in the drier spells, but the keyword is : survive. No creature should be shoved in a tiny bowl as it's living quarters. That is inhumane.

Luimeril - 13 years ago

@pontazy69 uumm.... there's no such thing as a natural habitat for domestic bettas. if you read the words, it says that's how their ancestors lived, and is pretty much how they enjoy living. my own bettas get really lethargic and inactive if the water quality's bad, and perk up with clean, clear water. using tannins, like Indian Almond Leaves, to darken the water makes them SUPER happy, but the water needs to stay CLEAN. would YOU like to live in a dirty, filthy house?

Yakuzagang5 - 13 years ago

@Luimeril Not to mention a 5 gallon full tank set at walmart with gravel, heater and pump is like $15 lol

Lineko - 13 years ago

Thank you for making this! Bettas need more room and care than the idiots at pet stores claim! Every time I walk into a pet store and see all those poor bettas in tiny contaners I want to buy them all and rescue them, but I'm broke... :( At least I have my Kasumi in his ten gallon! He's so happy, he's the best! :D

David T - 13 years ago

sort off topic..... I saw a goldfish at walmart with.. wait for it... NO FINS :(

Luimeril - 13 years ago

@Kakashisd i would. i had one in a 10 gallon. all by himself. many people i know, keep them in tanks 5 gallons and up. it's not that expensive, if you search craigslist, your local paper, even places like good will and thrift shops. a good 2 gallon tank is just fine, but bigger is better for these little guys. in a tank that's just 5 gallons, you can cycle it before hand, and only have to vacuum out the gravel once a week, compared to the every few day full changes of water i have to do.

Kelsey Byrd - 13 years ago

AWARD YOU WITH THE NUMBER ONE LOVER 4 FISH

Kelsey Byrd - 13 years ago

GOD BLESS YOU! I WACHED THIS AN I FELT SO SAD 4 THOSE BETTA AND HAPPY 4 MINE I GONNE SUB TO YOU:D

Kelsey Byrd - 13 years ago

@pokemonnow623 you no thats cool case i agree i saw them from wallmart and almost got 1. But i wish you the best Luimeril

pdev - 13 years ago

I cried. THANK GOD MY BETTA IS SO HAPPY AND SAFE AND HAS ROOM TO MOVE AROUND AND HIS OWN LITTLE PLANTS ;(

Julia Filatova - 13 years ago

i started cring while watching this video;(

Luimeril - 13 years ago

@yetanotherperson1210 that's great! it's always good to research before you buy. that way, you don't fall prey to the myths that many pet store employees will tell!

Yet Another Person - 13 years ago

@Luimeril I purchased my fish from a pet store downtown. I spent more than a month researching.

Luimeril - 13 years ago

@pokemonnow623 where you get them from, doesn't matter as much as how you care for them. out of the 6 i have now, two are from a breeder, three are from a good pet store, one is from walmart. i've had the one from walmart since Easter, and he's just as healthy as the other five. it's amazing that yours lived 4 years! that's a really good thing! they can live as long as 5 years, so yours was an old man/lady, in his/her golden years!

pokemonnow623 - 13 years ago

My betta lived for 4 years because i got it from petco not walmart

LILREZ305 - 13 years ago

I felt really bad watching this.

Luimeril - 13 years ago

@yetanotherperson1210 he sure sounds happy. :3 honestly, i'm not sure. some of them might have been, but i know most of them are from Walmart.

Yet Another Person - 13 years ago

I'm pretty sure my betta is happy. I have it in its own 10 gallon filtered and heated aquarium. I change the water weekly and I feed it three times a day. By the way, were any of these photos taken at PetSmart?

VarlaV - 13 years ago

I am just bawling right now. Great video and so true. I love my little guy. I pamper him and change his water once a week, with a few cups changed out every day and I vary his food. I don't overfeed him, water is 78 degrees and I give him plenty of places to hide. I'd like to put him in a bigger bowl (now in 2 gallons), but not sure if he would adapt. He is almost 3!!! He is active and happy! I'd love to save them all. And I got him at Walmart. He picked me for his mommy. Thanks for posting!

Fluttershy*yay* - 13 years ago

my betta was from petco he was in a bigger bowl than at walmart he is in a HUGE tank now the fish i had for a long time died :( but my betta is in that now with cool plants too :)

guitarhamster - 13 years ago

The guy in charge of bettas at my local petco's pretty nice to the betta. He makes sure to feed them once every 2 days and see to it that no fish gets badly sick... unlike those assholes at WALMART.

SuperDZproductions - 13 years ago

Thinking about making a ten gallon betta tank. As for buyying fish from Wal-Mart, I have 5 goldfish that I got from there 8 months ago and they are perfectly fine. I realize though, that this may not be the case everywhere.

MorbidPuppy - 13 years ago

Completely with you on this. Their are so many animals that are treated very poorly but people think that they are fine. Like hermit crabs as an example, Ive even seen a rabbit being kept in a 2 ft long 1 ft deep cage. He had no room to move. It really sucks. My betta is in a 10 gallon though =D

lolodebrges - 13 years ago

i try my best for make my betta life s better!!!!

awkwardness_teen - 13 years ago

I have 3 tanks and they are divided ( divideed into 10 galons each) and I buy the sick bettas, I help them, and keep them until there time is up. (: thoose poor bettas, no one respects them, THERE LIVING THINGS TOO!!

kiran balamurugan - 13 years ago

This stuff just makes me wanna cry!

Katie Cat Plays - 13 years ago

that is so sad CURSE THOSE PET STORES

theherptiler - 13 years ago

my tank and betta looks like the 1 at 3:40

Zoe Geddes - 13 years ago

omg my betta looks exactly like that one at 0:40 it's nice to know that my fishy is alright

Nazrie Pfunck - 13 years ago

Hey, wondering what's wrong with the fish in the 3rd pic? Looks kinda like my daughter's. Haven't eaten anything for the pass 3 days...

Luimeril - 13 years ago

@EeveelutionStorm King Steve seems to be thriving so far. he seems so healthy and happy, and built the BIGGEST bubble nest EVER in his new 2.5 gallon! but, Remy... poor Remy... gill flukes, columnaris, parasites, being fought, dirty cup.... everything possible went wrong for the poor guy! i'm glad that walmart stopped selling fish! now, if i could get rid of their horrid 'betta tanks' that are .3-1 gallons!

Luimeril - 13 years ago

@Ryuurin3435 just keep an eye on his fins. their fins are like tissue paper, almost! and thanks. :3 i do play FF games, and VII is one of my favorites. that's why i chose this song! the music's amazing for the first 10 games, then all the VII spin-offs.

Luimeril - 13 years ago

@Ryuurin3435 as long as they're not plastic, since that can often rip up their fins. i have a veiltail who looked like he went through a paper shredder because i had plastic plants in his tank! i only have plastic plants with my females, since their tails aren't as long.

Luimeril - 13 years ago

@Ryuurin3435 i'm sure Rusty LOVES the space. as long as you have plenty of plants, he'll be a happy HM! i adore dragons, but my own ended up being a marble dragon and lost all her shiny dragon scales. :/ those stores sound horrid. D: i'd speak up on at least the water quality of those jars. there's NO excuse for the water to be anything but clear(or blue, if they add that blue water stuff)!

jaredultimatum - 13 years ago

great video. not about the sick fish, but about how to properly take care for beta fish.

Scuro's Music - 13 years ago

i love betta fishes :P i agree that they don't take care of them and they leave them in small cups but i thought they put them in cups because betta fishes fight other betta fishes in aquariums, but i do agree how they don't take care of them in cups its like they forgot about them :O i saw some molding and some of them dead, i even saw cups you cant see them cause water so dirty.

caseyjonesfan - 13 years ago

@memphisof2011 same with me it drives me nuts to see like 4 dead and they look and see and leave them there its sick and most have sicknesses and then they all die

Walker Tindall - 13 years ago

so sad! i take great care of my betta! he lives in a 20 gallon long tank with a few acceptable and good friends :)

Leylah Johnston - 13 years ago

thats so sad. I got mine from an aquairum. He is so pretty, its my first fish. I take my water to get tested every week, when I first started it was horrible, I had a small take and I didnt know how to take care of te fish the toxic level was out of control, so after emptying out my bank and talking with the fish care taker, I have upgraded the size bowl size, got his daily feeding under control and have special drops for the amonia levels. I use only bottled watter now.

Luimeril - 13 years ago

@wander099 the pet store i get my other bettas from, cleans the cups daily. they're smaller than walmarts, but they're clean, and the bettas are active and happy. they're rarely threre, in those cups, for more than a week, and if they are there for longer, they're put in half-gallon tanks, or even in the fish tanks with guppies, platies, or the neon tetras.

Luimeril - 13 years ago

@wander099 it varies from area to area. for example, i hear of many people who's walmart has a full-out live fish section, while neither of them near me, do. my local walmart, the one i bought Remy from, hadn't sold live fish for over 10 years, before one day, there they were. they've stopped since, and i bought their very last betta(a healthy, happy crowntail named King Steve), but many across the US, and possibly Canada, still do.

Krystle Campbell - 13 years ago

Whats worst is not just the bettas but all the fish that walmart carries.. it makes me sick to think thats how they take care of animals... i would work there just for the animals free of charge to take care of the fish..

longmage4 - 13 years ago

i didnt know wal mart was so bad in fish care, here all the fishes lives in tanks that is about 40-500 litres each and bettas live in own 40 litre tanks or with fish they can life with. Some of them live in own plant aquariums that they sell plants from that is 200 litres.

KnG1Dakota - 13 years ago

this was so sad. i hate going into stores and seeing bettas in tiny cups. when i got my first beta. i gave him a big bowl and cleaned it every other day and gave him some plants but not to many so he can swim but just the right amount so he could hide if scared. he lived for 7 years then died naturally.

Shines Loon - 13 years ago

nice vid. my betta lives in a 35 gal tank with his friends! theres only like 7 fish in there.. so a ton of room to swim!

Abstruse Tigress - 13 years ago

Most Wal-Mart stores have quit carrying live fish. They weren't making any money on them. There was a big discussion about this last year. They do not sell what they cannot make money on. Which, if you think about it, says a lot about the condition of their fish. They purchase these fish for pennies on the dollar. For them to lose money on selling live fish, the majority of the fish they purchase must die before they are sold. That alone should tell customers something.

ismellpoo83 - 13 years ago

You buy a beautiful fish, you want to keep it healthy and alive. What would your friends say if they came to you house and you had your fish in a tiny bowl/vase/cube. You NEED a heater, air filter, plenty of swimming room and a large surface to breath. Same goes with keeping a gold fish in a small bowl. Get a bigger bowl or a tank. Fish aren't just for show.

Caleb Ott - 13 years ago

@desiraeRbradley Get a tank. Get a 5 gallon at a Petco $1 a gallon sale with a nice filter and heater and some live plants. In a bowl, you would need to do 50% water changes every 2 days...

Luimeril - 13 years ago

@hotlips4000isback2 i asked first, of course.

hotlips4000isback2 - 13 years ago

@Luimeril Ahh, OK i get what you mean now ;) So these pictures are part of a Facebook campaign to stop Walmart selling fish. And you have used the pictures to make this video.

Desirae Bradley - 13 years ago

i have a betta with lots and lots of personality and he is verry happy even though he lives in a bowl . i still clean it all the time and its a bigger bowl than normal and hes very happy these ppl are too crule to there animals!!!!!

Luimeril - 13 years ago

@hotlips4000isback2 not this video, but the pictures in it. there's a group on Facebook about getting walmart to stop selling fish, and they're the ones that took the pictures(i asked before i used them)

hotlips4000isback2 - 13 years ago

@Luimeril So you sent this video to Walmart HQ yet they STILL haven't done anything about it?! That's just wrong :/ !

Luimeril - 13 years ago

@hotlips4000isback2 all the pictures of the dead/sick bettas in cups are from walmart, and they WERE sent, both to the walmart they came from and HQ. you see how much has been done about it. :/

hotlips4000isback2 - 13 years ago

Such a great touching video well done! :) You should send it to Walmart HQ and see what they think of it!

Luimeril - 13 years ago

@sxcelite12 nope. wrong. he'd been there over a week, and was stressed, bloated, missing bits of his tail, and when the columnaris struck visiblly, i saw a bite mark on his side. AND, there was crud on the bottom of his cup. so, he was fought in the store, and they never changed his water(it was still tinted blue from the blue water). the pictures i used were the only two i got, and i took them the night i brought them home. i acclimated him, so i know he did NOT die from shock.

sxcelite12 - 13 years ago

let me tell you something. the betta that you bought and and died has some missing pieces of tails because maybe the betta breeder that sold him to your store probably did not separate the males fast enough. Bettas grow up in big numbers and not all of the males get separated in time where all of their tails and fins are pretty. the picture that showed your betta at :26 shows that you have just recently put water into that container(because of all the bubbles on the walls) so it died from shock

Luimeril - 13 years ago

@TheWoodysgang anything over a gallon is good! many suggest anything over 2 gallons, because then you can get a heater and keep him nice and warm~!

Jay G - 13 years ago

Its' the same world over my friends, fish are expendible apparently...... Hence why I have always had a houseful for about 30 years , at least I get to save at least some :)

Luimeril - 13 years ago

@1234fishlover i've owned many bettas in my life, and have seen how proper care changes them. in vases and bowls, they're boring(and bored), and don't do much. given proper care, they gain little personalities, and get very beautiful...

Luimeril - 13 years ago

@RIPDAVID111010 bet they all were super happy! i need to clean MY tanks. all five of them! lol

Keira Lynn - 13 years ago

i just went and cleaned my bettas fish water and gave my dogs baths after seeing this ):

aphily8ed - 13 years ago

Don't buy any fish from Walmart. Conditions are deplorable.

Renee Pattillo - 13 years ago

Good vid but sad. Animal abuse comes in all forms of all types of animals, fish, birds. cats, dogs... those poor mink on mink farms is heartbreaking too, they are crammed in small cages, no water as they are semiaquatic animals... it goes on and on and on :(

Luimeril - 13 years ago

@1234fishlover some pet stores DO care. the one i get most of my bettas from, takes REALLY good care of ALL their animals. it depends on the people who work there.

Luimeril - 13 years ago

@AtomiXStudios many long-finned bettas have issues with filters, but they don't need them. some betta owners use a sponge filter, or undergravel filter instead. all mine are in at least 2 gallons, none have filters so i do 100% water changes every week, with a 50% in the middle of the week. sounds like Ezekiel is a very happy fish!

bogadude99 - 13 years ago

I do agree they need more space but they still need to be separated

Gabe Prough - 13 years ago

That's sad! :( I went to petsmart though, and they acutally take good care of their bettas :)

EatMySchwartz61 - 13 years ago

Bettas are treated like garbage. EVEN WORSE THAN GOLDFISH!! Like...c'mon? How is this not animal right endangerment? They don't even get fed in those bowls! And they have to swim around in piss and shit all day? This is not right!!!

Luimeril - 13 years ago

@MrFuzzyMeep females shouldn't be kept together, unless it's in groups of 5 or more, in a heavily planted tank. it's called a Sorority, and it spreads the aggression, but there's always gonna be fighting. otherwise, that's amazing! :D i'm glad your fish get such HUGE tanks!

MrFuzzyMeep - 13 years ago

i hated it so much that people kept bettas in such small cups i have 10 tanks that are 10 gallons each with 1 betta fish in 8 of them, and in 2 of the tanks i have 2 fish because im pretty sure theyre female and get along fine :), i have filters for each, and live plants and have a great life!

Rahul Pai - 13 years ago

The same thing happens in my local pet shop too.I really don't understand why pet shop owners treat bettas so badly.As for walmart they are heartless,worthless and useless.

Avery Seto - 13 years ago

Thanks for making this vider (: Although i live in Singapore :P

JETSTA916 - 13 years ago

@fishtankbros ORRR he got borewd n chewed on his own tail, it happens

Luimeril - 13 years ago

@fishtankbros i used to deal with fin issues all the time. i had a tail biting Halfmoon, and an over-excited veiltail who'd rip his fins all the time. if you need any help with him, shoot me a message. :3 i know the best ways to deal with fin issues, without resorting to meds.

Luimeril - 13 years ago

@fishtankbros that happens sometimes when the filter intake is too strong. you can fix that by taking some fish tank-safe sponge, and sticking a little bit of it onto the intake, if it's the kind with the little hose that goes down. x: just keep his water clean, and you can add a little Aquarium Salt(NOT sea salt or table salt) to his water.

Luimeril - 13 years ago

@fishtankbros a week is too long in a tank that size. ammonia builds up VERY quickly in tanks that small. i have a female in a one gallon, and i have to change her water 3 times a week, just to keep her happy and healthy. in tanks less than 2 gallons, you have to change the water ALOT. that's why she's the one of two of my 7 bettas in anything smaller than 2 gallons. i have one in a 1.5, but she has a filter, so i change her water twice a week.

Luimeril - 13 years ago

@fishtankbros the amount of care needed to keep that tank safe for your beautiful betta, is actually very stressful. you'd need to change the water daily, to keep the ammonia down. that's why people suggest at least 2 gallons, because then you'd only need to change the water every three days or so... .3.

Eleanore Xiong - 13 years ago

thats sad i feel really bad :(((( Also thay use them with fighting

Aiko - 13 years ago

I agree. I totally hate the whole "bettas live in a couple inches of water, so we can cram them into tiny bowls!" bit. True, bettas live in rice paddies, but are not confined to just one area. They are free to swim wherever they please and are not confined with their waste.

kathybaca - 13 years ago

Walmart does not need these fish, nor does it any good for increase in sales. It just cheapens the store by presenting something that they cannot care for. Walmart: Are you Listening? It brings down a retail store. Give it up, and fire your "briliant" consultants who threw this non flying pig idea - on the corporate table. Don't you have enough to contend with with the"Walmartians" (see video here) image????

Luimeril - 13 years ago

@Skyl1ne91 they don't need huge tanks. 2 gallons is more than big enough. :3 you can get kritter keepers for about $11 at most pet stores, and that should be big enough for them.

Skyl1ne91 - 13 years ago

I just got two today. ;D I saved those two little guys and all i need now is two gigantic fish tanks for each one. No worries fishie ill take care of you...... I promise.

Luimeril - 13 years ago

@HeyItsTyler2000 the very last picture, is the best tank you can give your betta. it looks to be about 5 gallons, which is perfect, not too big and not too small.

rozl66 - 13 years ago

excellent presentation! poor fishes!

Jack Smith - 13 years ago

i buy 8 bettas at one time these fish need love

Luimeril - 13 years ago

@catsaretimtams 20L is too small for anything other than a betta, and a snail. you'd need a 10 gallon tank, if you want other fish, and bigger for even more fish. in a 10 gallon, you could put a school of about 6 neon tetras, or 6 pygmy cory catfish.

catsaretimtams - 13 years ago

I recently changed my betts from a 1L tank to a 20L tank and he is much happier and his colour is getting brighter! But since it is such a large tank I was thinking of getting some tetras or silver dollars and a few snails can anyone suggest some other kinds of fish I could put in there?

Luimeril - 13 years ago

@mrclean225225 while that's true, there's no excuse for a place like walmart to order SO MANY, and no excuse at all for them to be rotting in the cups after they die because someone won't take a little time to clean the cups. x:

mrclean225225 - 13 years ago

@00LOVEMICHAELJACKSON they have to be kept alone or they kill each other. theres simply not enough space for them all, which is why they are kept in cups. they are also mass produced, which is why their condition is so terrible.

iAzmax - 13 years ago

I must say this is disgusting USA something needs to be done here in NZ bettas get to spend there time in planted display tanks.

BlackRose_841 - 13 years ago

that's unfair !!! they can't speak !! they can't say what are they feeling !! !!!!?who will take care of them if we didn't even here in saudi arabia they are in cold and dirty water !!!! that's really UNFAIR !!!

Luimeril - 13 years ago

@reininghorses57 yeah, that's fine! pellets should be their main food, but frozen or freeze-dried bloodworms are great treats! frozen are better, though, as freeze-dried doesn't have any nutritional value, and can cause bloat. x: