Petco Baby Betta Fish Controversy

[@PalmerAquatics]

I find that heaters are the biggest problematic thing to go wrong for betta owners. Get a descent quality heater. Here is a link: amzn.to/2B9n62k

[@TheNeonOption]

do you use this heater yourself? i was thinking about getting it, but it has sort of bad reviews >.

[@NguyenHuy-lu9cm]

Palmer Aquatics I have a question I buy 1 baby boy fish the men tell me change water and food I change everything my fish not eat

[@Rin-vj4wg]

I have a question can bettas see color because I want to paint a background for mine and I don’t want to stress the fish

[@AngelasLifeAdventures]

This link didn't work.

[@getthatcornouttamyface2461]

I bought a "baby boy" from Petco for my community tank. She has grown into a beautiful blue female, and has worked out great with all the other fish and shrimps. Would have liked to have a male with long flowing fins, but I'm glad this fish has gotten along so well with the other inhabitants and her color is a nice bright blue.

[@rj-hz7rh]

Getthat Cornouttamyface I just got a baby beta... I worry all the time if it’s happy and comfortable lol any tips ?

[@judaspriestchild]

That's some woke sheeii

[@michaellesky187]

"There not just going to have dead fish in jars" 30 seconds later there's a dead fish in a jar

[@mentallystablekanyewest1504]

Time?

[@Caitlinelizabeth29]

Right!

[@deevoetsch8132]

You need to check Walmart....they do have dead bettas in cups!

[@antoniobiorato7156]

Dee Voetsch ikr😢

[@bannshees]

My walmart doesent have fish

[@nairinc9674]

oxOX Tal Mines XOxo mine has a whole section wall lol

[@zalex2357]

well yeah it’s walmart... they aren’t a pet store 😂 most likely the people who work there have no idea what they’re doing. walmart doesn’t need to ever sell fish. i agree w you.

[@feather1909]

In PetSmart they just leave their dead betta fish in the tiny cups

[@aprilninthr2886]

Good video. My Local Petco really tries hard to keep their bettas and other fish tanks in good condition and alive. They are a great bunch of people working there. Yes, occasionally, I might have to point out a dead fish but all I’ve had a good experience with them.

[@dapfury]

I agree. My local Petco does an amazing job to keep their betta and fish area as nice as possible

[@ashlynnquesnell1930]

My local Petco has dead betas that are rotting and it smells horrible and if I see one on the brink of death and I say something they throw them in the trash so now I "borrow" them if I see there doing very poor

[@petco]

Hi there. Thank you for alerting our store partner regarding the deceased bettas. Animal care is always our top priority, and we would like the opportunity to look into this on our end as well. Can you please email us the store location at [e-mail], or reach out to us on Twitter, so we can alert our team? Thank you!

[@birchplants5350]

Hey Petco thanks for caring for the fish! I’m surprised no one has replied on your comment yet but thank you I’m going shopping at petco today!

[@PsychForCinema]

"top priority" would mean placing animals in the proper environments from the get-go.

[@littlebunnypeopleperson1951]

I’m about to go get my fishy from pet o it’s also a beta

[@Slimothy]

Sounds like Petco tryna get some people fired 🤣 They tryna get you to snitch

[@kingdomstorm4205]

U guys r scum ur top priority is sales

[@140sundress]

You are actually very fair and honest. I am a Leader at a Petco. I can tell you the company truly does care about animals. The companies prime discussion huddled with the associates are focused on adoption first, collecting donations for local shelters and foster parents. Hourly animal checks. Safety procedures, education on nutrition, And I can tell you we go over budget every month and I have never been denied what I needed for our animals. They make sure they are given time to be socialized in our payroll even! But yes the fish is hard thing to tackle. But I tell my team, always do what’s best for animal. Unless someone is willing to put in the time and patience for a proper habitat, including a tank we will deny them. And we always make sure the potential pet parent is well equipped, educated on the do’s and dont’s AND even common health problems to look for. But yes you are right. We get hundreds of fish shipped to us a week. And what with the stress of being removed from their habitat, bagged, shipped, acclimated into a new tank with different water. Some of them can’t handle that. :( and then someone purchases the fish and has to repeat the cycle. It’s hard on them. Doesn’t necessarily mean the fish wasn’t cared for. But like I said we try our best to make sure they have the best chance to live a nice long life. As for the betta fish. Those cups are not up to standards. And I can say that without you even not saying really that anything negative. Too much food, water spots and some algae growth. Maybe the cups were not cleaned enough? (I can tell the water is fresh) or it did seem like there was a lot direct light on that rack. To everyone we all understand the cups are not ideal but it’s what we have to properly separate them to keep them from fighting. Many people say to have divided tanks for each individual one but that heightens the chance of any cross contamination of disease etc through the water. And we also sell over 100 betta fish a week. That’s A LOT of tanks. But I assure you they are never in the store longer than a week. :) and during that time they have 2-3 water changes and are pre treated with healthy bacteria and aquarium salt. And they are fed every day.

[@JohnJames.]

Magpie_Cardinal , that's great. I'm upset with mine

[@stevenmalchiodi7757]

I get that impression from my local petco ☺ very passionate.

[@sadieyounker923]

I definitely see that you guys try to do your best, especially with the large demand. At the petco near me, they have some very dedicated people in the aquatics department that are so helpful, but unfortunately the one thing I have to disagree with you on, is how long they’re in the cups. I think it depends on what store location, because the betta I got (who is beautiful and healthy) was in his cup for 2 months. Thankfully he lived long enough for me to get him, and now he’s living in a 5 gallon.

[@hammylions2569]

I'm glad that your Petco functions so well, and like the creator of this video I tend to agree that Petco has more beautiful bettas than even a lot of the privately owned, local fish stores do. I just bought 2 males a couple weekends ago at my local Petco. But I always feel conflicted doing it because of experiences in the past with them. They have flat-out sold me snails that were literally dead upon me getting home and opening the bag, and most of their tanks are kept atrociously with tons of dead fish floating around. Most pet stores will give you your money back if you bring them in a dead fish and receipt immediately after you bought it, but my local Petco did not do any such thing and were quite nasty about it. I've also found that with local fish stores and even my local PetSmart they will warn you that they do not want to sell you a specific fish you are looking at because that tank has been having some problems or is potentially contaminated. Petco seems to have no issue selling fish that have ich or other problems that you may not notice immediately upon buying them. And they won't take them back right after you notice. I had this experience once and called them within an hour of getting home and noticing all the fish I had bought were covered in ich, and they all came from different tanks. I let them know I wanted a refund as I did not want to infect my previously owned fish and did not wish to have to treat so many fish for ich in quarantine tanks. They fought with me for quite some time, and even once I spoke to corporate the best they would do is give me store credit. I told them I was not particularly keen on having store credit in a place where I don't trust that they will not sell me fish again that will potentially kill everything I currently have. Overall Petco has had some of the rudest staff members, and I feel they are probably great with dogs and cats but don't see fish as a pet that people grow attached to. They also definitely do not do anything to promote fish going in appropriate size tanks. Their betta care sheets are full of misinformation and I think they're goldfish probably get treated worse than anything on this planet. Not that I'm a fan of PetSmart, but at least in my city I have found them to be cleaner and their sales people more educated. When I bought my two guys recently I made sure to buy one that was not doing so well. He's a beautiful red veiltail but it appears that he has either had fin rot or nipped off at least half of his tail. When I checked out I asked the cashier if he had been there for a while and mentioned that it seems like he might be a little stressed and chewing his own tail, and he seemed to get very upset with me. He was a hipster with multiple fish tattoos and made sure to let me know that he was in charge of the bettas and that it was fine. I politely told him that's great, maybe it was just stressed from shipping. But the fact that he couldn't see that there was anything wrong with this fish's tail, tells me he is far from an expert.

[@willstruck2764]

Magpie_Cardinal I believe that all the stores try their Best But my local Petco is sickening almost every Betta is dead and I’ve gone 3 days in a row to see how long the fish sit dead or in terrible conditions and it was the same fish and if the stores are getting a 100 Bettas a week to sell what do they do with what they don’t have space for

[@JohnJames.]

real talk. showing my daughter around petsmart (lots to look at) their was a man buying a betta with the classic $10 plastic bowl. I over hear the fish lady (who said they can live in just tap water ), I pipe up trying to be friendly saying that it's nice he's getting a betta and asked if he has a heater , shoulder shrugs and walks away.. Kind of the stores fault for not giving the proper information. But it's also his fault for not researching. all in all the fish is going to suffer. I'd love to see a nice posting by the Bettas showing them off in a proper tank

[@PaleoEntertainment]

I know right? I don't do aquarium stuff on my channel, but I'm definetly going to make a video on my betta to spread the word on what environment they should be kept in. It just doesn't make sense to want to take care of a living thing, but not actually wanting to _take care_ of it. If you get what I mean.

[@leastallwitz2760]

Those Baby Bettas are at the stage of those from my last spawn... and I keep them in bigger containers but still have to do water changes 1-2 times a day and feed them 3 times a day... I don't know who thought this is a good Idea, because it isn't.. they still are soo fragile. Also, my room currently is super warm, so that their water never goes beneath 26°C. Luckily here in Germany Bettas (or any fish) aren't even allowed to be sold in those cups, while at the store they always have to have a tank. While that means that there are fewer to choose from, at most stores they are really healthy and there pretty much never are dead ones. One Store near me has one that isn't exactly beautiful and it's been there since April, still healthy and happy, his only tankmates a few shrimp.

[@denisepollitt1021]

Lea Stallwitz. Couldn't agree more. I'm in UK and it sounds like it's the same here as Germany. Yes, we have much less choice in aquarium shops because they're kept in individual tanks. However, I'd prefer much less choice, than seeing those poor fish in cups any day of the week. Those poor babies hardly stand a chance.

[@yasibacardi4355]

I'm from Germany, too. In my local store they have a huge number of bettas to chose from. They keep them in breeding boxes in the bigger tanks.

[@jackiem8460]

All my bettas are from Petco, sadly I've seen a few very sick and some dead. I have a new baby betta. I feel so sad so every time I go I end up coming home with Bettas currently I have a 7 female sorority. Have a baby for my new sorority to come because my little sister wants to save as many fish possible.

[@speedknot1131]

Everybody should have a betta in every single tank they have. I do it with all kinds of different fish and nobody messes with anybody

[@marypaigeflynn4512]

I have a paradise betta a friend got me and he is doing well. He is actually what brought me back into the hobby😁✌️❤️ I wondered where he had come from. I figured it was from Petco... Then you just spotlighted one ♥️ and I was like...yep, I recognize that😂

[@CraigSakada]

I’d honestly rather buy Bettas from Petco than Prism Bettas and imported Bettas.

[@pabloescobar34]

My petco is pretty good with the bettas as far as I’ve seen. All their baby bettas seem healthy, I’m no expert of course. But I would like to buy one eventually. The price is definitely right and I think it would be good to see the baby grow.

[@talulahrose6051]

I just got my 1st baby beta and she is very pretty. I can't wait to watch her grow. I have 5 other beta fish but I got them all as adults.

[@pabloescobar34]

When I get one I’m going to get it with the gender unknown. I want to be surprised.

[@mallorikerr4092]

My petco has new management and seems to be improving on betta care

[@hammylions2569]

@@pabloescobar34 most of them are gender unknown by default, because it is very difficult to sex them when they are that tiny. That's part of the controversy of them selling the babies, because so many people buying them think they are getting a male and end up with a female or vice versa. It's basically very misleading marketing.

[@MyTeaandCrumpets]

I think it’s just people don’t like seeing death it makes them feel uncomfortable, once I started watching a few unboxing videos I realised that some fish just suck at being moved I only keep Americans cichlids just simply being I don’t have a lot success with the smaller tropical fish it’s really hit an miss

[@thrasherali-ns2842]

These fish stores aren't going to take better care of the fish, they're going to take better care to hide the evidence of their animal/fish neglect. There's got to be something we can do to reach the audiences who don't care or think to look better into what they are actually buying, and how their purchases contribute to continued neglect. Like, if only we could pass out flyers in front of their doors directing them to youtubers in the hobby who talk about these issues, or leave behind notes in stores from the perspective of the fish(Ive done that at least twice lol). Or hobbyists could flood the stores as employees and try to make a difference with the manager/education issue in pet store chains. Or even open up more ma/pa fish stores. I don't have any withen a few hours of me, and I know a lot of people have that problem. If they want fish a lot of them have to do it from these chain stores, and that sucks.

[@PalmerAquatics]

Wow! That’s a valid point!

[@DiorskiePrepossessing]

its a shop not taking care of a fish soo

[@kristinayagmin5893]

I get not purchasing them, because it funds them so they can buy more. However, it's just as thrilling to rescue one and see it thrive in better conditions. I wish i could save them all and it breaks my heart when I can only choose one out of all the bettas that seem to try and get my attention. It's only a couple days later you return to the store to find them dead, but it makes me feel good the one I purchased didn't share the same fate. Whilst another betta will just take his place on the shelf, at least mine was given the fighting chance he deserves

[@utopiaria1514]

I am glad you touched on this subject! I started my fish keeping hobby 4 years ago with a 29 gallon tank and had 2 goldfish my oldest lived 4 years before he got sick ! My goldfish were great and lasted years but they were so dirty! I then decided to transition to tropical fish with a 10 gallon tank, i started noticing that most of my pet store fish would only last a couple of months and not more which for me was very sad and also gross since I hate handling dead fish! My tropical fish no matter what I do don't live for very long and now im starting to think maybe they aren't coming from good suppliers/ they are stressed, and maybe its not something im doing wrong. Now i am transitioning to just owning bettas since I have had 1 before that I had for a couple of years! Its not good that 70 percent of the fish end up dying but it is the sad truth!! then having to replace the fish every so often adds up thats why i am not going to be keeping any more tropical fish! my nearest petsmart sucks and taking care of their fish and they sold me 2 sunburst platys, 1 i returned the same day i bought once i brought him home i noticed ich spots and then the other one died the next day. I also bought 2 zebra danios recently and they both died and were sucked in by the filter??? i just dont have very good luck with tropical fish :/

[@tee3219]

😔☹🤗 I agree...they are likely stressed fr all the transition and change! I've also read they are overbred which weakens the gene pool 😕

[@briannawilson3285]

Each of the beta containers look like they have rodent poop on the lid.

[@zalex2357]

that would be betta food.

[@adri9795]

At Petco they feed them live blood worms. So What you are oogling is the dead left over blood worms.

[@lowlife7453]

My first fish were 2 baby bettas from petco. They lived in a 20g long for a long time and watching them grow and get their colors was awesome! I didnt even divide them. I just let them live together with some snails.

[@Gabrielaalvarezdogmom]

Wow. They must've both been either chill or females

[@viciouskittykillsu]

I'm a member of betta fish keepers, and I love the group. Just like with any animal group, people are passionate and it can be overwhelming. I think though when it comes to big chain stores, you have to evaluate each store individually. Some are definitely on their A game, others don't even seem to care. LFS can be the same. Just make sure your money goes to the ones who are doing their very best. When corporate does their evaluations, if one location isn't doing well they'll investigate. Dead and sick animals are unfortunately apart of the pet trade. It doesn't always indicate that stores care, unless of course every tank has several. Death is apart or life. When that many animals are coming and going, it's going to happen. I personally don't think the baby bettas are a good idea for all the reasons you mentioned. I've never even heard of a breeder selling a baby betta. They are so delicate, the least amount of stress will do it. I personally try and always use a breeder, or trusted LFS first. I also understand that's not feasible for everyone though. Bottom line it's your money, if you don't feel comfortable with big chain store practices don't shop there. That's all you can really do.

[@derekchecketts8461]

It's amazing to me how everyone in the fish hobby doesn't want to see what the fish hobby is. If we actually cared about the fish we wouldn't put them in tanks.

[@shariman1590]

While this is true the damage is already done. It's there, and it's thriving. There are no signs of slowing down. so what are the other options? Walk away and act like you didn't see what you just saw?! Or do something about it. That's like saying since we all know pollution is a big problem let us not pack anything. No. That's why we learned how to recycle. Find a solution.

[@phillypophunters3727]

I have 3 Betta fish that I bought from my Petco. I really like my Petco because everyone who works there is really educated on every animal at the store. They also take pretty good care of all the animals. Of course none of the animals or fish there are in big enough tanks but they are, at least the ones at my store, are in good size tanks for their size and as temporary tanks. Every time I’m there I see them taking different proper care of each individual animal they have there. My local store is also pretty good with their fish too. They always look healthy, their tanks are always clean, and I’ve never seen any dead fish there. They only thing I’ve ever seen is when tanks get put on quarantine, which is good, they refuse to sell any fish in tanks that are quarantined or any tank that could have had water transferring into another tank in anyway. They also have someone specifically there to care for the quarantined fish. My store doesn’t have baby Betta fish, occasionally I’ll see a young female but no babies. I’m not saying that every store is great but I don’t group all chain stores together because there’s definitely some good ones out there that do make sure to hire employees who are experienced with animal care and really know what they are doing. They also have there adoption room in the back that I’ve been in on many occasions and those animals always have the proper size tanks/cages and there’s always someone in there handling he animals so that they can have human interaction. They actually just received a leopard gecko for adoption who l’m going to go back to adopt. They said he’ll definitely still be there because even though they try hard to get those animals adopted first they said people always think of the animal is for adoption there’s something wrong with it which I think needs to change. Oh and I get most of my fish from them. The previous ones where Oscars, Green Terrors, and Jack Dempsey’s who all where healthy and grew to full size and slowly they eventually passed of natural causes. Right now from them I have 2 Green Terrors, 2 Jack Dempsey’s, and 2 Zebra Snails who are all doing really well. I have all male Betta’s so they are separated but they are really beautiful with no problems. I can understand people thinking they are dead when really they are sleeping but they shouldn’t just assume. There’s been plenty of times I’ve had to check on mine in their bigger thanks because they where sleeping but at the same time looked like they could be dead 😂 My local store also does great with water changes on the Betta cups because they water is always super clean, I don’t even think I’ve ever even seen 1 piece of Betta poop in any cups 😂

[@kurimsonkitsune4408]

My local Petco has very pretty betta fish and most of them always seem to be kept in very clean water. I can't say the same for the PetSmart near me. Most of the bettas there don't look too hot. But both of them are miles better than this one petshop. There is a petshop a coulple miles from my home and sometimes I wonder how they manage to stay open. I went in there once, and it smelt awful and they were keeping bettas in tiny plastic drinking cups! The bettas barely had enough room to turn around and the water hadn't been chanced in so long is was YELLOW. I left there feeling really depressed and sad for those fish. And that was a locally owned shop. So sometimes chain petstores are actually BETTER then some of the things that are local. I wish my local petshop, (the one that actually cares about the animals) would sell betta fish and such. The closest fish stores near me are fifty+ miles away. :P

[@teas3998]

My Koi beta of 6 years passed yesterday, and I got him from a petco. I got another petco fish (beautiful young white opal) as a tank holder and my other friend got me another fish (either Paradise or dragon scale halfmoon) haha. Got a divider for my 10 gal so I can keep them both. Baby betas should be left to professionals and breeders, not chain stores though :-(

[@FKJ_WORLD]

awesome presentation and notes. I dont keep these fish but finds this video really informative.

[@teetreat5406]

I have worked at several different pet stores over the years although only privately owned and small franchise. Dead fish checks are a part of every pet store I've worked at. Unfortunately when you are shipping in 100's of fish a week some fish are not going to make it. That being said I think baby bettas are problematic as very young fish don't transport well.

[@eneheart8257]

Honestly i when to petco and found several betta fish with fin rot! Im sad i have pictures and im at home taking care of one of the betta a butterfly betta! I hope to help him get better.

[@rubenowitzv.3135]

Blame the greedy store managers & the amateur employees.👀🙉💰✨

[@kimjongowl1731]

I live in Europe,the Betta's here still have a small tank,but that is much better than a small jar

[@rudyquezada7088]

They do the best they can to care for them, they cant sit theyre n babysit them. Its bad that some die, but the world is not perfect .

[@loveforanimals4337]

2:40-2:50 betta’s don’t sleep like that it is technically a neurological issue. Also just watch the rest of the vid there is some support to a dead fish in my opinion. He can say whatever he wants though!

[@buddysdz]

Yep! This shows that this guy does not really have any skill in aquariophilia. 🙄

[@kristinayagmin5893]

Bettas do actually sleep on their side sometimes. It depends on the decor in your tank. My male betta will shift onto his side to lay on his lounging leaf or Lily pad. However, id never purchase a betta that's doing that in the cup, because it's more likely illness than "sleeping" with the horrible conditions they are kept in

[@wildbill9919]

l don't keep Bettas, but if l were to buy them l'd buy at Aquarium World here in Houston. They keep them in 2.5 gallon tanks with dividers. 3 to each tank.

[@antoniobiorato7156]

Im sorry but im poor P O O R 😢

[@thethingwithfins]

I for one get most of my bettas at chains, my only poor experiences have been when they insist on pricing a betta at what it is labeled (when they are undisputably labeled incorrectly) and one time that a store associate was informed of a dead fish. Claimed she would send someone to handle it. And when it was not handled they simply chose to ignore it.

[@nolasdollsandaquatics9386]

Don't like it...always find dead fish...alwayz...

[@existinginaspace8347]

My first betta was a "baby" from Petco. SHe wassnt the tiny thing but there was barley any color on her at all and they had a swim bladder infection. She's now a tank queen who has 10g all to herself assid from 3 snails who she tolerates, fully grown. Not the prettiest female betta but she's got personality.

[@tarabytez]

I started back in the hobby with two baby bettas, and honestly I'd wish I'd known now what I know then. Lost one pretty quickly and my other baby is know as Pocket Size Rudy because he's so freaking small compared to all my other bettas I purchased as adults.

[@losefast118]

Any store that keeps bettas in that small of containers is a puppy mill for fish, especially bettas. I appreciate your location and the staff for making a better situation out of a terrible one, but this is a terrible system. Please stop defending this system.

[@tsarmi9864]

I like the larger picture you painted for us- 70% of the fish sold, or that come into the hobby.... die.... it kind of makes you feel good for being successful, but bad for perpetuating it.

[@amyanderson9652]

I must admit, the Petmart in my area is doing alot better than the Pet Supplies Plus.. the Supplies plus story always has over stocked tanks and dirty betta cups 😡😡 pets mart near me, they have many workers always around the fish area checking and clearing up the betta cups. I havent been to a pet co in my area yet

[@mysticalblossom9403]

My betta at the local petco I have live in clean water they are fed every day and pretty active...

[@jbolt3332]

I love my Petco baby betta. Tank heating seems to be the key, just like other dry. Good quality food, space, clean water and proper temp🤷🏼‍♀️

[@ashtontruelove]

I went to my local store, to look at bettas because I just enjoy checking on them. I was with my friend and we found 3 dead Bettas, and they looked to be dead for such a long time. They were already starting to decompose as the water was brown. It was so sad and just absolutely terrible

[@AngelasLifeAdventures]

I bought a baby betta today at petco. No dead betta fish at my petco today. I hope he gets beautiful.

[@Rv12_pilot]

anyone notice the bird poop on the top of the lids

[@C172Pilotdude]

I bought four bettas from petco last month. One was a mistake as he (Halfmoon King koi plakat ) has damaged fins that I did not notice since it was in the tiny jar but the 3 females ( 2 red plakat, one koi ) were perfect !

[@christinemchale6572]

This post has to be by far the most honest post on this topic. In Canada we don't have Petco. We have PetSmart and same controversy, though I've never seen baby bettas at any of the PetSmart stores. Most bettas I see are in relatively good shape and the stores do strive to keep them healthy. Bettas, being fighting fish cannot be kept together and keeping individuals in larger containers takes up a lot of store space so I get that they are in these tiny cups. Not ideal, but it's reality. Most of the store bashing is done by PETA and they are, in my opinion, doing more harm than good in many cases. I know people who have worked for PETA and they have told me they are told to stage animal abuse in order to film it and then go on social media and blast whoever it is they're trying to "expose". Don't get me wrong, PETA has done some good work, but they've also done, what I would consider to be mis-representation. I have rescued several bettas and all have lived long lives. If I ever do see any animal at PetSmart that is not being looked after properly I either speak with the store manager or email HQ and the problem is quickly remedied. So my hats off to this video for shining an honest light on the situation.

[@stevenmalchiodi7757]

good video you seem very concerned it's not just about a KZbin video I can tell you a passionate Betta fish are cool and they reduce stress.

[@crazitaco]

It depends on the stores. The petco I've been to is pretty decent with keeping their bettas alive, but the PetsMart was a huge yikes. Most of the fish were clearly dead and in some nasty water, it was really depressing.

[@therobotmonkey4451]

I bought a baby beta fish. She grew up to be very healthy and beautiful

[@nosananolife9035]

Bro I went to get a Female bet ta fish and some dropped a baby girl and put it back on the shelf and none of the co workers checked on it.A coworker was about to but a dead female Betta fish on the shelf and he left to do something else so I secretly took the Betta fish a brought to another coworker.This is really bad I felt so bad for those little fish.💔

[@lynpharr]

My local petsmart while normally they take amazing care 0f their bettas had 4 dead in cups :( made me sad. But it was one in the 100s of times ive been in there.

[@Darkmetamorphosis1]

As a breeder of paradise fish for over 30 years... that picture on the video thumbnail is offensive.. wtf is with that? Please tell me these people have ever seen a paradise? Obviously not, I also have kept bettas not currently because of space.. please I understand they decided to name this cellophane betta as paradise, I think it is wrong and I have paradise fish 10 times prettier than those, it's a blue or cellophane something betta and they should have never named it paradise

[@braskathroughthegames698]

Personally have raised 3 baby bettas from petco, all healthy and strong with no problems. Not to mention beautiful

[@braskathroughthegames698]

I personally will not buy adult bettas anymore, too sad to lose the adults after not enough years. With the young ones you watch them grow up over many years, mine are even trained to do silly fish tricks

[@tee3219]

@@braskathroughthegames698 😁👍

[@sweetlifeofHoney]

Just randomly brought home a baby boy and girl!!!! They r beautiful and extremely energetic!!! I fell in love with my boy right away, I hope they don'tdie cuz now I feel like Im in too deep

[@fishkingoftheaquarium7605]

I just got a baby boy betta yesterday and so far he is doing really well and displaying a nice red coloration

[@paperchasers8329]

Honestly betta is my favorite fish i hate to see them in those little cups so i end up always buying one

[@franciscoaraujo6624]

Same thing for me, i put my betta in a 5 gallon and he loves it. I also started a petition for PetSmart to stop keeping their bettas in little cups and neglecting them, if you could take a look it would help so much to stop the way these fish are being treated chng.it/FZqwDHCkRH

[@richardc5100]

I personally keep my Betta in a 30 gallon tank

[@meggrotte4760]

If you let her know I don't think that means you can have more bettas. I've got 10 bettas and I'm actually trying to find homes for three of them. I'm actually planning on trying to quarantine the ones but I have made that are new and trying to make them healthy and strong. They each have a 1 gallon nano tank. I put them in there because I thought it would help and they have live plants. You can put a light on and a filter they have small filters in lights that are very suitable. You know people say that bettas jump but I have never seen any of my bettas jump in the last 2 years. I just put a lid on because I have a cat but my cat doesn't bother them she just likes to drink the water

[@stevenmalchiodi7757]

I like your videos a new subscriber keep em coming.

[@hypelatios]

one of my baby bettas i got from petco lasted 2 years

[@cherylwilliams6215]

Thank you! I have been on a mission to educate pet store workers about the heaters. I ask them to tell customers, but they don't see interested. BTW Pet Supermarket has smaller containers and pitiful fish, so I wrote a letter.

[@margaretrees8662]

Do you think it is ok to keep these fish in those very small tubs? How long have they been in there? What about air for them and feeding? I think it looks hideous. I've kept fish since my early teens and was taught by a grizzly old EXPERT in the 70s in Australia. He taught me so much but most of all the importance of good housekeeping for any fish. He would turn in his grave to see this.

[@oeiastrid7023]

margaret rees they wont be in there for long you might think im dumb they are temporary homes

[@8387shawn]

If you were taught so much then why would you ask about bettas being able to breath?? This is what the guy in the video was talking about lol people posting and not knowing what they’re talking about. These cups are designed for the bettas to breath and to be fed. And also get water changes every other day. So what? A store should set up 100 5 gallon tanks for the public to buy bettas? Do you have any idea the time and money that would have to be put into that and then to empty , sterilize and fill those tanks every other day to put in new fish after they are purchased. So basically your saying no one deserves to own a betta because no store has the ability to do what your asking. So I guess there would be no bettas in the hobby anymore if it were up to you. My local Petco sells so many of these a week so they’re probably in those cups for maybe a week and then in a happy home. I’m more worried about when they leave the pet store cuz half the people that buy them can’t take care of themselves let alone a fish.

[@margaretrees8662]

@@oeiastrid7023 I only asked a question Why would you be bumb? You answered.

[@margaretrees8662]

@@8387shawn wow! He asked for opinions. I asked a question. I don't live in US and have never seen this type of selling. Personally I don't think it's good but then I don't like pet stores selling animals in general. I am not an expert by any means but have kept many fish in my lifetime. I was asking is it right. That's it. To me it's not. You have your opinion.

[@8387shawn]

margaret rees your right and I apologize. I just take it a little personal when people seem to attack subjects without learning about them first. But I do respect your opinion and I apologize if I seemed to come off ignorant. I personally keep bettas in small containers before selling and the time and energy I spend everyday making sure every single one gets fresh clean water changes and care for them greatly.

[@harleeaye1009]

I bought a Baby Boy from petco about two months ago & just found out she is actually a girl 😂 all of the Bettas I have bought from petco have been okay ! My first betta had really bad swim bladder issues but I’m sure it was my fault.. it was my first betta & didn’t know they just keep eating and eating.

[@nivvex9690]

Well... actually statistically 100% of fish sold from stores die.

[@SuperWaterAquatics]

I have two bettas from Petco, one's a year and a half old the other is a few months old. Maybe I'm just lucky. Good video.👍

[@meggrotte4760]

I think for baby bettas they need to be kept in like jars where they have almond leaves and access to life foods if they want to do this

[@Katherine-gc4dn]

Yyyyep. That's me. Just got a little guy because he was so pitiful and caught me off guard.

[@ownup440]

Petsmart and petco are always understaffed and overwhelmed..

[@wrs8895]

My PetCo is great with their betta fish, but I do sometimes see dead baby bettas. I have purchased 4 in the past, 2 died without any known reason, and one is stunted and never grew past 1 inch. The 4th one though, seems to be doing fine, but I got her when she was a bit larger.

[@shecomments2much189]

I do think that with baby bettas, the customer is taking a bigger chance. They’re fragile like lots of other very young animals. Tarantula spiderlings are also very delicate. Experienced hobbyists might not have as much trouble but I’d be concerned with those who don’t do their homework on rearing whatever young creature they take in. Employees will have to check in on the babies more.

[@Drawing.dragons213]

Some are sleeping and some have swim bladder

[@franciscoaraujo6624]

I started a petition for PetSmart to stop keeping their bettas in little cups and neglecting them, if everyone could just take a look it would help so much to stop the way these fish are being treated chng.it/FZqwDHCkRH also its not only swim bladder virtually all of them have at least some level of fin rot

[@8387shawn]

Nice video Palmer Aquatics’s!! I agree 100%. As for the babies it is sad but I think the problem is the babies are super sensitive to every little thing that even the every other day water changes can be harmful to them but so can not doing frequent water changes. And also the food that’s fed. There are certain approved foods for them to feed the animals and the freeze dried blood worms are not really enough for a growing baby betta. They need a high quality food at that age to help with proper development. Everyone is quick to bash things they don’t fully understand or know about. So Petco wanted to provide something special for its consumers to love and raise themselves and they do that the best way they can. Instead of everyone bashing they could maybe develop a better way or do some research and in an adult manor maybe email the company with thoughts of ways to make it better. Petco sells more fish in a week than most people will own in a lifetime but yet all these people think they know more than them lol if it was me I would email the company and say something like “ I’ve noticed a problem with the baby bettas and maybe a better approach could be feeding the babies a different diet like a high quality pellet. I personally feed my fry bugbite food and it’s sold there at your store. It is an excellent food and gives the babies what they need during development. And also a mix of frozen foods like brine shrimp a couple times a week may dramatically change the outcome of the health of the babies”. And if enough people sent emails like that maybe some positive changes could be made. Instead everyone just wants to voice their uneducated and unwanted opinions with no solutions or even knowledge in the matter. Sorry rant over lol good video bud!!

[@jazzkatt1919]

I won't single out Petco or any other chain; bad practices (or good ones) are not the exclusive province of any retailer, and there are just as many poorly-run Mom and Pop stores as there are outstanding ones. However, I have no problem with people calling out an individual Petco (or PetSmart), just like I would call out any other single store that was providing bad service/information/product. Some chain pets stores are great, some suck. You know who I would like to call out? Manufacturers that push lousy products, or whose marketing suggests inappropriate use of products that would be perfectly fine in the hands of someone who knows that the pretty picture on the box showing 20 fish in a 5-gallon tank is *advertising* and not advice, or that just because something is marketed for bettas doesn't mean it's really the best thing for them.

[@ericqian461]

Unrelated but you have a typo in your channel description, dunno if you care or not haha. Also you can buy $1 per gallon at petsmart for a cheaper price because they price match so they tax you after the deal not before

[@PalmerAquatics]

Thanks for the intel! I just re-types it haha! You learned that from Steenfot! I just heard him say that the other day 🤠

[@NobodysPurrrfect]

Petco has beautiful bettas. I've only owned bettas from Petco/Petsmart, mostly because they are beautiful and inexpensive compared to imported fish. For you to say that the fish are sleeping is crazy, you obviously don't know much about bettas for being an admin of a betta group! Those fish are actually being poisoned from ammonia/nitrite poisoning. I have tested my cups when I purchase my bettas and the tests definitely have came back with ammonia/nitrite levels in high numbers. It is because they unfortunately have to be separated and kept in those cups. And ya, I've seen tons of bettas dead floating and I get that they try to do the best with what they have, but that is the sad reality of betta fish. I'm not trying to blame the workers because in my area they try to do the best they can with regular water changes but the stupid cups are just to small to keep the good water parameters. I really wish you would research stuff before posting videos on youtube about things you clearly don't know much about.

[@walterrussell7584]

I heard Walmart was going to stop selling fish in April this year

[@daveywaves5325]

Most places put the Betta fish in a cup with no filters, and there is always a bunch of sick, and dying fish in those cups. That Paradise Betta looked to be in Hell!

[@ericahilts8587]

Mine is growth stunted

[@AidaSilverwood]

I bought 5 guppy males who has a different tail then his brothers. His brothers are nice yellow fin but the other looks like a smashed fin if you will. He does have a small issue swimming he isn’t as fast. Will he develop a bent spine. I made sure it wasn’t fin rot. Any guesses of what this guppy has?

[@AidaSilverwood]

Also got him cause he was the last one in a tank so I felt bad.

[@meggrotte4760]

Hopefully it was feeding them every other day this will boost your immune system because I haven't been able to keep a fish past 6 months I think it's due to malnutrition maybe. Can somebody please tell me do Bettas really have a stomach the size of their eye? Now at the moment I do have seven healthy bettas. They all seem to be doing quite fine. I do there water changes every week 30 to 40%. I think if I feed them every other day this will increase their immune system. A good amount and gravel and life anubias with Driftwood and all my tanks and of course there's filters thermometers and betta caves. My female bettas are pretty tiny so I don't know if they were getting enough food or not to be honest. I think the reason they don't fight with each other is because when you buy a female in Taiwan they put into the equivalent of a 3 gallon tank and there's a whole bunch of them swimming around so there's no opportunity for them to kill each other. I was actually thinking of putting my female betta who's larger into the tank with them but I'm not sure how it would go. I don't think she'd be aggressive she seems pretty put her into a clear container and see how she responds to the other fish. If she seems like she's not charging I think I'm going to add her to my tank. The females are the only ones that share a tank. Each male betta that I have has their own tank but surprisingly they all have different size tanks because some of my bettas have actually died from tank shock. I learn to recognize when my fish have tank shock they'll clamp up their fins and start losing color. The minute I put them into a smaller tank they're completely different fish. Orion who is a yellow veiltail and only it's the tropical sticks he's in a 1 gallon tank he absolutely loves it. Other male Bettas are in 2 gallon tanks but I do have one betta who's in a 3 gallon tank. The reason I don't get anything bigger is because they don't need it. It's funny they all have heaters but they don't need those either because the weather in Taiwan is pretty much betta friendly. My heaters are just another thing for them to rest on. Of course I've got a good to chlorinator and aquarium salt with aloe Vera. They're happy bettas they swim well and for the most part eat well. I'm hoping my little purple betta Jubilee feels more comfortable to eat. Thankfully she ate two pellets I got her to eat guppy pellets and a topical stick. I've only been in the betta hobby for about 9 months and it's really been trial and error trying to blend the best of both countries to make sure that my fish can survive well making use of what's locally available.

[@meggrotte4760]

Unless the shipments coming new and Taiwan I don't see healthy bettas like this.

[@ayanafletcher7897]

Lol 😂 you woke that betta up real quick 🤣🤣🤣

[@fadedtwinkie9179]

$3.99 is cheap especially for a baby because they grow fast

[@arianarejas8570]

No, every time I go there I see the dead one so I notify them about it because I don’t want a little kid to see that 😔 if I can save a sick fish and rehome them later on, I will.

[@cegspace5033]

Idc what you are saying THIS IS ABUSE. There is no way to justify it.

[@boniw698]

Is that mouse poop on top of those containers 😲

[@reikinnie7045]

I got a baby betta and it grew up fine

[@lightbright8454]

My baby bettas i got from petco are always the best ones

[@meggrotte4760]

I don't think there's a problem I mean as long as the water's clean and they have air to breathe I think it's not an issue. after living in Taiwan for 15 years and being in the beta hobby for 2 years really I think the standard in America is a lot better

[@baddie_comebacks3519]

If u go to 1:48 u can see that the fish is suffering from fin rot damage

[@emperoselights2790]

I have a Beta Fish it’s a Copper Male and when I first got him he was S I C K ;-; After a while he warmed up to me and became less sick Also in petco I’ve seen a whole bunch of dead fish

[@bluetoonz8148]

Uh guys, I really need help! I got a baby boy a year ago, I feed him, he has a big tank, and I change his water, but for some reason he’s only the size of 1/3 a normal Betta! SOS!

[@franciscoaraujo6624]

i would say its prlly bc of the lack of diverse food that he got as a baby. baby fish need very nutritious foods to be full sized and healthy during adulthood and they just feed them regular adult food. You could try feeding him extra high quality foods now, that might help. Go to the fish store and ask for the best betta food, that will make him healthier

[@tee3219]

You Tube videos hv said feed fish "live foods" for growth. Frozen is also said to be a sufficient alternative as "live" runsrisk of ingesting parasites fr the host--tropical eat: blood words, brine shrimp, daphnia👍

[@meggrotte4760]

you know I don't think they should have baby bettas only because baby bettas need a high diet of protein they need regular amounts of brine shrimp and bloodworms I just don't think it's good for the fish

[@SyCoYT]

I love this sales too got a 29 gallon few weeks ago but its cycling rn

[@abigailkastner8567]

My betta fish max was a sleepy betta till we found him died at the bottom ☹️

[@zalex2357]

animals die. it’s unfortunate but out of the thousands of fish that get shipped in every week everyone always focuses on the 3 or 5 fish that are dead. meanwhile there are 3,057 fish that are living all around the customer. for new fish hobbyists just DO YOUR RESEARCH before bringing fish home and we can all decrease the amount of lives lost in the process. a worker can only tell you so much in a short amount of time they have with you. that worker spent years compiling information (if they’re doing it right). how are they supposed to fill you in on every minute thing that could go wrong in one conversation?? anyway, do your research, be open minded, and keep exploring the hobby.

[@loveingpets9764]

The baby's look new born its awful

[@michellelee4271]

I found a dead betta at a pet store n I just didn't do anything but hand the owner the tub with the fish n left.

[@graciousvalley9978]

I think they had an interesting idea just didn’t go about it the right way.

[@osityan]

Shallow people, shallow ethics. Fish are not here for your entertainment

[@Xx_Gore.dolli_xX]

I dont have Petco where I live haha