Have you ever ventured into the aquatics section of a pet store, wandered across the large fish tanks, and landed in front of a shelf with a bunch of little cups, each housing a little Betta? Once you peer into the water, you notice that many look lethargic, sick, and sometimes...dead.
Despite this, they're always in stock. And if they're not sick, they'll quickly get there. Why?
The water volume is tiny - urine and feces quickly accumulate, poisoning them
The water is unheated - this leads to lethargic fish that are prone to disease
Male betta fish are territorial - being surrounded by others causes them to flare up and adds to their overall stress
Trust me...I've tried to save some before, and in many cases, they don't last more than a few days.
"Bettas"by M.P.N.texan is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0
The reality is : the pet industry doesn't care about proper husbandry. Their focus is money. This cup method saves a lot of space, maintenance, and generates sales (particularly in equipment and food). Sometimes, you'll find that they continue perpetuating the myth: Put them in a cup, put them in a vase, these little fish will live anywhere!
That's simply not true.
To thrive, Bettas need to be housed in a filtered, heated (24°C-27°C) aquarium that has plenty of places to hide. Even though they can survive in small habitats (thanks to a little organ called the labyrinth, which gives them the ability to breathe air), they are just as susceptible to the effects of ammonia as other fish and will quickly succumb to fin rot. This means that, at minimum, you want to house them in a 5 gallon aquarium.
Interestingly, even though this knowledge is seemingly everywhere on the internet, we continue to allow pet stores to house these bettas in inhumane ways. Even PetSmart, whose own website encourages proper care, leaves their bettas in those cups! Do as I say, not as I do.
In contrast, let's look at our European neighbors : Rome banned fish bowls back in 2005, as experts states that these provide insufficient oxygen. It looks like Germany and Austria also have similar laws, prohibiting use use of nano-aquariums (although finding reputable sources in English has been difficult).
Frankly, I'm a bit embarrassed by the fact that Canada is so behind on animal protection laws. So, I try to do what I can : I avoid pet stores who promote housing animals in abysmal conditions, and I do my best to give my bettas the best life I can. You can too:
Avoid stores that sell betta fish in cups.
Purchase fish from reputable places (e.g. Critter Jungle in Ottawa)
Strive to provide proper housing : a properly sized tank with a filter and a heater!
I personally have seen betta fish thrive in planted aquariums. You can even add terrestrial plants (e.g. golden pothos) - their roots provide additional cover and frankly, it looks pretty cool!
So - if you're interested in starting an aquarium, I do recommend giving these little fighting fish a chance. Just like any other pet, they deserve to live in an environment that allows them to thrive.
To quick start your interest, I'll leave some links below. Otherwise, if you have questions, please feel free to leave a comment.
Thank you for reading this far, and for being part of my journey to promote humane animal care.
I was just thinking about this yesterday! Great post.