# What's so bad about baby betta at Petco?



## moosenart

I can totally agree with you, next time I go and see a healthy one i plan on buying it.

Just a few things:
Water Quality that they live in
Food
ITS A TINY CUP
disease
proper care isn't provided

etc....

Thats just me, i had one that lived 3+ years. For me at least, it's not worth it.


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## wendyjo

Your diverse tank mates might make a meal out of the baby.


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## LB79

Bettas are absurdly tough. They don't need clean water like other fish to survive and breed, so they are taken advantage of and bred and kept in terrible (well, to other fish, at least) conditions. Have you ever seen a betta that was raised in the same manner as a discus? Large, daily water changes, best available diet (live), warm water, and so forth. They rival the discus themselves. Not much to compare to the ordinarily raised ones. I say go for it. The less time they are in those cups the better they will turn out!


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## CatB

LB79 said:


> Bettas are absurdly tough. They don't need clean water like other fish to survive and breed, so they are taken advantage of and bred and kept in terrible (well, to other fish, at least) conditions. Have you ever seen a betta that was raised in the same manner as a discus? Large, daily water changes, best available diet (live), warm water, and so forth. They rival the discus themselves. Not much to compare to the ordinarily raised ones. I say go for it. The less time they are in those cups the better they will turn out!


this is all true, but i know some petcos are more responsible than others...for example, i got my current betta at a petco, and yes, they were kept in cups...but they were much larger cups than i'd ever seen before, with a LARGE airhole in the top. all the water was clear, there was no floating food or fecal matter to be seen, and no fish were sick. all the fish had perfect fins and were active. i was very impressed, but it really depends on the store...

edit: i realize you weren't arguing against the practice, and that what i said made it seem like you were. i was just saying bettas kept in cups aren't always treated so differently from discus


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## ObiQuiet

LB79 said:


> Have you ever seen a betta that was raised in the same manner as a discus? Large, daily water changes, best available diet (live), warm water, and so forth. They rival the discus themselves.


This intrigues me... what do you mean? Color, activity, surely not size? I may have to try raising them myself...


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## @[email protected]

LB79 said:


> Large, daily water changes, best available diet (live), warm water, and so forth. They rival the discus themselves. Not much to compare to the ordinarily raised ones. I say go for it. The less time they are in those cups the better they will turn out!


every single private bred betta is raised like that. i know mine are. if you buy it off of a good breeder on aquabid, or a good store like pond de plakats, or mn betta shop they are raised to those standards. its because the healthier the fish is, the faster it grows, and that means more profit for the breader.
the largest difference in appearance is likely due to genetics. people spend decades refining their lines to make the colors vivid, finage flawless, and body form impeccable. and then they sell their stock for $15 a fish, instead of $3 a fish.


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## shrimpNewbie

Although they are tough it doesn't mean they don't need or deserve proper care taking, holding their care at a lower standard than other fish is absurd and cruel


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## Bunfoo

I believe the main beef some betta folks had with this is that many people don't know how to feed the baby properly, and babies are definitely not as tough as the adults are. They might be smaller and more space is in the cup, but the babies should be fed more often than the adults and they aren't, to avoid soiling the water. 

Personally all I see is petco trying to make a quick buck without having to spend time or pay for adults already...


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## babyboyblue

The additional thing that bothers me is all the tiny "Betta" tanks that they also try to sell.

I'm glad some have put dividers between the cups so that they are not constantly flaring at each other as well.


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## taiwwa

babyboyblue said:


> The additional thing that bothers me is all the tiny "Betta" tanks that they also try to sell.
> 
> I'm glad some have put dividers between the cups so that they are not constantly flaring at each other as well.


Those are far far worse. They're cheap and unheated and cramped...such a bad practice.


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## 8foot6inchRod

On a related side point, I have a question. Are the "baby" bettas at Petco actually considered babies still or are they just juveniles? Wouldn't babies be fry that still have attached eggsack?

I'm curious because my wife would like one of these bettas and while I was doing research on how to care for baby bettas, I was wondering if that even applied to these fish if they are juvies. Will these fish take micropellets, or do they still need food that's very small like eggyolk or microorganisms? Do they need fed every 4 hours, or can that be extended out to maybe every 8 hours?


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## taiwwa

8foot6inchRod said:


> On a related side point, I have a question. Are the "baby" bettas at Petco actually considered babies still or are they just juveniles? Wouldn't babies be fry that still have attached eggsack?
> 
> I'm curious because my wife would like one of these bettas and while I was doing research on how to care for baby bettas, I was wondering if that even applied to these fish if they are juvies. Will these fish take micropellets, or do they still need food that's very small like eggyolk or microorganisms? Do they need fed every 4 hours, or can that be extended out to maybe every 8 hours?


in my experience, these bettas don't eat pellet food. They can't fit it in their mouths. 

They love brine shrimp though.


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## VivaDaWolf

Its bad because yes, theyre still babies and havent reached the hardiness levels of an adult betta. Theyve got tiny mouths, depending on how old they are..ive seen some tha are teeny and some almost the size of a small female. 
Most people buying them will keep them in an unheated bowl and use pellets...not the best case for a sensitive fish with tiny mouths. If you can fully care for it, go for it, .. Its twofold, you get the cute little baby to raise, but it supports tye idea that baby bettas will sell and many others will suffer for it.


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## Fluval

The fish you get at PetSmart or PetCo are at least two months old. That is when breeders try to get rid of stock.


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## moosenart

i just pick one of these lil guys up today... he is pretty awesome... healthy and eating great!


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## taiwwa

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yxSPaUyhxk0

so it looks like the babies at petco are like a month old


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## moosenart

Yep. that looks about the size of mine!


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## Beer

I avoid them because I do not want to support people/businesses that do not properly care for their animals. I've only bought bettas from places that keep them in a tank with fish that won't nip at their fins, or in dividers that provide good flow within a larger tank. I have a store near me that actually has a setup that has dividers with overflows to keep the fish separated, but keep flow through each section. Maybe 1/3 to 1/2 gal of space.
Also the places that take better care of their fish like this also tend to buy from reputable breeders that care for their fish. The fish also tend to have better genetics/health.


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## Gingerleaf

I have a baby betta Named Mars. hes about 2 1/2 moths old and hes amazing! i keep him in a 4 gallon tank with a filter, heater, and alot of decor, i feed him 2 frozen bloodworms ( thawed out of course) 3 times a day. Baby bettas need alot of protien, clean water and hiding spots. its just so sad how some people dont take care of their bettas  Good Luck with your new Baby Betta!!!!


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## GoKingsGo

Fluval said:


> The fish you get at PetSmart or PetCo are at least two months old. That is when breeders try to get rid of stock.


The ones in my Petco aren't making it to 2 months. I stopped in Petco yesterday, and there were 8 stacks of 6 cups each. I looked at about 2 stacks, and there were at least 4 dead bettas in each stack. Deplorable how this store operates. I think I am going to have to get another tank just to rescue/rehab some of these.


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## Beer

GoKingsGo said:


> The ones in my Petco aren't making it to 2 months. I stopped in Petco yesterday, and there were 8 stacks of 6 cups each. I looked at about 2 stacks, and there were at least 4 dead bettas in each stack. Deplorable how this store operates. I think I am going to have to get another tank just to rescue/rehab some of these.


The problem with this theory of rescuing Bettas that are being sold in these conditions is that you are supporting and encouraging the poor practices and abusive behaviors. If people continue to purchase from these retailers and don't say anything about the deplorable conditions that the fish are kept in, they will continue to keep these poorly bred fish in horrible conditions. Many times the fish are bred solely for volume with no concern for health or genetic faults.


Many breeders use the cup method for raising young Bettas (larger cups with frequent water changes). It is difficult to maintain large space for a fish that is aggressive towards the same or similar looking species and is susceptible to excessive fin nipping by so many other fish. Temporary homing in small containers is one thing, it's the excessively small containers with a lack of water changes combined with a lack of information for the consumer that is the main issue. People assume that since they are sold in small dirty containers, it's fine for them to live their entire life that way, or they justify their small tanks by "hey, at least it's better than dying in that tiny dirty cup they were living in at the store".


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## Seishin

My mother just bought me a baby Betta today from Petgo as a congratulations for my first job. I told her how much I'd love to breed betta's, but never had the right tools to breed.

I do have a small question however...My mother doesn't know much about betta's, and so she bought me a terribly small, small, tank, 0.5 Gallons, however, until I get a new check its all I can work with because I spent my money on a heater and Frozen Brine shrimp. But, I worry, this heater is fairly...Over powering, I guess I could say? I know babies need to be at 80 F, would it hurt them if the heat was 85 F? Or should I unplug the heater?


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## Kat12

Also realize that even if all the ones at the store appear healthy and happy (etc) I've had the aquatic managers tell me themselves that when the shipment comes in to the store 50% of the bettas are dead or nearly dead. So yes, the ones you see are great, but you're not seeing all the ones that were sent to the store and what has already happened to many of them.


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## Raaan

Seishin said:


> My mother just bought me a baby Betta today from Petgo as a congratulations for my first job. I told her how much I'd love to breed betta's, but never had the right tools to breed.
> 
> I do have a small question however...My mother doesn't know much about betta's, and so she bought me a terribly small, small, tank, 0.5 Gallons, however, until I get a new check its all I can work with because I spent my money on a heater and Frozen Brine shrimp. But, I worry, this heater is fairly...Over powering, I guess I could say? I know babies need to be at 80 F, would it hurt them if the heat was 85 F? Or should I unplug the heater?


It depends on what temperature your room is at. I would think 76-78 is better than 85, but if it's too cold in your room, it may be more detrimental. I would say to keep the heater plugged in for now, but look out for any signs of heat stress. Also, if you have a spare plastic bucket or something similar that's 2-5 gallons, it might be better to move him in there until you can get him a proper tank.


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