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I’m getting a betta soon and I’ve been asking many people for their advice on this but what do you think is the better move? Buying a betta from a fish store that takes very good care of said bettas (supporting said fish store financially), or getting one from a pet store that does not and rescuing it from that bad situation? I’m conflicted but leaning towards supporting pet stores with good practices.

I've gotten my fish from "bad" pet stores and I support doing so under a very specific condition. Employees at the stores in my area have been willing to just GIVE me a fish that was in bad condition. This is because the employees themselves are caring people and want the fish to live, and they know whether or not their store is realistically a place that will be able to treat whatever is causing issues.

Buying a fish to rescue it is just telling the company that you're willing to pay for bad care. If you can get it for free (either by asking or by having big pockets), you can help the fish without supporting the poor husbandry.

If stores in your area don't do that, I would suggest going somewhere the fish are treated well, since then you're supporting good care practices.

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It's amazing how the marketing ploy that is betta sororities has become so accepted by otherwise reasonable people.

This is a picture of one of my bettas, Charlie, before I got her. She's a rescue from a sorority, and as you can see, she was in pretty rough shape. She was constantly harassed by the other bettas, as was clear by her damaged fins and just how visibly stressed she looked.

Keeping bettas in groups gives no benefit to the fish, it's only done by assholes who think aesthetic is more important than the basic rights of their animals. Absolute best case scenario is that your fish survive, until either they fight to the death or a disease knocks them out because their immune system is weakened by constant stress.

Betta splendens is a solitary fish, full stop. Keeping them in groups is selfish, and you are a bad fish owner if you choose to do so.

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HE USED HIS COCONUT HIDE

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~ Black | White | Orange ~

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Family meals 💛

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Vienna's colors have really come in now that she's settled :))

I've never had a female Betta flare at everything and anything so much lmao. In the future I think she will definitely need a 10 gallon because she's so active and spicy but for now she's doing very nicely (Also I know there a ton of detritus I couldn't get most of it last water change but the tank is new enough I don't want to change too much water too often so I'll try to get all of it next time 😔)

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Aaagh!

I keep making myself sad when I look at the reviews for things on amazon for things sold for betta fish and see people posting photographs of their betta in totally inapropriate living conditions like a vase or tiny bowl X_X

Like just now I was looking at betta pellets, scroll down to see what people had said about it and see photographs of betta in cloudy water in tiny bowls with people totally oblivious to how depressed their betta looks like "Mr Bubbles loves this food" photo of Mr Bubbles laying on the floor of his bowl.

Please don't put betta fish in tiny bowls with no filteration D:

They really do live much longer and happier if you put em in a tank they can actually swim in with a filter and heater. Bonus points for live plants.

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I’m trying to cycle my tank in preparing to get a betta and I keep getting this weird film on the surface of the water. I’m adding ammonia and a nitrifying bacteria mixture to try to cycle it and I’m wondering if you know if I’m doing something wrong? I want to create the best habitat for the betta I end up getting

What does the film look like? The two types I've seen have been a whitish one, and an oily looking one. The oily one IS oil, the whitish one is a sort of protein buildup.

Oil can come from stuff like your hands, the food you put in, or the filter (could have oils on some of the moving parts). Washing your filter could help, as well as washing your hands well before putting them in the water for maintenance.

The white protein film is a sign that there's buildup of organic waste, which is interesting seeing as you've not put any fish in yet. If you've been adding food, that could be part of the reason.

One thing that can help is making sure you have enough surface agitation, either from the filter, or a bubbler. That keeps the film from developing on the surface, and the stuff causing it can get cleaned up by the filter.

If there's a LOT of oil/proteins, just mixing the water up wouldn't be ideal because it can still mess with your water quality, but as you're cycling the tank, I imagine you're doing regular testing anyway so you'll know if anything is up.

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New Betta. Plakat male.

Any name suggestions?

And no, I didn't edit his colors.

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breaking news! local man angry about *squints* being cared for and receiving a water change.

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IDEAL

If you don't want to do aquarium maintenance, don't get an aquarium.

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If you don't want to do aquarium maintenance, don't get an aquarium.

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I am too tired to make a full, thought out post on the subject so here’s a quickly written PSA.

Your cat(s) having a litterbox arrangement that is appealing to them and comfortable to use is not just a matter of hygiene or convenience it is a legitimate health concern.

If you have to remove or stop scooping your current litterboxes in order to force your cat to use the new one that is a problem.

Your cat does not care if you were dumb enough to spend $500+ on a mechanical shitter. Your cat just wants to feel comfortable and secure during the vulnerable moments when they’re eliminating.

Inappropriate, unappealing or unsanitary litterbox conditions cause stress. This will cause your cat to try and avoid using the litterbox. This can result in idiopathic cystitis and (in male cats) potentially fatal urinary blockages or other lower urinary tract disease.

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Lots of resting places at different levels in the tank so she doesn't have to use too much energy getting around. Monitor all the normal stuff a bit closer, as she may have a weaker immune system and be more vulnerable to issues. Make sure she's eating well also. Having a lot of variety can encourage her to eat more, especially feeding live treats like brine shrimp and bloodworms.

betta keepers of tumblr, anyone got advice for how to make a senior citizen betta's life more comfortable? my lady's starting to show some signs of old age and I'd love to know what I can do to make the rest of her days easy for her, she's my bestest buddy. nothing seems to be impacting her super negatively yet, just figured I'd ask now before it goes downhill

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Every time I come into a pet store, I am beset with the sudden urge to buy and set up an aquarium

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It's the boi