# Almost went off on a customer



## MissSix (Jul 8, 2014)

I work in a craft store, and right now we have some ugly fish shaped glass bowls. 
A woman was joking that she could put a betta in there.

I simply responded, "well, it would not be very good for the fish, but the image would be kind of funny"
customer "oh no, you can keep them little tanks. They don't need much"
My friend keeps bettas and has told me a lot about how much space they really need compared to what is advertised for them. I explain to the woman "well, it actually causes a lot of problems if they are kept is small tanks. It's not fair to the fish either"
customer, with a snobbish tone "I've had bettas before! They only need a small space."
I really wanted to ask how short her fish's lifespan was. The tanks they sell for bettas would be the equivalent of a human living in a small glass closet. I tried to tell her that ideally they need a few gallons to swim around in.
Customer "obviously you don't know anything about fish!" 

Yeah, why would an animal that naturally lives in river basins want more than a half gallon to live in?? Clearly I'm the dumb one! Go ahead and put your fish in a bottle of water and let it choke on it's own ammonia.


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## Amph (Apr 14, 2015)

Completely agree with you, Bettas should be kept in a normal aquarium just like any other fish. The whole Betta bowl thing comes from Asia. They keep them in bowls so they can keep a lot of males to fight for money. For some reason marketing in the west thought it would be ethical to promote this as a easy method of having a pet fish.

Here's a more natural setup and notice how much the Betta moves around..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lkfWg35lgXU

Ironically all the hardy species that are sold as bowl compatible like Goldfish, Bettas etc are not suitable for a bowl but a delicate marine reef aquarium can actually be kept in one. Frustrates me


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## MissSix (Jul 8, 2014)

That set up is beautiful!
Yeah, my friend keeps lots of different fish, and I find it fun to learn about them. Partly, my knowledge of their needs is what keeps me from getting a fish because I do not want to commit to their maintenance. 

The irony of life. If only people would do actual research on these animals' needs, and if pet stores would stop giving bad advice.


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## Finnebon (Jul 15, 2013)

I hate this type of excuse for all animals.. "well they've lived in this cage/ate this food their whole life and they're fine!". I had some family that kept a rabbit in a small wire floor cage I wouldnt even keep my rats in who lived off of crap pellets (no hay or veggies) and was given treats like bread and crackers. She lived to be like 14 or some super old age for a rabbit. This apparently was sufficient enough evidence for them that they took great care of their rabbit... I don't know how it keeps happening. They keep their animals in not very nice conditions and feed them totally crap quality foods, and most of their pets live beyond typical life expectancy. And only the dogs and cats get vet care when it's absolutely necessary. So frustrating for me who tries to give very big cagespace and the best food and stimulation to my pets and they dont' live anywhere near as long..

I always cringe when I see those tiny betta bowls or those vases sold and advertised that the betta east the roots of the plant?? They can't survive off that, they need meat based foods! *sigh* But you know, they're "fine" as long as they're alive, right?


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## Jess <3 (Jan 23, 2014)

I don't really know anything about fish having never kept any myself but I'd always assumed that keeping fish in a glass bowl was just something that happened in cartoons! It must have been so difficult for you listening to that ignorant customer. If you'd run into her somewhere else you could have put her in her place but some people can be such snobs behind the 'customer's always right' rubbish! 

This type of attitude is how you weed out the people who keep pets purely for their own enjoyment against those who have pets so they can give them the best life possible. Sort of like the people who like 'having' dogs but never walk them or take any interest in their mental wellbeing and stimulation.

And Amph, I had no idea that Betta's could jump like that!!! That habitat looked stunning too.


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## Amph (Apr 14, 2015)

MissSix said:


> if pet stores would stop giving bad advice.



Even aquatics stores give bad advice, it's crazy . 




Jess <3 said:


> Amph, I had no idea that Betta's could jump like that!!! That habitat looked stunning too.


That's how they get around in the wild to find new territory, hence the very aggressive males defending their patch. It's not just the size of the bowls that is the problem, temp, nitrogen cycle, increased disease risk, stagnant water, lack of natural enrichment, jumping risk etc. The  reason why they survive this poor treatment is because they have a labyrinth organ which allows them to breath air. ;D

I have to admit I'm a total marine aquarium geek and I always wonder why anyone would want to torture a Betta in a bowl when they could do this instead..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5s7ZYIIWKkY


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## 2ratshack (Sep 13, 2014)

That is an amazing set up! 
I have Betta fish, and I have all of them jump out of the water when I start to feed them. (They just can't wait for the food to hit the water, I suppose. They're very piggy fish)
I would love to someplace like this to keep them.


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## BlackZarak (Apr 18, 2015)

Customers can be major twats sometimes. I work as assistant-manager and I deal with a metric ton of asinine bollocks on a daily basis. Some of them have a silver spoon in their mouths and can't take being told they're wrong.So yeah, I feel you. Everyone should have to work in customer service at least one pissant day so to learn how not to be an arsewipe.


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