How bad is this? Discussion/Article

For reference, I live in Melbourne and I stumbled across this aquarium store. I was really excited but when I walked in, all I saw was fish in tiny little jars with nothing else. I’m no expert on whether it’s ok or not, I just I’d ask here for your opinions.

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u/ejs_eggs 4h ago

This is no better than what petco and petsmart do with the cup bettas. Just slightly more water volume…

u/H2OhYeahh 5h ago

It’s very far from ideal. If they are kept too long in these conditions, their health deteriorates. I have seen lots of sick bettas in cups. I have also seen some healthy bettas in cups. If it’s temporary (they’re selling), then with very frequent water changes they can be ok for a few days. You can drastically improve the ‘shelf life’ of your inventory by giving it more water, circulation and/or filtration, and water changes, which all cost money. But for many stores, the cost savings are more than the cost of the sick fish that don’t get sold.

u/fouldspasta 5h ago

Yikes. No heater, which is a problem because betta are tropical fish that live in warm shallow water in Southeast Asia. It's also impossible to control ammonia in a tiny jar.