Before you buy more bettas.. *please read*

[DrKym]

I do feel bad, and I honestly think replacing the class "pet" is a bad idea. Ok my oscar is thriving and has for 5 yrs but that is the only fish I can claim any knowledge on. My son says we need to replace it (the betta) Hubby says the kids will dissapointed my heart says I should tell the kids the truth I am grown up and I messed up. Maybe 5th graders are better suited to a Walmart pup that requires batteries? (my son excluded as he spent his summer mowing lawns to have the feral kitties he rescued spayed and neutered so he can keep them) but even so an animal is animal, and this one died.

[bckrazy]

I completely agree with you, Ashley! I'm very glad you said something.

Honestly, it hurts to see Bettas considered as an easy, throw-away kind of pet. By "throw-away", I do not mean those people don't care about their Bettas... I mean, thinking of them as cheap & not deserving of great care. It is much better to have one Betta with a large, well-decorated, well-maintaned tank than to have 5 Bettas with tiny, poorly-kept tanks! I give my tiny juvies at least 1 gallon each and at least one live plant, much less a 2.5-3" adult, who technically requires 2.5-3 gallons for the long term.

Another note, please do not feel like a heretic if you "rescue" a Betta by buying it from a store that treats them like crap. It's only supporting the abuse. Also, I do not advise EVER buying a sick Betta unless you have the $20+ to treat them (Maracyn, Melafix, Tetracycline, etc, is not cheap at all!) and you might have to buy multiple medications. Buying them and letting them die is just prolonging their pain, to be perfectly honest.

Bettas are great little fish, but they are not worthless compared to a dog or a cat. They still need tons of care, money, and time. When one dies (especially if it is caused by neglect), don't just replace it the next day. And most of all, realize that Bettas cost a lot of money, that money adds up, and your current pets should be a much higher priority than more Bettas!