Excellent post Ashley. I remember I think it was over a year ago and it seemed like SO many were getting betta after betta. I thought I made a similar post in a thread asking about "easy pets" where betta/fish were listed as an easy and cheap pet. They should never be viewed as such in my opinion. I only have two, but they each have a cycled 3g tank with plants and get a variety of frozen foods as well as Hikari pellets. I just don't have the time and resources to get more, as tempting as it always is! I've had these two about a year and a half now.

Here is a quote of my post in that thread I mentioned:

Bettas are initially cheap but if they are kept in the conditions they should be kept in, they too can be a bit of an investment. I've spent well over $100 (probably closer to $200, the 2 tank setups alone came out to about $100) on everything mine need, and still plan to get them a couple more live plants when I can find the ones I'm looking for (I may have to order them online). If they get sick, which often poorly kept bettas do, medication costs a lot. It's pretty sickening how they are marketed as such a cheap, easy to keep pet that can live in an 8 oz container here in the U.S. In Finland there are actually laws regulating the minimum tank size that can be sold for fish, and that INCLUDES tanks for bettas.

Ok. Off my soap box (for now). It just bothers me to see anyone choosing a pet based on it being "cheap and easy."
Posted 04-13-2005, 07:07 PM, so no one should think it aimed at them .