When betta fish are sold in tiny cups, many people assume that they do well in small spaces with minimal maintenance or equipment such as heaters or filters.

Tiny betta fish aquariums can only be profitable if consumers misunderstand the needs of betta fish.

Manufacturers like Aqueon, Marina, Penn-Plax Pet Products, and others are still making tiny betta kits -- some as low as 0.25 gal.

These companies are making money off of the suffering of bettas; they are profiting from the misconceptions that they perpetuate.

Betta fish are resilient and are capable of surviving in low-quality conditions.

Bettas should have an aquarium that is a minimum of five gallons, a heater, filter, and lots of plants and hiding spaces to create a stimulating environment.

Please sign the petition asking Aqueon to discontinue its under one gallon betta fish aquariums:

https://www.change.org/Aqueon-betta-tanks

The city of Berkeley, CA made it illegal to award live fish as prizes in 2017.

I spoke with the individual who proposed the law, and we talked about ways that people could attempt to propose something similar in their own cities.

One of the intentions of the Berkeley ordinance was to serve as model legislation for other cities.

If you're interested in learning more about the law and ways that you could encourage your local government to adopt a similar ordinance, you can watch the full interview on YouTube:

https://youtu.be/79IP6THBavA?si=WBV-x804MqBIlQPl

The interview has a lot of useful information in general for how to engage with your local government and advocate for change in your community -- not just on this issue but with other causes as well.

What kind of existence is that?

This happens all the time at large chains like PetSmart and Petco where betta fish may die in transport or in tiny cups on the shelves.

It's not the fault of employees.

Betta fish are living beings and their lives should never have to depend on whether staff have the time or they get sold fast enough.

The corporate leadership of these chains is responsible for setting standards and policies, and for ensuring that the well-being of all pets in all of their stores is consistently prioritized.

Acrylic painting of Galaxy, a betta fish I adopted from a nearby fish rescue.

Adopting fish is an option worth considering. There are fish rescue pages and communities on platforms like Instagram and Facebook, and you may find a reputable rescue that is nearby.

Here's a link to a map of fish rescues in the US that are available for adoption and surrender. (This is not a complete list; please contact [email protected] for suggestions)

When an aquarium is cycled, there are colonies of beneficial bacteria established that help to filter waste and toxic compounds. 

Ammonia and nitrite are very harmful, but they will naturally occur when a fish is present (through fish food and waste). This is why it's important that there are enough bacteria established that can quickly consume and convert ammonia and nitrite.

In a cycled aquarium, ammonia and nitrite levels should be 0 and nitrate levels should be low. Regular water changes are still necessary for removing excess nitrates and maintaining water quality.

Target is promoting harmful pet products and misleading consumers. The 0.5 gallon Nature's Aquaponic by Penn-Plax is not a "healthy environment" for betta fish.

There's no space for bettas to swim, nor is there room for a filter and heater. Toxins accumulate rapidly in the low water volume, but the marketing of this tank gives people the (wrong) impression that the plants alone will sufficiently filter the water.

Will Target discontinue its sale of under one gallon betta fish tanks?

Target currently lists four under one gallon tanks on its website (all by Penn-Plax): 0.5 gal Nature's Aquaponic, 0.7 gal 3-1 Betta kit, 0.7 gal SpongeBob kit, and 0.7 gal Finding Dory kit.

Betta fish are individuals, but they're treated like merchandise by large pet chains.

Why do stores like PetSmart claim pets are family and say that they'll do anything for pets when they regularly have shelves of neglected and sick pets at their stores?

Betta bowl kits are unhealthy environments for fish.

Betta fish need 5+ gal, filter, heater, and lots of environmental enrichment like plants and hiding spots.