Your love for fish is admirable, I haven't questioned that at all. Good for you, seriously, but that missed my point of criticism. If it's a translation issue, then fine, wise means complex, and I run back under my bridge. :) For my fishy ignorance, yeah, to me (cat person) fin means fish, and they come in a can... explains but doesn't excuse my ignorance. Please take my apology for jumping on what seemed like a silly comment.

Dolphins and orcas are mammals, not fish.

I don't understand why you're so angry. I won't even touch on the fact that you called a dolphin and a whale .. fish. My comment on the story being pure was in reference to my admiration for the woman who brought the fish back, or else this would not even be a story to comment on. I have been a proud fish mom for three years and I am so sorry if my love for them riled you up that much.

Read again, you didn't understand her comment. She meant that fishes are more complex than we think, which has now been scientifically demonstrated.

Abby Stein - You need to do a little more research because your statement is full of myths.

Abby Stein...I am sorry but that is a myth..please do your research before commenting lol. And c.marrero yeah sadly people put them in small tanks simply because they can SURVIVE....they are happy with space ..I have mine in a huge tank and he loves it. Also the stores will usually transport them in these disgustingly tiny plastic bags...alot of them die on route :(

The urine and excrement are high in nitrates and that will damage living tissue.

I know - I have no idea why people feel they have to keep these guys in those tiny, cramped bowls. Argo looks happy :)

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Betas are one of the few fish that thrive in a small tank.

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In nature, bettas live in small puddles. The females slither over the mud from puddle to puddle looking for the right guy to leave her eggs with (the males care for the eggs and fish fry (babies). They have a lung-like organ to breathe air while traveling to search for the right mate. This is why they can be kept in small bowls of water- it mimics the size of their natural habitat and does not stress them out. Fungus acquired during shipping can cause the fin and tail rot. Many shippers add an antifungal to the water. The store should have done this. Some stores treat their livestock well, but others, not. There are laws (at least in New York State) requiring store owners to provide specific care for their animals.

no no they do not thrive in small tanks. they thrive in tanks such as 5gallons and up but nothing smaller because there is barely enough room for them to turn around, to have filter and heater which is essential to having healthy fish and bettas.

Not puddles lol if it is a puddle it has to be quite deep. All that Abby said was a myth :P rice fields? Yes.

It is cruel. Bettas in little cups at stores are swimming in toxins, and many will die even if rescued because of the awful conditions in which they were kept. They need fresh, oxygenated, clean water, and room to move about. It is also cruel to place a betta in a vase, because the water is not aerated, and they need swimming space.

Thank you PandaLove and Felix Feline for that interesting information. I agree that all of the creatures of the world are so much smarter and more interesting than we humans give them credit for. I live and work on the ocean and I KNOW that the whales and dolphins and other inhabitants out there connect with us. Dolphins flat out look me in the eye when we're at sea and I KNOW they have at least the same intelligence we do. When they look at me I feel like I'm looking at another person. It's weird. I believe what you say about fish. It sounds weird to say but after seeing the things I've seen at sea I believe it fully. I could tell you amazing things. I'm getting ready for another stint at sea. I put cool photos up of my adventures on my FB and Instagram. Maybe I'll share them here too.

And water is best kept brackish and loaded with plants for hiding and hunting and never put two together (unless female and never male and female they will kill eachother) they will learn there name and recognize you and about 10 frequently seen faces. They will chace a laser pointer around and can learn tricks like jumping through hoops. Very smart interactive pets and a huge recommend pet for kids

Yes the exact same. They live in thw wild in rice fields they arw shallow and wide. Because of them being air breathers (they have lungs) they can survive in very little water cuz they receive oxygen from the air. it's like trying to survive in a jail cell you are able to but it's not pleasant. They will jump out of there tank if they think its uninhabitable. Its instinct from times they need to in the wild to find fresh water or better breading grounds. My fish store is set up with one gallon cycled water containers with a waterfall in each one. A rule one gallon per inch of fish. Bettas are about 2 inches so 2g minimum although that's mean too.

Abby Stein, I agree. "Do your research using university research or actual breeders info- they need to have the proper environment to breed their animals, whereas pet stores can be biased because they have merchandise to sell." is definitely true. There are many misconceptions about caring for fish: which I have believed at some point until recently. The most trustworthy sources are actual research documents from universities/scientists and info from experienced and successful breeders.

As I said above, in nature bettas live in puddles and the females slither across the mud from one to the other to lay eggs, which the male raises. The males hang around building nests and waiting for females.Bettas have organs similar to lungs so they can get enough oxygen. Humans anthropomorphise and assume that if they wouldn't like something, the animal will feel the same, but this isn't necessarily so. I read recently where a woman kept her fennic fox on a vegan diet. He became thi, had all kinds of physical problems which she blamed on everything but the fact that she was following her own feelings and not giving the fox what he really needs. Do research on animals you care for. There are quite a few different habitats occupied by fish that are in no way alike. Do your research using university research or actual breeders info- they need to have the proper environment to breed their animals, whereas pet stores can be biased because they have merchandise to sell.

But what about the employees?! If I worked there and was responsible for taking care of the fish, no way I’d let them get like this. It’s a living f*****g thing. It feels. I can’t even imagine how much pain it must have been in.

Interesting. So you're saying they INTENTIONALLY put the animals in horrible conditions so the consumer will feel sorry for them to "rescue" them. The consumer will feel like the hero. All part of the plan of the peddler. The peddler is intentionally making the consumer feel like the hero on purpose. I guess I should have realized that they were doing this. It's so incredibly evil but I just didn't think about it in this way. The love of money really IS the root of all evil isn't it?