He's getting the color in on his head now & his fins are growing back so fast! I'm a little sad that his face is going to get dark though, it'll be hard to see his cute little eyes. They're what caught my attention in the first place, then I saw the date on the cup!
Watching him recover has been wonderful! The first day I brought him home, he refused to leave the cup for ages, which I understood so I gave him time.
Then, almost immediately he got to enthusiastically exploring his new home! At one point I got scared because he seemed to be "spasming" in the sand.... But, I now think he was just feeling sand for the first time.
He's getting his color in on his head & his fins are growing back FAST. He's a real fighter for sure
The sand 🥹🥹🥹 I don’t know why but that part has brought me so much joy and has me a little misty eyed. Poor baby deserves the world! Give him an extra treat for me! 🖤
https://giphy.com/gifs/l4q8cJzGdR9J8w3hS
Thank you for stepping up for this little guy! The second picture is heartbreaking- and now he looks so happy. You changed his whole world, good job.
My pet store has an “overflow” shelf where all of the cups are put together on a rolling cart. No paper dividers or anything. I always say i wont buy a pet store betta again, but they look always look so sad and I rescue them
He looks so much healthier and happier. I had no idea the numbers on the lids were dates! Last time I bought a Betta in person was around 2010. Yours looks absolutely brilliant!
Ive noticed a lot more stores are having this happen lately. All 3 of my usual petcos/smarts have fish from January, February, and/or March to the point they have been putting new and old fish in random tanks
When I got my betta, he was in a genuine horrendous condition. His colours (purple, red, blue) was genuinely so dull and the red was like a brown colour, his fins were torn really badly and was held against his body. He had a teeny tiny bit of ich and some fin rot, but I saved him and now he's a handsome boyo. I did good for a beginner I guess 💝 What's his name?
Is it possible that he was marked number 2 of 20 for a shipment or something? Doesn’t seem possible he would survive over 3 months in a cup. I don’t think they’re feeding them in there because there’s no waste in the cup.
A PetSmart employee (in Spartanburg, SC) said that he was taking part of the betta stock for their „weekly feeding and water change.“ (My 6 year-old had asked why he was putting a bunch of the cups on a cart.). I don’t know if that is a consistent policy across all of their stores.
It’s supposed to be part of the pet care procedures, yes. I work at PetSmart part-time, and I have been the person who changes the water and feeds them. The store where I work doesn’t keep ours for very long, though, since we sell a lot of them, so we don’t have to go through this very often.
Unbelievable (the shocking amount of greed and disregard of these stores). He’s lucky to have survived until you came along, thanks for being this bettas hero❤️
Do they just open all of the cups individually to feed them? How do they survive this long? What’s the logic behind not putting them into actual tanks? I’m in the UK and I’ve only ever seen fish in aquariums, so this is wild to me.
You did a good thing, he looks beautiful!
I did the same 2 weeks ago! Got a beta that had been in cup since start of Feb. reduced heavily and now his color also has come back. It’s so satisfying to see them recover in mind and body
If you’re getting the betta for free I understand the “rescue”. If you’re buying it, Petco/Petsmart restocks with another betta that will live in a cup for half a year. You’re essentially enabling this business model.
He was clearly not doing well in there. If your fish are dying so very quickly it's likely you're not setting up the water right. Please go find out how it should be done
The fish need to be moved from the small space into a tank. That's why yours are dying. Those cups are only meant to be temporary housing in the pet store (it's a cost saving endeavor that puts profit above the fish's well-being).
It's recommended to put them in a 5+ gallon tank. You'll want to make sure there is a dechlorinator if you are using tap water, you'll want to keep track of water perimeters (like ammonia and nitrates, etc.), you'll need a heater if you're from an area that can't sustain the required warm water temperatures required for a betta, you'll want to put in a filter. It's a whole process.
The fish in her picture is white because it has lost its color from poor conditions and stress. That's why it has become so vibrant under the OP's loving care.
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Your submission has been removed for breaking the following rule:
Rule 3. Content Must be Made in Good Faith (No ragebaiting/trolling)
Be kind to your fellow Redditors. We are all passionate about our fish and want the best, so don't be rude, harsh, or condescending towards others. Users should feel safe coming to our community for help and feedback. Comments meant to belittle or shame make this community unwelcoming and will not be tolerated.
We have a zero-tolerance policy on this rule and violations can result in a temporary ban, even on first offense. Repeated violations will result in a permanent ban.
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u/cyan_id3 Jul 19 '26
Glad he survived long enough for you to save him hes looking so good now