No Response

I recently went to Animal Kingdom at Atterbury Value Mart, I was very displeased with the experience and wrote the below e-mail a few days ago to which they did not bother replying. Their service is as useless as their lack of general knowledge of basic animal care.

Herewith the email sent to them:

Good day,

During my lunch today, I decided to go to your store at Atterbury Value Mart to look at your Siamese Fighting Fish (Bettas). I am an avid enthusiast and own 7 of my own. What upsets me is most people who are supposed to know these fish have no idea what they are doing.

For starters, the minimum tank size for one of these fish is 3L (bare minimum) – NOT the tiny little jars they are being kept in at your shop. Secondly, these are TROPICAL fish and require heated tanks - as they come from rice paddies and river basins in Thailand, which are warm. They thrive in water between 25 and 27 degrees, but it can be made slightly warmer if necessary. Your tanks/jars are obviously not heated at all. This compromises the fish’s’ immune system and even though they might not show it at first it will greatly shorten their lifespan. Cold water will also make them lethargic. The difference between my own fish and yours is vast. Mine are extremely active, with vibrant colours (the healthier/happier the more vibrant) and hearty appetites.

One of your Dumbo Bettas has SBD (swim bladder disease) and I even offered to take him off your hands at the reduced price to try and nurse him back to health. The assistant told me the fish is not sick – if your staff can’t even see that your animals are sick, then why are they not getting training? Then I was told he would be sent back and swopped for another one – like he’s disposable. These are living beings – deserving of proper care. I will not support your pet shop until your staff have received proper training on the care and housing of these fish. Please research before taking in animals you know nothing about. A pet shop is not just a business, but needs to be able to provide the correct information for the after care of each animal that is taken in.

FYI – if your staff to intend to nurse the sick fish, he needs to be placed in a warm tank at 28 degrees, and not fed for about 2 days. After which he needs to eat small pieces of cooked pea (it acts as a laxative). If you are able to get Indian almond leaf, it will also help him a lot. Bettas often become bloated from overfeeding and require only 2 or 3 pellets twice daily. The bloatedness causes SBD.

I noticed some of your other fish are also dying, but I won’t comment on them as I’m not knowledgeable on those species. The general care seems to be lacking in your aquariums and most are in need of a water change.

I would like to receive some feedback on this. The whole experience was upsetting as I love these fish a lot, and do not appreciate seeing them in such conditions. I will however only support responsible fish owners / breeders.

Nicole