"Bettas Desrve Better" sheet
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This is a page I made up with the intent on passing it out at petstores to the manager, taping it up in good public places and such. I made a picture of it, but it didn’t turn out that great (the text is supposed to just be black) so I put the text below.
If you have anything you think I should add, take out or change, please speak up. I’m also looking at adding an email address where people can ask questions, contact me or whatever.
Actually, as much critisizement and commentry as possible would be appreciated! Please?
This is just a first draft. I want to keep it short though. No longer than a page.
And no, I’m not putting my name on this. I’m not that brave…
Contrary to popular belief, the common betta fish (Betta spendens), alsoknown as the siamese fighting fish does not naturally live in mud puddles or “potholes”. They live
in shallow rice paddies or swamps. Their murky and oxygen-deprived habitat is tolerated by the
fish because of their ‘labyrinth organ,’ which allows them to take gulps of oxygen from the surface.
Their natural environment in no way the same as the placement of betta fishes into
tiny aquriums or “betta bowls.” While it may be true that the betta can survive this treatment in no way does it prefer such a small inclosure. A betta bowl mimics the shallow nature of their original
habitat, but does not account for the fact that a rice paddy or swamp is a vastly bigger habiata than any betta bowl. In addtion, their natural habitat is oxygenated, and in captivity this captivity this can only be mimiced by frequent water changes or preferably the use of a filter.
One must not forget that a betta fish, like any other fish needs room to move around. A
standard rule for keeping fish is one US gallon of water per inch of fish. Concerning bettas this
would mean the fish requires at minimum a 3 gallon tank, or in a community tank one must
account for at least three extra gallons. The fish, being as beautiful and graceful as it is
even more splendid with more space. Their long fins then have room to flutter and the betta to
move freely and explore it’s living space.
Please remember that this fish is a living being, not merely an ornament and treat it accordingly.
Thank you, and please inform others as to the humane treatment of these gorgeous fish.
– Atlantis
Oh, and ignore the spacing. Dunno why, but it turned out weird, plus I didn’t include the pictures.
– Atlantis
Atlantis — great job, well-written and informative. Just needs some refinements — I found two typos (enclosure, habitat), and the font could be more readable — I think it could be the compression format you used when saving the image — try less compression for the JPG. Other than that, it is great, very commendable effort!!
Well done Atlantis, i think what your doing is correct and very Commendable, i would not like to be a shop manager keeping bettas in tiny enclosures when you walk in on the warpath…
Seriously you are doing a very important job, people think you can mistreat fish and it certainly annoys me.
A friend of mine in work bought two goldfish for his daughter, he started asking questions when one died and was shocked when i told him to spend £100 on a bigger glass tank, a filter and decent water conditioners (the basics)
His reply was ‘yeah but there only Goldfish’ My friend likes birds so i compared it to me trying to keep a Golden Eagle in a broom cupboard, he got my point but i think his goldfish will continue to suffer in its tiny unfiltered bowl.
If people mistreat dogs or cats in the Uk we have the RSPCA to intervene and protect the animals, fish do not seen to apply and they should be subject to the same rights as larger animals.Thanx. I’ll fix the typos and change the font. Any suggestions? Good old Times New Roman, or something a little more likely too catch the eye? Personally don’t like TNR for anything but essays and junk. It’s too “texty.”
I didn’t compress it, that’s really just how it looks, unless photobucket screwed it a little.
I’ll print it out and scan it for draft 2, might turn out better. Got this big thing at home my dad found at a garage sale. Scans, faxed, prints in color, and some other stuff I don’t know about.
Do you think I sucked up a bit too much in the closing about how beatiful bettas were? I don’t want it too look like I’m a betta fanatic. It might make people believe the info less…
Got an email adress I’ll add to the bottom too:
bettas_deserve_better (at) hotmail.comPerfect for the occasion I think. :wink:
– Atlantis
@ste12000 wrote:
i would not like to be a shop manager keeping bettas in tiny enclosures when you walk in on the warpath…
Well I can see why they keep them in small containers in the store. After, males are aggresive to each other… I believe they keep them sedated in there too.
It’s the tiny aquariums and bowls they sell to customers for keeping them in at home I have a problem with.
If people mistreat dogs or cats in the Uk we have the RSPCA to intervene and protect the animals, fish do not seen to apply and they should be subject to the same rights as larger animals.
Same here. I don’t know what happens to unwanted fish here, but I imagine it’s the old flushing down the toliet.
It’s not like they take them to animal shelters, or that animal shelters accept them…
Oh, one part that bother me on the sheet now is “In addition, their natural habitat is oxygenated, and in captivity this can only be mimicked by frequent water changes, or preferably the use of a filter.”
It feels like there is something wrong with that… How can I say that better? Maybe change part of it and move it too the first section?
– Atlantis
Atlantis — Verdana is an excellent font to use, try it out and see if you like it.
Also, I recommend this : create your flyer in a word processor like Microsoft Word or Adobe Acrobat, then print it straight. Don’t print it out, then re-scan it back as a JPG. Whenever you scan something, you lose some sharpness. So, always keep things in the digital realm until your final “output”, that is, your final print.
Good luck with the campaign and keep us posted!
Hi Atlantis check this out http://www.bettatalk.com/ i dont know if you have visited before but this lady surre knows her stuff on bettas. Maybe you could get in contact and run through your ideas with her, she sounds like the ideal sounding board.. Just a though..
I found the site as next year i want to try breeding a few anabatoids and siamese fighters are on the list. Good luck.Thanx for suggesting Verdana, looks good.
and for the link, ste.I’ll check with the bettatalk person, make sure everything’s OK and there’s nothing I should omit, change or add.
Here’s my second draft. Changed some sentences, pictures and the look of it.
– Atlantis
Yeah, I like this look much better, but think the top looks kind of weird.
No more pictures though.
– Atlantis
Nah, I take it back. It’s good enough. What’s important is the message, right?
Passed out my first one today while at the local, family owned place, which, sadly, is no more knowledgable about bettas than big stores.
My mom and sister were going in. My sister is “adopting” two unwanted newts that my dad’s co-worker got stuck with and no longer wants to keep. She’s had things ready for monthes, but needed food.
Anyway, they were nervous about me giving the handout at the desk and asking that the owner(s) have a look. Thought that the store might not want to buy my platies in a few monthes cuz of it, or something like that. :roll:
Like they’d even remember…And if they do, I don’t think it’s be so much a bad thing. Hey, I love fish! I just want what’s best for them.
Hope to see larger containers near the bettas next time I walk in.
– Atlantis
Now got a website with the infosheet. Hoping to add more betta info, but there’s just this for now.
Sorry about the adds. Comes with the free website teritory.http://www.bettas-deserve-better.00freehost.com/infosheet.html
Feel free to print and pass out. :wink:
– Atlantis
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