shapeofthings (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
shapeofthings) wrote2007-12-19 08:00 pm
shapeofthings) wrote2007-12-19 08:00 pm
Good news
Thank you to everyone who made some noise about the unacceptibility of the iPond speaker/fish torture box.
The chain selling this piece of crap (Pets Paradise/Pet Goods Direct) is withdrawing the iPond from sale, effective immediately.
Further, the Pet Industry Association of Australia is calling for the iPond to be banned outright.
It's good to see common decency prevail. Unfortunately these hideous things are still being sold in the US and Canada. If you can spare the time, there is a petition here collecting international signiatories. I don't know if it'll do much (since it started as Australia-specific), but at the very least it's awareness-raising, and may inspire action to be taken wherever the iPond is sold.
Thank you.
The Siamese Fighting Fish (Betta splendens) is a small tropical freshwater fish, native to the Mekong River in Thailand. Bettas have been popular with aquarists for many years and several fancy varieties have been developed. All require the same conditions of care.
Maximum Size: ~6 to 8 cm
Lifespan: 2 to 5 years
Temperature Range: 22 to 30 degrees celcius (optimal around 25-27). Being kept in cooler water will stress the fish and reduce it's life-span. Buy a heater!
pH: Bettas prefer slightly acidic water, but will adapt to all but extreme conditions if gradually acclimated
Tank volume: anything over about 8L is ok, and above 10L is good. Given enough space they are surprisingly active swimmers. They'll appreciate plants (live or silk) and caves to hide in (make sure the entrances are nice and big) and swim around. A bored Betta will sit on the bottom of it's tank. A happy fish will swim actively and investigate its environment.
Surface area: since Bettas are air-breathers, they require easy access to the water's surface. Tanks should not restrict the available surface area.
Filtration: Bettas do not necessarily require filtration, since they are obligate air breathers. Filtration can help to maintain water quality, however any water movement should be gentle, with plenty of refuges from the current as the fish's
long fins make it difficult to swim in flowing water.
Diet: feed a betta-specific pellet food as a dietary staple. Fish should be fed 2 to 3 pellets once or twice a day. Bettas will enjoy an occasional treat of live or fresh-frozen foods such as blood worms, daphnia and brine shrimp once a week.
Fish should also be fasted once a week to prevent constipation (bloat), which can be fatal.
Maintenance: regular water changes are essential, especially in unfiltered tanks. As a general rule, 1/4 to 1/2 of the tank water should be replaced once every week or fortnight, with the gravel 'vacuumed' to remove faeces and any uneaten food. This prevents waste building up in the system and maintains the water quality. When adding new water, treat it with a chlorine neutralising product and allow it to reach close to the same temperature as the tank's water. Avoid larger water changes where possible as they cause unneccessary stress to the fish. When they are necessary, move the fish into a small container with it's original water and gradually add fresh water to let the fish adjust.
Bettas are great fish, full of personality and curiousity. As far as fish go, they are remarkably hardy, tolerant and easy to keep, but they still have important requirements that need to be met. Please help to fight the ignorant attitudes that lead to these inquisitive creatures being kept in horrendous environments and living short, unhappy lives.
My fighters, Emin and Sieu.
Thanks to![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
gleep for the linkage.
The chain selling this piece of crap (Pets Paradise/Pet Goods Direct) is withdrawing the iPond from sale, effective immediately.
Further, the Pet Industry Association of Australia is calling for the iPond to be banned outright.
It's good to see common decency prevail. Unfortunately these hideous things are still being sold in the US and Canada. If you can spare the time, there is a petition here collecting international signiatories. I don't know if it'll do much (since it started as Australia-specific), but at the very least it's awareness-raising, and may inspire action to be taken wherever the iPond is sold.
Thank you.
The Siamese Fighting Fish (Betta splendens) is a small tropical freshwater fish, native to the Mekong River in Thailand. Bettas have been popular with aquarists for many years and several fancy varieties have been developed. All require the same conditions of care.
Maximum Size: ~6 to 8 cm
Lifespan: 2 to 5 years
Temperature Range: 22 to 30 degrees celcius (optimal around 25-27). Being kept in cooler water will stress the fish and reduce it's life-span. Buy a heater!
pH: Bettas prefer slightly acidic water, but will adapt to all but extreme conditions if gradually acclimated
Tank volume: anything over about 8L is ok, and above 10L is good. Given enough space they are surprisingly active swimmers. They'll appreciate plants (live or silk) and caves to hide in (make sure the entrances are nice and big) and swim around. A bored Betta will sit on the bottom of it's tank. A happy fish will swim actively and investigate its environment.
Surface area: since Bettas are air-breathers, they require easy access to the water's surface. Tanks should not restrict the available surface area.
Filtration: Bettas do not necessarily require filtration, since they are obligate air breathers. Filtration can help to maintain water quality, however any water movement should be gentle, with plenty of refuges from the current as the fish's
long fins make it difficult to swim in flowing water.
Diet: feed a betta-specific pellet food as a dietary staple. Fish should be fed 2 to 3 pellets once or twice a day. Bettas will enjoy an occasional treat of live or fresh-frozen foods such as blood worms, daphnia and brine shrimp once a week.
Fish should also be fasted once a week to prevent constipation (bloat), which can be fatal.
Maintenance: regular water changes are essential, especially in unfiltered tanks. As a general rule, 1/4 to 1/2 of the tank water should be replaced once every week or fortnight, with the gravel 'vacuumed' to remove faeces and any uneaten food. This prevents waste building up in the system and maintains the water quality. When adding new water, treat it with a chlorine neutralising product and allow it to reach close to the same temperature as the tank's water. Avoid larger water changes where possible as they cause unneccessary stress to the fish. When they are necessary, move the fish into a small container with it's original water and gradually add fresh water to let the fish adjust.
Bettas are great fish, full of personality and curiousity. As far as fish go, they are remarkably hardy, tolerant and easy to keep, but they still have important requirements that need to be met. Please help to fight the ignorant attitudes that lead to these inquisitive creatures being kept in horrendous environments and living short, unhappy lives.
My fighters, Emin and Sieu.
Thanks to
gleep for the linkage.