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Alcemistnv [567 candy corns]
#3906 • 329 views
Posted: 2012-07-13 22:09:10
#11203
Ignorance. Rant
I'm preferring to put this here because I need the maturity of adults right now. Thank you.
Ignorance
One word, and I think everyone knows what I'm talking about, no matter what form of it we see.
I'm currently on a website, a forum based site about bettas. I've been a part of the userbase for about 6 months now. I can say that the users there are very friendly and resourceful. Unlike most betta owners, I did lots of research before getting my fish and therefore I knew what size tank he needed, the food, and how many cleanings he needed for his tank size.
WELL.
In the last week, I've come across the most ignorant people in the world. One of them HAD to have been a child with how she spoke, and how she addressed her parents (went on a few "I hate my parents" rants because they didn't let her do things). Now, I don't mind chidren, I have 3 younger siblings of my own and they already give me enough stress. So it's easy for me to talk to children online because I can walk away when they start becoming trolls or just plain rude. But this one, WOW, I honestly couldn't even begin to tell you the rage I felt.
She was telling us she wanted a new betta after her old one died (after having it for a short time). She then proceeds to tell us she has the fish in a .5 gallon tank. One of the "unwritten rules" of the site is to never mention you have a tank under 2 gallons, especially if you aren't willing to do ALL the necessary cleanings a .5 gallon needs. So we tell her, VERY nicely, (and I think most users on the site know how nice I can be towards people) that she needs a bigger tank to put the new fish in. The tank also needs to be cleaned everyday if she keeps it in the .5 gallon, which is perfectly okay.
Now at this point, I was hoping for a "oh, I didn't know that, thanks!" But noooooo instead, we get "Wow, thanks for being rude! I was asking about a new fish, not advice on how to take care of my tank. Besides, I can't even do that. No one will help me clean the tank, and I hate my parents because I can't use warm water to clean it."
So we told her we were sorry, but she just kept on going about how rude we were, and about how all the other users on the site were rude and intrusive and didn't care for others. At that point, I was taken aback. Most of the users on the site regularly have been a part of there forum for a very long time, and there are even veteranarians who help. To think that these people were HELPING others, WOW, how dare them!
You may say that we were in the wrong, but for me and others on that site, bettas hold a place in our heart, the same as dogs. It's the equivalent of saying "oh, well my Great Dane died, and he lived in a 10x10 room. But I want to buy another Great Dane. What color should I get?" Of course people are going to react.
Maybe I'm being ignorant because I'm not accepting the fact that people don't want to learn. Don't want to be told how to make their pet happy. Don't want to know how to take care of their pet. But hey, you joined a betta website to HELP you. Why the HELL would you even think about asking for help when you don't want it?
And for the sake of keeping me sane, PLEASE, once again understand. These fish are basically the equivalent of a dog for me. Buddha holds a VERY special place in my heart, and that's saying something considering I used to LOATHE fish.
I guess, people just want to keep bettas as decorations without realizing that they are animals and pets and should be treated as so :(
Replies
Steaks
#106868 • 2012-07-27 13:14:12
#106868
Her fish could be cold or low on oxygen. Fish sometimes get real pale if either occurs
Alcemistnv [567 candy corns]
#106807 • 2012-07-26 00:49:01
#106807
Oh, okay, gotcha.<br /> <br /> And now idea. I felt bad at first getting annoyed at her, but then I told her straight out, "I'm sorry, I don't believe you. The pictures you have of your fish show he's the same color as mine. I know that the most he changes color is to a red. There's physcially no way for a fish to change colors so drastically so quickly."<br /> <br /> And then she had a fit at me xD<br /> <br /> Kinda funny actually
Aqualeaf
#106801 • 2012-07-25 22:46:17
#106801
I know, but I'm just saying the difference between following learned behaviors to get rewards or distinguishing rewards from other isn't the same as like "awww, kitty you came and meowed at me and sat by me!", which is probably a lot of what people think about fish. Also the fact that fish have a lesser more detached lifespan, so it's easier not to form the bond with them.<br /> <br /> Hah, what kind of sugar are they putting in pixy sticks nowadays? o.o
Alcemistnv [567 candy corns]
#106796 • 2012-07-25 20:38:36
#106796
I can tell you though, after having Buddha for 6 months, that there seems to be a lot going on in that little head of his.<br /> <br /> I've trained him to swim through hoops, and he eventually learned that going in and out will get him more rewards. He also recognizes my face, but doesn't like seeing my sisters. He also recognizes his food container.<br /> <br /> I guess it's a matter of opinion on how deep a fish's brain goes, but I think that they should be treated with the same love as you would another pet :/<br /> <br /> <br /> Oh, and now this girl is claiming her once dark blue fish is turning pink and orange witin minutes
Aqualeaf
#106779 • 2012-07-25 16:12:04
#106779
One of my friends had a betta that she got as a party favor; kept it in a plastic drawer, hardly any food, cleaning the drawer maybe once a month, and it's still alive after fourteen months, even though she stopped caring after the second month or so. <br /> <br /> See, I understand Clay's point, but at the same time, I'm fairly sure that betta fish don't have the mental connections, logic, empathy/sympathy, etc. that we have; for all we know, they could just think of nothing but "swim,swim,swim" all day long. <br /> <br /> I also think people see fish as more of decoration or toys than actual pets, because you don't have the interaction with them that you can have with basically any other animal (cat, dog, non-electric eel, turtle, guinea pig, wombat, etc.), which probably makes it harder for them to realize when their animal is upset; when a turtle is upset, it goes in it's shell. Cats and dogs cower or hiss or bark or scratch. Fish..well...swim? Swim lower? An ignorant child wouldn't tell that from a regular swimming. <br /> <br /> Plus, kids tend to very one-track minds; they want to know/hear what they want to know/hear; they want to be told they're right and the other person is wrong, so the girl only wanted to hear about a new fish, and not getting the attention and response she wanted, she decided to throw a huge hissy fit to fix it. :L<br /> <br /> "I hate my parents because I can't use warm water to clean it."<br /> Wha..I don't even...-headdesk-
Alcemistnv [567 candy corns]
#106492 • 2012-07-21 22:43:49
#106492
Oh, well its a good thing your fish lived so long! D:<br /> <br /> This girl just posted that she was going to take her betta to a vet, a post after stating her parents don't want to buy food or a tank for the fish because it's expensive....<br /> <br />
Zack and Mia
#106478 • 2012-07-21 19:44:14
#106478
What happened to my post? Well, anyways, this is what i said earlier:<br /> <br /> Once when I was like 10 I had a Betta, it lived for like 14 months, and I only cleaned it's bowl twice, X/ My cat faired a lot better, she's still alive even.<br /> <br /> There's always gonna be little brats like that, but sometimes they grow out of it, others, well, where did you think they got 'reality' t.v. show stars, huh? If i had a kid who talked like that, they would loose pet ownership rights and privliages, for a LONG time, like, forever :P
I messaged you the site.<br /> <br /> And right now. I'm looking at either a 5 gallon or a 10 gallon for my new fish, and the 10 gallon is going to be divided with both Pudge (my new fish) and buddha (my fish now). I can't even tell you how many threads I've made on that site just to LEARN. I want to EAT all this knowledge, and therefore I will be able to help others. one of the same reasons I became a NH on here was to help others.
Katta
#105945 • 2012-07-15 04:32:43
#105945
I keep my 2 males in a split 10 gallon tank with filter and heater, swapping sides once a month. (Month 1, betta A is on the left side, betta B on the right, month 2 Betta B is on the left, Betta A is on the right). I know that bettas <i>can</i> be kept in a .5 gal tank but then they never get to swim or anything. I've never used anything smaller than a 1 gal. If some one tried to help me by letting me know how to better my fish, I'd at least listen politely. Nothing says I have to do what the person says. Al, would you be willing to message me the site? Id like to find out more I can do for my bettas.
Alcemistnv [567 candy corns]
#105855 • 2012-07-13 22:54:33
#105855
I think it has to do with "it's just a fish" mentality, honestly.<br /> <br /> I feel like for most people, a dog and cat are "pets." and everything else is "Oh, it's just a bird" or "it's just a hamster."<br /> <br /> Speaking from my own experience, that is how I think.
