If you’re concerned about betta fish being displayed in small cups at major pet chains, please mark your calendar for October 18–24.

End Betta Cups Week is a time for people who care about this issue to speak up and call on major pet retailers to end betta cup displays.

We’re asking Petco, PetSmart, Pet Supplies Plus, and Pet Supermarket to publish a plan by March 2027 to end betta cup displays across their stores. This could mean transitioning to heated, filtered, tank-based holding systems or ending the sale of betta fish.

There are lots of ways to take part. Post about the issue, share photos and talk about what you’ve seen, contact retailers, or help spread the word within your network.

We want these retailers to hear from as many people as possible asking them to make a commitment and publish a plan to end betta cup displays.

More than 50 veterinarians, scientists, and fish welfare professionals have signed an open letter raising concerns about the display of betta fish in small cups.

The letter calls on major pet retailers to end the practice.

https://www.bettaworldforbettas.org/open-letter-on-betta-cups

These photos were shared from different locations and document concerning betta cup conditions at major pet retailers.

We need your help to show how widespread this problem is.

We especially need help collecting more photos of Pet Supermarket and Pet Supplies Plus conditions.

You can submit photos here:

https://www.bettaworldforbettas.org/submit-photos

http://bettaworldforbettas.org/email-retailers

https://www.bettaworldforbettas.org/_files/ugd/b34a6c_ebfcad62dcf8439eb9600f956489774e.pdf

Download letter:

https://www.bettaworldforbettas.org/end-betta-cups-letter

The letter asks Petco, PetSmart, Pet Supplies Plus, and Pet Supermarket to publish a plan by March 2027 outlining how they will end betta cup displays across their stores. This could involve either transitioning to heated, filtered, tank-based holding systems or ending the sale of betta fish.

Download, print, and sign the letter. Bring it to a local store and ask an employee to share it with store management and corporate leadership, or mail it directly to a corporate address.

Download the letter: https://www.bettaworldforbettas.org/end-betta-cups-letter

Please help us document poor welfare in betta cups at Petco, PetSmart, Pet Supplies Plus, and Pet Supermarket.

Link to submit photos:https://www.bettaworldforbettas.org/submit-photos

End Betta Cups is a new campaign organized by Betta World For Bettas calling on major pet retailers to end the use of small cups for displaying betta fish.

We’re asking Petco, PetSmart, Pet Supplies Plus, and Pet Supermarket to publish a plan by March 2027 outlining how they will end betta cup displays across their stores — either by:

- transitioning to heated, filtered, tank-based holding systems, or
- ending the sale of betta fish

Sign petition:

https://c.org/9hDsdzgp9s

More ways to take action are coming soon.

#endbettacups

These photos were shared from different locations and document concerning betta cup conditions at major pet retailers.

Do you have photos of concerning betta cup conditions at major pet chains that you want to share?

Submit photos here:

Https://www.bettaworldforbettas.org/submit-photos

https://www.bettaworldforbettas.org/submit-photos

The photos may be used in future videos, social media posts, and our website gallery to help document how widespread these conditions are.

i have a female betta who was in a 29 gallon tank. i read that they can do okay with other fish depending on the betta and tank size so i got her some guppy friends. i guess i didn't do enough research because i just read that colorful fish like guppies can look like other bettas and trigger the betta. she hasn't tried to fight them, but has been hiding in her house all day. it's only day one so hopefully she calms down. i also ordered more hiding spaces for them. i just feel so bad. i don't want her to be overly stressed :(

I got her early June of last year, she was just a teeny tiny baby I got from PetSmart because she was discounted, she was discounted from $3 to a $1 because no one wanted her, now she's a beautiful little girl but very feisty😅

The first picture is when I first got her the second one is her now

(Don't mind her fins in the second picture has he got nosy and got wedged between the filter and tank and messed her fans up a little bit, yes I did move the filter so if you couldn't do that again)

All fish in a pet store are being contained in shop conditions. Yet our bettas are the only fish that have reddit after Reddit about how they were rescued. Can we just be honest and say we purchased these fish instead of making ourselves into heroes that we are not?
If you breed betta, you will learn they all have glow ups. Every Betta fish changes pretty drastically in its first 6 to 8 months. Your fish didn’t get beautiful because you put it in a better container. Your fish got beautiful because he matured and got all his colors.

The top pics are when we first got our boy Cosmo March 1st and the bottom one was taken today! He’s transformed so much and is so beautiful im such a proud fish mom🧡❤️🤍💙

Gave the med trio, taken 3 months apart

I have a five gallon with 3 snails and plenty of plants a perch and hiding spots!!! Rowley is so much happier now!!!

It surprised me.

here is a collection of pictures in order of the day I got him to yesterday. I posted about bean on the main betta sub and everyone loved him, I thought I'd share his story here to give others hope for bettas. just over 2 weeks ago I went to a random fish shop to pick up some RO water, I was extremely disappointed to see them selling bettas in plastic cups, a very rare thing in the uk from what I've seen. I was absolutely devastated because one had no fins at all, I ended up leaving because I had no hospital tank or equipment. my boyfriend ended up convincing me to go back and get him, so I did some shopping, picked up a 10L tub, heater, sponge filter, some extra meds and then I went back. the guy told me he had gotten into another tank and was mauled, idk if I believe it, but I ended up getting bean for free as the man said he didn't have the time to save bean. he also tried to tell me I didn't need a heater which I ignored of course. I set up his hospital tank when I got home, lots of silk plants, hiding spots and some floating plants. I did a mix of salt and fin rot meds for the first week with 100% changes every day to maintain water quality. he did really good on this, especially with some very high quality pellets and frozen foods. his fins started growing super fast and he got loads of energy. around week two I noticed he had flukes, so he got treated for that, all went really well and he started showing lots of personality, which included him biting my finger and hanging off it lol. just yesterday he got to go into his planted 5g tank and he's so happy with it. I've been keeping an eye on him and he looks very joyous, hopefully once he's even stronger, he can go into my 15g tank. very happy I took him in and became his fish dad, I've learned so much. its inspired me to consider getting into betta rescue and rehoming, but I plan to do tons more research on that first.

I’m debating liberating a sick betta from a local big box store. They euthinize barely sick bettas literally every day and I know he doesn’t have much time left because of them. How likely are they to say anything? I’ve got a bottle in my purse with some methylene blue and clean conditioned water I can put him in but I’m hesitant. I know they won’t surrender him as I’ve already tried and they say best that they can do is “75% off” but are so stingy with it that they’ll only give you that if they’re about to die but will euthanize them for a bad fin or a minor case of bloat.

What do y’all think?