# where to buy online for a good betta?



## mitchkin5 (May 13, 2010)

I've always loved the blue bettas. I don't know if its because of the Dr Sues's "one fish blue fish" I use to read as a kid but I simply love them so I always have a blue one. But since I've been reading this forum and seeing all the different ones you can get I must admit I'm kinda been wanting to get a few more....different of course. But my Pet Smart doesn't carry anything but regular ones. I'm willing to order online . Does anyone know of some good places to order. I would rather have a recommendation from someone here who has had some success with the shipping etc. If theres a link from here for another thread could you point me in the right direction? Everyone has such beautiful ones...I'm starting to want one of each! lol:lol:


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## SaylorKennedy (Aug 11, 2009)

aquabid.com is where a lot of people order bettas online here. Shipping can be expensive ($30+) So there is that additional cost to think about. I'd just keep trying petco and petsmart, maybe look for a local fish or petstore around you.


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## ninjafish (Oct 25, 2009)

If you have a Petco nearby, it's sometimes worth it to make the extra trip. My Petco often has bettas just as beautiful as some of the ones on aqua bid - I've been told that Petsmart doesn't carry anything except Veiltails and Crowntails.


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## BeautifulBettaFish (Feb 24, 2010)

yea our local petsmart & walmart,etc.only ever have veiltails ...petco has the king bettas and a bunch of other kinds


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## kpullen89 (Feb 11, 2010)

The best place online to purchase bettas in my opinion is aquabid. There are some reputable breeders on there with some beautiful quality fish! But you will pay the price. Shipping is expensive and the fish may die in transport.

I agree with some other people, Petco and Petsmart have beautiful bettas here and there. If you become the type of person that goes to pet stores constantly(like most of us! lol) you will stumble upon some amazing/rare colored bettas. 

Some people will argue that bettas bought from a breeder will have a longer life expectancy, although I've kept pet shop bettas that have lived 4 years and counting. So I would say that this really depends on your budget and preference.


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## mfskarphedin (May 19, 2010)

If you have a specialty fish shop nearby, they may be willing to order in some of the more fancy bettas for you. I have one store nearby that will order almost _anything_ you ask them to (God, please don't let the new Petco put them out of business.)


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## mitchkin5 (May 13, 2010)

I visit our Pet Stop and PetSmart smart regularly ...trust me...with 4 dogs 2 parrots a huge koi pond and 75 gallon aquarium and 30 gallon aquarium I 'm there quite a bit.....lol but never has either one had any like these I've seen on here. But I am on a first name basis with the Pet Stop owner so I will see if she will order me a special betta. I never thought of that since I order most of my pond stuff online. Its a lot cheaper online even with shipping for most animal things. I'll keep checking though! Thanks ...I love looking at all the tanks and beautiful fish on here! :-D


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## BettaxFishxCrazy (Sep 5, 2009)

Petco is my friend.haha They have such amazing fish there! I've bought from my Walmart and they've all died. I don't think I've ever bought a fish from Petsmart. We also have a family run pet shop that has some pretty bettas sometimes. Just keep looking around. You can even google pet shops near your town and it'll give you a list.


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## BeautifulBettaFish (Feb 24, 2010)

im trying aquabid for the betta in my avatar...ill let you all know how it works out...


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## XrAdEr (May 12, 2010)

I've only heard of aquabid but never tried it.


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## ladikara (May 24, 2010)

I don't mean to hijack this thread but I have a question about aquabid. (may be helpful for us to know too).

I was looking on there the other day and saw a lot of sellers in Thailand. Sounds like some you pay $5 for it to get to their US contact then you pay the US contact to get it to you. Has anybody purchased from a seller that does this? If so, how long does it normally take to get to you.

Also, how is the fish packaged? I thought I had read somewhere they ship it in water that has something that calms the fish...is this true?

I saw one seller that promises live guarantee and if not, you take a picture of the fish in the bag and then a picture of the fishes tail cut off. I don't know about that...regardless if an animal is dead or not...I would NEVER cut off a tail. Ick.

Just curious about how it all works. I have seen some fish on there that have caught my eye...but just worry about how it all works.


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## AndiH (Oct 15, 2009)

It all varies by the supplier tbh. There are some that import fish to US and then sell. You want to look for the auction swith the US or US/Canadian flags for the best results on that angle.

Most people do want a pic of a dead fish in packaging though I dont recall seeing the requirement of a tail being cut off, but I suppose that stops people from claiming a fish is dead when it isnt.

If you buy on Aquabid, make sure of the seller's reputation (there are links where you can check and the numbers by the name are how many good comments vs total comments. Some sellers have different requirements for new-to-aquabid buyers, but they should state that. I've had good luck there.


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## metalbetta (May 17, 2010)

Wal Mart almost always has only VT's ... The one by my place carries CT's but I've only ever seen one healthy male... He was GORGEOUS too! I wanted to take him home so bad but I have no idea where I'd put him in my house! But now I'm rambling. My advice is to save your money and "rescue" a fish from your local pet store.


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