# Purple "Salamander Giant". Is This Rare? (Pictures)



## LittleV (Oct 5, 2011)

Hello, I'm new to the community! I bought a purple Giant ("King") with white variegated fins at Petco about a month ago. I originally wasn't going to purchase any fish that day since the new aquarium I was fabricating wasn't completely finished yet, but this big guy caught my eye so I bought him on impulse, lol. 

So just yesterday I was reading on the net about Betta coloration, and purple kept coming up as being described as rare to very-rare. I also found out through my reading that the white variegated coloration is called "Salamander" in Betta terms. I ended up going on Aquabid.com to see if there were any of this coloration for sale, and sure enough there were 3 giant "purple-Salamanders" for sale, all ranging from $100-$120. They looked identical to my fish, and were the exact same size (2.5"-3"). 

So I'm curious, is this actually a rare color, or was I just lucky to find a really cool and friendly pal from Petco?


(Sorry, the images are probably grainy since they were just off of my iPhone)

This is the one that was valued at $120 on Aquabid










And this is my quy in regular room-light










And my guy with some sunlight











Thanks for any input!


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## mjoy79 (Jul 13, 2011)

*Jaw drops*
so not fair. My petcos have never had giant HMPKs! I've been looking for one just like yours - mostly on aquabid since I've never seen them in the stores. I have looked at those auctions you're talking about but can't talk myself into spending $100+ on a fish that I wont be breeding. The only "kings" i've seen at Petco were dark green and not truly giants - not as big as a HMPK. I'm going to have to check out my Petcos to see if I'm missing out on something the last month or so.....

Just curious... does yours measure over 2 inches. Usually giants are over 2 inches, closer to 3 inches.


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## LittleV (Oct 5, 2011)

mjoy79 said:


> *Jaw drops*
> so not fair. My petcos have never had giant HMPKs! I've been looking for one just like yours - mostly on aquabid since I've never seen them in the stores. I have looked at those auctions you're talking about but can't talk myself into spending $100+ on a fish that I wont be breeding. The only "kings" i've seen at Petco were dark green and not truly giants - not as big as a HMPK. I'm going to have to check out my Petcos to see if I'm missing out on something the last month or so.....
> 
> Just curious... does yours measure over 2 inches. Usually giants are over 2 inches, closer to 3 inches.


This one is 2.75"-3" I have another "King" that is light-blue with red fins and that strange gold/white chin that makes him look like a husky dog (That's the best way I can describe it, lol). He's 2.5". 

Keep looking at Petco though, when I first started seeing "Kings" there they were all that very dark muddy color with no real variation. Just recently I've been seeing much lighter colored ones, but that's only right after they get a shipment in. 

And yeah I agree, $100 is way too much for a fish. Especially one you can't see in person before buying and the shipping process is hard on them. I wouldn't want to spend that much money on a fish just to have it die soon after getting it :|


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## mjoy79 (Jul 13, 2011)

LittleV said:


> This one is 2.75"-3" I have another "King" that is light-blue with red fins and that strange gold/white chin that makes him look like a husky dog (That's the best way I can describe it, lol). He's 2.5".
> 
> Keep looking at Petco though, when I first started seeing "Kings" there they were all that very dark muddy color with no real variation. Just recently I've been seeing much lighter colored ones, but that's only right after they get a shipment in.
> 
> And yeah I agree, $100 is way too much for a fish. Especially one you can't see in person before buying and the shipping process is hard on them. I wouldn't want to spend that much money on a fish just to have it die soon after getting it :|


 exactly. Do you happen to know what day shipments come in?


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## LittleV (Oct 5, 2011)

mjoy79 said:


> exactly. Do you happen to know what day shipments come in?


I actually asked them, they say there's no set day of the week for shipments unfortunately :|

They said it depends on demand. If they sell a lot one week, they will get another shipment. If sales are low, it will take longer. I would call and ask or check the store periodically to see if they are getting low. If they have very few fish, it's good to bet they will be getting another shipment in soon.


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## mjoy79 (Jul 13, 2011)

aw ok. I suddenly have the urge to check now


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## Leeniex (Aug 14, 2011)

Incredible find!


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## Namazzi (Sep 30, 2011)

I don't know. But wow. He's so pretty! I'm jealous XD


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## LittleV (Oct 5, 2011)

Thank you! He's a very sweet and personable guy, which is not what I would originally think a giant would be like. I always imagined them as slow lumbering guys, but I guess I was wrong. He's almost to the point of being hyperactive. 


So I guess my question is, are these Purple Salamander Giants on Aquabid that are $100 and over overpriced, or did I actually find something that might be somewhat rare or at least not the norm? I just thought he was striking and pretty, I didn't know there was actually a specific name for his type of coloration.


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## MaggieLynn (Jun 24, 2011)

Where do you live i want to go to your petco lol! I do agree sometimes you can find very pretty boys at petco if you look, when ever we go there I always look.


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## blueridge (Jul 1, 2011)

He's awesome! Great find! He almost looks like Clint my dragon scale plakat just bigger and with white at the tips of his fins.


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## Laki (Aug 24, 2011)

wow! He's so pretty! Nobody sells giants here unfortunately.. Congrats on your find!


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## LionCalie (Sep 24, 2011)

He is gorgeous! Not sure if he is a true purple, but still a jaw dropper. ;-)

Sometimes it takes traveling to a Petco a little farther away to discover one with an awesome selection. I'm lucky, we've got tons of Petco stores in surrounding cities, all less than 30 mins away. While searching for a certain tank at various Petco's we discovered a Halfmoon Plakat King with a really nice coloring too.


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## mjoy79 (Jul 13, 2011)

Guess what I found at Petco on the way home from work? I purple/red giant salamander HMPK! They had several giants there but this guy was the only one who had purple in him. I'll post a pic in a few once i get him in a tank 

They also had regular PKs which were new since I was last at Petco


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## LionCalie (Sep 24, 2011)

Huzzah, congrats! Looking forward to pics.


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## MMAsac (Aug 5, 2011)

very beautiful!!


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## mjoy79 (Jul 13, 2011)

Here's Hurley! I got him for $20. He's so cute


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## Bambi (Sep 11, 2011)

He's a pretty boy Salamander is as close to a true purple as many of us will ever get a chance to see/own since it doesn't breed true(a true purple won't produce purple offspring and red +blue doesn't make purple).

My petco doesn't have giants either xD, i'm hoping some one here will breed some soon/ He's a great find but not so much rare as i keep seeing people posting about them finding "purples" that are purple salamanders. but defiantly uncommon in the sea of blues and red wash's.


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## GreenTea (Jan 31, 2011)

Love the purple fish! Here are my purple giants =]


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## Laki (Aug 24, 2011)

I like them!! I think the bf wouldn't mind a giant in any color!!


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## LittleV (Oct 5, 2011)

mjoy79 said:


> Guess what I found at Petco on the way home from work? I purple/red giant salamander HMPK! They had several giants there but this guy was the only one who had purple in him. I'll post a pic in a few once i get him in a tank
> 
> They also had regular PKs which were new since I was last at Petco


See, there ya go! It's a good thing you checked


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## mjoy79 (Jul 13, 2011)

LittleV said:


> See, there ya go! It's a good thing you checked


 Me too! If you hadn't posted this thread i wouldn't have Hurley now 
Thank you!


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## LittleV (Oct 5, 2011)

mjoy79 said:


> Me too! If you hadn't posted this thread i wouldn't have Hurley now
> Thank you!


Haha, ok I will consider that my good deed for the day. It's so hit-and-miss with Petco. Also some Petcos seem to have a much larger/better selection than others.


Since I'm on the topic of Petco, I was in there a few months ago and bought this awesome DP Plakat that was so spunky and active that I just had to get him. He was also very large, not quite a king but he was bigger than most Plakats I had seen. It was one of those instances where the pet picks the owner, he was really showing off and flaring at everything, while the other fish sat there listless. There were 2 other plakats that looked very similar to him, just a little smaller. I've been into Petco a few times since, once even in the past week, and those two other plakats are still there. I feel so bad for them knowing how long they've been sitting in those plastic cups. I wasn't about to get all sappy, but just seeing them there still made me go


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## mjoy79 (Jul 13, 2011)

I know. Its kind of a win-lose situation. Yah - I got Hurley but of course i wanted to take them ALL home with me. obviously i can't do that LOL - there were probably at least 100 betta there - but I feel so guilty walking away with one guy when the rest will sit there in their cups fo who knows how long!


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