# Any Reputable wild breeders in the US?



## beta dude (Jan 26, 2015)

Hey guys, I'm thinking of starting a 10g Blackwater biotope with a pair of wild bettas but I'm having a hard time finding people who sell them in the US. I know a few big companies who have some but I would rather buy it from small breeders who know their stuff. Mostly looking into Albimarginata complex but I would love to see any other wild breeders posted here as well. Feel free to connect me with anyone who has some stock for sale.


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## Brian Immekus (Feb 26, 2020)

beta dude said:


> Hey guys, I'm thinking of starting a 10g Blackwater biotope with a pair of wild bettas but I'm having a hard time finding people who sell them in the US. I know a few big companies who have some but I would rather buy it from small breeders who know their stuff. Mostly looking into Albimarginata complex but I would love to see any other wild breeders posted here as well. Feel free to connect me with anyone who has some stock for sale.


I never know if what I do is ok or not on forums lol... Rare Wild Betta Fish | Blackwater Aquatics Those guys are in it for the FISH not the Hype or the Big Dollhairs... you can hit their site and chat with one of the 2 guys who are most involved. They are not a big company but they have a goal that even got my attention. I had always been anti-wild on betta keeping until I met one of these dudes in a game I was playing online one night. Fish people and Jesus people have one thing in common... eventually, we talk about our passion subject no matter what we're doin lol. Not, intended to imply any religious connotations it was just the best example I had. 

After chatting with the younger of the partners for a couple of hours and heading to their website I discovered that these fish were exactly why I am still in the hobby like a nut case... Nearly every wild type Betta is in desperate need of those of us who are able to house and spawn them to do so. There are a few of them that are gone from the wild already, and nearly every wild betta species is RedListed and on the way to becoming extinct. They are breeding all of them in their own homes just like you and I are. They are 100% dedicated to Blackwater fishes. 

They don't have any Albimarginata that I know of in-stock atm... but if you are really really wanting that certain species for sure then I would recommend spending a little time talking to them and let them know you goals short and long term if you plan or wish to expand on these guys. They will be able to give you an idea on incoming shipments they have and on their own young growing out so that you are able to stay on top of the site and catch them when they post them. Or in my case, since I can talk the rock off of granite, they tend to sell me their stock before posting or try to order the color I am after. My thing seems to be the Copper color variations... mind you, Copper is not found in the wild but it is still a pure species of the Smaragdina var. with the grey and green/blue metallics crossed for shade. Some still look down on them as being hybrids, but if you go to the site check out the Copper Smaragdinas they be da BOMB lol


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## KekeTheBettaDoc (Dec 3, 2020)

I got mine from IBC breeders (check facebook groups) and from Simply Betta. Message her on insta and she may have some still in stock-she even sent me a bunch of samples from Blackwater Aquatics.


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## Brian Immekus (Feb 26, 2020)

IBC breeders are top-notch people for sure. I just don't happen to know anyone other than a fella in Texas that tags themselves IBC 
lol


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## thijswildbettas (Nov 20, 2020)

Brian Immekus said:


> I never know if what I do is ok or not on forums lol... Rare Wild Betta Fish | Blackwater Aquatics Those guys are in it for the FISH not the Hype or the Big Dollhairs... you can hit their site and chat with one of the 2 guys who are most involved. They are not a big company but they have a goal that even got my attention. I had always been anti-wild on betta keeping until I met one of these dudes in a game I was playing online one night. Fish people and Jesus people have one thing in common... eventually, we talk about our passion subject no matter what we're doin lol. Not, intended to imply any religious connotations it was just the best example I had.
> 
> After chatting with the younger of the partners for a couple of hours and heading to their website I discovered that these fish were exactly why I am still in the hobby like a nut case... Nearly every wild type Betta is in desperate need of those of us who are able to house and spawn them to do so. There are a few of them that are gone from the wild already, and nearly every wild betta species is RedListed and on the way to becoming extinct. They are breeding all of them in their own homes just like you and I are. They are 100% dedicated to Blackwater fishes.
> 
> They don't have any Albimarginata that I know of in-stock atm... but if you are really really wanting that certain species for sure then I would recommend spending a little time talking to them and let them know you goals short and long term if you plan or wish to expand on these guys. They will be able to give you an idea on incoming shipments they have and on their own young growing out so that you are able to stay on top of the site and catch them when they post them. Or in my case, since I can talk the rock off of granite, they tend to sell me their stock before posting or try to order the color I am after. My thing seems to be the Copper color variations... mind you, Copper is not found in the wild but it is still a pure species of the Smaragdina var. with the grey and green/blue metallics crossed for shade. Some still look down on them as being hybrids, but if you go to the site check out the Copper Smaragdinas they be da BOMB lol


Why where you anti-wilds first? I agree that they're very fragile in the wild, mostly due habitat loss and a part of catching for aquarium trade. Which is why buying CB is my preference too, but can be harder to find

In my personal opinion things like hybridizing and cross-breeding are also a big danger to wild bettas, since the more hybrids there will be, the less real wilds there will remain. One of the consequences will be that there will be more caught to fulfill the demand for pure specimens. 

A tip for @beta dude. An albimarginata pair would be possible in a 10G although it will be cramped. If you can't get your hands on such pair and want to go for splendens compl. you might need a bigger tank for a pair (or just stick to a single male).


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## Garent (Feb 4, 2021)

What do you mean a big company?

I need to stalk big company in the US, so I can pick betta for my next breeding


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## Mother Of Fish (Feb 11, 2021)

beta dude said:


> Hey guys, I'm thinking of starting a 10g Blackwater biotope with a pair of wild bettas but I'm having a hard time finding people who sell them in the US. I know a few big companies who have some but I would rather buy it from small breeders who know their stuff. Mostly looking into Albimarginata complex but I would love to see any other wild breeders posted here as well. Feel free to connect me with anyone who has some stock for sale.


I wouldn't put a male female pair in anything less then a 20 gallon heavily live planted tank.


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## Brian Immekus (Feb 26, 2020)

From the few types of wilds I have kept the tank size and mix of mff mf mffmff has been all over the place. that being said I have never used a tank larger than 5 gal to breed a pair of bettas in. There is a huge difference between breeding a pair that you have kept beside one another, and making a pair or trio of any of these guys their forever home, as they say. 

Obviously, I grow them out in stages 5gal-10gal-20gal and then stock tank. and yes I am just that bloody nuts that I have 4 stock tanks in my house lol. My mom had to move in with me 6 yrs ago and after her being so sick, she no longer wanted anything to do with fish tanks. So, some how I am still being told NO you can not put another 150 gal tank in this house. IN MY OWN HOUSE. But she sleeps lol. 

The guys I mentioned had really nice stock on hand 3 weeks ago. They are family people and their top goal is to get these fish into the hands of competent fish people to at least make an effort to save some of the 1000's of species of tropical fish we have seen world leaders cause the extinction of for their resorts and their standing. The parts of the world where our bettas and killifish live.. can only live have suffered 3 natural disasters in the past 8 yrs and they have suffered greedmongering assclowns for the last 3 years solid. South America is the other area of the world for blackwater fish among others that have had their breeding ground raped. Just ONE genus of tropical fish, from our best guess mind you because we are no longer allowed into the areas, 137 species have fallen extinct in less than three yrs. 

That's why I turned my involuntary retirement years into keeping nothing except rare, endangered, extinct in the wild, and nearly impossible to, or never having been spawned fish. The reason I didn't get into the wild bettas before the last 3 yrs is because disability pay is nearly offensive and I was focused on the wrong thing. I didn't know that I had no need of stuff and money until it was all gone. That changed my outlook. I might be going insane, I might be dying, BUT aren't we all?? Not to mention the first 3 doctors that told me I was dying and had 3-4 yrs left.. yeah they have passed on. 13+ yrs later here I am. Crazy as a texas/mexican road lizard in the heat of the day but I got my fish lol. 

I lost all of my wild bettas and most all of my bettas in 2020. I had covid for over 3 months. I couldn't breathe and mom took care of me.. and the 25 large tanks.. she just wasn't able to deal with my bettas. I also lost my adult care giver Shi Tzu gurl who showed up on my back porch one week after they gave me the long face... she was sitting on her hind legs during a storm. 13 yrs. I did not like 2020 at all. 

Now I think I want to start back with a couple of the red endangered mouth brooder bettas. and I love the Copper Samaritan hmm that is so not how to spell it lol. I lost my pair and 50 ish of their fry. I can breed the snot out of the wild guys. BUT getting them from egg safely to eating bbs I am fail.. I get 40 out of 300 at best to that point. I cant find anything small enough for them to eat. 

If my mates at Blackwater Aquatics has anything happening I will pop back into this thread and let everyone know. I was headed there when I got this email.


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## KekeTheBettaDoc (Dec 3, 2020)

Do you have his website by chance?


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