# Buy Bettas Online...



## BettaSCHmacK (Jan 7, 2010)

Has anyone ever bought a betta online??? I stumbled upon a site called "aquabid" Most of the bettas are shipped from thailand. From the pictures on the site, these breeders have some really really nice bettas. Its almost tempting. But from what i understand through that site is that they ship the betta to someone here in the U.S. then that "transshipper" or whatever they're called, ship it to you. 

Anyone out there had experience with these online dealers?


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

Several members have used Aquabid. I'm sure they'll be along soon and tell you their experiences. I think most of them have been positive.


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## diruak (Dec 16, 2009)

I have! I bought a betta on Aquabid, but I bought mine from a US seller so I wouldn't have to deal with a transhipper. I HIGHLY recommend the seller "Orlandoguy" who is a breeder in Florida, USA. He offers free priority shipping usually, but he also was very easy to communicate with and put in a free heat pack.


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## BettaSCHmacK (Jan 7, 2010)

diruak said:


> I have! I bought a betta on Aquabid, but I bought mine from a US seller so I wouldn't have to deal with a transhipper. I HIGHLY recommend the seller "Orlandoguy" who is a breeder in Florida, USA. He offers free priority shipping usually, but he also was very easy to communicate with and put in a free heat pack.



Thanks for the tip! I will look up your recommended seller when the time comes. How long does it usually take for the betta to reach your home? And what are the odds of the betta being DOA? This is the first time i've heard of fish being shipped through the mail. :dunno:


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## k stiles (Aug 29, 2009)

I personally have not bought from there, but there is shipping that gaurantees the fish ALIVE, sure it costs an arm and a leg, but some have said its worth it. If andikin would come back on, he would tell you how you to do it, who to trust, and so on.

P.S. andikin abandoned us a while ago. also vikki bought them from there too  hope this helps.


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

Andakin has been around the last few days.


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## AngelicScars (May 5, 2009)

I bought my guy in my avatar on aquabid. He was from Thailand. The shipping is expensive though.


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## diruak (Dec 16, 2009)

ok, the guy in my avatar is from Aquabid from "Orlandoguy". What he does is offers free priority shipping, so that doesn't guarantee that the betta is alive BUT here's my story and hopefully this gives you some relief. I won on a Friday I think. Orlandoguy ONLY ships on Monday or Tuesday so that you are guaranteed to get the betta by Friday. He shipped mine out on Monday, I got him on Wednesday. As for weather conditions, I had about 2 inches of snow on the ground so it was rather cold, but the betta was still alive and very lively.


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## aknight (Nov 9, 2009)

I just bought 3 bettas (2 males and a female) from 84elmo2001 on aquabid. He is in the United States and Priority shipping for the 3 was only $17 with live arrival guarantee. He shipped them on Monday and I had them on Wednesday.


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## MissMeg (Jan 14, 2010)

I need to stay off LOL, I dont even have ONE tank yet and I've got a list of 30+bettas that I *need!!*


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## BettaSCHmacK (Jan 7, 2010)

Thank you for all your advice/info/experience with/on aquabid. I feel you MissMeg, ever since i found that site, all ive been doing is looking at all the bettas that i want. 

Im gonna give it a try next month.


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## MissMeg (Jan 14, 2010)

Have you seen the albino crown tail male?? ommmmmmmmmmmmmmg! beautiful!! He's the one I want to order, $35 for a fish or not LOL!


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## AngelicScars (May 5, 2009)

I believe (someone correct me if I'm wrong) that albino bettas are all blind.


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

One of our members had one that was blind.


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## wallywestisthebest333 (Nov 30, 2009)

MissMeg said:


> I need to stay off LOL, I dont even have ONE tank yet and I've got a list of 30+bettas that I *need!!*


XD I know how you feel! I'm the same way! =P Although I don't think I've found 30 yet =/ I need to spend more time window shopping! XD I wish they had a way to sort the results on aquabid by country/continent though. =[ I wanna look at just the sellers that live in the US/Canada not Thailand b/c I KNOW I can't afford a fish from Thailand =[.



BettaSCHmacK said:


> Thank you for all your advice/info/experience with/on aquabid. I feel you MissMeg, ever since i found that site, all ive been doing is looking at all the bettas that i want.
> 
> Im gonna give it a try next month.


I can't wait to hear your results! =]


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## BettaSCHmacK (Jan 7, 2010)

Its gonna be a month, but i will remember to post my results and a picture of my new addition.


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## MissMeg (Jan 14, 2010)

IDK if he's albino, I asumed b/c he is solid white w/ beautiful baby blue eyes, I'll find his link and post it...

ETA - these arent him, I guess he was bought sense last night, but they could be his twins. He didn't have such a pink tint to his scales, but the same eye color, and his fins were longer.
http://www.aquabid.com/cgi-bin/auction/auction.cgi?fwbettasct&1263903199
http://www.aquabid.com/cgi-bin/auction/auction.cgi?fwbettasct&1263903362


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## doggyhog (Apr 30, 2009)

That's just a platinum.  Beautiful!!

Albinos are EXTREMELY rare, and are all blind.


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## MissMeg (Jan 14, 2010)

doggyhog said:


> That's just a platinum.  Beautiful!!
> 
> Albinos are EXTREMELY rare, and are all blind.


Ohhh! Ok! LOL, you can tell I'm a newbie! I just got to wear I can tell the tails apart(not to hard), I'm workin' on colors!


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## baroquelvr (Sep 12, 2011)

*Hi*

I bought a betta from aquabid from Thailand once. The fish was grey and mostly dead by the time I got it. Thank goodness I had it delivered to my work. I ran to the convenient mart and got new water and put him in a large cup till I got home. He did recover and his color resumed, but honestly, if I was to buy online again, I'd buy from a more local place. The fish was in a a bag of blue water sealed up in a box for two days. I was told it would be here in a day and would be completely safe, as they did this all the time. He lived about 2 yrs. He ended up with a fin problem and it ate him away no matter what I did. I gave up having bettas because it made me sad they died and I could not figure out how to help them. I would clean his water all the time. I love bettas. Any advice out there on care for them would be nice. I'd like to someday maybe try again. I just love all creatures. I don't want to have another one until I know what I'm doing. And I certainly will not be ordering from Thailand's aquabid again. That fish was grey and laying sideways by the time I got him. I was so upset. ((((


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## Myates (Aug 2, 2011)

Sorry to hear your experience.. sounds like it was possibly sick prior to shipping or was just overly stressed. You said you went out to buy water... don't have running water in home? Tap water is what you should be using, bottled water lacks the various nutrients, bios, etc that tap provides. You just have to use water conditioner with the tap. Sounds like it had fin rot as well, which is easily cured if known how to. Sorry for your loss =(


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## HatsuneMiku (Jul 29, 2011)

i've been thinking about getting a thailand betta from aquabid (since my bf promised me he would get me one if i put the betta down at the store .. LOL) so my search begins !!

i'd love to hear more aquabid experiences .. how the whole trans-shipper thing works .. cus it seems jennifer is the one to go to that actually has general information like a website/info page .. the other US transhippers just have an e-mail or phone number .. and i feel wary about just e-mailing them all my questions especially when i haven't won any bids on aqua bid yet .. as i'm sure they are very busy doing other things .. the whole process is so confusing to me D= ..


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## baroquelvr (Sep 12, 2011)

TY for the nice message. Yes, it was heartbreaking to see it slowly die and I didn't know what to do. I went to pet shop and they gave me these drops to put in water to stop fin rot but it didn't work. Some people suggested I kill it, and I couldn't bring myself to do that. I did the best I could and gave it the best life I knew how. He was loved, that I can say. I didn't know about tap water being good for them. I was told by the seller to use spring water from bottles. I was at work and ran to convenient mart and bought a bottle. I will be learning how to care for bettas more before I ever have another. I cried over him. And I will not be having it shipped from such a far location. The fish was in such bad shape when he got here, and his picture when he left was beautiful...if indeed that was a true picture. Ty for your reply and for the advice on the tap water!


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## HatsuneMiku (Jul 29, 2011)

tap water will have to be used with water conditioner .. because the chlorine in the water is toxic to all fish .. spring water is not extremely bad for emergencies .. especially since you only used it that one time .. the only thing i can think of is .. if the bottle of water you bought was too cold (refrigerated section) or not .. cus the drastic temperature change could put him into shock ..

also on jennfiers (GA transhipper) info site .. she does mention that the bettas are very stressed out when shipped and most of the time end up at ur door with lost of color and possible tail biting .. but do recover quickly as they were very healthy before being shipped


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## angelus2402004 (Jan 5, 2010)

So how does it work? If you bought the fish from Thailand you pay the shipping fee and then the fish is shipped to the closest area say like Miami. Then the transhipper in that area receives the fish from Miami and then ships the fish to you in your area or do you have to pick it up?


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## registereduser (Jul 30, 2010)

angelus2402004 said:


> So how does it work? If you bought the fish from Thailand you pay the shipping fee and then the fish is shipped to the closest area say like Miami. Then the transhipper in that area receives the fish from Miami and then ships the fish to you in your area or do you have to pick it up?


http://www.bettafish.com/showthread.php?t=58009


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## xShainax (Feb 11, 2012)

I got two betta's from breeders on here. One was from Washington and came here in three days. I am surprised he came at my home healthy


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