# Baby bettas?



## titusthebetta (Sep 2, 2011)

So like every other person, I was out Black Friday shopping, in particular I was scoping out the pet stores for tanks and whatnot. However, at Petco, they had a particular section devoted to "Baby Bettas," so much that the fish guy took me over to see them. They just looked like REALLY small females, but a part of me wondered whether it is even right for these places to be selling bettas that young. Don't the require special care?

Has anyone else seen this at their local stores?


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## Pitluvs (Jun 22, 2011)

I'm in Canada, but I noticed my store is selling very young Bettas compared to what they were this summer. We're also getting Bettas other than Blue/Red VT. My new boy Gadget looks like a small fry compared to my other boys who came home full grown. I wonder if this is a new trend? Although I think it's great for people like us who want to spend a little more time with our Bettas, it's not good for people who are new to Bettas or don't wish to properly care for them. I also noticed the younger ones are not handling the stress of Ammonia as much  My poor Sheldon (I got last week) passed away from simple Ammonia poisoning I've treated before with success.


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## kfryman (Nov 7, 2011)

I have seen lots of bettas that are being sold very young where I live. When I get a female I am going to make sure she has an egg spot


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## kfryman (Nov 7, 2011)

I saw a white delta tail at Petco I'm gonna go back in a bit to get a 2.5 gallon tank and the fish


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## Marvelous (Oct 27, 2011)

I was in Petco today buying plants and asking about crowntail females for my sorority. The employee pointed the babies out to me, because there were some females there. They were so tiny!


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## EvilVOG (Nov 23, 2011)

glad i saw this post... there isn't a petco real close so i looked them up. Amazed they have females by type. may have to take the extra drive to check it out tomorrow.


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## zepherina (Nov 21, 2011)

the petsmart seems to be selling young bettas, i know my CT boy is small, or maybe i just think he should be bigger, im not sure lol all the full grown ones on AB and such seem way bigger than he is, but i know my multi vt female is tiny compared to my other two vt females.

we have a local petstore where i always buy my rats as babies cause since their suppose to be feeder rats anyways, i buy them and raise em. i always feel like in a way ive saved them ;p but i checked out the bettas there and they were all vts, and surprisingly they all looked good, but they probably just got them in because im not sure ive seen bettas there before, i dont go there much.

but the petco by my has bigger bettas, my cousin got her gorgeous cellophane (atleast i THINK thats the right tern for his color) HM there.


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## Gizmothefreaky (Apr 10, 2011)

I picked up one of those babies today, he is pretty cute, but his stress striped have NOT gone away, even after being in his new home with heated water and places to hide. :/


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## indjo (Jun 6, 2010)

Many bettas are sold after they're 2 months. They're often 2 cm in total - sometimes bigger and sometimes smaller. The only difference between these juvies and adults is their self esteem. As most young creatures, they are easily frightened. But if they're not intimidated by other fish, bettas or other fish, they will develop into gorgeous adults with normal.... often better self esteem.

When buying low self esteem bettas, it's best to keep them in smaller tanks until they eat normally. Putting them in large tanks with a lot of hiding places might make them hide when you try to feed them - making adaptation process longer.


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## Gizmothefreaky (Apr 10, 2011)

He was in a 1.5 gallon with a cave and a couple plants, i think the stress was too much, even after a long acclimation and darkness, i found him passed away this morning, stress stripes still pretty dark.


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## mountaintrout (Nov 24, 2011)

My wife is going in today. I'm going to call her and see if the PETCO is selling them and get some pics


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## Bettas Rule (Aug 18, 2011)

Personally I think it's wrong. I have betta fry that I separated from the "pack" because of nipping and even after 3 days they were stressed and not at all happy. I put them back and have not had any more problems since then. Some betta's may be able to adjust, but I bet a vast majority of them don't. But I guess that's normal for betta's in stores anyway. 

I wonder if the baby betta phenomena is really just a lack of adult betta's to sell due to the flooding in Thailand. I know that many stores buy betta's in bulk from Thailand breeders and I heard that many breeders lost all of their fish recently....Anyone know anything about this to comment?


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## mountaintrout (Nov 24, 2011)

I have heard of the flooding reason for the poor selection. I hope they aren't going to alternate sources and selling them just to meet their numbers from last years sales. Money over what is right comes out on the side of money very often


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## zepherina (Nov 21, 2011)

Gizmothefreaky said:


> He was in a 1.5 gallon with a cave and a couple plants, i think the stress was too much, even after a long acclimation and darkness, i found him passed away this morning, stress stripes still pretty dark.


awww, rip lil dude :[


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## mountaintrout (Nov 24, 2011)

I'm sorry about the loss of your little one


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## Gizmothefreaky (Apr 10, 2011)

Thanks

I am debating going back to get another, or getting my money back, or even just eating the two bucks and not buying fish from petco any longer...


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## mountaintrout (Nov 24, 2011)

all of those are hard choices. i am frustrated that they dont even tell you what kind of food or attention they need. just "here you go...thank you for the $...good luck"


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## mjoy79 (Jul 13, 2011)

I'm not a fan of the selling of baby bettas either. And this is one of the worst times to start selling the little guys & girls who are more fragile and not able to withstand the certain tempuratures they'll be subject to in inexperienced betta keepers homes. 
I'm in Dallas and we're already in the 30s at night as of this weekend.


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## Sena Hansler (Aug 24, 2011)

ugh the pet store here has a somewhat local breeder, who so far has bred the defective blue gene that's killed mine and my coworker's fish -.- That breeder doesn't get Thailand fish... if they do they are not helping with genetics!

I got Spartan at I think 6 months... he was an inch. Now he is 2.5  Any other betta since then other than the girls have all been about 9-11 months... Females probably 3-5 months. But I've noticed quality of bettas here taking a nose dive!

I've adopted out 5 of my bettas. And each went with a brochure, talking about feeding, cleaning, temperature, tips and tricks, etc. No pet store here does that


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## mountaintrout (Nov 24, 2011)

it is great that they do have that information there for those that buy a betta. if you post the number i will call them and thank them on what they do. i can say i got the info from you as a conciencious sp? owner.


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## zepherina (Nov 21, 2011)

the petsmart by me has brochures, there with all the other fish ones, they dont give it to you on purchase, but they have em.


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## Sena Hansler (Aug 24, 2011)

Here we do not have brochures nor proper info... I made the brochures myself and distribute it as needed..
I mean the store had a "perfect desk bowl for betta" which is LESS than half a gallon. Size of your coffee mug... Which is really bad! 
People came to pick up bettas I had, because they were guarenteed healthy, came with the brochure I made, they saw what the bettas were in, and they knew of previous health issues.  one lady even told me she'd rather my healthy free betta than a young sick or dying 6$ betta.


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## zepherina (Nov 21, 2011)

petsmart is getting new bettas in wensday, im gonna go in and look at them, and see how they all look.


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## Sena Hansler (Aug 24, 2011)

I was just at the pet store... The two remaining females are barely 3-4 months!!! About... Half an inch long!!! Kind of sad looking  I dont like selling them so so young..


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## mountaintrout (Nov 24, 2011)

i lost the baby one my wife brought hope 4 nights back. i thought i had him doing ok, but i couldnt get the stress lines out. at half an inch it is too small to sell in 70 degree water...any in that temp for a matter of fact.


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## mjoy79 (Jul 13, 2011)

mountaintrout said:


> i lost the baby one my wife brought hope 4 nights back. i thought i had him doing ok, but i couldnt get the stress lines out. at half an inch it is too small to sell in 70 degree water...any in that temp for a matter of fact.


 I'm sorry you lost him  I agree. They're too young to put in the stores.


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## Sena Hansler (Aug 24, 2011)

nyawww sorry you lost him! but at least he was taken cared of the rest of his days!


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## mountaintrout (Nov 24, 2011)

thank you all


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