Blub

chickadee

I feel the need to make a comment about the practice of rescuing bettas and the practice of purchasing from a breeder/dealer. There are many bettas out there who have been culled from breeders and dealers who do not consider them "worthy" of their time and attention and these people really just want to deal with the show quality or best class of bettas, and that is really where the most of their money is coming from. Let's face it, in the world of today EVERYTHING is about money. They are going to try to get something for these fish that they culled out of the population of their tanks so they sell to the pet stores, cheap. Pet stores will buy and sell bettas cheap because they want a high turnover. They keep them in cups and know that the lifespan of the fish once it hits the shelves is limited so the price is going to be reasonable. They are also going to sell deathtrap tanks and nonsense that they can persuade parents and unsuspecting new hobbyists are perfectly fine to go along with the fish as being "all the equipment you will ever need for the bettas" so they believe they have a cheap, pretty fish for their enjoyment or for the little ones to see and enjoy.
There is really NO BIG DIFFERENCE in the bettas you buy at Petco, Petsmart, or any other petstore than the ones you purchase from a breeder/dealer direct other than a small defect of some sort that drew their attention to the fact that some snobby person who may want some day to show this fish or breed this fish would not want to pay a big price for it. The really defective fish never make it out of the breeders place in the first place. You are much more likely to get a total wreck of a fish from some kid who decided to breed bettas at home and just by sheer chance managed to have a success at getting some of them to live long enough to sell them. Professional breeders do keep their nurseries in good condition and treat all the fry with respect. It is in their best interest to do so as they do not know until the last which ones are going to be the prizes.
The BIG differences arrive and begin to become critical when the fish reach the shelves in the pet stores. This is when they start not to be cared for. If you are lucky enough to find the bettas when they have first come to the stores, they are going to be near the same quality if not almost identical in quality as if you were to order from a breeder/dealer and have one shipped to you. The mechanics of the operations of each of these fish's lives has been done in the same way up to this point in almost every respect.
The only way the fish becomes a more serious risk is after spending days or even weeks if he or she is lucky enough to survive that long in one of the unheated and unfiltered and uncared for containers of whatever size on the unlighted pet store shelf. Then you are looking at a serious chance of illness and possible emminent death of your fish even if you purchase it and give it the best of care. I am not saying for you or anyone not to bother with these fish. I applaud those of you who would take in one of these fish are give it a chance at a fine life and MANY of these fish do make wonderful and loving pets and will do well for a long time. Others do not do as well but this is also sadly true for the ones that are sent from breeders and cost a LOT more occasionally. I paid a great deal to have a fish from Thailand come through a transhipper and to me. It was a gorgeously fantastic fish to look at but arrived with the worst case of chronic finrot I ever had to deal with and sadly I lost the fish after fighting it for over a year.

So I am trying to make the point that there is not a CLASS difference at all. The big thing is the care and attention that they receive after the purchase and the LOVE we give them. And whether they cost us $1.95 or $39.95 or more, aren't they really just the lovely friends we come to accept into our hearts and love unconditionally? I have seen some of the poorest looking little bettas blossom and bloom into the greatest of pets and the most gorgeous of fish just by being loved and cared for.

Rose

COBettaCouple

Very true Rose - and all our Bettas are 'culls' unwanted by their breeders, that we got from the store or the Betta show.

Martinismommy

I bought "Will" at Petco...He was in a tiny cup....I brought him home and put him in a 60 gallon tank that used to be saltwater...We had an air conditioning break down in August..The weather was 120 degrees outside and no air in the house...He lived through 2 weeks with no air conditioning...He lost all his feathers.....I babied him back to health and he is the most beautiful Betta fish I have ever seen....

He was named "Will" because he truly had the will to survive! Here are photo's of his progress......


This photo taken today March 5th, 2008 7 months after..Remember he was just a body with NO fins/feathers 7 months ago...

chickadee

Marvelous !!! Welcome to Fishlore.com and a special welcome to Will!!!

Will, you are magnificent!!

Rose

KonaBoy

Well, back in September when I came to college I was browsing through Wal-Mart and saw that they were having a "Back-To-School-Betta-Sale". So for...$15? you could get a Betta and a "Betta Kit". I hadn't had a Betta since I was a kid (last one died when we let someone look after it), and I didn't really know anyone in Thunder Bay, so I decided, why not? Betta's are neat fish, colourfull and I could use some company. So when he got home, this is what he was in,



(For those wondering, it' a .5 gallon tank)

Then I started to know he was looking a bit on the unhappy side, so I went home one weekend and grabbed my parents old 15 gallon. Well, when he got in there, he brightenend up immediately, started swimming, just overall a happier fish. Then, I recieved two Zebra Danio's and two W.C.M.M.'s, and heard they couldn't go together, so stupidly, I put Zaboo back in his .5 gallon. He sulked for a week. Then, my friend who wanted to buy me a tank cleaning fish for Christmas, got convinced (by me) to buy me a tank instead. So we trooped off to PetSmart, and grabbed a 2.5 Gallon (it was the only one that would fit in my room). Then, by pure chance, I decided to see if they had any Swordtails in stock, and TADA!! A 10 gallon for CHEAPER (I could make room). So, I brought the 10 home, filled in with conditioned water, and then put Zaboo in. He swam around, but still wasn't looking as happy as I knew he could be, so I posted about my new tank, and Chickadee (along with others, showed me the light). He now has a heater, filter, and a beer cup as a cave





Much happier now

lovethosefish

I saved my Ralphie and Amber from lps , they were in a cup . At the time they were the first fish I ever had ( that was almost a year ago ). When I asked the guy at the store how to care for them and how often to clean the tank , he said " we do not clean there bowls for about 2 months ". I said " how dreadful , you leave them in there own urine and stool for 2 months ?" He said it doesnt hurt them . I quickly took my babies from the store . I am in love with them . Amber is now in a 75 gallon community tank. I tried to let Ralphie live there too . But he keep attacking Amber . No one else just her . So he is now in a 2 1/2 gallon tank . They are both so friendly , they come right to me when I talk to them . I had to prove to my husband that Amber loves me,and she was at 1 end of the tank and I called her . She quickly came to say I love you to mama .
I LOVE THEM SO MUCH !!!!!!!!

Allie

I rescued all of mine from our lfs store which has started treating their betta better.
If I see a CT anywhere anytime soon I will be getting it too whether it's Walmart or Petcetra.

Barbrella

I'd like someone to lock HIM in a closet for 2 months with no plumbing and see if it hurts him, because it certainly hurt the girl I rescued and had to nurse for 2 weeks due to her ammonia poisoning. It also seemed to really hurt the other poor girl I got, who consequently died. Gee, maybe living in toxins really does harm fish! Who would think of that?

How anyone could be so clueless and devoid of any common sense as to think a living creature is fine living in filth - it boggles my mind.

martinismommy - Will is the most beautiful betta I've ever seen too!

chickadee

Yes, Kona, he does look happy. . . and I am happy for both of you. I know you love him and he loves you. It does show. The tank is lovely. And he is a beautiful specimen of a betta. Very nice looking. Hard to believe he was at WALMART!

Rose

KonaBoy

Again, thank you Rosie, I honestly believe that Zaboo owes his life to you with all the help you've given us

luna

Gargoyle

Rescued from the cup of death at the LFS.. Although their cups of death are at least filtered.

My daughter fell in love with him... He is now happily swimming about in our new 55 gallon tank.

I have learned that many of the stereo types of this fish are not a hard rule. He gets along fine with all the other fish and really doesn't even bother the other big finned fish. He will flare every once in a great while then swim away as if flexing his muscles "just in case".

Honestly a very nice addition to the community as a whole.

LetDiceFly

The poll didn't take into account that many of us have many bettas from different sources.

Wil looks like a real star.

My first 2 bettas were cup saved, when I got Flash I wanted a HM, and I know of no local sources so I had to go online. My 3 girls were in little cups at Petco. They also had some handsome young CTs. My Petco has also distributed as many of them as possible around in their plant selling tanks. One lucky little guy was happily swimming around in tank that was about 8 feet long. I would feel bad taking him home and sticking him in a 5 gallon.

Allie

I've got CT from Aquabid now. He does seem healthier than the others. ANd another from Walmart.

MissMTS

I have 4 bettas that came from aquabid (I ordered them all at once so the shipping wasn't too much). I also have two bettas who came from Petsmart and are perfectly healthy. I don't think that there is a right or wrong way to purchase bettas because they all need good homes regardless of who is selling them.

Lucy

I got mine from Petsmart. But it wasn't my fault, it was Prissy's! I went looking for neons, saw her and fell in love, but left her there.
My husband brought her home later as a surprise!

roxanne

our two guys came from walmart in those little bitty cups with almost no water... now both are happy, healthy, and spoiled to the hilt!