chickadee

Right now I would not be getting one from any of the vendors on aquabid without checking with one of those of us who have ordered from there first. There is a virus coming in from the Orient that is spreading through bettas, gouramis and other labyrinth organ fish and unless you know which of the breeders off of aquabid that are safe to deal with I would not order from there. There ARE some who are but not many that I would recommend from Thailand at the present. Just be very CAUTIOUS. My premium dealer of choice right now would be Miami Aquariums as he quarantines his fish before he sells them and any who are showing any signs of problems do not get sold. Fish you purchase from breeders from Thailand, you take your chances unless you are dealing with someone who is excellent and is well known. ASK SOMEONE BEFORE YOU BUY.

Just looking at pretty fish is nice but buying from just any breeder is a pretty good game of Russian Roulette right now and a better than even chance of getting a sick betta that will not live long. I just got two and one was horribly sick and died a horrible death eventually and the other is fine and going strong. It was the difference in the breeders I dealt with. So pay attention and do not go blindly into buying from aquabid without knowing who you are purchasing from. ASK US FIRST.

Rose

Devon

The seller of the one I really want at present is called "Thehalfmoonspecialist" & is located in Sacramento, CA. Anyone familiar with this seller?

Shawnie

devon, can you post the link so we can get a peek of what your dreaming about?

although I couldnt ever afford any of them, I love the pics of others

Devon

Well, actually... I *have* already bid on it... because I simply have to have him.

Here he is:



http://www.aquabid.com/cgi-bin/aucti...shm&1216792291

chickadee

Well this fish is listed as coming from the US (California) so you may be okay unless it is coming from someone who has imported it from Thailand and is shipping it without quarantining it. But if they are the breeders themselves you are probably okay. We will send good thoughts and hopes.

Rose

Shawnie

he is amazing!! I have no experience on bidding or that stuff, but holy moly! I love him!

Devon

Thanks, Rose. I was hesitant to bid on anything from out of the country for that reason... there are many, many many bettas that I want, but a limited amount of space, and this one seems like a safer bet to me. Plus, as I said, I really don't think I can not have this guy...

jdhef

Yeah I kinda hate browsing on Aquabid, because I want almost every Betta that is being sold!

sirdarksol

I would say Aquabid (and only reputable, in-country dealers. Ask them questions about their quarantine methods, too) or Miami Aquariums are your best bets.
I try to stay away from PetSmart/Petco not because of the health issues of the fish, but because I don't like supporting the way that they keep their bettas. I would love to rescue all of the big chain bettas, but my idea of rescue would likely end up with me in jail.

I normally get my bettas from one of three local pet stores that keep their bettas in the larger tanks (in one way or another), but am leery of doing so right now because of the iridovirus plague.

jdhef

I've seem Miami Aquariums come up a couple of times on this forum. Are they only available on Aquabid or do they have a direct website?

COBettaCouple

We've gotten our Bettas from various sources and Rose's suggestion of Miami Aquariums is good as is an Aquabid seller, smilebetta.