New to this - Wondering where to buy healthy betta fish

OK, I'm brand new, just two weeks into cycling my first tank but thanks to the help from some members here I am reasonably certain I'm making progress and will be able to finish the cycle successfully.

So, now I'm trying to find where is the best place to buy a healthy betta: Online? Locally? Here's what I found on the internet:

• Online
  • I have some concerns about buying online.
  • Recommended sites include Petco and Amazon. But my concerns are:
    • How healthy is the fish?
    • I don't know exactly what the fish will look like, especially the coloring, until it is delivered.
    • Is shipping/delivery an issue?
    • Are these very large retail sites reliable?
    • It kind of feels a little like I'm adopting a rescue to save it from a pet store kind of like rescuing a dog from the pound.
  • Also mentioned in the top four were Ebay and Aquabid but I have similar concerns about them plus I'm not particularly fond of the whole bidding process.
    • Health?
    • Shipping?
    • Reliability?
• Locally
  • Buying locally is probably my preference.
    • There is a store/site here in San Diego that delivers throughout the United States as well as Hawaii and Canada.
    • The site is petzonesd.com and in addition to shipping they have 3 storefronts here.
    • Their webpage shows photos of the actual fish they have available.
    • They say, and this seems important, "Our betta stock is curated as we hand select each and every one of them."
    • They would even deliver to me locally for a small fee (less than their normal shipping charges).
    • Since they are local it should be easy to contact them if I have any questions or issues.

Has anybody had experience with the vendors I have mentioned or any others. If somebody has dealt with petzonesd that would be especially helpful. I'm open to all experiences buying bettas, comments, ideas and suggestions. Thanks.

 

I got my plakat male from here but they have all sorts of different types for the same prices as petco but wayyyy healtier. Shipping was 2 days but it was amazingly packed and he arrived nice and healthy
USA Betta Fish Shop

 

I got my plakat male from here but they have all sorts of different types for the same prices as petco but wayyyy healtier. Shipping was 2 days but it was amazingly packed and he arrived nice and healthy
USA Betta Fish Shop

Thank you! I have added USA Betta Fish Shop to my list. I just checked them out quickly and they have some great looking bettas!

 

I ordered my boy from Kingpetall in Thailand and had him shipped using the trans shipper Edy Tamtama. He arrived with little to no stress apparent and was warm. He came very quick once he was shipped, but he wasn’t shipped out for quite a while. Shipping from Thailand to the trans shipper took about a day and he was shipped for one more day after before he arrived to me. It was quite expensive though, but he is the highest quality fish I have received. I would actually recommend shopping online for bettas or at a local fish store rather than a chain such as Petco or Pet Smart. Their Bettas seem to have more health issues at large chains. I also had a much easier time getting my new betta I ordered online to eat than the one I got at a chain store. I’ll attach a picture of what he looked like when he arrived.

 

I ordered my boy from Kingpetall in Thailand and had him shipped using the trans shipper Edy Tamtama. He arrived with little to no stress apparent and was warm. He came very quick once he was shipped, but he wasn’t shipped out for quite a while. Shipping from Thailand to the trans shipper took about a day and he was shipped for one more day after before he arrived to me. It was quite expensive though, but he is the highest quality fish I have received. I would actually recommend shopping online for bettas or at a local fish store rather than a chain such as Petco or Pet Smart. Their Bettas seem to have more health issues at large chains. I also had a much easier time getting my new betta I ordered online to eat than the one I got at a chain store. I’ll attach a picture of what he looked like when he arrived.

Thank you! I will check out Kingpetall. It looks like Aquabid.com also ships from Thailand but I don't like the whole bidding process. It sounds like you had no problems with shipping but I'm still not sure how comfortable I am with that. I've reached out to the local store that I mentioned and depending on their inventory when I finish cycling I will probably go with them. I share your concern about Petco and Pet Smart and don't plan to use them.

BTW, thanks for posting the picture of your boy. I'm hoping for a red and blue coloration and hopefully I will be able to find one as fine looking as yours.