Where to buy a betta

Im new to having fish and my 5 gallon tank is finally almost done cycling. Its all set up with live plants so im just waiting on the amonia level to go down since its at .25 right now. Ive started looking at where to buy a betta. I have done research and i understand the reasons not to get a betta from a chain store like petco. I started looking online at breeders and found some i really like but it would have to be shipped to me. My parents dont like the idea of shipping a fish or spending that much money on one fish. For the ones i was looking at plus the cost of shipping it would be around $30. My mom is insisting we just go to petsmart or petco even though i explained why we shouldnt. Does anyone know of any good places i could go that are near cedar park/austin Texas? My parents are completely against shipping because of the cost, even when i said i would pay for it. I honestly dont know what to do. Also heres the betta i really wanted because hes so pretty. Im going to keep trying to find a way to get this one but im also trying to find a back up plan.

 

I don't live in Texas, but pretty much any fish store near you should probably sell Bettas. They are more likely to be on the expensive side though, compared to petsmart (though some of their "fancy" types have been going up lately too).

A quick google search brought up a few stores near Cedar Park. Have you heard of Tiny Aquatics? It seems like a cute place I'd definitely go look at if I were you.

They don't seem to have a website but have a Facebook page. Here's their address:

1100 Sam Bass Road Ste. 101
Round Rock, TX

 

Are there any local fish stores that sell bettas? I’m sure you’ve thought of that, but it might be worth looking. Non-chain stores may charge just as much as online, so it might not sound great from your parents’ perspective. Or, it might warm them up to the idea of shipping a fish if it’s less than a similar fish at a lfs.

If all other options are off the table, and you have to settle on whatever Petsmart has, I would find out what day they get new arrivals in and go that day; so your fish has as little time as possible sitting in a cup on the shelf.

 

Ah yes, the eternal betta struggle. Personally, I haven't had any experience with online betta breeders, so I can't really be much help on that front. However, I definitely understand the struggle with not wanting to support large chain stores treatment of bettas, but I live in a smaller town in Canada so in terms of availability of other options, its a struggle. What I did when I bought my betta, was I tried to focus more on how the individual stores treated their bettas instead of what happened at the corporate level. So maybe try looking around at different stores, look for how those bettas are being cared for (are the cups clean, are the bettas attentive, is there any signs of disease, maybe try talking to an employee to get a feel for the level of care they are getting). I think when talking about animals that are overbred to the extent that bettas are, looking at more the immediate living conditions can sometimes be a bit more helpful. So for example, when I got my betta, I bought him from a petvalu (which is a chain store) but I had spoken to the owner and she was very passionate about ensuring their care, and made sure they had the largest cups possible, and everything was spotless. I hope that sort of helps?

 

Agree with CatM30,

I’d definitely explore local options, but I wouldn’t make this a hill to die on. Your relationship with your parents is more important than where your betta came from.
And who knows? If they see your commitment and responsibility with this one, maybe a pretty breeder betta could still be in your future later.

 

Did you check local classifieds? There are many people trying to find a new home for a healthy Betta.

 

Im new to having fish and my 5 gallon tank is finally almost done cycling. Its all set up with live plants so im just waiting on the amonia level to go down since its at .25 right now. Ive started looking at where to buy a betta. I have done research and i understand the reasons not to get a betta from a chain store like petco. I started looking online at breeders and found some i really like but it would have to be shipped to me. My parents dont like the idea of shipping a fish or spending that much money on one fish. For the ones i was looking at plus the cost of shipping it would be around $30. My mom is insisting we just go to petsmart or petco even though i explained why we shouldnt. Does anyone know of any good places i could go that are near cedar park/austin Texas? My parents are completely against shipping because of the cost, even when i said i would pay for it. I honestly dont know what to do. Also heres the betta i really wanted because hes so pretty. Im going to keep trying to find a way to get this one but im also trying to find a back up plan.

I would visit KGtropics store on youtube they have alot of bettas and the care taker is awesome

 

I have looked online to see if anyone nearby has a betta they no longer want but so far I've only seen very sick ones that people are trying to sell for around $15. I dont want to get a sick betta, especially not spending as much as i would at a pet store so i dont think that will work out. Im going to keep checking in case anything else comes up. The store i typically go to that isnt a chain doesnt have a good selection and a lot of them seem sick. I am going to check with tiny aquatics as TucanSam suggested since i havent looked there yet. I went into petco today and half the fish in the tanks were dead so that definitely will not be the store i get my betta from. My parents are about to go out of town for a week so ive got some time to figure out where to go. Im also going to call some local non chain stores and get prices to compare with online. Thank you everyone for all the help!

 

I recommend checking on craigslist for a betta you could potentially rescue in your area. Many local fish stores carry them as well. Both of mine came from petsmart/petco and I learned the hard way why its not the best idea to choose them. They looked to be the healthiest fish there but within the first week having them they both had health issues and I had to treat them with meds/aquarium salt. You could mention how the big chain petstores tend to be more sickly, but if you can't convince them you might have to settle for one.

Tips for success with a chain petstore betta:
1. Make sure you pick a type that doesn't have any known issues, like swim bladder or blindess. Pick one without any torn fins and has a clean cup and doesn't look half dead.
2. I also suggest picking up some aquarium salt to treat them in case anything pops up.

 

I haven't seen a lot of difference between the bettas i have bought from an LFS or a chain store. However, i look for the healthy looking and acting bettas, versus how pretty and fancy it looks.

 

Like BA said, the most important thing is that you pay attention to the betta itself. I got my boy from Petsmart and have had no issues other than mistakes I made with the fake plants in his tank. He's been healthy and happy ever since I got him.

 

Same here, the male Betta came from Petsmart. He is a red Veiltail and beside a big spout of ich caused by the new Neons, he is healthy as long as I keep his water in pristine condition.
Same with the female.
Clean water is our responsibility, it does not matter if he is a 3$ or 30$ Betta.

 

I think you could find them in any local fish store.