Betta Shopping....thinning It Out!

[LyraGuppi]

Ok, so now that Willy the blind cory is moved and the guppy babies are old enough to go, I will soon have an empty 5 gallon bowfront! I really miss having a male betta, so I believe that will be the stocking of choice.
So I have 4 places I can go to to get a betta:
Petco:
great colors and variations
not so great care
45 minutes away
Good prices
 
Scales & Tails:
Okay colors
veiltials only so far
not so great care
bad prices
15 minutes away
 
Petsmart:
Great colors
iffy variations
not so great care
Okay pricing
1 hour and 30 minutes away
 
Exotic Aquatic:
Great colors and variations
iffy care
I don't know the pricing, but I believe it is high
15 minutes away
Exotic Aquatic is owned by an award winning betta breeder, so that is a plus. (Chard56)
 
So there are the places I can go to get a betta. What do you think?

Should I try a baby betta? Do you think it would be too risky?
Petco only has baby bettas.

What are your thoughts on King bettas? They are massive, so I don't really plan on getting one.

I'm planning on getting a male, so what tail variations should I think of? I love the Halfmoons and the Dumbos, but those are purdy expensive.

Finally, what colors are your favorites? The light on the 5 gallon is a yellowish tint, so should I try more for oranges, reds, and yellows?
I believe I have a light that is more white,tho.

 

[AquaPit]

Wow! Exciting times!

I love the HM Plakat types!

Here in Southeast Asia, bettas are abundant and are quite cheap as well.

I just bought 2 HM for just $4 each!

If you are going for a young betta, I would go for the solid colored ones.

I had 2 Fancy colored plakats which look gorgeous when they were young but turn out dull when they aged.

I had better luck with the solid colored ones. One platinum white and two full Red ones. They turned out great!

Here are the 2 new HMs!

El Matador


and.. El Marvel


Gd Luck in your Betta hunting!

 

[squidneh]

I have a baby betta and I love him (although I am starting to think it is  she not a he! When I got him/her he was only about 4 weeks old.) It is a lot of work though, they need to be fed three times a day and have a decent water change every day to grow properly. This also depends on how much of a 'baby' you would be getting, the petco near me basically sells betta fry in a cup for a dollar but I have seen a few that are more like juveniles than babies. 5 gallons is a good size for them though - mine was in a 2.5 for a while and he still looked small in there.  
 
I personally wouldn't factor in the light color when purchasing a betta, because you could easily switch it out for a different bulb in the future.  I tend to go for the ones that seem beat up or depressed because I find it rewarding to nurture them back to health and then see them in their glory.
 
Currently I have a Veiltail, crowntail, and halfmoon, and I have to say the HM is the most visually appealing of my bunch - the crowntail isn't all that fancy looking unless he is flaring, but the HM always looks very showy. My veil tail is more regal and handsome looking, he is a very vibrant red.
 
As far as colors go, I find black bettas unique and stunning... but I have never owned one, and my current favorite color of my bunch is my CT who is a mixture of white, maroon, and light blue.
 
Happy hunting! I love betta shopping!

 

[DreamertK]

In the US, bettas can go 7$+, even up to 40$ for specific breeds/colors/ext (that are usually bred in Asia...). 10$ is standard at Petsmart/Petco for what I think are "meh" colorations. If you want some fantastic colors, you'll have to pay a little more or go online. If money is really an issue...
 

 

 

 

[AquaPit]

In the US, bettas can go 7$+, even up to 40$ for specific breeds/colors/ext (that are usually bred in Asia...). 10$ is standard at Petsmart/Petco for what I think are "meh" colorations. If you want some fantastic colors, you'll have to pay a little more or go online. If money is really an issue...
 

 

 

Wow! These Bettas are yours??

Gorgeous!!

 

[LyraGuppi]

I think I will skip over the baby betta idea, then.
I'll look and see if I spark to a betta too....that's what happened with Fuego.

 

[DreamertK]

 

In the US, bettas can go 7$+, even up to 40$ for specific breeds/colors/ext (that are usually bred in Asia...). 10$ is standard at Petsmart/Petco for what I think are "meh" colorations. If you want some fantastic colors, you'll have to pay a little more or go online. If money is really an issue...
 
 

Wow! These Bettas are yours??

Gorgeous!!
 

Ahh I saw them for sale online, but really liked the colors!

 

[LyraGuppi]

One more thing...what plants should I try?

 

[AquaPit]

I have always love Anubias Nana!

They are especially cute in smaller tanks!

Just the normal low tech plants I suppose..

Btw, can we see the tank?

 

[LyraGuppi]

I can get a pic in tomorrow, my camera isn't here with me.

 

[LyraGuppi]

Sorry, couldn't get it yesterday. I try my hardest to get it today.

 

[AquaPit]

Sorry, couldn't get it yesterday. I try my hardest to get it today.

 

[LyraGuppi]

Oh dear, this thread will make a liar out of me....
I'm deciding to wait and get the FTS when the WC is done and the plants are in. Should be later today.

 

[LyraGuppi]

Yup, I'm a liar! So here is the story...
We decided to look in Scales and Tails, and they offered me a free betta because I was the tenth one thru the door (grand opening). Sadly someone else got the free betta, so i had to leave a lovely mutt betta behind.
We went to Petco, then, and OH my gosh, there was a firework of eye candy bettas there. WOW. Petsmart had an awful selection, so Petco would be the one to go. There was a sad looking little lavender/copper HM Plakat there, but he was 13 Dollars and my limits was >8.  could either get a veiltail (bad selection), crowntail (ditto), doubletail (Wow!), or deltatail (wow II!). After about an hour of shopping I decided on....
 
 
 
A fish!
 
 
 
 
Tricked you! He he he...Anyway, I ordered 3 more ghosties for the tank and a Anubias. After a long WC and planting...I reveal...

More for the betta rather than beauty. Anyway, here is the handsome man I chose! He was labeled a double-tail, but I think he is actually a HM Double-tail.

Can't say I'm complaining.
He is nameless so far, but I'll open another thread for that.
 I love his freckles :3 and his multi-colored eyes. :3

He is a bit shy, but a curious and timid little bugger.
Finally got him to eat this morning.

That's all until the naming thread.
I'll stop gushing now.

 

[AquaPit]

*gush*