I've Seen These Guys At Walmart

[Ethos]

This http/www.aquabid.com/cgi-bin/auction/auc...asvt&1131555901
and
This
http/www.aquabid.com/cgi-bin/auction/auc...asvt&1131395264

I've seen the same thing at WalMart.
39.99+ shipping? Spend less than that driving to different walmarts or LFS and you'll get the fishy you want.

Crazy.

 

[soritan]

I hate to sound like a spoil sport, but the $39.99 auction is for 15 VTs, not a single one, which would make the cost of a single VT $2.99, plus shipping. The first auction is for $6.99, and $6.95 shipping, which makes him a slightly less better deal, using Costco logic.

VT bettas where I'm situated start at $8.99, for a little perspective.

 

[Synirr]

Haha, I have a betta that looks exactly like the one in the first auction... he came from my local Walmart
(Librabis in my sig... his nickname is Peaches)

 

[wuvmybetta]

I hate to sound like a spoil sport, but the $39.99 auction is for 15 VTs, not a single one, which would make the cost of a single VT $2.99, plus shipping. The first auction is for $6.99, and $6.95 shipping, which makes him a slightly less better deal, using Costco logic.

VT bettas where I'm situated start at $8.99, for a little perspective.

Zing!!!


Funfact~ Overseas hobbyist still breed and show the veiltail regularly.

 

[SRC]

You also have to realize..that most of the VTs you are buying on AB are from breeders that actually care about their fish...not from the "puppy mill" breeders Walmart contracts with.

You also know how old they are, so you aren't buying an old fish that might only live a month before dying.

If I prefered VTs to the other tail types..I'd definately look into buying my VTs off AB....they're just generally better quality fish on there.

 

[Ethos]

^^^True, but when you buy a $3 VT that's already lived a few years, your local WM is alot cheaper than paying for another betta to be shipped.

 

[SRC]

You do realize most bettas only live approx. 3 years.

If you buy a 3 mo. old VT off AB, let's do the maths:

1 VT for $8 + $25 shipping = $33 divided by a 3 year period = $11/year.

If you buy a Walmart betta, they generally only live about 6-8 months, let's do the maths:

1 VT, that lives 6 months, divided by 36 mo. = 6 bettas x $4 = $24 divided by a 3 year period = $8/year.



Now, you tell me which is better?
Having to buy 6 bettas, piddle out money over a 3 year period buying them over and over, and then having to watch them die one by one.....or.....
Spending the money up front for a young, healthy fish you can watch grow and blossom, then die a dignified death?


I'd hope you'd choose to spend the extra $3 and get a young, healthy fish.

 

[Ethos]

Except that I spent little over $3 a year and a half ago (around the time I started fishkeeping, alittle before though), and my male betta Smokey and Officer are still going strong.
They have not yet slowed down, and I dont think they will untill i've had them atleast 2 years.
Its personal preferance.
I'd rather pay little costs here and there, then spend tons of money upfront.
Lots of problems can accure during shipping, processing, ect.
You never know if your new bettas are going to be DOA. Then you have the mess of either getting your money back, or trying again, ect.

 

[soritan]

Now here's a thread I never thought I'd see.

Walmart is better than aquabid!

I'm teasing.
It's all a matter of personal taste, and where a person's value lies.

If you want to quibble, my most expensive betta, I carried across country when returning home from my trip to Japan. I bought a little plastic itty bitty generic "kritter keeper" (not kritter keeper brand), carefully aired out his bag as often as I was able, and toted him across.

$4 betta, plus $500 odd plane ticket = "that one takes their fish entirely too seriously"

 

[RandomWiktor]

::blinks::

If you don't want to pay that kind of money for quality VTs from a breeder, don't. Some people who do not feel comfortable buying from a hellhole like wallmart, who would rather support a breeder, but still like VTs have the option of seeking reputable overseas VT breeders. I really don't see the problem in it. Yes, you could get a betta at wallmart for $2, and maybe you'll be lucky and get a young, healthy fish.... but most of the time, you are getting an animal of an uncertain age, uncertain health state, uncertain genetics, etc. For someone who merely wants a pet and isn't too concerned about longevity or breeding, this is fine, but if you are serious about breeding, or want the maximum lifespan out of your betta, it might be worth the money. After all, the only difference between a VT from a reputable breeder and a CT from a reputable breeder is what shape the fins are. They shouldn't cost any less just because of the negative associations we make with them due to their prevalance in pet stores.

 

[SRC]

Well...when you buy a VT from walmart and it gets sick and you end up spending $40 to get it well, then 2 months later it dies from old age..... that $33 might start sounding a littel better.

I'm a thrifty person. I don't want to diddle out my money and receive heartache and debt to go along with it. I will take it in a lump sum up front any day then dole it out over a period of time...you end up saving money that way. I prefer to not waste my time, effort, or money if I don't have to.

You will understand this as you get older...trust me.

And I agree, good fish are good fish..regardless of what fin type they are. Just all depends on what you are looking for. Me, I like healthy fish that I know have a good background, and I don't really enjoy helping a place like Walmart pad their pockets by buying their fish. I've only bought 3 Bettas from Walmart, and 2 from a pet store (sometimes you just see that one fish that just takes your breath)...the rest of mine have come from breeders.

I don't mind spending money to promote good fish keeping habits.

 

[Angel Lady]

Me either I dont mind it either SRC I think what you have pointed out makes a lot of since..

 

[Ethos]

I'm not the kind of person to spend alot of money on a $3 fish, unless I'm uber attached, which has failed to heppen yet, except for maybe smokey. He's the bets VT that has ever lived. My other bettas shrivel in his compairison. he's the only thing I might spend money on.
Otherwise, I'll deal with it as it comes.
You have a mind set that all walmart bettas die within a few months. Well, as I have had atleast 4 other bettas to disprove that.....nvm.
My point is its much more convienent to go to walmart, or your LFS for crying out loud, and getting a good betta you like.

 

[RandomWiktor]

SRC - I hope you realize I wasn't arguing your point at all. I was basically agreeing in saying that it is a good idea to get fish from a breeder since they are more apt to be healthy and long-lived.

Ethos - Glad your boys have been well. None of my wallmart fish have lived over a year, I'm afriad, and they all seem to have chronic "issues." Granted, I specifically choose unhealthy specimins, but lets just say in general, people who are serious about their fish (ie. would spend 40 bucks on a sick fish, order overseas, etc.) would do better to go to a breeder than risk it. I can't imagine how much money in meds alone I've spent on my bettas. However, if you just want a companion betta, you can probably be pretty safe going to a reputable LFS and selecting healthy looking fish.

 

[soritan]

Um, whoa, down boys.

This thread was not about ethics, it was about economics.

A good betta can come from anywhere, Walmart, Aquabid, the local pet store, and your next door neighbor.

Same can be said about an unhealthy betta.


If you're buying a VT from aquabid, you know as much about its health, as you know about a Walmart betta.