So you need to know where to buy Betta Fish. Fortunately, bettas are easy to come by if you’re not too picky about the color or fin type you are looking for. Just about every fish store and general pet store has rows of colorful bettas for sale.
Big Box Store Bettas
Years ago the only betta fish available at most fish stores were male, veil-tail bettas. Around 2004 female bettas began to grow in popularity and became more prevalent in U.S. pet stores. Customers began to recognize that while they had shorter fins, their color and personality were as vibrant and varied as their male counterparts. Within a year stores began to sell a proliferation of various fin-types too. More breeders were producing double-tail and crowntail bettas and selling them at the big box pet stores like PetCo and PetSmart. Today, those same stores continue to sell a variety of betta types which now include delta and halfmoon bettas in some areas.
Even the retail giant Walmart got in on the betta buzz, selling their betta fish for less than a Starbucks Frappuccino. While Walmart has come under fire by some betta fish enthusiasts for keeping sick fish in dirty water, surely they have earned much of the credit for ensnaring people into the hobby. I can only imagine the thousands of Walmart shoppers who mosey by the aquarium department only to end up with a new betta in their basket. As we all know, bettas are like potato chips:
Local Fish Store Bettas
Big box stores aren’t your only option. Local fish stores (LFS as we call them) are those small privately owned fish stores that are the lifeline to most aquarium hobbiests. When you need a specific piece of
For those who are willing to spend a few more bucks, they can often find some really interesting betta fish at their local fish store. Many of these stores get first dibs on the best locally bred bettas and thus have more rare and more healthy fish for sale. Here in Southern California, big box store bettas may range from $3 – $7, while the local fish store sell theirs for $12 – $25. Obviously, more exotic bettas can go for quite a lot more. My LFS has some wild bettas for over $150. While they may actually be F1 bred from wild parents or F2, the cost reflects the rarity.
Buy Betta Fish Online
For betta enthusiasts who know exactly what they want right down to the sex, color, fin and patterning type, the only option is the internet. There are a variety of reputable betta breeders selling their stock directly on the web. Most breeders specialize in a couple of strains in particular. Some careful searching may be needed, and there can be a significant wait-time depending on the specifics you want. The IBC (International Betta Congress) is a wonderful resource not only for breeders but for keepers who need to connect with breeders. For betta enthusiasts who are interested in wild betta conservation, the IBC hosts the Species Maintenance Program, which focuses on preserving wild betta species and assisting betta keepers in caring for wild bettas bred in captivity.
There are many options available for every type of betta fish enthusiast. Ultimately, it’s their personalities that win us over so whether it’s a $3 betta from Walmart of a $220 Wild Betta Macrostoma from an Aquabid auction, get out there and choose the betta for you. They will wiggle their way into your heart and you will never regret it.
Happy betta keeping.
Joep’s Fish on Holiday with me, originally uploaded by Daniella Vereeken.
View Comments (25)
Thanks for posting this! I was just going to buy a fish from pet co or something, but now i’m going to do some flipin’ through a phone book!
Wow! Thank you for taking the time to post this! I knew there was more out there then just my local pet store but after days of searching with little result..I was going to give up and drive to the pet store. But now I have lots of choices and resources! Thanks again!
Decades ago I was a recognized Betta breeder and now, in my retirement, I would like to begin again. If you have really nice examples available for sale please phone me at 615 268 5245
I reallllllllllllllllllllllyyyyyyuuyyyyyyyyyy want beta fish mor then a kid love them soooooo soooooo much byyyyyyyyyyyyyyuy
Thank youuuuu!!!! I want to be a Bata breeder now!!!!!! Your the best!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!(can you do more of these thingys)
wat you doing
can i have that
I have got all my bettas at petCo and are super healthy in 5gal tanks with many plants and decor.
Hi pet lover!!!, i love betta fishes and i need one of them from you, so can i sell them?
Please help inform people to boycott the Walmarts stores selling Bettas. I check them each time I go in and have found deplorable conditions, dead fish and large worms in containers with the fish. PLEASE help, I have contacted WM Corp. and told them they should not be in the live fish business as they do not have quailified employess to care for them. I have purchased three fish just to save their lives and they are doing great. I am contacting City on Monday.
If you would like Halfmoon betta from Thailand ,please mail to me.
I’d love to see what you have. Do you have a website?