Betta Price? How to know if we have a best deal?
When it comes to betta, there is no standard price range. A betta can cost any where from $1 to $100, of course there are bettas cost more than $100 but usually happens on Auction or Bidding rare and show quality only, so to simplify I would say the max for general keeping is $100.So what is the determination for price on betta fishes?
U.S. Betta Price:
Most store in the U.S. price betta the same price regardless their quality, if you go to Petco or Petsmart you will see the price for all black orchid or Dumbo is the same regardless their quality and condition. This is because they're retailer and buying wholesale from supplier, and there is no human process to determine the price on individual fishes.
This is the same for most online betta store I see in the U.S., price range for each type of betta is the same, but there is not always same quality. Because most fishes in the U.S. are imported as wholesale, price per fishes are the same so the markup price is the same per fish.
Unlike other type of fishes, which is almost the same or identical, this is not the case for betta. For example the most common betta is super red, there is multiple factor could be considered base on colors (all red, no white or black colors on fish is more desirable), spreading fins, nice form, bullet heads, etc. Good Super Red could go well at $50 price, and low quality can be as cheap as $3-5.
Sample very good quality of super red: 99% red, good balance form, rounded head, 180 or more spreading tails, top fins, etc.
Sample our Samurai quality: good form, the scale is on the top part of body and looks like a draw line, tail and fins spreading nicely, tail have stars.
Why good quality Betta is expensive:
Good genetics and healthy bettas are very desirable in Asia because they can produce very good offspring and bring out best result. Breeders usually buy expensive pairs for this purpose to create a new strains or improve strains on their betta farm.
Not only because of breeding, owning a show quality betta can also feel like collecting a good rare Pokémon card or nice car :D It show pride for owner.
Price for Betta on our website:
We don't buy betta from big wholesaler farms oversea. Currently we work with 2 small farms from Indonesia and Vietnam, these farms are usually operated by only one person and hiring helpers occasionally.
Cons:
- More expensive price
- Less varieties (Small farm can only haverst from 4-7 types of betta each month)
- Unpredictable result (Flood, Sickness, or a Duck got in a farm can result in a lot Dead for bettas)
Pros:
- Better quality betta, while big farm focus on numbers, these small farms rely on quality betta for their income. Sometimes selling a handful of good quality fishes can make a lot money.
- I get to see betta and choose a good amount of number before shipment
- I get to request the farm to help me breed on type of bettas I like to have. Sometime I support the money for them to buy show quality breeding pairs so they can breed and give best results
And because of this, our betta price is varys from $15 to $80 per fishes. Because of this is also my hobby, a lot of time I do auction bidding and ask farm to help tranship fishes to me. A lot of time I see farms have nice betta I just want to have it regardless price.
Fish mutation:
Betta is not always stay the same throughout their live, most of them will transform, some for the better, some for worse. Breeder sell bettas when they're at their best, young and colorful. But the time on farm, shipping to us and while on shelves, a lot betta will change colors, nipping fins, etc. When this happen we will try to adjust our price accordingly.
Conclusion:
At the end, betta will be your friend and they're all beautiful in a way. If you see something you like, $5 more or less doesn't really matter. I can always give some discount if you think that is the betta you like but little over your budget.
For breeding, you can always reach out to me to check so I can help select best breeding pairs. Many good breeding traits are hard to show on photos, like if a male make good bubble nest, calm personality (courting but not agressive behavior)... I'm very active on social media, feel free to reach out for breeding tips!
