Which Betta to Purchase?

Before purchasing your betta fish, there are several things you need to look for. In the petstore, bettas are usually sold in little plastic bowls with lids. This is not an ideal home for your betta, and the betta will suffer from it if he is left in this cramped environment for too long.
You want to look for any signs of disease on the betta fish before you buy him (or her). Read about common betta fish diseases in the previous article titled: "Betta Fish Diseases". Despite what the sales person might tell you, you don't want to purchase a sick betta fish. Here is a brief list of an ill betta:

• Clamped fins
• Rapid breathing
• Fish is leaning sideways
• Fish is belly-up
• Bulging body parts
• Anything unusual in the betta

You want to research before buying your betta fish. Signs of a healthy betta fish are:

• The betta is very active
• The betta has one to zero of the symptoms above
• The betta looks happy

You always want to check over bettas before buying one. Remember, a healthy betta is a safe purchase.

Just the Right Betta

Betta fish come in all sorts of shapes, colors and sizes. You will want to choose the one you like best. Since bettas have such a wide variety of colors, you have a large selection. I recommend any betta color but one. Sadly, white bettas, in my personal experience, become sick and die soon after they are brought home. These bettas may rank among the prettiest, but they also rank among the unhealthiest. I have seen some white bettas that have crooked spines, popeye (a swelling of the eye and mouth) and many more diseases. I don't recommend these.





Different types of male bettas:

• Crowntail betta -- a betta with a long, flared tail.
• Half-moon betta -- the tail and fins of these bettas seem to make a circle.
• King betta -- big bettas with stubby tails.
• Comb tail -- a tail that looks like a comb on the end.

Colors of male bettas:

• Red
• Black
• Steel Blue
• Green
• Royal blue
• Yellow
• Turquoise
• Corn flower blue
• Apricot
• Albino
• White
• Clear
• Opaque
• Chocolate
• Lavender
• Orange
  

Color Patterns:

• Butterfly
• Bi-colored -- two colors: body is one, fins and tail are another
• Tri-colored -- three colors: body is one, fins and tail are two othersMarbled -- mottled colors all over fish
• Wild type