How much would you spend on a betta?

[littlesong]

I just came across this amazing betta I'd love to have, but it's a bit steep at $35. It's a stunning Mustard Gas HM, really caught my eye. I'm pretty sure I won't be taking it home, though - it's just out of my price range, especially since I don't plan on breeding it.

What's the most you guys would be willing to pay for a betta, regardless of whether it's show quality or not?

[femini]

Honestly, I've never spent more than $10 on a betta, but I think my limit would really depend on how much I wanted the fish. If I fell in love with one, I'd probably be willing to go up to $25, but that's about it.

[bakerlyn]

I'd splurge on a store-bought betta if it's the perfect one - I'm talking a gorgeous mustard gas plaket or halfmoon, male or female doesn't matter. I'd pay at least 20 bucks if it's love at first sight.

[flora]

I've gone over $70 on a single fish when you factor in shipping. It really comes down to how much disposable cash I have at the time, and if there's something else I'd rather spend my money on. If I want it bad enough and my bills are paid, I'm gonna splurge. Money's just money, and we're all gonna spend it on something - might as well be something I can appreciate every day.

[fluffyn]

It really comes down to my current financial situation - if I've been working a lot of overtime, or if Christmas is right around the corner. If I'm being completely honest, I think I'd be willing to spend up to $25, including shipping, if I found a fish that I just couldn't live without.

[lunas]

I've splurged $45 before for a betta, shipping and all. If my priorities were in check and everyone's needs were met - food, meds, plants, tanks - I'd stretch to $50, shipping included.

A friend of mine swears she'd drop a grand on those exotic wild bettas - the orange, black, and white ones. I told her she'd probably end up killing them if she did, but hey, to each their own.

[goldenly]

Considering the community's generosity with sending out awesome fish for free, I'd be willing to spend around $25, but mostly that's just for shipping. The actual fish would have to be something truly special for me to part with that kind of cash. I mean, unless I was caught in a downpour and the only place I could take shelter was a betta show – then who knows what I'd be willing to do.

[dusked6]

I'm with you on that $25 limit, but it'd have to be one heck of a fish to make me cough up that kind of cash, especially if shipping's factored in. I mean, the folks here are super generous with their fish giveaways, I just wish I could take advantage of it sooner, but I'm stuck waiting till I get back to Miami. My betta buys so far have been pretty cheap - $7.95 for the HMs, and under $4 for the CTs, which have actually turned out to be the healthier ones.

[zenflux]

It really depends on the situation. If I were to drive to a show or have a local breeder, I'd be willing to spend around $25 for a young, healthy, and exceptionally bred betta. I'm not a breeder, but I want a long-lived pet, unlike some of my rescued ones. However, considering the shipping costs alone are around $20, I'd only pay $5-10 max for a fish online. The idea of shipping stresses me out - I know there are guarantees, but I've had my share of broken or lost packages, and I don't want to put a living creature through that.

[flosie]

I recently placed an order with BetterBettas online, purchasing 25 pygmy cories and their crackerjack surprise. The bettas themselves cost $25, but as it's a surprise, I'm not entirely sure what I'll be getting - likely two, possibly more. Most packages from them come in pairs, often priced at $20. Overnight shipping within the States is $40, but I also got the 25 cories for an additional $5. That works out to approximately $1.60 per cory for shipping, with no sales tax. The cories were $1.50 each, so with shipping, that's $3.10 per cory. Assuming I get two bettas, they'd be $14.10 each with shipping, which is a great deal considering they're world-class, show-breeding quality.

Let's be honest, most of the fish you buy are shipped in, often from SE Asia, unless you're buying from a local breeder like Morrow's. At least these aren't coming from some irresponsible, mass-breeding operation.