Last Updated on February 10, 2023 by Matt
Buying a betta fish online can seem like a daunting and often unethical experience. However, the process of learning how to safely order a betta fish doesn’t have to be overwhelming, there are plenty of legitimate ways to responsibly order them. The best place to buy betta fish online isn’t immediately obvious, in part due to frequent scams and animal cruelty issues. The Betta fish is one of the best freshwater aquarium fish for beginners.
If you’re living in a remote place, access to local pet stores could be limited, and so the process to buy betta fish online is your only real option. In the modern world, we can pretty much order anything within days. In this article, we’d like to address the issues most frequently encountered when doing this. We also want to promote betta fish safety and sustainability while we discuss where to buy betta fish online.
There are genuine advantages to buying online too, depending on whether you simply use a known online retailer who also has a physical store, or whether you buy from an online breeder.
Big stores are known to cycle through staff quickly, not give correct training, and the fish are also subjected to constant glass banging from inquisitive children.
Thus, a passionate online seller often take better care of their fish, and only specialize in breeding one species. Here’s some of the best places to buy betta fish online.
IN THIS ARTICLE
The 10 Best Places to Buy Betta Fish – Our Top Picks 2021
Buying betta fish online requires some thought as you know. Firstly, ensuring that the fish arrive safely is of the upmost importance. Secondly, check with the dealer that the region is served, and that if you live in a place of extreme climate; that necessary steps are taken to preserve the fish during transportation. I.e: if you live in freezing cold temperatures, the dealer may struggle to deliver live fish safely with insulation. Similarly, if you live in desert heat, the likelihood is the dealer simply won’t ship to you.
Here are Authority Aquarium’s top choices for the best place to buy betta fish online:
1. Buying Betta fish on Amazon
We hate to list Amazon here, just as much as you want to don’t want to read it. Firstly, Amazon might not seem like the best place to buy a betta fish. But, Amazon is not in the fish breeding business, however there are some great independent fish breeders who gain huge exposure having their stores represented on the platform. You can easily contact these sellers too, they might just be able to point you in the direction of where to buy betta fish online, if they can’t serve you in the first instance.
Here’s five independent sellers from their platform, if they can’t service your area, ask them where to buy betta fish near you, they might not know the local area, but could point you to where to buy betta fish online too.
- AquariumArea
- Happy Betta
- SevenSeaSupply
Remember, these are small breeders – they don’t sell Betta fish online 365 days a year, but check often and as I said, reach out to them directly too. Since they are affiliated with amazon, they get the benefit of added protection, as do you. It goes without saying to check the reviews; at the time of writing all these sellers have positive reviews and we feel comfortable recommending them.
As mentioned before, shipping betta fish online could be a logistical nightmare! Each of these sellers claims to be the best place to buy betta fish (online), and so careful steps are taken to provide insulation, padding, good water quality, breathable and sturdy boxes. Most countries also provide shipping labels to alert the handler to live animals.
The guarantee is that the Betta fish you buy with the best intentions will arrive alive.
2. Buying Betta Fish Online with Ebay
Again, we don’t want to promote another platform that seems it could be the devil when looking where to buy bettas. Long gone are the days of Ebay simply being a bidding platform, and is now a haven of small businesses and, believe it or not, betta fish online breeders.
So, eBay actually genuinely is a really good place for you to buy betta fish online. There’s a wide range of choices, and like Amazon, we stand behind these sellers below. If you don’t choose them, that’s fine too – and we encourage you to reach out, write to them and ask where to buy Siamese fighting fish online.
Each seller on Ebay has a different approach – granted Ebay isn’t known for the level of service of amazon, but you are still dealing with reputable dealers for the most part.
The largest perk of using a platform such as ebay is the broad range of Betta fish you can find. Rather than visiting endless pet-shops – you can see the ranges, sizes, and sub-species year round.
Like amazon, ebay has it’s downsides but this is mostly due to ship restrictions. Remember, it’s a good thing if a dealer doesn’t ship to you out of concern for the animal.
3. Purchase Betta fish via Liveaquaria
Liveaquaria has been around since the 90s and they sell aquarium equipment, food, plants, corals, fish tanks, betta fish, and also have a database of guides and care blogs.
Liveacuaria is a huge presence online, and sell mostly direct to consumer. A huge part of their revenue is from direct to owner fish sales. They have great experience doing this. Unlike ebay and amazon – this is what they do best. So you know you are getting fish that will be protected in transit.
Again, we can’t stress this enough, the whole game of buying betta fish online comes down to protecting the fish in the first place. Popular subspecies of the betta fish are available here, Crowntails, Dragons, Dumbos, long tails and many more. These are available at pretty good prices too.
They have an ‘Arrive alive, stay alive’ policy.
4. Using Aquabid to buy Bettas online
Aquadbid has been around for years since early 2000s. Aquabid is the ebay of the second hand aquarium market and aquarium fish selling business. Like ebay, the goal is normally to ‘bid’ on items. However, buying directly is also a huge part of the business as people realize the bidding system is a bid outdated.
Aquabid is dedicated to the fish industry, so the sellers tend to be enthusiasts who carefully look after their stock. They also are experts at packing the fish and sending them off to their destination. If you are looking for the best online bettas, then Aquabid is a pretty good choice for that reason.
Similar to Liveaquaria, there’s more of a range of the betta fish subspecies here. Crowns, delts, wild species and every color combination available!
5. Aquarium Fish Sale
Aquarium fish sale is unique among the list. Working directly with breeders in Thailand where betta fish are native. LINK
The comprehensive ‘arrive alive’ policy outlined here showcases the dedication that Aquarium fish sale has to the fish.
It seems somewhat crass and somewhat detached to say that a company offers a refund policy regarding dead fish; I’m sure getting your money back would be the last thing on your mind seeing a dead fish in transit. However, the company does offer this, and that is testament to how they back their business. That means they back animal welfare – no company wants to be paying for that and so they do their upmost to ensure the Betta fish arrive safe and sound to their new home.
The also extend this to after the fish has arrived, which is great given some fish can get stress related diseases.
6. Aquariumfish.Net
Originally beginning business in 1976, Aquariumfish.net came about in the early 2000s.
Their site could do with a spruce up, but this isn’t instagram, this is the aquarium and fish selling business. It doesn’t have to be pretty, it just has to work, they have to deliver the fish safely and that’s that.
The guys there are great and trustworthy. They operate typically on a what you see is what you get policy, often posting the exact picture of the fish for sale. That’s a nice touch to avoid surprises.
They stock a wide range of Crowntail betta fish, Dumbo Ears, and wedding bettas.
AquariumFish only ships directly to US based addresses.
7. Bettas & Art
Yep, you read that correctly. Bettas and Art is a website dedicated to the betta fish, and associated artwork! That means this site isn’t typical of your average fish breeder, these guys really care about the business and are passionate about Betta fish.
That’s obvious from their range of betta fish merch, from coffee cups, paintings, and artisan decor around the species. Maybe you can buy some artwork here too.
The site also stocks live fish, and does a good line in breeding them too. The founders work in direct communication with the breeders in Asia. The fish are imported from the countries of Thailand, Cambodia, and Indonesia. You can also purchase Betta fish Fry (recently born betta fish) and this could be interesting if you want to watch the betta grow.
Bettas & Art ship directly within the United States and within Canada too. They pride themselves on good customer service and work directly with breeders. The selection of fish is large, stocking more than 50 sub species and specifications.
8. Petsmart (US Only)
Petsmart is a huge American pet store that primarily sells supplies. A large portion of their revenue comes from direct sale of animals, including fish and betta fish.
I tend not to get betta fish from Petsmart, they’re a big chain and sometimes big chains gain reputations. Is that the case with Petsmart? I don’t know, but personally I prefer to support smaller breeders and smaller businesses.
Petsmart is US based only at the moment.
9. Petco (US only)
Petco is one of the largest brick and mortar businesses in the United States. They have locations in nearly every state. Like other Pet stores in the USA, they have gained somewhat of a reputation when it comes to selling fish.
I personally would not recommend buying fish from Petco, however, like any major chain, speed and easy of delivery set them above the small time dealers, and so we have to include them on the list.
I always prefer to support small business. However, if you’re a betta fish beginner looking to just get started, then this is quick and easy. Petco also sell things like marimo moss balls, so you can order all that at once.
10. Rena’s Online Betta Fish Store
Rena’s Fish Store sells betta fish as the main stock. It sells other fish but its speciality is Bettas. The store cares about Betta health, and has care sheets available for download. The Betta’s are not wild caught, they are bred on farms. The company sells other aquatic live goods, and fish products of all kinds.
The reviews show good customer service, and stress their commitment to quality and good morals. The Bettas face no artificial coloration and their well being is clearly kept in check.
