Today I wanted to give you some tips on what to look for when purchasing your betta fish.
Selecting a healthy, happy betta fish that will live a long life really starts at the pet store.
If you purchase a sick fish, you will spend time and effort trying to treat your sick fish, and the poor fish might die before you really get a chance to enjoy his or her companionship.
When you enter the pet store...
look around.
What is the overall appearance of the store? Are the other pets for sale look like they are being well-cared for? Are their cages clean? Are the other items for sale neatly stacked on the shelves? Or are the isles cluttered? Are the store employees friendly and helpful...
or are they just milling around looking like they would rather be somewhere else? A clean well-kept store with attentive employees is a good indication that you are off to a good start.
Now check the fish room.
Do the aquariums look clean? Or is there brown and green stuff (algae) on the glass? Do the fish look healthy and happy? Are they swimming around? Or are they just sitting on the bottom or at the top of the tank looking like they are gasping for air? If the fish in the aquariums do not look good that might be an indication that the shop has sick betta fish too.
Now check the area where they actually bag the fish.
This area of the store is often overlooked.
It is probably a counter with a sink.
Is this area clean and somewhat dry? Or is it a disaster area with all kinds of spilled liquids, clutter, trash and gunk in the sink?.
FINALLY...
go check out the selection of betta fish.
Are their colors bright? Do they appear lively? Check their fins for tears.
Examine the Betta closely in good light.
Look for any problems such as salt like crystals, or cotton like substances on the fish.
Check their eyes to make sure are they clear, and not bulging.
Never buy a betta, or any other fish, that has any of the above symptoms no matter how much you like it.
And avoid purchasing any fish that has been in the store less than three days.
Sometimes it takes that long for diseases to develop I know I went into a lot more emphasis on the store being clean, neat and orderly, but I challenge you to show me a poorly run, dirty store that is selling top-of-the-line, healthy, good-looking Betta Fish.
Selecting a healthy, happy betta fish that will live a long life really starts at the pet store.
If you purchase a sick fish, you will spend time and effort trying to treat your sick fish, and the poor fish might die before you really get a chance to enjoy his or her companionship.
When you enter the pet store...
look around.
What is the overall appearance of the store? Are the other pets for sale look like they are being well-cared for? Are their cages clean? Are the other items for sale neatly stacked on the shelves? Or are the isles cluttered? Are the store employees friendly and helpful...
or are they just milling around looking like they would rather be somewhere else? A clean well-kept store with attentive employees is a good indication that you are off to a good start.
Now check the fish room.
Do the aquariums look clean? Or is there brown and green stuff (algae) on the glass? Do the fish look healthy and happy? Are they swimming around? Or are they just sitting on the bottom or at the top of the tank looking like they are gasping for air? If the fish in the aquariums do not look good that might be an indication that the shop has sick betta fish too.
Now check the area where they actually bag the fish.
This area of the store is often overlooked.
It is probably a counter with a sink.
Is this area clean and somewhat dry? Or is it a disaster area with all kinds of spilled liquids, clutter, trash and gunk in the sink?.
FINALLY...
go check out the selection of betta fish.
Are their colors bright? Do they appear lively? Check their fins for tears.
Examine the Betta closely in good light.
Look for any problems such as salt like crystals, or cotton like substances on the fish.
Check their eyes to make sure are they clear, and not bulging.
Never buy a betta, or any other fish, that has any of the above symptoms no matter how much you like it.
And avoid purchasing any fish that has been in the store less than three days.
Sometimes it takes that long for diseases to develop I know I went into a lot more emphasis on the store being clean, neat and orderly, but I challenge you to show me a poorly run, dirty store that is selling top-of-the-line, healthy, good-looking Betta Fish.
Source...