Good and bad of (aquabid) must see

[FloridaBettas239]

Okay i thought there was a thread on aquabid already but i dont see it, and i dont think this has to do with that thread.

Anyway so after talking with trans shipper's and talking with the thai breeder's. I have found out so much, And just thought i would pass it on.

So it all started when i bought my first bettas oversea's, And found out you have to pay 2 different people. This got me looking into everything, And threw out the year's this is what i came up with.

Think about all these thai breeder's and oversea's breeders. They dont no english if they do it's just enough to post a fish on AB, And send a email to you that only answer's half your question's. So this is what happen's there are broker's who will get paid by the breeder to post everything and email back and forth. Or its a real broker who buy's the fish from the breeder for 2 or 3 dollars american money and sell's it for 35.00 american dollar's. So the next time you see a fish dont just click buy now. Go email the breeder ask him if he could take 20.00 or 25 for a pair or 10 or 15 for the one fish. Also you have to think about this, the thai breeder i talk with said that there is a big flea market type thing except it's a fish market and he said it's as big as a football feild sometime's and these bettas are selling for 2.00 or 3.00 dollars american money then turning around and putting them on AB for 25.00 or 35.00. Bettas are a huge market what can i say it's a little full of color fish with a bad attitude everyone is interested.

Now if you buy from a good breeder that really care's about the fish, and all that you will be buying into his line. that he has worked so hard for over the year's. so it can be well worth it but just watch who your buying from. just because they have a good rating dont mean anything. beside's they made thing's right if anything happen. but that dont tell you the quality of the fish and genetic background i just wanted to share with everyone because i no it can add up quick ordering from oversea's and can make people nerves to where the end up not ordering because they not sure of breeder and other thing's..

[NIB BETTA]

I don't have a problem with using a broker. I have dealt with a particular broker that was truly concerned about my satisfaction. He contacted me a few weeks after receiving my betta and asked if I was happy with the quality and health of the betta. He later told me that he dropped one breeder because he bred tail biters and that his fish had pinholes in their fins.

In this situation, using a broker was a huge advantage because he screened and researched the breeders he was using. Another advantage was if I wanted a particular tail type and color, he would try to locate one for me.

If you stick with a breeder, you are stuck with their "brand" of betta's. Now if you are a breeder or planning to breed, then I would say find one or two breeders and stick with them to develop the line you desire.

I don't think anyone would disagree that Banleangbettas and Aquastart71 are the most popular breeders on AB. And that their breeding's have two distinctive styles. Since I am not a breeder, I simply choose the fish that makes me say wow. I don't purchase from one breeder exclusively, but I do have particular breeders that I seem to gravitate to.

Interesting note. I just looked over my log book of purchases and my top purchases are from Aquastar71, Banleangbettas and Interbetta's. Very different styles.

[FloridaBettas239]

Yeah i would say there is nothing wrong with buying from a broker. As long as he is a good one. Because these are the thing's i would worry about.

If something happen's to the fish the broker has to get you a new fish. He/She could say it's from the same breeder, and that it's a spawn sister/brother but you don't no for sure. It would be better to deal with the breeder at this point.

Another thing, anytime i buy a pair of 50.00 dollar breeding stock bettas. I like to see there mom and dad. So i can see what im going or could get. Also sometimes i will see the mom and dad plus the grandparent's. Because all there genetic's, color, patern's can and will come out down the road in my spawn's. So i like to see as far back as i can. And that's something a broker dont have on hand or not get it at all. If you find a nice enough one mabey but who is to say he isn't just sending a pic of any fish. Which yes a breeder could but they usally dont specialy the good breeder's they have no reason to. either you buy or you dont they no that they will sell it down the road. They dont care they have nothing to hide.

[NIB BETTA]

Do you have any pics of your line?

[FloridaBettas239]

I gave my cousin all my line stock a couple years back, Except a couple keeper's so he could have some nice quality betta's. Because i was going threw a divorce. But now im back in the game i bought my first IBC starter stock from bettysplendens and have a week old f1 going. And now i just got some new halfmoon's from thai. so right now my line is at my cousin's whats left of it. I got some picture's on a memory card somewhere i will dig up to show you what i had going on. And then the new line im starting but there only a week.

[NIB BETTA]

I would love to see the pics. Marbles are fascinating, I'm trying to learn as much as I can from experienced breeders. Do your marbles change colors a lot or does the pattern stay the same? Is there a way to breed for patten with marbles, kind of like the dalmatians or koi's?

[FloridaBettas239]

Some change a lot and some not so much. But yeah you never no what your going to get. Because they have the jumping gene. They can go from marble to a butterfly to a solid you just never no. A lot of people dont like them for that reason. Because of the jumping gene. But i love it its so freaking interesting and one day you have a marble and a couple years or year later you have a butterfly all from the same fish. You never no what your going to get. I had a female that went from a tan color with marbling to a green looking marble and then to a cotton candy blue with some marbling. I thought they sent me the wrong fish. I was emailing the breeder and then the breeder sent me the article on the jumping gene and i was hooked right away i looked at the picture of the fish that was supposed to be shipped, And looked at the fish that i got and it was different thats what made me email ther breeder. After they sent the article and i went and looked, she had changed since the picture i took of her when i first got her so now i have 3 different picture's of her at 3 different color's. I love marbles but not everyone does.

Also if you need any help you can PM me and i will help.

Im going to start a thread on the IBC oldfishlady and i do to. Think it would be good to hear about it and join.