How do I know if Im buying a healthy betta?
When buying a male betta from a pet store, look for bettas that have strong color and are active in their little cups, swimming and flaring. Finding a bubblenest is usually a sign of good health, though not always. Next, look the betta’s body and fins over very carefully. Look for signs of disease, such as “grains of sugar” (Ich), yellowish powdery coating (Velvet), fuzzy patches (Flexibacter), red streaks or bloody splotches (septicemia), abdominal swelling with scales sticking out (dropsy), pop-eye or torn, ragged fins with an eaten away appearance (fin/tail rot). Ask the pet store employees how long the bettas have been in their cups and how often the water has been changed to get an idea if the bettas are being poisoned by ammonia build-up. If they’ve been in the little cup for more than one day without a water change, then they are already facing toxic ammonia. Ask what food the bettas have been eating to find out if in fact they are eating or even being fed and ask the employee t
