How much are Betta Fish? How much do Male Fighting Fish cost? A breakdown of costs and varieties.
Updated: Aug 8, 2022
Are you looking for information regarding prices of Male Betta? Do you want to know why the prices can vary so much?
There are lots of different Male Betta fish to choose from and consequently there can be a huge variation in the prices. In this article we will discuss the various factors that will effect the price of Male Betta in Burton on Trent, Midlands.
We get asked everyday "How much do Male Betta fish cost?" and that is just too broad of a question. It is a little like asking how much a car costs. A Ford isn't going to cost you much .... in comparison to a Maserati which is going to be a touch more expensive.
So in order to get the Male Betta that you want, you need to answer a few questions first. Things like what colour would you like? Do you want long tail or short tail? Do you want to breed them? Do you want wilds? We will be looking in to these questions in more detail below.
What colour Betta would you like?
Now this is probably one of the reasons that you are thinking of purchasing a Betta, as they are best known for their colouring. There are so many options so we will just run through a few of the main ones.
Traditionally Male Betta were always Red or Blue, this was definitely the case when we opened our shop over 30 years ago. Breeding has dramatically increased the choice of colours. Below are a few of the main colour choices, there are many more.
So single coloured Betta will include Red, Blue, Black and White, these are probably the most common. Bi-colour are often referred to as any 2 colour male fighting fish, however a true bi-colour Betta will have the body one colour and tail a second colour. For example the Blue and Yellow Mustard Gas Betta. Tricolored bettas have an uneven mix of 3 colours along their body and fins. Multi-Coloured bettas have a mix of at least three colours and can have more than 3. The mix tends to be random and unpredictable.
You can find out more about Betta colouration, and see some photos of our previous stock over here.
What sort of tail would you like your Male Betta to have?
Firstly are you looking for a long or short tail Betta? Many people go for the longer flowing fins but the shorter tail varieties can be stunning too.
If you want more of a statement fish then the longer tail is probably the one to go for. However if you are wanting to have your Betta in a mixed community aquarium the shorter tail might be better. You have to be a bit more thoughtful about the type of fish that you keep with the longer tail Fighting Fish, as their tails are very attractive to possible fin nippers. Also you will find that the larger tail Betta swim more slowly and like to 'rest' more often. The shorter tail Plakat varieties are less likely to get nibbled, and are more lively faster swimming.
Some common Betta tails are shown below:
Veil Tail - this is the most common, original tail and is a large drooping tail.
Crowntail - These fish have a webbing that does not extend all the way down each ray of the fin. Their tail looks spiky, or like an upside-down crown.
Delta - The delta betta is an interesting variety. When they fully extend their tails it makes less than a 180-degree angle from the base of the tail to the edges. They are named after the Greek letter delta, because their extended tails are triangular in shape, with straight edges. They come in a variety of colours.
Double Tail - Also known as twin tail betta, the double tail has wide and long anal, dorsal, and tail fins. The tail fin looks like it’s really two separate tails, hence their name and nickname.
Half Moon - A true half moon has a full 180-degree tail and can be any colour or mix of colours. Their tail makes a D-shape when viewed from the side. They are usually long tails but you can get plakat half moon as well.
Rose Tail - If you prefer bettas with the longest, most outrageously wide tails possible, then you’ll likely love the rose tail. These bettas have the longest, most elaborate dorsal, caudal and anal fins in the betta family. Their fins are wide and frilly like flower petals.
Plakat - Plakats have the same colour and pattern variations seen in the long-finned varieties of betta, and many also have similar tail configurations too. But the plakat’s tail is much shorter and resembles the wild type instead of the fancier, domesticated bettas.
This list is not exhaustive, if you want to know more about Betta tails and fins I will be adding a article soon.
Do you want to breed your fighting fish?
Breeding is a whole article in itself, but it is going to be a consideration when you are purchasing your Male Betta. As quality of the fish, as well colouration and fin types will be very important, you will need to consider your females too. Breeding will also need thought about how to keep the adults while conditioning for breeding, as well as growing on and separating the fry and juveniles.
So what will Betta fish cost?
As we have already shown above there are many options that you can choose from and all will have an effect on the price. The most common varieties will most certainly be the cheapest with standard Veil Tail Betta starting from around £8-£10 each. Also fairly common are Crowntail Betta these are likely to cost around £10-£15 each, with some of the colour varieties Black or white Orchid being the most expensive. The larger more flamboyant tailed Male Betta fish will tend to be more expensive priced from £20 upwards with good quality specimens costing around £28. Plakat varieties will typically cost between £20 - £30. These are just guidelines for pricing, where the fish come from, breeding and colouration will have a huge effect. Male Betta can be found to cost much more than stated here £50 upwards is common. Wild varieties will probably cost more.
Our stock of Male Betta Fish
Our stock of Male Betta fish will normally range from £10 - £30, although we do have wild varieties when we can that will cost a fair amount more. Photos shown in this article are all of fish that we have sold through our shop. Our stock changes everyday, we get new stock in most weeks.
We aim to keep at least 15 - 20 in stock at all times, with up to 40 available after a Thailand delivery. You can normally find photos of our current stock over on our Facebook page. We are also happy to send you photos when we can. Before you purchase a Male Betta it is important to make sure that you have a suitable aquarium set up ready for him. We are very happy to advise you along the way.
Please be aware that we are not currently shipping livestock, Betta can currently only be purchased and collected in store. However if you see one that you really want, we are happy to reserve for you.
If you want any advice please pop an email over to us now! We stock a wide range of Tropical and Coldwater fish, as well as everything to keep them. We are currently extending our aqua scaping range too. You might like to sign up to our mailing list to keep up to date with new products, new fish etc. We will often have special offers exclusively for those on our mailing list. You can sign up here by filling in the form.
We have a whole section in our online shop specifically for Betta Foods and Betta care. A couple of popular products are shown below, but you can find the whole range here >>