FAQ and Policies
Why are the prices higher than what I pay for a pet store fish?
Most big chain pet stores order their fish from overseas in bulk for very cheap, these fish are often bred with poor genetics, and then are stored in poor water conditions and small cups, which can greatly reduce their life spans. Private breeders know exactly what genes they are breeding and use healthy and top quality fish for breeding, as well as keep the fish in clean conditions and raise them with the best quality live foods. It can take up to 6 months or more from start to finish for raising one batch of fry to adulthood, that is a lot of time, cleaning, resources, and patience for a handful of baby fish! That is why private breeders will charge more per fish, but these fish will live much longer and be less prone to weakened immune systems or genetic diseases.
How do I buy an item?
I do not have online payments set up at this time. If you see a betta you would like to purchase, please send me either an email or message on my Facebook page messenger with either a screen shot of the things you'd like to purchase or a link works as well. You can also fill out the submission form on the main page on which # betta you'd like to put aside.
If you'd like to put a fish on hold for a week I require payment for fish upfront, if over a week then it's a $10 extra per week on hold. Deposit is non refundable and is added to the total price of the betta purchase.
I do offer Canada wide shipping but prefer local pickup or delivery. Please send me a message for more info.
What's the shipping process?
I offer Canada wide shipping with UPS next day or 2 day delivery. Please contact me for more information and rates and to get a quote. There is an extra $3 fee for heat packs which are a must while shipping any kind of tropical fish. I only ship on Mondays (with a few exceptions) so please give me a few days heads up to get your order ready. I will not be doing 3 day as the risks are too high. You can expect shipping prices to be between $37-67. With Harbor air in BC, it is same day shipping, and you just pay the shipping once you receive your order at the terminal on your end. Prices with harbor air are about $20. Make sure to contact me separately if you would like to consider shipping as this website does not do it in checkout.
I am not offering refunds or exchanges with shipping at this time. Risks of shipping include, delays, rough handling of package or breakage, water breaking, heat pack malfunction, falling off the truck onto the road, etc...I am not responsible for any of these events that are out of my control.Risks of shipping bettas: they can develop injury or external protozoan infections from being in a bag if the ammonia levels spike from stress. However I add methylene blue and stress guard to the shipment to try and minimize this but your betta could come with an External infection that is easily treatable with lifeguard, or Malachite green.
Ship at your own risk!
Do you do delivery/drop off in the lower mainland?
I can do delivery/drop off in certain cities for an extra fee, $10 for Burnaby, and New West, $20 for tri cities and some parts of Vancouver. Please message for any inquiries. I can also meet at any skytrain Station for extra $5-10.
Is there a physical store I can visit?
Unfortunately no, I breed my bettas from my office at home, and since I'm immunocompromised I am not allowing visitors in the house at this time. However, I can take as many pictures or videos as you'd like of the fish, or if you'd like you can come to the front of the building and I can show you the fish before you decide to purchase.
Do you have any more stock than what's on your website or page?
Everything I have currently available will be posted on my website or Facebook page, I will update things as they are ready to be posted. In some cases I may have more than what's on my website, so please feel free to reach out and send a message. I also offer waitlists for upcoming batches of bettas and babies!
Can I keep more than one betta in a tank together?
Male bettas cannot be in the same tank together unless there is a divider separating them, they will fight to the death no matter how big the tank is if kept together. Male bettas cannot be kept with females, unless you plan on breeding them and even then the female must be removed imediately after, males will be extremely aggressive towards females if permanently housed together, causing injury, as well as female can get egg bound if constantly around males. Female bettas can be kept with other female bettas in what is called a sorority, however there is a lot of research that must be done first to make sure you are doing it correctly, and to avoid aggression. The general rule of thumb is 3 bettas per every 10-15 gallons, ideally a good starting number is 5 to help spread out temperament, and should be in a 25 gallon or bigger heavily planted cycled tank with plenty of hides. Please feel free to message me if you have questions about female betta sororities.
Do I need to cycle my tank before buying a fish?
Yes! 100%! If you're not familiar with tank cycling (the nitrogen cycle) you should definitely look that up before going forward with buying a fish. I do sell live plants, snails, shrimp (soon), and filter media bacteria to help speed up your cycling process, to make sure you have the best environment for your fish. I would also recommend getting water test strips to test your parameters before adding a new fishy!
DOA (dead on arrival) shipping policy
My DOA shipping policy is that you need to understand the risks involved with shipping a live animal before you decide to purchase. I am not offering refunds or credit for fish DOA at this time. If there is an issue with the boxes being damaged during shipping then you'll need to contact UPS, and they might be able to give a refund if goods were damaged. I give the most optimal conditions for shipping including 72hr heat packs, tons of stuffing in the boxes, double bagged and thermal wrapped and small amount of stress guard is added beforehand, fragile stickers, and fasting for 24 hours to limit waste production, but even with all of this in my control, I cannot predict delays, natural disasters, leaks, or damaged boxes, or rough handling. If you are worried about delays I would always recommend priority next day shipping, and UPS guarantees next day or money back. I make sure to send a picture of the fish in its shipping bag before its sent off to show it is alive and healthy. Please understand that I run a very small business, and only have very limited stock at once.
Policies
Refunds:Refunds will only be given if fish is visibly sick within first 24hrs (this only applies to local pickup not shipping) this includes external and internal parasites, bacterial fungal and viral infections. Proof of ailment must be sent in picture within 24 hrs. Any physical deformities found do not count as illness unless directly caused by illness (ex fin rot, Popeye, mouth rot etc). I am not responsible for any injuries fish sustains in their new tank within first 24hrs or there after. I am not responsible if your fish contracts an illness in your tank after the 24hr period.
-Fish are quarantined for 2 days and treated preventitively with tannins, salt and lifeguard before purchase, so the likelihood of any illnesses is extremely low.
Sometimes I may have not been aware of a physical deformity NOT related to illness, ex one fin shorter than the other, one eye blind, slightly crooked spine... I try and disclose all information about the health of my bettas but sometimes I just don't see something, in this case I can offer an exchange only in the first 48hrs for another betta of equal or lesser value, IF it is an impact to their immediate health or wellbeing.
*Signs of lethargy, not eating or hiding can be signs of stress from new tank environment and are not always caused by illness, if you see these signs in the first 24hrs, give the fish some time to settle in, and make sure your water parameters are OK and not causing stress*
Exchanges:
If you are not happy with your purchase within the first 24hrs, I can also offer exchanges for a different betta as long as I have stock available (local Pickup only). Exchanges are for fish of equal or lesser value only. If I am delivering, delivery fee still applies.
Refunds and exchanges not available for shipping, ship at your own risk! Please see shipping FAQ for possible risks and policies for shipping.
If fish dies in first 24hrs, and cause can be traced back to an illness from while in my care, exchange or refunds can be available. However this is a grey area as there are lots of causes of premature death when incorporating betta into a new tank. I will ask questions like did you acclimate them properly, is your tank cycled, are there any predators in tank, or any stressors? Etc.