I was browsing through and found a beautiful betta that i would love to get... however it is to be shipped in from the breeder in thailand overnight to denver... how safe is this, should i stay away from this kind of thing? what is the survival rate for this kind of handling?
here's a pic of him

Mr. Spider

any info would be greatly appreciated

I have considered doing that but the thing is you gotta think about, thats a long way and gonna cost a lot of money, heck it's 35$ for in the continental US for one overnight.

I have no experience with mail ordereing fish, I just had to say...that is one awesome looking betta!!

i know, that is why i even considered trying to mail order. I figured someone on here might have had experience with that, especially with some of the more original strains of goldfish and stuff. that is the only fish i have ever seen that actually made me want to do it. the thing i was worried about is that it is such a long way and might be too much for him. i know it can be pretty expensive, but man, look at that fish!

-raises hand- I have experience with out of country betta deals. Its never good to order from a breeder in Thailand or Indonesia unless they have a transshipper. The transshipper handles all the mess of paper work and sorting out fees, and gets a chance to take the fish out of its package to place it in a clean tank to rest. Once everything is ready they send you the fish. The transshipper I've worked with is Jennifer Viveiros(hopdiggity@bellsouth.net). She works with quite a few international betta breeders and she is very friendly and knows her stuff. I don't believe she is currently doing to much work due to having kids but she has a nice little article for you and links to breeders pages on her website.

Transshipping Info1
Transshipping Info2

As for estimated cost. In most cases, your basically paying shipping x2. Once to the transshipper and then once to your own home. Its really not worth it unless you are breeding, like I was, or unless you are buying in bulk, like pet stores.

That being said, I don't know anything about the breeder of the fish you have posted so I can't give insight on weather or not they are any good. Fortunately that color isn't hard to find internationally. Its generally labeled "Devil" "Red Devil" "Metalic Black" "Black Devil" or "Monster" However, I have seen this color show up at nnnn before so keep an eye out if your nnnn sells CTs before you make the jump to purchasing out of the country.

Thanks Sushi. Great info. I was gonna say the same thing. Linda Olson tranships too.you can find some good bettas on Aquabid as well, but I agree with Sushi I would not go for one from Thailand. I had two from Thailand which I got from a breeder freind of mine who had them shipped an transhipped to him first. They were in his breeding surplus so I got them from him. My two Thai bettas developed tumors and died which I found out later is sometimes a common problem with Thai Bettas. I would find a good one on Aquabid from and Amerian Breeder that way your are not paying double shipping as Sushi mentioned. Also breeders pics tend to be a little flashier than the acctual fish . Also when looking for a betta online make sure to watch for thin clear edging on the tail and fins. Some unscrupulus breeders as of late have been trimming and cutting fins to trim away damage or make a fish look better. the new growth comes in clear at first.

aquabid is a dangerous place to go...

Why do you say that? I've purchased many fish and items from there with not problems at all.

I think the UltimateBetta forums have an adoption section (You only pay shipping) if you would like to consider that.

I think he meant dangerous cause we spend all our money there