{"product_id":"lm-betta-fish","title":"Lightly Medicated | Assorted Betta (Betta splendens)","description":"\u003ch3\u003eWhat “Lightly Medicated” means\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThis is the same animal as our non-quarantined listing, held briefly in our systems and given one short prophylactic course — a light treatment for ich and for internal and external worms — then observed eating in front of us before it goes home.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA light course knocks the parasite load down. It does not guarantee full removal, and we will not pretend otherwise.\u003c\/strong\u003e Ich is only killed in its free-swimming stage, and a short treatment window can miss cysts entirely; worm burdens can survive a single dose. Clearing an animal takes the full quarantine window — 40 to 90 days depending on the species — which is exactly what the \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/quarantine-program\"\u003eQuarantined listing\u003c\/a\u003e is for. This tier buys you a lower parasite load and a fish we have watched eat, not a cleared animal.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWe condition the fish on our end.\u003c\/strong\u003e Every animal we medicate is brought back onto prepared food on our own systems and is eating before it leaves — in practice it is rare for a lightly medicated fish to ship out and arrive sick. Do the same at your end: get it eating in your aquarium before you count it settled.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eWhen it ships\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003ePlan on \u003cstrong\u003e3–5 days\u003c\/strong\u003e on our systems for the treatment course, and it does not leave until it is eating. \u003cstrong\u003eIf the animal is not already in our systems we source it first — allow up to two weeks for it to reach us before that clock starts.\u003c\/strong\u003e From the day you order, plan on roughly two and a half weeks in total.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eThe guarantees\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eShipped orders:\u003c\/strong\u003e 24-hour live guarantee from confirmed delivery.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eIn-store pickup:\u003c\/strong\u003e 7-day live guarantee — bring a water sample from your aquarium so we can test it before your livestock goes home with you.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003cp\u003eWant the full program — treated, observed, confirmed eating, and covered for 28 days on pickup? That is the \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/quarantine-program\"\u003eQuarantined listing\u003c\/a\u003e. Run your own quarantine and just want the fish this week? The \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/non-quarantined-livestock\"\u003enon-quarantined listing\u003c\/a\u003e is cheaper still. The whole ladder is explained in \u003ca href=\"\/pages\/quarantined-vs-non-quarantined\"\u003eQuarantined vs Non-Quarantined\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003chr\u003e\u003cp\u003eBettas get labeled a beginner fish and a solitary fish in the same breath, and both reputations are a little misleading. \u003cem\u003eBetta splendens\u003c\/em\u003e is a labyrinth fish that breathes surface air through a specialized accessory organ — genuinely low-maintenance on the aeration front — but it’s also intelligent, food-motivated, and considerably more interactive than people expect from something sold in a cup. They recognize individual keepers, learn feeding routines quickly, and respond to attention in a way most fish don’t.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMales build bubble nests at the surface as part of their natural breeding behavior even with no female present — a floating cluster of mucus-coated air bubbles anchored under plant leaves or floating plants. This is completely normal and a reliable sign of a healthy, content male. A betta that builds nests is a betta in good condition.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWild \u003cem\u003eB. splendens\u003c\/em\u003e originated in shallow rice paddies, irrigation ditches, and slow floodplain streams across Thailand and surrounding countries — warm, often oxygen-poor water where labyrinth breathing became an evolutionary advantage. Famously intolerant of other males and often other long-finned males of any species, but plenty of quiet, fin-safe community tankmates (small corydoras, small tetras, snails, shrimp) work alongside a single male without issue.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eScientific name:\u003c\/strong\u003e Betta splendens\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOrigin:\u003c\/strong\u003e Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam — rice paddies, slow streams, flood plains, and irrigation canals\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWater parameters:\u003c\/strong\u003e Temp 76–82°F · pH 6.0–7.5 · GH 5–20 (adaptable)\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTank requirements:\u003c\/strong\u003e 5 gal minimum (10 gal preferred); must have access to surface air; no tight lids without ventilation gaps\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDiet:\u003c\/strong\u003e Carnivore — quality betta pellets as staple; supplement with frozen bloodworms, daphnia, and brine shrimp\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCompatibility:\u003c\/strong\u003e Males must be kept alone or with carefully chosen fin-safe tankmates; no other male bettas\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHusbandry note:\u003c\/strong\u003e Bettas in cold water (below 76°F) are slow, prone to illness, and rarely display. A small dedicated heater is not optional — it’s what the difference between a fish that thrives and one that slowly deteriorates looks like in practice.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"YoCamron's Aquatics","offers":[{"title":"Wild-Caught","offer_id":50610250907885,"sku":"FWFSH-BETTA","price":8.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0806\/1032\/8813\/files\/IMG_0019.jpg?v=1782360922","url":"https:\/\/www.yocamronsaquatics.com\/products\/lm-betta-fish","provider":"YoCamron’s Aquatics","version":"1.0","type":"link"}