Will the betta survive?

[Bawloo]

I went to PetCetera yesterday in the nearest city, looking for a hedgehog, but I went through the fish section as well. The tanks were larger than at Wal-Mart, but they were all open at the top, and it looked like someone (maybe a young customer?) had dumped a betta fish in a tank full of schooling black fish. I didn't check the name of the other fish, but they had shredded the poor betta's fins down to half an inch long. There was nobody around that I could talk to about it, so I had to leave him.
I'm going back in a few days, and would very much like to buy the betta. But do betta fish die if they don't have their long fins? This guys was eaten beyond repair, and I was just wondering whether I should expect him to die on the way home or something.

 

[sumthin fishy]

That sucks. FWIW betas can do well in comunity tanks if the other fish are not aggressive like the ones you saw. They can survive with battered fins, and as long as there is some finnage left, they will likely grow back. If you plan on getting it, make sure you ask about the guarentee they offer with it. Without seeing it personally I couldnt tell you if it will survive or not, and even then I might be wrong.

 

[Bawloo]

Okay! I don't want to put him in a community tank; I already have two betta fish, and each one has their own 2 or 3 gallon setup. I tried housing a cory with one of them, and the betta didn't attack it, but the space seemed to help his attitude. If I buy the betta with short fins, I'll just buy him a new tank, too.
He did have the aforementioned half-inch fins, but I didn't think they could grow back. I'll keep that in mind, though!
(For $3.50, I don't think that a guarantee is too big of a deal. )

 

[sumthin fishy]

Another thought, are you sure it wasnt a female? they look the same, but thier fins are really short like you discribed.

 

[Bawloo]

Nope, I'm positive it wasn't a female. There were strings of fin left, so you could tell they used to be long.