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SHOPIFY IS NOW OPEN!
SHOPIFY IS NOW OPEN!
Hi, I’m Heather Bea and welcome to Bea’s Bettas! I’m a hobbyist betta breeder based in Raleigh, North Carolina. What started as a way to stay busy during the 2020 pandemic quickly turned into a passion project that has grown for more than 5 years.
My bettas are born and raised in my greenhouse, where they receive round the clock care. I focus on producing vibrant, healthy fish with strong longevity, and I keep detailed records on the bettas I breed so I can make informed decisions with each generation. I only produce a few small batches each year and do not import fish for resale. Every betta sold comes from my own spawns unless otherwise noted.
Along with breeding I love sharing what I’ve learned along the way! My Resources page is always growing, and I’m always happy to answer questions. Thanks for visiting, and happy fishkeeping!
First I select the bettas I want to breed and import several. After observing and conditioning them in person for a few weeks, I select the best pair for breeding. They are placed in a breeding tub for spawning.
The betta fry are hatched in smaller 5 to 10 gallon tubs to make it easier to feed them. The dad stays in the tank to take care of them, and they are fed a variety of live foods for the first few weeks.
Once they get a little bigger, the dad is removed, and the fry are placed in 25 gallon ponds. This allows for more space to grow. Around 2 months of age I will move them to my 100 and 300 gallon ponds for additional space.
Once the males start maturing they are separated into their own 1 gallon jars. They get 100% water changes every 2 days, and flare exercise 2-3 times a day. It is at this point they are ready for their new homes!
The Hybrid Project
The Hybrid Project
In early 2024, I started thinking seriously about the direction of my betta breeding program. My yellow koi line was finally producing the form, colors, and patterns I had originally set out to create, but I was becoming increasingly unhappy with the overall health and longevity of the fish. With each generation I was seeing shorter lifespans than I was comfortable continuing with. I wanted to move toward building stronger, healthier bettas without losing the traits I loved working with.
After taking a year-long break from breeding to focus on life, I noticed that my wild spadetail splendens were still thriving at 3 years old. That sparked the idea to combine wild types with plakats in hopes of improving genetic diversity and creating stronger marble and koi type bettas with better long-term health.
I began this project in the spring of 2025. It is going to take years, and many, many spawns, before I can confidently say whether the hypothesis is successful. In the meantime, I hope to place these bettas into the hands of dedicated keepers who are willing to share updates with me over time. Whether a fish experiences illness, an accident, or simply fades earlier than expected, I want to know so I can continue building accurate records and making informed breeding decisions.
Thank you for following along on this journey with me. I will not have all the answers right away, but I truly am doing my best to create healthier, longer-lived bettas for the future.
Form
A Spade Tail Caudal Fin that is pointy, exaggerated, and evenly balanced on top and bottom.
Long ventral fins with no splitting
Other fins should match the Betta Standard
A Strong Topline that is smooth with no bumps or divots
Personality
Males should be lively and spirited. Not too aggressive with the females. They should have the correct betta instincts and not be shy.
Females should be equally spirited but be able to cohabitate together. They should be willing to flare at males and not be shy.
Coloring
Yellow, Orange, Pink, or Nemo coloring
Full white or iridescent mask
Minimal dark blue spotting or none at all
Cyan Fin Stripes
(Above image is a photoshopped representation of my goal)
Betta Status
Betta Status
Spawn Available for Rehome
Hybrid 04 Late May
Hybrid 05 Late May
Hybrid 06 Late May
Hybrid 07 Late May/June
Hybrid 08 & 10 Late May/June/July
Spawn Available for Rehome
HMPK (Non Hybrid) July/August
Hybrid 11 August/September
Hybrid 12 August/September
Hybrid 13 September/November
Hybrid 14 September/November
2026 Spawns
2026 Spawns
Hatched 04/16/26
Mahachai x Mahachai
Wild 12
(20g pond #1)
Growing well!
Hatched 02/19/26
Plakat x [50x50 Hybrid]
Hybrid 08
(100g outside pond)
Some are growing SUPER well, still solid colors. Very gorgeous fry!
Hatched 02/01/26
[50x50 Hybrid] x Plakat
Hybrid 07
(100g greenhouse pond)
Growing well, starting to marble. Going to be some gorgeous bettas!
Hatched 01/15/26
Wild x Plakat
Hybrid 06
(100g greenhouse pond)
All Marbled to cello. Waiting to see if they color up futher. 4/5 are females
2025 Spawns
2025 Spawns
2025 was the year of experimentation. I wanted to know what combining spadetails with plakats would produce, and what kinds of colors I could expect from them.
Hatched 7/30/25
[50x50 Hybrid] x Wild
Hybrid 05
Aged and rehomed
I am really happy with a few bettas from this spawn. Continuing the line!
Hatched 7/21/25
Wild x HMPK
Hybrid 04
Aged and rehomed
I am really happy with a few bettas from this spawn. Continuing the line!
Hatched 5/5/25
Wild x Wild
Wild 02
Aged and rehomed
The fry were very slow growing, but developed a particularly nice female I plan to use. The males are too easy going and won't be bred.
Hatched 4/5/25
Wild x HMPK
Hybrid 01
Aged and rehomed
Pretty Hybrids were created that had slight spade tails and marble coloring. Bettas are healthy and vivacious, great spawn!
Bettas who are part of the project
Bettas who are part of the project
WYM1 - Sunflower
Wild Yellow Male 1
Lived 3 years. A little on the shyer side, was a good dad and easy on his partner.
WYF1 - Tulip
Wild Yellow Female 1
Lived 3 years. Was great in the sorority and spicy with her partner.
WYM2 - Dafodil
Wild Yellow Male 2
Proper Betta Attitude. Is a good dad, attentive, easy on his partner.
WYF2 - Ginger
Wild Yellow Female 2
Great in the sorority, good with breeding, excellent betta temperament
PKF1 - Azalea
Plakat Marbel Female 1
Is top girl in the sorority, a bit spicy. Was good with breeding.
PKF2 - Delphinium
Plakat Marble Female 2
Live 1 year. Recovered after an injury but eventually faded. Excellent temperament in the sorority.
PKF3 - Rose
Plakat Marble Female 3
Lived 1 year, got sick and passed after breeding. Excellent temperament in the sorority and with breeding.
HM1 - Iris
Hybrid Marble Male 03
Excellent temperament, great with breeding, good dad, great betta.
PKM1 - Mallow
Plakat Gold Male 1
Lived 2 years. Had a great temperament, great dad. Eventually faded for no apparent reason.
H01 F1 - Prim
Hybrid Marble Female 1
Hybrid 01 Spawn Great temperament in the sorority, excellent when breeding. Great Betta!
PKM2 - Yarrow
Plakat Gold Male 2
A little lower energy for my tastes. Failed first spawn attempt. Spawned quickly second round. Bad nest builder
PKF4 - Poppy
Plakat Marble Female 4
A little spicy in the sorority, but doesn't abuse the other girls. Needed a strong temperament male for breeding.
PKF5 - Anthurium
Plakat Marble Female 5
Wonderful in the sorority, appropraitely spicy with the males. Great temperament!
H05 M14 - Hydrangea
Hybrid Cello Male 14 from the Hybrid 05 spawn. He has been gentle with his partner and an ok dad. Wish he was more attentive.
W02 F3 - Zinna
Wild Yellow Female 03
Wild 02 Spawn A little on the shyer side like her dad, but not too much that she is anxious. Great in the sorority.
H04F - Amaryllis
Hybrid 04 Female
Amaryllis is from the Hybrid 04 spawn. She has a great temperament in the sorority and for breeding!
H06F - Peony
Peony is from my Hybrid 06 spawn! She developed the most color from all the fry. She is very polite in the sorority and was great during spawning!
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