Fish

Most of the fish that Baylees deals with are wild species. A select few will be bred and we even like to obtain certain strains and lines from hobbyists we trust. The end result is the fish that we send out are of the highest quality and if we do not like how they look, we don't send them.

Malawi Cichlids - are possibly the most colorful species of fish in the freshwater hobby. Sometimes people refer to the as the poor man's saltwater fish.

Most fish from Lake Malawi, Africa are blue and yellow, however some species will have red and green color patterns. These fish can be very aggressive, especially when breeding. Malawi cichlids are typically broken down into 3 major groups; Peacocks, Haplichromis and Mbuna. Peacocks are the most peaceful along with most Haps and are very popular because of the colorful males. Some hobbyists even choose to have all male peacock tanks. By doing this however, the males never truly color to full potention if the do not have a female to show off for. Mbuna, meaning rock dweller, are the more aggressive of the Malawi species. They do have advantages as some have colorful females but require a tanks with plenty of rocks which helps with aggression. Pure Malawi hobbyists are very careful not to mis species as they will cross breed and in the Malawi hobby, this is frowned upon. Malawi tanks can be very beautiful and rewarding as long as they are well fed, have plenty of places to hide and breed and are a little overstocked. All three contribute to reducing aggresion.

Tanganyika Cichlids - are considered more of a "hobbyist" cichlid. They are harder to find, harder to collect and harder to ship which all contributes to the price and rarity. However, Tangs can be very rewarding as they have many different unique shapes and sizes. Once you are introduced to the many varieties of Lake Tanganyika, you will be on the search for these fish. Like Malawis, Tangs prefer a hard water and high PH, possibly the highest which make them an easy fish for most as straight tap water is perfect for them. Tangs are basically split into about 7 sub groups; Cyprichromis, Featherfins, Frontosa, Julidichromis, Lamprologines, Shell Dwellers, and Tropheus. Cyps are very colorful torpedo shaped fish that are very popular and VERY tough to transport, but worth the extra trouble. Featherfins are very unique fish known for long fins, big sand nests and big colors. Frontosa are the Kings of Tanganyika, much like Discus are in South America, reaching sizes of 15" or better with deep purples and blues. Julis are unique fish said to keep thier mates for life, displaying interesting patterns and hanging close to rocks. Lamps are possibly the most diverse group offering many shapes and sizes and are broken down into a few more groups. Shellies are cool fish that spend most of their lives calling a shell their home and can be kept in the smallest of tanks. Tropheus and bigger types called Petros are blunt nose looking fish that remind you of puppy dogs in the window, eager to eat and possibly the most active cichlid in the hobby.

Dwarf Cichlids - are primarily found in South America and West Africa. Dwarf cichlids are very popular with many hobbyists due to their small size and non-aggressive behavior. Dwarfs also can pack a bunch of color, so they can substitute for the larger species of cichlids. They do very well in many tank environments as well as planted tanks. Apistogramma and Kribensis are the two more common and popular dwarfs. Apistos are from South America and are known for having very colorful fins. Some species are commonly line bred to achieve certain colors in fins as well as other body patterns. They prefer softer water, but can be kept in harder water as breeding is usually when the soft water needs to be maintained. Kribs are from West Africa and have very strong colorations in most of the females. In fact, the females in kribs are like the males in malawis when refering to color. Kribs will do great in harder water and will also breed without much change to water parameters. Most dwarf cichlids will raise their young, parading them throughout the tank, warding off enemies, and love to call caves their home.

Exotic Plecos and Cats - come from all over with a majority coming from Brazil. Plecos are much more than those commonly seen in shops and referred to as "common" plecostomus. The plecos we deal with are far more exotic and entertaining than those. The color patterns can range from white and black, brown and yellow, red and black, green, grey with stripes, polka dots, or flashes. The most important thing to know about your pleco is what is their diet. NOT ALL PLECOS SUCK GLASS. The common misconception when dealing with plecos is that you don't have to feed them. That couldn't be further from the truth when dealing with some of the more exotics. Some are algae eaters, meat eaters, and wood eaters that will accept a wide range of foods from frozen to pellets or wafers. Some will even take flake food from the surface. Some of the more popular plecos are ancistrus as they tend to stay under 5" which makes them a better choice for many community tanks. Most will live in hard water and several have been spawned in the hobby. Plecos are basically catfish, but the "catfish" we deal in are more miniature in size like synodontis and corydoras. Baylees believes that even if they are cute when they are small, one should understand that they can get LARGE and should avoid dealing with them unless they can provide a big enough tank to raise them. All catfish make great additions to any tank and they are mostly scavengers, eating extra food that has reached the bottom, keeping the tanks clean and healthy.

Discus - are considered by some hobbyists as the emporer of the aquarium. They are a shy and quiet fish that demand slightly more attention, but at the same time can be wonderful fish to keep and breed. Discus belong in warmer water which makes them somewhat tricky to pair with certain aquatic plants. They tend to require special diets and can even be considered finicky eaters. Discus are better paired with tetras and corydoras and some larger tanks have even been able to pair them with angelfish and uaru. Most plecos are not suitable for discus as they will suck on the mucus membranes of the discus. Discus are unique fish and parents as they will raise their own and the babies first food will be from the adult membranes. Most discus in the hobby can be hard to acclimate as they do come from the Amazon River Basin and prefer very clean soft water. However, our discus have an advantage as we bring in our discus from one of the greats. Our discus come from Stendker and are about as close to bullet proof when we get them as it gets. This now makes discus possible for every hobbyist to enjoy.