Mike Hellweg

A hobbyist since he was a child, Mike was breeding swordtails and raising them successfully when he was 9 years old.  Mollies, guppies, corys, and danios soon followed.  He quickly discovered that breeding fish was fun and challenging, and that pet stores would swap fish that he raised in exchange for other fish, tanks, and equipment.  Mike’s hobby quickly grew to the point where he was selling his home bred fish to shops all around town.

Now a fourth level Grand Master Breeder in his local club, the Missouri Aquarium Society, Inc., Mike has convinced nearly 200 species from more than 20 families to breed, and he has successfully raised their fry.  His fishroom of 80 or so tanks, ranging in size from 10 – 75 gallons, is dedicated to working with “miniature fishes,” with adult sizes under 4” in length.  Mike particularly enjoys working with small egg scatterers, dwarf cichlids, wild livebearers, killies, and wild anabantids.  He is also a third level Grand Master Aquatic Horticulturist, having propagated nearly 175 species of aquatic plants, many of them from seed.

Active in the organized hobby, Mike has served on the Executive Council of the Missouri Aquarium Society since 1989, and is currently serving his 8th term as their president.  He also sits on the Board of Directors of both the American Livebearer Association, and the Aquatic Gardeners Association. 

Mike presents programs on various hobby topics to local school groups and hobbyist organizations around the country.  He has written dozens of articles for local and national hobbyist organizations, and has been published numerous times in both Tropical Fish Hobbyist and Aquarium Fish International magazines, as well as Freshwater and Marine Aquarium magazine.  Mike’s monthly column, ‘Adventures in Fish Breeding,’ appears on Aquariumfish.com.  He currently owns and operates “Exotic Aquatics,” selling uncommon fish and aquatic plants, both to local hobbyists and to hobbyists around the country.

One of the most genuine, kind, and knowledgeable hobbyists that you will have the good fortune to meet, we feel great fortune in having Mike as a part of CARES.

Other Items of Interest by Mike Hellweg