Lee, if the things you listed as liking make you "old" then I think there are many out there like you who, young and old, would also then have to be called "old", lol... myself included.
Ray did a pretty good job of mapping out the angelfish scene and pointing out about some other species bred for fin styles, such as betta splendens, swordtails, platys, guppies, etc. but the changes, unfortunately, go far beyond that.
I don't know how long you've been away from the hobby, but some of the things that have put me off and which I refuse to buy are the "glow fish", aka the zebra danios that have been altered genetically to glow in the dark. These are different than the injected/dyed, and tattooed fish (yes there are those out there too, which is sickening) as this is considered "natural" because the glow comes from genetic manipulation, more specifically genetic material taken from anemones to alter the physiology of the fish... thus these fish glow under black light and in multiple colors (green, blue, pink, yellow).
But, other "unnatural" fish that have been bred for their odd/different forms & colors are things like fancy goldfish, parrot cichlids, African cichlids, oscars, jack dempseys, etc. and those have been around for a very very long time.
As Ray pointed out, for someone who doesn't like these changes in the hobby it can still be easy enough to get around it for your own fish keeping by choosing to keep those who have not been "altered", of which there are still many. Many of the tetra species are still in their natural forms and there are still a great many of the central/south american cichlids that can be found in their natural forms. "Wild type" discus are still on the market though getting to be a bit harder to find these days, and even the wild form of betta splendens are still out there. Others such as pencil fish, most of the loaches, rainbows, plecos, catfishes, and yes, there are still some "natural" African cichlids to be found as well. The natural wild type fishes are in no way extinct from the hobby, it's just a matter of personal preference and tracking down what you desire.
Another way to get back to natural environment with "unchanged" fish is to move over to the saltwater hobby where most of the animals are still wild caught.
There also is nothing wrong with your preference for a natural environment, void of the plastic cartoon characters (Sponge Bob comes to mind right away) or neon colored gravels, etc. Personally, I would never allow such things in any of my aquariums. My limit on fake decor is the molded plastic pieces of wood that look real but are safer and less risky than actual real wood and natural/real looking silk plants in tanks with vegetarian fish.
At the store where I used to work yrs ago they started holding aquarium contests for the kids who were just starting out in the hobby. It allowed us to hold classes and teach the kids the right way to set up an aquarium from the start, teach about the nitrogen cycle and etc. in a way they were willing to accept and learn from... but the outcome of the tanks we saw, all I can say is OMG! The parents were required to help the kids with these tanks but most let the children choose the decor. We saw a lot of theme tanks, such as the cartoon characters I mentioned, skulls, sunken ships, and about 90% of them went with neon colored gravel and plastic plants, that to me, looked hideous. I found it difficult to walk through and try to judge these tanks even though it was part of my job. Our best tool for teaching people about the beauty of the natural environments was in how we set up our display and sales tanks. All of our sales & display tanks were
set up with live plants, natural rock decor, natural colored gravel, etc and used as examples of how to create the proper territory needed by the fish.
I hope you're able to find what it is you're looking for and I truly hope you won't let the new "fads" and peculiar tastes of some ruin the entire experience for you. Stick to what you know, what you love, and what feels right for you. As always, we are here to help if you need suggestions or have questions.
Welcome back to fish keeping!
Dawn
Dawn Moneyhan
Aquatics Specialist/Nutritionist
To learn more about me go to
http://www.helium.com/users/449334
--- On Fri, 7/13/12, Pigman <pulsarxp@embarqmail.com> wrote:
From: Pigman <pulsarxp@embarqmail.com>
Subject: [tropical fish club] Freshwater Angel Fish
To: tropicalfishclub@yahoogroups.com
Date: Friday, July 13, 2012, 8:54 PM
I recently joined this list after being away from from Tropical Fish , more specifically, Angel Fish, for a long time. I used to breed them and enjoyed them a lot. Not too long ago, I decided, maybe, I should have a few tanks of them again now that I am retired.
Looking at Angel Fish breeders web sites, I was amazed to see numerous types I never saw before. The truth is, I must be "the odd man out" as I found them repulsive. I thought, how different this is to The AKC (American Kennel Club) for example who have standards breeders are to meet for each breed. Has this been going on with other types of Tropical Fish as well? To me, they look like something out of a carnival freak show. I saw no natural beauty in them nor an attempt to replicate what is found in nature. Too me, it seemed like the "hobby" has lost it's way. I'm almost thinking of staying out of having fish again. All I can think of is going to some fish club meeting and finding everyone there thinking this type deviate breeding is great. It certainly is not for me. (It really turned me off).
I realize the market must "drive" this breeding behavior but I hope there still are some "purists" out there. To me, having an aquarium replicate what is found in nature is what it is all about. Having a fake "diver with helmet" in the tank with pink plastic plants is not my idea of a good time.
Am I just getting old and loosing it, or do some others feel the same way I do? I really need a reality check! I don't feel connected to what I have been seeing on the internet.
Lee
Houston, Texas
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
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