fish that lose their charm as they mature

[adapros]

I'm gonna say it - people might not like it but I'll come out and say it: some of the fish that get ugly as they mature, or get too big for an average owner, are the ones that should probably not have been purchased.

[kadyash]

Barbs aren't the issue for me, it's my lack of knowledge about them that was the problem. I had a few rosy and tiger barbs, they were quite energetic and fun to watch, but I made a mistake by keeping them with 2 angelfish in a relatively small tank, and it ended badly for one of the angelfish. To be honest, I've never been a huge fan of angelfish, they're quite aggressive and seem to enjoy attacking anything that crosses their path, even their own kind.

[brayk]

I'll say it - most PLECOs aren't my favorite, they get huge and lose their appeal, but I've got to give credit to the bristlenose, mine's a keeper.

[kadyash]

It's not the plecos' fault they end up in the wrong tanks, it's the greedy retailers selling them to clueless customers. I'm sure plenty of mags, like PFK, have warned us about these giants, yet people still bring them home.

My mate's got a couple of bristlenose and he's smitten. I, on the other hand, got seduced by a Kribensis - what a beauty, right? I passed it on to my mate, but in the end, it met a sad fate.

For me, livebearers are a no-go. I don't want my tank to turn into a bloodbath, even if the other fish do eat the inevitable fry. I want a happy tank, not a slaughterhouse.