Your least favorite fish

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Hybridfish7

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Dec 4, 2017
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I'll begin, I absolutely despise:
The entire gambusia genus
Gulper catfish
Cetopsis coecutiens
Smooth pufferfish
Leporinus fasciatus

I additionally do not like (not to the same degree as the previous):
Festivums
Mikrogeophagus ramirezi
Frontosa
All tropheus except duboisi and the red spotted ones

I am open to elaborate on any of these upon request
 
Why the gulper catfish?
I personally don’t like King Kong parrots and I dislike red head tapajos
I don't like the concept of a fat ugly fish that indiscriminately consumes everything with no regard to size or species (including conspecifics). Seems obnoxious to me.
 
Actually, the gulper apparently isn't a cannibal; thebiggerthebetter thebiggerthebetter confirmed that in one of his threads not too long ago, as have other keepers of multiple gulpers. I can see, however, why many people wouldn't like it due to its other charming qualities. :)

I can't say that I "hate" or "despise" any fish, but there are certainly some types that just don't appeal to me whatsoever. Most "designer" fish fall into that category; short-bodies, long-fins, glofish, hybrids...most of these things would have been called "culls" not that long ago and quickly disposed of. Now they are the trendy thing to have; a tank that is full of wild-variety fish that are all identifiable as pure examples of their species is a rarity, and looked down upon quite snobbishly by many aquarists.

But species of fish that I actively dislike are pretty much non-existent. I admit that I don't see the appeal of Polypterus, at least not when they are kept in a mixed assortment of species all piled up on the bottom of a largely-barren tank like striped turds at the bottom of a wildebeest watering hole. I did once own a large Ornate Poly for a few years, and liked it...but as a single specimen, not part of a "collection".

I don't get the attraction of Rays either. Yes, they are unique and interesting, but I've never had one and never will. Meh.

Cichlids in general have really worn out their welcome with me. I still have some, and I can certainly understand why someone relatively new to the hobby would find them amazing. Their breeding behaviour, fry care, vast array of sizes and colours, relative intelligence and "personality" are terrific...but after a few decades, they are mostly just aggressive, cranky fish that in many cases make having a quiet peaceful tank more of a challenge than they are worth. In other words...they're too much like people! I certainly understand that there are dedicated aquarists who devote a lifetime to ever more exotic and rare cichlid species; more power to 'em, but, again...meh.

Among little fish...there are Bettas. Never had one, never felt the desire, although they aren't off the table completely. I might have one in a small tank on the dresser in my room in the nursing home I wind up in...:)

I guess if I had to pick one fish...the fish that I see and immediately think to myself "Ah, Jeez, not this s**t again!"...it would be just about any variety of Flowerhorn. Delicate...misshapen...antisocial...a fish that seems to often have all kinds of weird health issues...a fish that keepers are often warned should not be kept with any decor because it's so stupid and clumsy that it will hurt itself just swimming around...a fish that is so aggressive that it can't have tankmates, and yet will get the snot kicked out of it by many aggressive similar-sized cichlids that it decides to pick on...a fish that, when it dies, the distraught owner is comforted with "Well, yeah, it was a Flowerhorn; you know they've got problems!"...the ultimate in "should have been culled" hybrids...yeah, I guess I "hate" Flowerhorns. :)

If there is anyone left whom I have not managed to offend, let me know...I'm sure I can come up with other non-favourites...:)
 
I've never understood the addiction that some folks have with arowanas and rays. They do absolutely nothing for me whatsoever and I can safely say that I will never keep them.

I'll add one more, and it is already becoming a popular unpopular candidate in this thread, and that is the flowerhorn. Why oh why oh why?

I think it's also important to recognise at this point that we all have different tastes. It would be boring if we all kept the same fish. It's good for the hobby that even the ones that we may personally dislike are kept successfully by others.
 
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I admit that I don't see the appeal of Polypterus, at least not when they are kept in a mixed assortment of species all piled up on the bottom of a largely-barren tank like striped turds at the bottom of a wildebeest watering hole. I did once own a large Ornate Poly for a few years, and liked it...but as a single specimen, not part of a "collection".
Completely agree with that, what's the point of spending hundreds of dollars on a giant tank, only to throw a bunch of living logs in it that don't occupy or use the top 90% of the tank? I could've put so many convicts in there...
 
+1 for the Arowana. Unless one has a swimming pool to display the Arowana, they really look unnatural & cramped even in the biggest home aquarium.
Alligator Gars also fall into that category.
 
+1 for the Arowana. Unless one has a swimming pool to display the Arowana, they really look unnatural & cramped even in the biggest home aquarium.
Alligator Gars also fall into that category.
I kinda like the whole "dragon fish" appeal, I like how they're shaped, their scales, and their finnage (I have a sweet spot for fish with opaque pectoral fins and big ventrals, which the red Asian aros kinda meet in the middle), but agree that they're too active to be crammed in a tank 3 times their body length.
 
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