jdrawdy said:
I certainly appreciate your help. I've learned a lot, and am mostly just sad that they sell these larger fish to clueless aquarists with no desire for more than a 10g.
It's frustrating to just get into this profession after you have determined to do so, but then find that often the only source of good solid advice can be found on speciality user groups, and even then has to be sifted from a flurry of less-than-optimal advice. LFS are often not very good sources of solid advice.
I recall when I first started in the hobby that I proudly posted my new stock and my new tank setup, only to be told that my tank was too small for my stock, and the selections in my stock were not compatible with each other. I got cheesed off about it as well and voiced my opinion of others' opinions on my choices. After hearing more opinions, and doing more research, I was eventually convinced and begrudgingly returned most of my stock, and upgraded or replaced a good amount of gear. To relate, I started out with a Tiger Oscar and a few other totally incompatible fish in my 55, and I ended up returning nearly all of the stock, including the Oscar. Today, I have far from a perfect setup in the eyes of some, but I'm trying to follow the generally accepted best-practices. There is much more peace of mind knowing that I am doing the best I can, and not taking any unnecessary risks.
Folks here that have posted over a 1,000 posts and/or have been a member here for several years give good solid advice. Advice is one of those things that you can take and follow, or go your own way. Enthusiasts (probably a more suitable label than "elitist") are serious about the ethical treatment of fish, no less than the treatment of dogs or cats or other pets, so these folks won't take lightly when something less than ethical is suggested as acceptable.
Just take your time, consider all input from all folks (even if it's not what you want to hear), and do what you think is right.