I'm no polypterus expert, but the thread title is 'care sheets vs. 1st hand experience', so that's what I'm commenting on. For good or bad this will be a bit long.
Imo Seriously is a convenient first step-- or fishbase, or ITIS, if you use one of those frequently. None of them are infallible but In most cases you'll find the correct name, in most cases you'll find valid information regarding the native range of a species. In most cases you can get a general idea of size, but this won't always tell you what to expect in your tank. Beyond this Seriously is often pretty generic. With Geophagus, for example, they have the same cut/paste paragraph for care of each species. Anything more specific is generally in the "Notes" section, if there's anything there. Okay, that's all pretty generic.
Sometimes an enthusiast for a certain fish is plugged into a community which might be more up to date and more hands on than information on Seriously, fishbase, etc. It could be a forum, which might include not only people actively keeping and breeding a species, but individuals out collecting and observing the fish in the wild, or importers with direct connections and information from the people in the field who know the fish as well as anyone. Some forums have had members who are themselves one of the true experts on a fish or region, Heiko Bleher, Larry Johnson, etc. or members who work with or know guys like Ad Konings. They know what's published, they might have written or collaborated on some of it themselves, and they're regularly in the field.
There are guys here I respect for what they know about certain fish, regions, or subjects. I have pretty good experience with Heros, but not all species, I'm not an expert on the genus as a whole. Same for geos. My personal experience with CAs is limited. There are guys here I respect on those subjects. I know a good bit about food and nutrition, can quote you studies, etc., but I haven't done half the study RD has on it.
But anyone and everyone can be wrong or have incorrect personal opinions. I was an mod for years on what was once the premier English language forum for Cyphotilapia, which has been in decline for years and appears to be gone now. I posted a thread there once-- I'm not going research it all over again-- but the it was an example where Ad Konings had published the suggestion that a particular species was a merely color morph of another species. He was mistaken, the genetics indicated that not only was it not the same species, it wasn't the same genus. They just looked very similar. So--
Thesis one: No source is infallible. Even the real experts can be mistaken. Happens all the time.
Imo Seriously is a convenient first step-- or fishbase, or ITIS, if you use one of those frequently. None of them are infallible but In most cases you'll find the correct name, in most cases you'll find valid information regarding the native range of a species. In most cases you can get a general idea of size, but this won't always tell you what to expect in your tank. Beyond this Seriously is often pretty generic. With Geophagus, for example, they have the same cut/paste paragraph for care of each species. Anything more specific is generally in the "Notes" section, if there's anything there. Okay, that's all pretty generic.
Sometimes an enthusiast for a certain fish is plugged into a community which might be more up to date and more hands on than information on Seriously, fishbase, etc. It could be a forum, which might include not only people actively keeping and breeding a species, but individuals out collecting and observing the fish in the wild, or importers with direct connections and information from the people in the field who know the fish as well as anyone. Some forums have had members who are themselves one of the true experts on a fish or region, Heiko Bleher, Larry Johnson, etc. or members who work with or know guys like Ad Konings. They know what's published, they might have written or collaborated on some of it themselves, and they're regularly in the field.
There are guys here I respect for what they know about certain fish, regions, or subjects. I have pretty good experience with Heros, but not all species, I'm not an expert on the genus as a whole. Same for geos. My personal experience with CAs is limited. There are guys here I respect on those subjects. I know a good bit about food and nutrition, can quote you studies, etc., but I haven't done half the study RD has on it.
But anyone and everyone can be wrong or have incorrect personal opinions. I was an mod for years on what was once the premier English language forum for Cyphotilapia, which has been in decline for years and appears to be gone now. I posted a thread there once-- I'm not going research it all over again-- but the it was an example where Ad Konings had published the suggestion that a particular species was a merely color morph of another species. He was mistaken, the genetics indicated that not only was it not the same species, it wasn't the same genus. They just looked very similar. So--
Thesis one: No source is infallible. Even the real experts can be mistaken. Happens all the time.