Welcome to Jurassic park
I’d love to know what the common fish were in the 70s because a lot of fish commonly sold now didn’t really reach the hobby till then
Was it more cold water dominated ?
What fish? The exciting new thing then, like now, was an influx of new tetras.
We didn't see Mbuna yet, and the east African Cichlid craze was still in the future. But because pet shops were independent and the chains weren't in control, I'll wager that where I lived, there was a greater diversity of species offering then than there are now.
We saw more African fish in stores - lots of neat stuff. A number of to me desirable species have vanished from the everyday trade. I had fish from one of the first imports of ember tetras, celestial danios, Danio kiyathit, and a few others that are now not uncommon. I remember the excitement as a teenager when I first saw black neons (in a psychedelic black lit mall store) , and there was a gaggle of adults all abuzz standing around the tank.
There were no test tube/petrie dish fish - no electric blue, no glo, no bloody parrots or flowerhorns. Balloon mutations were a cause of pity for the afflicted fish, and not a marketing opportunity. But really, other than the frankenfish and a few livebearer fancy varieties, a store then was like what I see in a visit to a petco in the US now. The exciting to see newly found stuff never appears in chain stores.
To get the cool water tolerant era, you'd have to set the time machine back to the 50s/60s or earlier.
How did you manage to do this alone?! I get the cavemen technics, I also used to work with metal and some heavy stuff but you still had to take it down from a stand and up or down some steps I'm sure. I'm in my 60's very healthy and fit (brag) and I've been downsizing tanks, I figured if I can't handle it on my own, I don't want it. I just went from a 55g to 40g breeder and the 40g carrying it from car, into the house and down to the basement left me sore for two days!
Luck plays a part - I have very useful ape arms and wide shoulders, as well as height. You drain the tank, put the substrate away, and then if you have a large body frame, use it. My lower back is a wreck, but the upper legs and shoulders, along with a dolly, can do a lot. If I drop something on the floor, I have to be strategic about bending to get it, but lifting a tank is somehow easy...