Being a fish-rights activist isn't the same thing as being a professional. COMPLETELY different level. A professional simply makes a living and knows what they can and can't do. That isn't the same as saying what they should do. If the customer wants a shark in with some decorations, the customer gets that. Plain and simple. The snobs can sit back and cry about how the decoration shouldn't have been there, but it isn't their tank.
It is rather funny the unrealistic view people get from these shows. People seem to think ATM has 100% control over the project and that everything goes together within days. Admittedly, Tanked goes a bit far to hide this. Even the quarantine tank episode, where it was painfully obvious the client was looking over their shoulders the whole time, they still tried to make it look like ATM was in control of the build. The truth is, there is absolutely no way to do these builds without heavy customer input. Stocking, design, layout, decor, construction, permits. All stuff that has to be carefully planned out. You aren't going to rip into a customer's walls without going over the details carefully. And guess what, if the customer wants a fish, or a piece of decor, or a specific design; the professional will offer it, if it is possible. Why? Because THAT is what a professional does. An idealist goes out of business, because the customer moves on to someone who can get it done. Because the customer doesn't want to hear that a fish shouldn't ideally be kept with another. They want to hear if it can physically do so.
The problem with a lot of people on this forum is, they see themselves as the ideal fish-keeper. THEY are the professionals. And everyone else that doesn't measure up to their standards doesn't deserve the privilege of keeping the same fish they do. Elitism and snobbery really. "OMG! YOU CAN'T PUT THOSE FISH TOGETHER! AMATEURS!1111!!!".
Welcome to being a minority. The majority is what you hate. Tank builders, decorative-tank owners, LFS's, wholesalers. These are the people who make up the hobby. Get rid of all of them and the hobby ceases to exist. These are the people in it for the money, or who see the fish as decorations instead of pets. These are the people who bring in the money. Not the forum snobs.