Product Description
Marine aquarium hobbyists will find a wealth of information here, complemented with vivid close-up color photos of all invertebrates described. This book presents a wide selection of species, separating them into general categories that include soft corals, hard corals, anemones, fanworms, shrimps, crabs, starfish, and sea urchins. All entries include information on maintenance and care, as well as details on the compatibility of each animal with other fish and invertebrates. Here is an ideal guide for beginning marine aquarium hobbyists, pointing out the wide selection of invertebrates available to themin the marketplace. Experienced marine aquarium keepers are also likely to find new and interesting species to add to their collections. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Reefer Madness!
I'm a long-time retail pet worker, but so long out of the business that I've forgotten a lot of what I used to know about reef keeping - and now realize how much the husbandry has changed! My brother-in-law has far surpassed me in this field, and recommended this book. It's an excellent source of succinct info on many a variety of non-fish reef inhabitants. The information is consistently presented and easy to understand (even for my rapidly failing synapses). For the novice or mid-level reefer this book can mean the difference between happy inverts and a combative reef.

My only qualms with this book is that I found it kind of light in the shrimp area, found the star-rated pricing guide kind of confusing, and really found the statement about cost being tied to size wasteful (isn't that a foregone conclusion?) I also didn't find the information on compatibility comprehensive enough - it discusses the compatibility from the perspective of that section (coral, crabs, shrimp, etc) for the most part: it would have been better IMHO to have some kind of key that rated each type of sectioned animals to each other. But - maybe that's for a more advanced version of the book. And one suggestion: add a little section on the best reef-safe fish. Yeah, I know it's an invert book but that would make this book indispensable!

Please, don't let these mentions hold you up from buying the tome - you'll still be happy you did! Happy Reefing!

Best Organized Book!!
This book is organized in such a simple and straightforward way, making it SO EASY to find compatible invertebrates!Every one is listed with the exact same questions, so the specifications most important to you are easily researched and eliminated if they aren't a fit.

Questions include:
WHAT size?
WHAT does it eat?
WHERE is is from?
WHAT does it cost?
HOW compatible with other invertebrates?
WHAT water flow rate?
HOW much light?
WILL fish pose a threat?
WILL it threaten fish?
WHAT to watch out for?
and
WILL it reproduce in an aquarium?

For me the most important questions were WHAT size?, HOW compatible with other invertebrates?, WILL fish pose a threat?, and WILL it threaten fish?I think this book is essential for anyone who is stocking a reef tank.Once you determine what invertebrates will work for you, you can research those more in depth in something like "A PocketExpert Guide to Marine Invertebrates 500+ Essential-to-Know Aquarium Species," which is more descriptive but NOT so well organized.I finished this book "What Invertebrates" and promptly ordered their "What Fish: A Buyer's Guide to Reef Fish," which I'm hoping is organized in just as simple a way.

what invertebrates
Good book for a beginner starting with invertebrates.
It gives helpful direction for mixing species and what not to do.
Good selection of invertebrates that the average person would want to own.

Great book!
I got this book from the library as we are starting a nano marine aquarium. After having it for several weeks I've decided to order it. It is very informative and contains all the key critters (both intentional and the hitchhiker) that you'd need to know about.Lots of colorful pics and every page notes how compatible they are with fish, other inverts, lighting needs, feeding needs, etc.A great resource!!! ... Read more

Product Description
A guide to 173 zoos and aquariums across the United States.Emphasis is placed on the vital role that modern zoos and aquariums play in public education and wildlife conservation.Includes visitor information, directions from local highways, a listing of special exhibits, data on breeding achievements, a schedule of seasonal festivals and a summary of research activities for each institution.Designed primarily for travelers and zoo lovers, the book is illustrated with maps and photos. ... Read more

Product Description
Pages of full-color photos identify many species of fish for aquarium hobbyists, nature enthusiasts, and anybody who wants to learn about fish. Cichlids, angelfish, guppies, clownfish, and dozens more varieties are shown in all their color combinations, and in different stages of development. Individual chapters focus on specific varieties: labyrinth fish, ornamental fish, cold water fish, brackish water fish, coastal dwellers, reef dwellers, and many others. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

If you have taste in fish books, you must own this one
i hope you like this book, the cover talks about it all.

1000 Photos of Aquarium Fish
I have this book and several fish,now I can select better than I can put in my aquarium and which is now their name. I have the book he has a very good impression, quality

Beautiful
One word that can really show the quality of this book is moving.The pictures are spelnded and the content is extesive but not boring.This book can relate to several diffrent fish lovers, either fish hobbists orfish collectors will love this book. ... Read more

Product Description
Gardeners and fishkeepers alike are enthralled by the intricate beauty of planted aquariums. Today's aquarium technology is making more and more complicated arrangements easier than ever to maintain. An aquarium of beauty and diversity is yours with the "simple" but thorough instructions outlines in The Simple Guide to Planted Aquariums. In it you'll discover:
-Which plants are suitable for which types of arrangements.
-How to plan and cultivate your sunken garden.
-Whether to introduce fish- and which kinds.
-How to identify and solve common problems with minimal disruption. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (11)

Don't bother
I never write Amazon reviews, but I was so disappointed in this book I felt I had to. It's too confusing to introduce beginners to the hobby, but not informative enough to be useful for anyone already familiar with planted tanks.

"The Simple Guide to Freshwater Aquariums," by David Boruchowitz (and also published by TFH), is one of the best introductory aquarium texts out there -- all beginners should have a copy. I expected this guide to be just as good. It's not. Like the Boruchowitz book, there's a problem with the illustrations -- for the most part the plant and fish photos serve as decoration, and aren't instructive. But how could TFH publish an entire chapter of plant descriptions without a simple gallery of plant photos to go with the text? There are only so many ways you can describe a stem plant before they all start to sound the same.

This book is clearly a victim of budget cuts (almost all the photos are recycled from the Boruchowitz book, and a few even show up twice), and with a little more effort could have turned into something really worthwhile. An extra chapter with sample stocking schemes (with setups for tanks of different sizes, care/tech levels, and geographical regions) should have been included, too.

Excellent book
This book is a very good book for beginners and for a reference.It explains the topics very well and gives you a good look on how the aquarium works.It does a good job of explaining how to keep your water conditions at optimum levels for fish and plants.

Easy and Simple
After reading several books about the same topic, This one iseasy, simple and clear to understand, as thetitle expose. Itintroduce you as beginner or expert in an understandable language andhelp you step by step on what you nned to know about the hobbie. If your are plannig tohave a planted aquarium, this is a MUST READ BOOK.!!!!

useless book
This book was too complicated for the beginner and too superficial for everybody else.While all the photos of plants contained more than one type of plant, the caption failed to identify more than one type and it was never clear which plant the caption was referring too.Many of the more complicated topics were treated so superficially as to be of any use to anybody and should have been left out entirely

Why & How to kepp and aquarium.
The authors have done an excellant job of describing water chemistry and the reasons various filtration systems work. pH, KH, hardness, nitrites, and nitrates are all covered. Testing and correction of water deficiencies are described very well. The explanation of Kingdoms of platnts, animals, etc. is very enlightening. The different catagories of plants are also covered as well as their use in an aquarium. Fish that are compatible with a planted aquarium are also suggested. ... Read more

Product Description
Written by fish keeping experts who have first-hand experience in answering hobbyists questions. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Excellent Book!
This is an excellent book not only for the high quality of printing and pictures but also for its content. Small enough to be succinct and take you to the point about planting your aquarium step by step, plant's specific info depending on the variety, lighting requirements, nutrition, etc.

Disappointing
Little better than a brief introduction to planted aquaria, this book lacks a lot of basic information someone new to keeping aquatic plants would need. For example, the discussion of lighting talks about the number of lamps, not lumens per inch or even watts per gallon, the latter of which is a very basic rule of thumb for planted tanks. While the author talks about plants for the foreground, background, &c., he makes almost no mention of the different light requirements among plants, thus guaranteeing frustration on the part of the aquarium owner when his bright-light loving plants die from too little.

Not recommended.

Great Book
This is a great plant book for freshwater aquariums.Simply, uncomplicated and great pictures.My boyfriend liked it so much I had to order him one!

Decent Book if you don't already own the Hiscock Encyclopedia
I'm rather ambiguous about this book. If you don't already own some of the other books by the same author, or are looking for a median-priced beginning to your aquarium plants library, this is probably a really good choice. However, I already own the Encylopedia of Aquarium Plants (also by Hiscock) and Creating a Natural Aquarium (Hiscock). I found a lot of the information redundant with the Encyclopedia. On the other hand, it has a lot of the same solid, well-explained information, in a more concise, softcover book. If you don't already own the Encyclopedia, or are looking for an introductory book (perhaps as a gift for someone just getting into the hobby) its an excellent value, and an engaging read. However, if you're already well-versed in the hobby, or own the Encyclopedia, it may not be as useful. I found the other book, Creating a Natural Aquarium much more interesting (I ordered it and the "Essential Guide" at the same time), because it was a very different perspective on aquarium plants, approached from a biotope viewpoint.

But, as an overall, introductory guide, it really is quite good, with easy-to-understand diagrams and very well laid out information. ... Read more

Product Description
An encyclopedic reference for setting up, stocking, and maintaining a saltwater aquarium.

Nothing rivals the color and appeal of a saltwater aquarium. The Complete Encyclopedia of the Saltwater Aquarium simplifies the complexities of setting-up and maintaining a successful saltwater aquarium.

The book illustrates and explains:- Specific characteristics of invertebrates and marine fish - Important differences between tropical and freshwater fish- Choosing a tank: advantages and disadvantages of glass and acrylic, different shapes, and critical construction details- Accessories such as aquarium heaters, lights, and filters- Water testing and maintaining the correct chemical balance

More than half of the book is a directory that covers species from 34 fish families. Details include their characteristics, natural environment, diet and feeding, size range, and aquarium behavior.

Coldwater aquariums are covered in a separate section that shows how to establish an artificial habitat for fish requiring temperate saltwater.

This full-color reference will appeal to saltwater tropical fish enthusiasts at any level. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (11)

No wonder why its rare!
I bought this thinking it's something different than what Mr. Dakin wrote 10 years earlier and for the most part it's not! If you've read the other one with a blue cover that came out in 93' don'tbuy this one! This one is about 90% the same book. Why this book was printed,I have no ideal! It has a little more detail regarding filtration but most of it has been reprinted from the earlier book! On the plus side this baby is very rare(less than10000)copies! Also, I heard because Fenner's Conscientious Marine book was a blockbuster(3 printings) and no better than this one Dakin and his supporters wanted more exposure! This thing should still be in print! In PAPERBACK, it's huge(10 x 12)& 2plus pounds!

Table top sized pictorial of aquarium animals
Replace your stupid books of lame art and boring family pictures. Put this on your coffee table and let guest compare pictures with your aquatic species.

Great start
If your are just starting off or of been with the salt water hobby for a white thsi is a great book to have.

Saltwater Aquarium "Nutshell" book...
If you're familiar with IT books, there's a type known as "nutshells" which contain the critical essentials the reader needs to get about their business and gain a deeper understanding of the subject-matter.I'd read about marine tankkeeping on various hobbyist websites but decided to pick this book up to make sure I understood the fundamentals before I set up my first SW tank.Dakin is clearly devoted to the hobby and provides good, sound advice for me, a novice.Some reviewers lament the lack of details for particular species; for that information, I highly recommend A PocketExpert Guide to Marine Fishes: 500+ Essential-To-Know Aquarium Species which provides detailed info about compatibility, minimum tanks sizes, and feeding requirements for various marine fishes.All-in-all, this "encyclopedia" served my needs.

Nice reference
When I bought this book I had already been in the sw hobby for six years, but for some reason I had to have this book.Needs to be updated, but it offers a great and broad foundation of the hobby.It is easy to read, and has awesome pictures.Also some of the species names were different from what I have seen in most other books. ??? ... Read more

Product Description
Brilliant photography by the world's best underwater photographers and leading international aquarists highlights detailed profiles of more than 500 species of reef aquarium fishes in this new title in the Microcosm/T.F.H. Professional Series.

Organized by family for easy reference, each profile includes all essential care, feeding, and husbandry advice. The species profiles include all available reef aquarium choices, with scores of seldom seen, rare, and recently discovered species.

Written by the world's most-read, most-respected expert on marine fishes for the home aquarium, PocketExpert(tm) Guide to Reef Aquarium Fishes is a must-read for any fish enthusiast. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

Full of useful information
I just recently bought this book at a local bookstore to learn more about what fish are compatible for a saltwater aquarium. This book has absolutely everything you need to know in order to collect the best fish for the type of aquarium environment you are looking for. It tells you how they do in captivity, if they will bother soft and hard corals, and if they eat shrimp or invertebrates. It definitely helped me to choose my fish for my new aquarium.

Reef Fishes
Everything written by Scott Michael is EXCELLENT! He's my favorite aquatic author. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND all of his books!

Don't shop without it!
I have this book and the marine invertebrates book and I don't go to buy saltwater fish without either one.It's saved me from some costly mistakes.I've researched online and in other books and I have found both books are quite accurate.I only wish I owned them sooner.Worth every penny.

Awesome book
It does not matter if you are a begineer or an expert marine aquarium hobbyist Scott Michael's marine books are a must have.
The Reef Aquarium Fishes book is a handy tool for finding reef safe fish for your aquarium. Its may be small in size but is packed with tons of useful information.
I use it before I make any new purchases for my marine aquariums.

Well researched, well written.
Scott W. Michael is the authority on salt water aquarium fishes. I have been in the hobby for years and I found this book to be well researched and well written. I refer to it often. It includes the standards in the industry as well as information on less well know species that are becoming available. I highly recommend it. ... Read more

Product Description
This 3rd edition, a truly beautiful and immensely colorful book, satisfies the long-existing need for a comprehensive identification guide to marine fishes. This book shows in full color not only the popular aquarium fishes but also the oddballs and weirdos, the large seaquarium-type fishes, both warmwater and coldwater fishes, as well as both foreign and domestic fishes. In short, this book has it all and has it in a format that will provide maximum utility to its reader. The fishes are grouped family by family in phylogenetic order--sharks and rays first, puffers and boxfishes last.The photos were taken predominantly by world-class fish photographers. Most photos are eight-to-the-page, but some of the most beautiful marine fishes are represented in full-page, full-color splendor.Not only does this book supply photos provided with up-to-date scientific names, but almost all of the captions indicate the family, range, size, and optimum aquarium conditions as well. Also included in this book are family-by-family write ups on the aquarium care of these fishes. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (12)

Out-dated but still valid.
This book is great for a wholesaler or store, or someone who is doing field research.But as someone who is trying to create a catalog of up-to-date species listings, it is lacking updates from older editions.Pictures of preserved specimens are used, that were used in older editions, and living specimens are readily available.But the index is well written in three forms that may need updates of the common names in the next edition maybe?

outdated
most of the photos are old and not very nice - missing are common names and explanation for each genus of common features - behaviour...
I don't reco.

Great reference book, but must know how to use it
This book is not for lazy people , have a lot of fishes and information about fishes on it, but you must learn to read this book, because the info is on simbols and the reference is in the index.

Once you know how to use this book, it can be of great helpidentifying fish ,their origins, foods, care, and needs.

All i have to say is, if you want a book about fishes, and want to learn a lot about them, this is the book that you are looking for.

Nice additional reference, but can't be primary
This book has endless pictures and drawings of fish. Many pictures are good, although there are plenty that appear as taken long ago with inferior film and recently scanned. It is a great to find a particular fish, especially if coloration is different. Here, many times there are many different pictures for a single fish to show differences which is very nice.

The book has icons regarding lighting, salinity, foods, etc., for each picture. The icons could o a better job showing compatibility or aggressiveness.

What this book does not have is a description that is very helpful to the aquariust such as "this fish will eat your hermit crabs", "this fish becomes a bully to conspecifics", "this fish may nibble corals" on either the family or species level. The short rundown on each family is not enough.

By all means buy this book to increase your collection, but if it is your first fish book to make selection choices, I suggest you look elsewhere and that is not even considering the price.

Major Help for Newcomers
This book was probably designed for intermediate to advanced marine hobbyists. However, I bought it just getting into the hobby and it was invaluable for one reason. It shows every known fish, and as another reviewer says, talks about sociability, smallest tank size (big one), and diet. What was most useful for me was to help me design my ultimate tank as far as colors, types, compatability, etc without ever spending a dime. Well worth the money just for the comprehensiveness. ... Read more

Product Description
The allure of the natural aquarium is that it is both a spectacularly beautiful and all-natural environment - the ideal backdrop for an aquarium of colorful fish . The plants and accessories needed to create a natural aquarium are more abundant than ever, giving aquarium hobbyists may more choices.

This book explores the full range of natural aquarium possibilities, and with its abundance of full-color photos and drawings makes setting up and lm maintaining the design of choice as simple(and successful) as possible. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

great book
this is a great book for planning out your aquarium and plants...note this book does not have very much if any info on fish

Good book for this price, but....
This is a good book for aquarium biotopes beginners, worhthy the price, have lots of images, good ideas that may help you at the time you mount a tank. On the other hand, this book has many errors on the right location of some plants, for example anubias in an "Amazon Acis Pool"?, i don?t think so, so if mistakes like this don?t bother you then this book is a good low price choice. Conversely to the plants mistakes, i found several ideas about "fishing bitopes", a very accurate research on fishes on differents areas. Good book for the price.

Compared to a Newer Version
I'm going to start off by saying that this book is basically an older version of "Aquarium Designs Inspired by Nature", by the same author.This being said I'm going to compare the two in this review.

Both books are for anyone who has wanted to turn their aquarium from a mix and match display to a strict biotope aquarium.They are divided in two parts, the first is a "practical section" that covers the water cycle, substrates and decoration, plants, water conditions and planning.Aquarium Designs Inspired by Nature (ADIBN) goes into some detail on the subjects but doesn't go as far as a textbook and make it boooooring.It is good information for aquarists of all levels.In the book, "Creating a Natural Aquarium" (CANA), the same information is covered in Part 1, but to a lesser degree and CANA omits some small sections.Part 1 of both books is really very similar and I wouldn't choose one based on the small differences.The important factor, in my opinion, the differences in part 2.

Part 2 of ADIBN covers more biotopes than CANA, which I will list below.The biotopes that are in both books are virtually the same.I this list I will list the biotope sections and then which book it is in.

Mountain Stream (CANA) split up in ADIBN
*Chinese Mountain Stream (ADIBN)
Central American Stream (BOTH)
Central American River (BOTH)
Australian River (BOTH)
European River (BOTH)
*European Lake (ADIBN)
Flooded Forest (CANA) Same as Below
Flooded Amazon Forest (ADIBN)
Amazon Acid Pool (Both)
*Downriver Amazon (ADIBN)
*Congo Whitewater River (ADIBN)
*West African Streambed (ADIBN)
Lake Malawi (BOTH)
Darkened Cave (BOTH)
*Southeast Asian Stream (ADIBN)
Southeast Asian Swamp (BOTH)
*Indian River (ADIBN)
Brackish Estuary (BOTH)
Mangrove Swamp (BOTH)

Personally I prefer Aquarium Designs Inspired by Nature because it includes a few extra biotypes and goes into a little more depth about each biotype.Aquarium Designs... is also a larger book so there are more pictures and they are larger.Aquarium Designs... uses the pictures from Creating a Natural Aquarium and adds a few. I like pictures, so this personal preference.

CONCLUSION:
If you want a little more detail and a few extra biotopes then go with AQUARIUM DESIGNS INSPIRED BY NATURE.If cost is a factor CREATING A NATURAL AQUARIUM is usually cheaper, or if you don't really care about the extra details left outCANA is equally as good as ADIBN.Both books are helpful in pointing you in the right direction and showing natural habitats. No matter which you pick you will be happy. (I Hope) These are the best books I have found (so far) that describe natural environments for the home aquarium. GOOD LUCK!

GREAT BOOK
This is a wonderful book for anyone interested inBiotope tanks, or just a healthy habitat for your fish.It give in detail instructions and ideas, for biotopes from every part of the world, along with list of fish and plants for the tanks as well,its had many pictures to help you.and even goes into detail about kinda of substrates, filtration and other things.all the tanks in the book are built in 55gallon tanks, but can be made smaller. It even explains the different biotopes.if you having trouble finding info on any type of biotope this book is well worth the small investment, even with just one use it will pay for itself in the time you save.I very highly recommend this book to everyone, beginner or expert. ... Read more

Product Description
Freshwater Aquariums covers all the basics of aquarium selection, discussesfish types in detail, and describes ways to make an aquarium thrive. 140color photographs and diagrams provide step-by-step instruction on how toset up a successful aquarium. ... Read more

Product Description
Hobbyists of all ages need look no further than this lavishly illustrated book, which is the perfect introduction to the fascinating world of exotic aquarium fish. Many of the 700 species included are among the most sought-after by aquarists yet are often ignored in other books. Concise yet authoritative information about each freshwater and marine fish includes family, scientific and common name, distribution, size, food, temperature range, and pH and dH requirements. In addition, Gina Sandford suggests how to design the ideal, environmentally suitable tank and stock it with beautiful and unusual species. She offers advice on how to set up the right filtration, lighting, and heating systems. Fishkeeping is a challenge from the outset, and An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aquarium Fish gives aquarists the means to meet that challenge and enable their stock to thrive. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Best book on aquarium fishes
This is the best book on aquarium fishes I have ever seen. It covers 700 species, each illustrated with a nice color photo. For each species, family name, common name, scientific name, size, distribution, temperature range, pH range, dH range, food preference and a brief description are given.The information given is very accurate.For example, I did not know that the red-tailed sharks are mean when they get old.

Few books mentioned water hardness.This book gives dH value for every species.Only now I understand why swordtails did not live very long in my area.

I highly recommend this book.

An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aquarium Fish
This is one of the better general fish encyclopedias that I have.It covers many species that others don't, and has great basic information on each one.
Great buy for the money.

Guy's reviews
I have the most recent version of this book, and I would have to say it is one of the best reference books I have ever red, especially if you are thinking of setting up a new aquarium and don't have a clue what to put in it. It contains basic information about water temperature and chemistry requirements, along with size of the fish and other such basic information and colour photos of each fish mentioned. It is a good book to get a basic idea of the requirements of a certain fish, leaving you to research more detail about a fish elsewhere. If you only buy one such book for your aquarium library this is the book you should purchase.

Outstanding Reference
I don't actually own this book, but borrowed it from the local library.I found it to be an excellent reference to just about any fish I needed to know about.I believe that the beginner in the hobby will find this book a must and the more experience fish keeper invalueable if they wanted to branch out to a breed that they are not familiar with.Definitelyworth having on your own bookshelf.

An excellent reference for the hobbyist
I wish all fish books were so helpful! 600+ species are listed, and for each you learn natural distribution, temperature, ph & dh, size, food preferences, tank setup, temperament, and breeding. She often tells youwhat to look for in store specimens -- signs of ill health & such.Oh, and did I mention the color pictures? ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Nice pictures and accurate info
It's a good book if your not looking for specific info on a specific fish or invert.This book generalize a family of fish or inverts.It has very indepth info on equipment, but has no recommend setup.This book also include some nice ideas about ridding deritus.

Good Book for Those Planning to Have A Marine Aquarium
This book has the same contents as "The Questions & Answers Manual of the Marine Aquarium: Practical and Expert Advice on Keeping Fish and Invertebrates" by the same author but published by Salamander Books Limited (ISBN: 0-86101-861-3).

It covers a good introduction of the various gadgets (filters, protein skimmers, ozonizers, etc.) and explains the purpose of such devices. Tank set-up and care are also covered.Common fishes and invertebrates are covered, each in two or three pages with colorful, good quality photos of the creatures.

Q & A approach makes reading a breeze.Highly recommended for beginners

A Great Start
This book does a wonderful job of explaining all the basics of marine fish, and reef keeping.If you want to know what all the gagets are, and what they do, this is the book for you.It gives a good general description of all the equipment and how each item is used.It does not support any one tank set up method.It throws all the information out there and lets the reader sort it out for themselves.It's also a nice quick reference for fish/invert compatibility, tank, and feeding requirements.Great for the beginner!

accurate and informative text, a necessity.
this book has to be one of the most informative, accurate, and comprehensive book on BOTH corals and fish I could find.There were numerous occasions where we had opportunities to verify firsthand theadvice contained herein, and much to our astonishment, the author was trulyon point.

Good useful information for the novice and the buding expert
Easy to understand and utilize, sound information all presented in a clear and articulate manner. Those starting in the hobby will find this a useful tool before graduating to more complex reference books. Well presentedphotographs are also a added treat. The expert reef keeper however, maybeleft wanting something a little more profound. ... Read more

Product Description
Whether it's your first fish tank or your a master fish keeper with saltwater aquariums & freshwater aquariums, we all occasionally have a question we don't know the answer to regarding our tropical fish and the home aquarium. This guide to the care and keeping of tropical fish will serve as a handy reference to make sure your home aquarium is a beautiful addition to your home.Get your copy now. You owe it to yourself and your spouse. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Great book must read !!
I just brought my son a set of tropical fish for his 10th birthday and the only thing that has been bothering me ever since is how to clean the tank as its huge in size. I was recommended this book by a friend who said it gives a load of useful tips on how to keep your home aquarium clean and your fish healthy. If you find yourself in the same predicament as I did, then I really suggest you check this out. ... Read more

Product Description

"Reef Aquarium Success - Volume 1: Learn How To Maintain A Beautiful Mini-Ocean Environment Within Your Tank" is Volume 1 of the original electronic book "Reef Keeping Basics - Successful Reef Management". To assist in the marketing and promotion of that original book, the author - Eric V. Van Der Hope, decided to publish a paperback version of the book. Also, because the original electonic book comprised over 700 pages & over 300 colorful images, it wasn't cost effective to produce as a single printed book. Thus, "Reef Aquarium Success - Volume 1" has become part 1 of an extremely informative and educational resource.

About "Reef Aquarium Success - Volume 1":

"A Comprehensive Reef Keeping Resource - Written by Hobbyists - For Hobbyists!"

Do You Want To Maintain A Beautiful Pristine Reef Environment Successfully, While Maintaining Proper Conditions For The Health of Your Tropical Fish, Invertebrates and Corals?

Learn to master what it takes to successfully maintain a mini-ocean environment within your home or office!

Here's just a sample of what's revealed within the pages of "Reef Aquarium Success - Volume 1":

- Discover what the most important aspect to consider is before even beginning the thought of maintaining your very own mini-reef environment!

- Learn 10 critically important steps to help guarantee your chances of establishing a successful reef tank.

- You'll get a revealing look at some of the most common mistakes hobbyists make that result in disastrous results. This is your opportunity to make sure that you don't do the same.

- Learn what type of water you should use - this can ultimately be your most important decision you make to help guarantee the success of your mini-ocean environment.

- Learn what the most important types of testing are at setup, how often it should be done, and what the parameters should be.

- There are several types of lighting arrangements you must choose from. Deciding what type of lighting is suitable for your tank will have a direct link to the survival of your reef environment.

- Learn how important a refugium is (usually in a sump below the tank) which has fast become one of the most useful filtration methods used by hobbyists around the world.

This book is for everybody - especially for 'newbies'. There is no better way to learn more efficiently than from individuals who have been through it all before. If your goal is to be successful at something - then you must imitate someone who is doing it successfully! Your chances of success within this hobby will increase dramatically if you do 1 thing - follow the advice from proven methods!

Customer Reviews (2)

Simply does not translate from digital to print media.
The book really does have a lot of good information layed out in a very easy to digest question and answer format. So it truly is a shame that the print quality of this book makes it look like it was done on a home inkjet printer set to draft mode. The simple truth here is that the pictures actually hurt my eyes to look at. They seem fuzzy and "off". If I had a Kindle, this would be a fantastic read. The print version is absolutely not worth the price. They really shoudln't even bother making the rest of this series in print form.
-Get it for your Kindle, DO NOT buy the paperback.

A must have for the salt water enthusiast
There is so much information in this book that I would call it a must have.It will save you so much time and heartache.Learn from the people who have gone through the problems and solved them to save you time and money.Eric has done something no one else has, that is ask the regular person who has solved their issues on the right way to raise salt water fish.Must, must, must!!!! ... Read more

Product Description
Literally hundreds of different tropical freshwater fish are shown in vivid color photos and described for aquarium hobbyists. Readers will also find information on general aquarium maintenance. More than 300 color photos. Titles in the Compass Guides series are handsome and practical quick-reference sources for pet owners, pet fanciers, and aquarium and terrarium hobbyists. Books feature brief descriptive profiles of their subject animals, each profile consisting of a color photo, the animal’s place of origin, its basic housing and feeding needs, and its physical traits and temperament. In addition to the profiles, each Compass Guide also contains general information on animal species and their families. 200-to-300 color photos and index. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (12)

Sweet Book Indeed!

This is a superb freshwater aquarium book to have; every freshwater aquarium keeper owes it to himself or herself to get this one. It's packed with a lot of pertinent information on water temperature ranges, water types, care, habits, compatibility, etc.There are a lot of superb photographs that are a joy to explore. Walt Whitman once stated that he liked the feel of a good compact book that one could really get close to; well this is the one for freshwater aquarium buffs. Plenty of good reading with excellent photos! The plastic book cover is a nice touch to this fine paperback!

Contra View but now tempered
OK, OK, maybe I am eating a bit of crow here!I'll let the review I first wrote stand (see below), but I have felt compelled to edit it with this addition.I have had the book for several weeks now, and when I saw that I was using it daily, and more than any other book I have on tropicals, I had to come back here and set the record straighter.

Yes the book is still irritating in its choice of index organization.But on the positive side, it has many more species in it than I ever thought I'd be interested in.As I get further into the hobby and become more curious and more exposed to new species of fish, I find that this book usually has them in it.It is actually a pretty good quick reference guide for taking to the aquarium store and for doing some arm-chair study.Not in depth study, as the blurbs are just that, blurbs.But it is quite useful and deserves more than I gave it previously.

(First review) After reading all of the previous reviews, I got the impression that this was a book I needed. Somehow, somewhere all the way I got the wrong impression. I have had the book less than a day and already I am irritated with it. For one thing, it is organized by English common names. And not even "pencilfish, brown"! No! "Brown Pencilfish"!! It makes no sense.I don't know alot of these fish by their common name. Pencilfish maybe, but not BROWN pencilfish! Sheesh. If I wanted to find all the pencilfish I'd need to roam thru the index. This way of indexing also separates species of the same genus from each other. You have the various rasboras all over the place! It is a very good book for looking up various species that might not be in the shorter books, but the manner in which the editor chose to set it up is just plain awkward.

Mini-dictionary of Freshwater Fishes - Recommeded!
This book is small in size and light in weight. I think this book is good for you to carry outward, especially for you to shop around the aquarium shops. But don't think that small in size or light in weight is "EQUAL" to "thin content", at least I don't think so. This book have RICH CONTENTS and give me a fast guide for most of freshwater fishes, which may be useful for you to determine which fishes you can bought to your home. Price is also acceptable. Overall I recommened this book for leisure purpose.

Aquarium Fish Clearly Defined
This book is very descriptive on the many kinds of aquarium fish. It is greatly illustrated and a book I would recommend for anyone who is ready to make an aquarium their hobby.

Great Basic Fish Info
Exactly what I was looking for. A book with lots of photos of fish and brief descriptions and basic info on each. Easy to use, colorful, nice protective cover. High quality. ... Read more

Product Description
This guide to keeping fishes shows how to recreate aquatic environments from continents and oceans around the world. It shows how to design a range of environments and then fill it with suitable species of plants and fishes. The information is systematically arranged into self-contained guides. Step-by-step photographs show how to set up each tank, with information on the correct type of substrate, water, lighting, temperature, landscaping, plants and waterflow for the environment. There is also a guide to the fishes that are suitable for each tank, with information on their general care. A reference section covers nutrition and successful breeding, tank and water management, and treating ailments and disorders. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (24)

Good book, but not too complete
The first half of book talk about how to plan e design the tank, and about equipament. The rest of book show how to mount various biotypes of tanks, realy, the second part is like a layouts guide, with types of fish, plants, rocks and etc for each biotype.

Great starter book.
We have aquariums, but really knew next to nothing about the correct way to set them up and maintain them.This book was both informational and reinforced what we did know.

Complete Aquarium
This is an usual book compared to many of the others I have read recently but I like it. It contains many beautiful pictures of aquarium setups with step by step directions on producing the finished product. The various aquariums are representative of different habitats all over the world. It is a joy to look through even though you may not be creating a new aquarium.

Interesting book
I first bought this book looking for a book about building aquariums and was very disappointed.It is titled "The Complete Aquarium, A practical guide to building ....... aquariums".It, however, does not discuss the actual building of an aquarium, what it is refering to is the setting up of an aquarium.It does provide beautiful information for setting up theme tanks, ie. natural environment tanks from lakes, rivers, etc from around the world.It is also very attractive and well organized as is typical of a DK book.

I Should have saved my money
This wasnt the type of book for a newbie if you just wanted to know about fish. This is more of a HOW TO book for setting up different types of tanks. I guess it would be a great book if you were really deep into fish other than just wanting a nice community tank that looks nice and the fish wont eat each other. ... Read more

Product Description
This is the new revised edition 2004.An experienced professional presents the principal information about diseases in marine aquarium fish. Presented in a clear, easy- to-understand manner.

Contents include:
- Causes and prevention of diseases in fish.
- Recognizing the symptoms of disease - in practice and under the microscope.
- Drugs and combinations of treatments, which even non-specialists can apply. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Good info, but bad pictures
I bought this book hoping to identify what disease my porcupine fish had -- and this book failed to achieve this purpose.This book is very descriptive with words, but did a terrible job with pictures.The pictures simply don't help much in figuring out what disease a fish might have.The photographs are all of low resolution and quality.I wish there was a text out there that just showed excellent quality pictures of what each specific disease looks like in each stage of the disease (perhaps with close-ups and detail).This book will help you once you know what disease your fish has -- but isn't that much of a help at helping you figure out what exactly that disease is. ... Read more

Product Description

This expert guide provides up-to-date information on keeping goldfish healthy in home aquariums.It covers a wide range of common issues with goldfish care, and contains identifying photos for many of the most popular and easily obtained goldfish species.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Very informative for our gold fish we are trying to take care of for our kids.
I think this book has become very handy with trying to learn more things on how to keep our fish alive longer and help them be healthy..Very good book. I would highly recommend gold fish lovers to get this book here. ... Read more

Product Description