Product Description
About Pets: Tropical Fish is an ideal guide for the first-time pet owner. Filled with practical information on how to feed and care for your pet, it includes important facts about the different phases in a tropical fish's life, tips on buying and maintaining an aquarium and aquatic plants, and important health tips. Every About Pets book contains a directory of internet sites where you can get on-going new information from trusted sources. About Pets: Tropical Fish also provides free access to an ebook version for additional convenience. ... Read more

Product Description
A volume of Barron's Family Pet Series, AQUARIUM FISH offers information and advice on selecting fish for a freshwater aquarium tank, maintaining variety, keeping a chemically balanced aquarium, purchasing necessary equipment, feeding the fish, and cleaning the tank. This book also will help readers keep an aquarium that is enjoyable for both children and adults to observe. Profusely illustrated in full-color. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Great illustration and picture quality!
This is by far my favorite book.Excellent quality pictures and references

aquarium fish[reference book]
very good book for beginners in that it gives quick, direct,
and concise instruction on general care of a wide variety
of freshwater fish. outstanding photos so one can really
appreciate these fish. this book tries to cover so much that
it is forced to be too brief with its information on any one
group of fishes. excellent for quick references.

Not Bad
This is actually a pretty good book if you want information on fish ie. breeding, care, disease treatment and prevention, characteristics, benefits, what fish are good with what fish.It has lots of pictures offreshwater fish with brief descriptions of each. There is a page or so ofgeneralized information concerning each species and then pictures with aparagraph describing some of the specific subspecies.

It's really lighton plant info.So if you want info on plants go find another book. Also ifyou are looking for information on how to start up or maintain an aquariumyou'll need to go else where.

All the information is pretty basic so thisis definatly a beginner's book, it doesn't go into anything in any realdepth.

So I gave it three stars, it's not a must have by any means butit does provide some good helpful information.

Interesting and useful, but don't expect an all-in one guide
A reasonably good book for a beginner wanting to start an aquarium with a bit more thought than the usual community tank.The part on biotopes is not only interesting but is of great help fro the aquarist who would like toset up a tank/ecosystem which is as close to the real thing as possible.However, the 159 pages did leave the me "dissatisfied", I reallycould have done with a more detailed book. . If you want to keep/keep aplanted aquuarium like I do, then you do need other books like Amano,sNature Aquarium World series, and Barry James' Illustrated Guide.... formore details and ideas.

Interesting and useful, but don't expect an all-in one guide
A reasonably good book for a beginner wanting to start an aquarium with a bit more thought than the usual community tank.The part on biotopes is not only interesting but is of great help fro the aquarist who would like toset up a tank/ecosystem which is as close to the real thing as possible.However, the 159 pages did leave the me "dissatisfied", i reallycould have done with a more detailed book. . If you want to keep/keep aplanted aquuarium like I do then, you do need other books like Amano,sNature Aquarium World series, and Barry James' Illustrated Guide.... formore details and ideas. ... Read more

Product Description
Fancy guppies are one of the most popular aquarium fish around the world. This book assists with making guppy selections and offers valuable information on keeping, breeding, and showcasing these fancy fish. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Excellent book for beginner to advanced hobbyist
I have owned a couple of fancy guppy tanks for most of my life just for the joy of looking at these beauties and, at 61, am on the look out for up-to-date books on this delightful, peaceful, lovely little fish.

This book is a jewel!It not only covers all the basics needed for the beginner, or refresher info for the in-between folks, but also provides information on line breeding and inbreeding that I found very interesting and useful for active breeders.

It has a very useful section on recognizing the various color classes and tail types being bred today and has photos of some females that are so beautiful, I had to check the anal fins to make sure they were not males!

This book also tells you what the most important question you should ask about the breeding background of any guppies you are buying as breeding stock, regardless of how beautiful they are.Want to know the question?Buy this wonderful book with its gorgeous, full-color fancy guppy photos and find out what it is.

Unlike so many TFH books using 30-year-old photos by Hannel or Alexelrod (Truly the greats of their time), this one is chock full of beautiful photos of Fancy Guppies and the many color and fin types available in this new 21st century.Most of the photos are of fish that were bred by its IFGA show winner and breeder author, Stan Shubel. BUY THIS BOOK!YOU WILL LOVE IT!

Note:Although the check box for Amazon purchase review will not come up for me, I did purchase this book at Amazon.com

Great info: from beginner to advanced hobbyist
Stan, the author, has been breeding IFGA show quality guppies for over 30 years. He consistently places in the top three at the IFGA shows. Guppy strains have come a long way over the years with ever increasing beauty and new colors. This book will show you how to keep all guppies in top condition with great advice on feeding, water quality, lighting and disease. Many color photos and many are of Stan's own IFGA show fish. Even if you only have a tank or two of guppies obtained from the local fish store, this book will have something of value for you. There's a small section on how to selectively breed your gupps to maintain their quality and keep the offspring looking like the parents.I encourage guppy enthusiasts to pick up a copy of this book.
Like Stan, I'm also a member of the IFGA and encourage you to show your guppies at one of the shows and share the guppy hobby with a youngster, to keep this fascinating hobby alive for future generations.

A good book
This book is very useful. It teaches us how to take care of guppies. It also has many lovely picture. Anyone who owns guppy will like this book, me too!

Great book
This is a great book to learn about guppies and has great pics, i do think this book is more for breeders then for beginners, as for just a basic home tank i found myself still asking some questions, but still has a lot of good info.

Guppies are Gorgeous!
This book was purchased for my 12 year old daughter who has 2 aquariums in her room.One large tank is full of guppies happily breeding.This book has lots of useful information which my daughter refers to often. The book is easy to follow and many lovely photos.

Thanks. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Good for absolute novices to betta fish care - an inexpensive bare basics start
The coverage for betta specific care is useful, if not super user-friendly. Of all the betta care books, this one is probably the most useful for the novice betta owner.

There is also some information for the intermediate-level owner. Discussions include great definitions on true and mixed colors, types of finnage and layman's discussions on what color and fin traits are dominant.

The disease section is fine, but (like most betta books) relies too heavily on dumping in the medications and antibiotics. It does recommend better prophylactic care - like clean water - and at least recommends trying salt regimes before breaking out the bigger meds. Don't look for any pictures of fish diseases, however - there is just one picture of a female betta with dropsy.

The basic betta care section touches on just that - the bare basics. There is enough information to get started, but not the kind of in-depth pet-owning information I personally would appreciate. I guess that is why this book is in the "Quick and Easy" series.

I would also rather the betta care information be organized better, with bullets and easy-to-find section headings. Maybe this is just being picky.

This is probably the best betta book for beginners, with lots of great photos and a decent amount of care information. It's a very inexpensive book and worth picking up for yourself, or as a thoughtful little betta keeper's gift.

A little too basic
Betta Care is a well written book with excellent pictures of "Siamese Fighting Fish."If you have only one source of information at hand, this will serve you well.

Unfortunately, there is another source of information that will serve you well at a much smaller cost - the Internet.Though this book is a handy way to get all the information in one place, you can get the same info (as well as all the good pictures) on many different websites.

My recommendation:If you are the type of person who likes to have the info in black and white in front of them, buy this book.If you're the type of person who spends a lot of time on the web, get the same info for free.

Betta Care
The book had a lot more information for breederds than for beginners,
but the information that a beginner could use, was very good.

It's A Life Saver
This book is exactly what it says, Quick and Easy.The chapter on white spot was a real life saver for our betta.We followed the instructions and quess what? It worked.

greatbook
This is an awesome book that tells you how to take care of bettas.It tells you information on feeding,housing,ilnesses, and different types of bettas.Bettas are much easier to care for if you read this astonishing informational book about bettas.This book even helped me cure my betta from an illness called Ich.Buy this low-price book if you plan to own a betta. ... Read more

Product Description
The titles in the popular and growingLetÂ's Take Care of childrenÂ's pet care series describe both the fun and the responsibilities that come with owning an animal. Each attractively illustrated story tells about a little boy and girl and the excitement that they share when they acquire a pet. A Guideline section at the conclusion of each story presents pet care advice and information that is geared to younger childrenÂ's capabilities. All titles in this series are available in both English and Spanish language editions. ... Read more

Product Description
Written by a leading expert in the marine aquarium hobby, this helpful guide provides complete yet accessible information that addresses solutions to the most common--and not-so-common--problems that hobbyists encounter when maintaining saltwater aquariums. ... Read more

Product Description

Written by an expert on livebearing fish, this comprehensive yet easy-to-read guide offers advice on a wide range of care issues from diet and nutrition to species selection and health care. Livebearer species covered include the popular platies, mollies, swordtails, and guppies.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

A good book
A comprehensive little book on the subject of Livebearers, one of the most popular tropical fish around that does not lay eggs but give birth to young fries instead. The livebearers has been bred in many forms and a multitude of colours, such as guppies, mollies, platies and swordtails.The book gives all the information that you are likely to require, either for breeding these lovely fishes or simply making sure that they are happy and healthy in your tank.

Very detailed very Truthful DOWN TO EARTH Reality for taking care of youre first tropical fishes.
i love this book on how detailed and down to earth it is.
For beginners, for advanced readers alike!

At last - an up-to-date book on livebearers!!
Most of the information on livebearing tropical fish is old and dated, and very little covers information on either goodeids (a group of livebearers from Cnetral Mexico) or some of the more exotic species. And many of the books are written by Europeans from a European perspective. I'm happy to say that this book solves these problems! There is anformation on the more exotic species of livebearing fish, but there is also information on care written from an American perspective discussing equipment currently available in American retail stores. Ted also includes contacts of various livebearer groups.
But don't get the idea that this book is only for advanced hobbyists. There is a lot of basic information on aquarium care that applies to the succesful keeping of all tropical fish. This information is useful and understandable to almost all levels of hobbyists. And it is profusely illustrated with excellent photos which are unique to this book.
Thanx, Ted!!!!

from the author...
Thank you for your interest in my new book.As I do not gain financially from its sales, my description here is to simply let you know more about this work of which I am quite pleased (for the most part).

"Aquarium Care of Livebearers" is unique in several respects compared to other books on the subject (in and out of print). The information presented is fresh (experience or research), and not simply a re-hash of other books or secondary sources. This was very important to me as I wrote the book, as it is for my Tropical Fish Hobbyist Magazine column. The fish section, while not an atlas, gives a nice smattering of species across the 4 families, with updated husbandry information based on my own and others experiences in recent years (something long overdue, IMO). The sections on diet, equipment, breeding, and healthcare are geared specifically towards livebeaering fish, and with new tips and techniques vs the standard "boiler plate".

While the Animal Planet imprint is written for the entire family to enjoy (there are boxed sections of info for young hobbyists in your home), the advanced or serious hobbyist will also find the book helpful - including non-livebearians. For example, we have included sections on building fishrooms, species maintenance, colony tanks, show standards and judging, vegetative filtration, evolution, and outdoor fish tubbing. There is also an entire chapter on the organized hobby, which I think is a first.

"Aquarium Care of Livebearers" is very much an evangelical read that I hope shares my enthusiasm for this fascinating group of fishes. It is also the first general livebearer book written by a North American livebearer hobbyist, which I think will provide a fresh perspective.

Thank you and enjoy,

TDC ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

This is the perfect book to help assist a family in choosing fish for their aquarium ~ American Humane Association approved!
Have you ever watched the Discovery Channel and seen the swirl of beautiful tropical fish beneath the sea and thought you'd love to see them yourself?Instead of spending a fortune heading to the Caribbean for an undersea dive in a submarine, you just might want to invest in an aquarium, talk to your family and discuss the kinds of fish you'd like to see swirling around in your own tank.Of course you'll need to do some research and realize that fish are living creatures and you would be responsible for their care.

This book discusses the basic aquarium set up and the supplies you will need from a lighted hood, live plants, a heater, a thermometer to a filter.The set up and location of the tank is also a very important consideration.Of course decorations are optional, but make the look of your tank much more appealing.Now, for the important part. . .what kind of fish will you choose?Research, research, research! This book will tell you how to "decide which kind is right for you and how many you should get."Did you know that you should only have "one inch of fish per gallon of water?"The top ten fish to consider are angelfish, bettas (Siamese Fighting Fish), blue-green chromis, Brazilian Sea Horses, clownfish, goldfish, guppies, mollies, neon tetras andplatys.

This is a very well written and thoughtful book. The fish discussed have been approved by the American Humane Association.Each species is accompanied by two photographs, a description of their appearance, a brief history, their special needs and general behavior.There is a section on how to keep the fish healthy through proper feeding and learning to observe them to insure they remain healthy.In the back of the book there is a glossary, an index and additional recommended book and internet addresses.If you think you'd enjoy being an "aquarist," you've come to the right place! ... Read more

Product Description
MICRO-REEF FISHES VOLUME I (S) ... Read more

Product Description
MICRO-REEF FISHES VOLUME II (H) ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

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

An in-depth book on the compatibility, care and behaviour on these selected species (only)
An in-depth book on the compatibility, care and behaviour on these selected species (only). Some of these species are so scares however that I doubt it if they will ever be found in a pet shop. If you are interested in keeping these species, this book is perfect.

Basslets, Dottybacks and Hawkfishes: Plus Seven More Aqarium Fish Families
Another great book on Reef Fishes by Scott Michael.He covers common as wellas rarely seen fishes and tells all that is know about these guys including foods, reproduction, habitat and aquarium care.This is a must have for Marine Aquarists!!Great Book!!

Great Book for the Aquarist or Diver!
Scott Michael continues his Reef Fishes series with this excellent book.The gorgeous photographs allow easy identification, often including multiple photos for color variations due to location, sex, etc.It also includes information on maximum length, distribution, and biology useful to both divers and aquarists, as well as captive care and aquarium suitability ratings.This volume along with the others in the series are a must have for any serious marine aquarist, as well as any diver interested in ID'ing and learning about coral reef fishes.Highly recommended!

By the way, the initial Amazon pricing on this book is erroneously high.I have this information directly from the publisher, so you may want to wait for it to be corrected before purchasing. ... Read more

Product Description
Cichlids are popular and attractive fish that require specific care and maintenance. This easy-to-follow guide provides clear and concise information on how to keep cichlids healthy and thriving in home aquariums. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Great for Sixth-graders...?
I found this book woefully lacking substance and any real information as to the keeping of cichlids. I finished reading it in under an hour, easily (probably closer to 40 minutes). Although an attractive book, its reading level would probably be more appropriate to a child approximately twelve years of age. A very basic beginners book.

Unfortunately, there appears to be a dearth of good, informative books on keeping cichlids (I was unable to find any other on Amazon rated as highly as this one).

From A Teacher
From a Teacher. . .

Claudia Dickinson's new book, the "Aquarium Care of Cichlids" is a great fish and learning resource for any new or veteran teacher, or simply for a student of cichlids, not only because it is so accurate and informative, but because of how it is written.The book understands teaching in that the pages are "interactive" and the chapters reflect an important teaching flow.
The pages are "interactive" in design as they are filled with engaging images framed with different geometric shapes that captures the eye and draws you into the critical information provided in a short format and then expanded on throughout the chapter's pages.The engagement goes further by providing the reader, both young and old, with expert knowledge and summary pages for emphasis and clarity.
The book is ideal for learning because of its logical flow that builds upon itself.First, the books starts with the critical question, "Why Cichlids," and then advances the reader Chapter by Chapter through background information, preparations to be accomplished, and then a number of critical care chapters.This emphasis on learning as you read and then putting the animals first is thoroughly reinforced next through a new important but action oriented question, "Which Cichlid is Best for Me?" The final chapter provides the "real" world connections that can be used by a veteran or newcomer to take their new-found knowledge to ever increasing levels of understanding.For me, as well as for my students, the book is as much a resource as a guide for thinking about the "Aquarium Care of Cichlids."If you have a cichlid tank at home, or in a classroom, this book should be close by for all to be taught about what they are seeing each day in their designed aquatic habitat.The book puts fish and learning first, and this fact makes the book invaluable. I recommend this book highly and without reservation based on my 35 years of teaching experience, work with teachers as a professor at Johns Hopkins University and the co-author of a number of curriculums.

For anyone with an interest in cichlids
This book is written by the consumate enthusiast. There is not a chapter that does not contain valuable and practical information on this outstanding family of fishes. Not only does the author enlighten you, she inspires you, or perhaps I should say she allows these fascinating fishes to inspire you. Cichlids are freshwater fish known for their intelligence and the wonderful parental care of their fry. No one has ever conveyed their amazing qualities better than Claudia Dickinson.I have been keeping aquarium fish for over 40 years, and have read many aquarium books (well over a hundred). I can assure potential buyers that this is must read for anyone interested in cichlids. It has a permanent place in my collection.

Steps to success with cichlids
Those of us in-the-know have been anxiously awaiting the debut of Aquarium Care of Cichlids, by Claudia Dickinson.It has fulfilled our expectations, and then some!The author is an extremely experienced and knowledgeable aquarist.She shares all of that with her readers, along with her effervescent enthusiasm.On one page she becomes an historian, on another a scientist, and on many others she is a hobbyist just like you or me.Her writing style is friendly without being flippant!
There are eight chapters simply overflowing with advice and information.It is published by T.F.H., and it is also part of the Animal Planet Pet Care Library; "Expertly written, these user-friendly guides are bound to delight the entire family."
Even though this is Ms. Dickinson's first book, she is far from a beginning author.She has won multiple awards for the countless articles she has written for such publications as Tropical Fish Hobbyist, Cichlid News, Buntbarsche Bulletin, and Modern Aquarium, to name but a few.
To quote Ms. Dickinson: "If reading this book sets you on the road to success with your first cichlid aquarium, these pages will have served their purpose well."Ultimately, YOUR review will be the most telling!
(Submitted by the book review columnist for Modern Aquarium magazine.) ... Read more

Product Description
Pet Owners Guide: Canaries, Love Birds, Parrots, Dogs, Goldfish, Tropical Fish: Information on Care, Feeding, Breeding, Training. Vintage paperback booklet produced by Justrite Pet Foods. 47 pages. ... Read more

Product Description
Describes caring for a pet fish, including feeding and cleaning suggestions, plus provides information on the health, safety, and aging of a pet fish. ... Read more

Product Description
In a straightforward, accessible format, this book introduces the hobby of tropical fishkeeping, outlining what is required in order to set up the correct environment, and what varieties of tropical fishes will thrive in an aquarium. Detailed information on choosing equipment, setting up a tank, plant selection, and water chemistry is included. You also get comprehensive coverage of how to feed your fish and how to maintain their tank. With special sections devoted to signs and symptoms of disease and first-aid treatments, as well as breeding tropical fish, this book has everything for the beginning hobbyist and the more experienced fishkeeper. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (16)

Excellent reference book
I bought this book for my 11 year old granddaughter, who was getting a fish tank set-up for her birthday.She really found it useful.It helped her decide what fish she wanted, and gave information to keep her new tropical fish healthy.

Great book
I rather like this book, and refer to it often.It contains information not covered in most aquarium hobby books. I have been in the aquarium hobby for 15 years.This is one of the books in my library.

Cons: no index, lack of pictures
Pros: great info

Great book.
I really have enjoyed this book.It goes into detail on several points concerning aquarium fish that other books typically leave out.I learned something new every few paragraphs.It does lack a significant amount of pictures, but makes up for it with the amount of information that it includes.It has a what if...? section, on fish health, which is helpful.If you don't enjoy a lot of reading, this book isn't for you, however you may find it helpful, in that it gives you a heads up when information appears later on in the book, so you can skip ahead.

Fasinating and thorough this is the book your fish want you to read.
I disagree that this book is shallow. I've checked out dozens of books about fish... and bought several. This one had more information on actually taking care of fish than any other book in my public library. All the other books I have found on the subject have only a few first chapters on maintaining your aquaria. The whole rest of them are devoted to what is sometimes called "fish profiles" there is one or at best three pages devoted to a singular species. That may help a little if you haven't bought your fish yet, but you cannot buy every fish profiled. And those few pages will give only a very limited knowlege about whatever fish you decide on. There are entire books devoted to fish profiles called fish atlases which cover many more species of fish, they weigh a ton and are much better for selecting your tank inhabitants than a book that is half-manual, and half-atlas. Tropial Fishlopedia does not presume to be a fish atlas of individual species... In the books introduction pg.#8 at the begining of the second paragraph the authors say "This book deals with just one aspect of fishkeeping - the maintenace of freshwater tropical fish." and between the end of the second and begining of the third paragraphs, Chapter 3 pg.22 "A list of additional reading matter will be found in Appendix A.
We cannot stress too highly, or too often the need to research each species before deciding whether to keep it." It is unfair to complain that this book does not sufficently cover fish species when the authors make it so clear that this is not the aim of the book. It IS the most in-depth book on the MATINENCE of tropical freshwater aquariums that I have ever encountered. It delves into the facinating subject of your fishes behavior and motivation, how to observe your fish's actions and body language and interpret whether it is stressed by illness, tankmates, or simply preparing for mating. It covers water chemistry beyond just the 'nitrogen cycle'. It has taught me more about fishkeeping than all the other aquarium books I've ever read in my life and I'm not even halfway through this book! No, it isn't a stiring novel or an exciting cliff-hanging adventure. But it is a good book. The longer words seem carfully choosen so that the meaning is clearest to it's reader. If you care about your fish and think that the pleasure they give you is worth the effort of learning to keep them healthy... if you find aquariums facinate you and trigger your curiosity... if you just feel that your fishkeeping thumbs are brown instead of green and that you must be content with looking at a friends tank because you are not gifted or lucky enough to keep alive fish of your own... if any of these situations describe you, you may find Tropical Fishlopaedia thoroughly satisfying.

Too Generic and Shallow
This book is too generic and lacks the most important thing which is practical advice. One can find some useful information how to start a tank but lots of other books and websites can tell you the same things. The authors did not address in deapth the most important aspects the fishes and their diseases. They tried to encompass a wide spectrum of questions but did it in a shallow way. The book does not tell you anything interesting about individual fishes and does not provide practical assistance in identifying and treating diseseas. ... Read more

Product Description
Covers all aspects of biology, care, breeding and classification of livebearing fish including families, species, genus and varieties kept in aquaria. Written by a former academic now in the commercial pet fish world, it is designed for the amateur and professional and petfish trade. ... Read more