1 comments about How to Keep Jellyfish in Aquariums: An Introductory Guide for Maintaining Healthy Jellies.

1. I read the book out of curiosity as a volunteer guide at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. The Aquarium's jelly collections are a favorite of many visitors and a favorite of mine. Visitors often ask about how we care for jellyfish and sometimes express interest in keeping them at home. I found the book to be very informative and entertaining. Technical details are organized in a way that helped me see the "big picture." Chad Widmar's accounts of the challenges in culturing and caring for various species will add a lot of color to stories I can tell. His description of the food chain (who eats whom) answers a very frequently asked question and will help young visitors see connections between exhibits in a meaningful way. If you have seen jellyfish displayed in an aquarium and are curious about how it is done, whether or not you wish to "try this a home," you will find the book a fun and worthwhile read.

5 comments about The Reef Aquarium: A Comprehensive Guide to the Identification and Care of Tropical Marine Invertebrates (Vol 2).

1. This series is well worth every penny. You can find a lot of books for less but that is what you are getting. Save yourself some money and get the series that thoroughly do cover every aspect of the hobby in amazing detail. This series is amazing and you will love it. It is a bit scientific but it does not leave anything out.



2. My husband took a dive into the Saltwater Aquarium world. ALL of Sprung's books are a must have. They have a lot of info and definitely is a great resource. Well worth the price. It has been referenced many times throughout the saltwater aquarium evolution.



3. This book goes indepth about the anatomy and physiology of mushrooms, soft corals and anemones. Not a great reference guide for choosing specimens for your It tends to generalize by family and/or genus vs species. If you are new to saltwater and are looking for a reference to choose items for your tank this would not be my first choice.



4. Just like the vol. 1, that is a must-have book. Please note that the vol. 3 should be released late Nov. 2005.
   
   Emmanuel, Los Angeles CA



5. This volume of the series covers the soft corals and sea anemones; very important topics indeed for reef aquarium. The two books together are still not complete as  there are many organisms found in a reef aquaria still not covered. In this series. A fine glossary accompanies this book. Much of what I had to gleen by trial and error and by reading arcane publications over the years is covered in this book. Approachable to the beginner yet  a lot of substance for the expert.

5 comments about Natural Reef Aquariums: Simplified Approaches to Creating Living Saltwater Microcosms.

1. I have read several books on Reef Aquariums and this book is by far the best yet. I understood all that was being written, as a beginner just learing about Reef Aquariums and enjoyed the beautiful photos as well. I feel the book as given me a much better understanding of how to set up and maintain a healthy and beautiful aquarium.



2. This is a very good book for those wishing to begin reef aquariums. Some of it is theory and some is opinions. Other sections are a little deep for the common person but overall it is a solid basis for those wishing to begin reep keeping. Reading this book should go a long ways to being successful keeping the different types of reefs.l



3. i am expecting the book to be a good one giving the inside i want to living filtration and a completely natural aquarium with very little artificial filtration help! i can not say yet if it will meet my expectances since i have order the book more than 2 months ago and i am still waiting for it....



4. Recently I've read several books pertaining to the tropical marine hobby and after reading this book by Mr. Tullock I rate it an eleven out of ten. Very informative, easy to digest, excellent format, and one to refer to in the future. A quality production by the publisher. Thank you Mr. Tullock!



5. Well written and a good book to read for general information.

5 comments about The Reef Aquarium: A Comprehensive Guide to the Identification and Care of Tropical Marine Invertebrates (Volume 1).

1. This book came in a timely fashion and was very well kept. Great book to read when looking for the answers to questions you may have. Awesome purchase.



2. This series is well worth every penny. You can find a lot of books for less but that is what you are getting. Save yourself some money and get the series that thoroughly do cover every aspect of the hobby in amazing detail. This series is amazing and you will love it. It is a bit scientific but it does not leave anything out.



3. New hobbyist should read this book for advice, then read it again in 6 months.



4. The good?
   
   This book is truly a comprehensive piece covering probably more than you want to know at times. For example, it explains the chemical reactions that occur during calcification of corals and why additions are necessary.
   
   After reading many other references, I must say I am very happy I purchased this volume. Contained in these pages are insights you won't find anywhere else.
   
   The book clearly explains the setup and maintenance procedures required to be successful in stony coral reef keeping.
   
   The bad?
   
   My main gripe is trivial. Guys, how about a larger font size and pictures? I had to do a lot of squinting.
   
   It could do with a minor revision of some references that are dated (such as collection of live rock from Florida) as the original was 1994, but make no mistake that all information is relevant.
   
   In summary...
   
   Obviously at this price it is unfortunately out of reach of the casual hobbyist, which is a shame. However, one could buy this book instead of various "reference manuals" which might be the same at the end of the day.
   
   Buy it if you can afford it.
   
   I also highly recommend Eric Borneman's Aquarium Corals book.



5. An exceptional book on the subject. It is comprehensive but I would not say not complete as no book on this subject could be. Still I believe this book to be the best work compiled in book form. Described by many as "the Bible" on the subject it indeed may be but it is not dogmatic as it offers several options and methods and leaves it for the aquarist to use.
   (Note: This volume covers stony corals and not soft corals).
   When I started keeping marine aquaria keeping back in 1970 one almost had to employ the skills of a chemist. In those days most people in the hobby  thought it nearly impossible to care for many of the species of coral now commonly kept. It was only through the encouragement of a local public aquarium (the John G. Shedd Aquarium) whereas a high school student I was able to participate in collecting trips that I got the encouragement to experiment. I started out with Robert Straughan's books back in 1970 which both helped to get me in trouble and helped me grow as an aquarist. both In those days there was an awful lot of trial and error. Later in the late 70's I helped to pioneer some techniques when I worked for the Steinhart Aquarium in San Francisco. In those days in San Francisco I worked for one of the largest marine fish wholesalers in the world. We had a lot of shipments that went off to Germany and now I wonder if some of the species that passed through my hands ended up in the hands of the authors. Somewhat of a revolution went of in the hoby in the 1980 thanks in part to the efforts of the Germans. Thankfully the hobby is now much more of a discipline and a lot more humane. It is quite amazing how far the hobby has come. I am sure the hobby will continue to evolve. This is a pricey book but it is a pricey hobby and this book is one of the best, if not the best, books on the subject available. The best place to start with the hobby is a book like this one.

5 comments about Culturing Live Foods: A Step-By-Step Guide to Producing Food for Your Home Aquarium.

1. If you've ever seen your aquarium fish look hungry for more, then Michael R. Hellweg's Culturing Live Foods: A Step-by-Step Guide for Culturing One's Own Food for the Home Aquarium is for you. It tells how to make happier fish by cultivating live foods they like - plants, multi-celled organisms, crustaceans, mollusks and worms - over 80 such foods in all. Culture methods, materials needed, color sidebars of reference information and more make for discussions of species, care, and what kinds of aquarium fish they can feed. Libraries specializing in aquarium owner's guides will find this offers something different for the avid aquarium owner.



2. The information contained in this book will prove invaluable to anyone interested in maintaining or breeding just about any species of tropical fish,and it is written in a down to earth style that is very easy to understand.
   You can't go wrong with this book.



3. This is a terrific, up-to-date resource by Mike Hellweg, a master fish breeder whose success with fish is built on his success in feeding his fish appropriate live foods.
   
   I've been discussing the culture of various live foods with Mike for several years now, and studying a lot of what has been easily available on the internet, and even put together my own web page reviewing the techniques I've used with my own cultures. But this book has already given me new tips and tricks on creatures I thought I knew all about, and given me confidence to try some that I've failed with in the past. The details are just right to enable success with each organism, and there are good sources for more information if you want or need it.
   
   This book is also an excellent primer on spawning fish, because several species are discussed as easily bred feeders for larger fish. Those are tips you can use to propagate those and related species for your own enjoyment even if you don't keep predatory fish.
   
   I can't recommend this highly enough for the aquarist who wants to keep and spawn happy, healthy fish.



4. I'm really happy to see this book. It's been a long time since we have had updated comprehensive information. This is presented beautifully and very well written. Any serious Aquarist should plan on this book for their collection. You won't be disappointed.



5. Culturing Live Foods
   By
   Michael R. Hellweg
   
   Since Mike Hellweg is an old and valued friend/colleague in the tropical fish hobby, my opinions about his new book "Culturing Live Foods" may be a little biased - although they really need not be. "Culturing Live Foods" is a much-needed, and excellently written book, and it is an important contribution to the aquarium hobby. Mike is well known throughout the hobby as not only an accomplished writer, but also a master breeder, and he shares with us the fact that much of his success in breeding fishes comes from giving live foods to both the breeders, and the offspring.
   "Culturing Live Foods" starts with a very interesting discussion of the history of fish foods, and the reasons for feeding live foods today, even though we have a wide variety of excellent frozen and dry foods available to us. The book then discusses the tools and containers needed, and getting starter cultures, for live foods. The foods themselves start with the smallest ones that are used - phytoplankton, or "Green water". Protozoans, or "infusoria" are then discussed, and then somewhat larger foods such as copepods, rotifers and vinegar eels. Much space is devoted to brine shrimp, which is fitting as they are probably the most common live food in the hobby. Mike discusses hatching, enriching and growing live brine shrimps to adults, as well as decapsulating the cysts (eggs).
   As the book progresses we move up in size for the live foods, from worms (whiteworms, tubifex, blackworms and earthworms) to snails and crustaceans such as daphnia, moina and mysis shrimps. Other shrimps such as glass or grass shrimps and various species of Neocaridina are covered. Insects are the next category, and they include flour beetles, fruit flies, mealworms and mosquito larvae - including the constant battle between hobbyists and spouses about whether the standing water that has been left out was left there on purpose or by mistake, the net effect being a nice population of mosquito larvae that the hobbyist finds terrific for feeding fish, and the spouse sees only as a source of biting insects. The final group of live foods are fish, and here Mike mentions the problems with buying feeder fish from the local fish store (or bait store), and he strongly suggests that hobbyists raise their own feeder fish if at all possible.
   Mike's book is packed with a wealth of detailed information, and yet it is much more than a simple "How To" book. It is an interesting, well written and very informative book, and covers all aspects of live foods, from starting cultures to collecting foods from the wild. There is an excellent group of resources at the end of the book in terms of related books, magazines, Internet sites and suppliers of live foods and cultures. "Culturing Live Foods" should be in the library of any fish hobbyist who wants to keep, and breed, fish successfully.

5 comments about Water Chemistry for the Marine Aquarium.

1. Strange for a book on this topic published in 2005 not to mention live-rock or the chemistry that goes on in the various in vogue substrate filtration systems.



2. Very informative on beginning a new salt water tank. Information on what equiptment needed to provide the type of tank I wanted. Different habitat need different water and light conditions. Very helpful.



3. Good book for beginners maybe. Generally covers all important topics but on very entry level. I didn't find here anything what couldn't be found in public resources on the web.



4. A small book cramed with info. Tells the beginner everything they need to know.



5. book was very much into the chemistry...it did not help with the regular issues we have with water in marine aquariums....no mentioning of issues related to presence of chemicals in water....may be people with knowledge in chemistry can try....

5 comments about Manual of Fish Health: Everything You Need to Know About Aquarium Fish, Their Environment and Disease Prevention.

1. The book is pretty good for most aquarists as all should have something to help with the diagnostics and treatment of their pets. There's some pretty good photography of various diseases that simplifies the text, and in each section there is a little box of explanation of a point in the text, be it a bacteria type or similar. Where the book falls slightly short in my opinion is in the treatment section. I would not advocate the use of all the chemicals in this chapter and some may well be impossible to obtain for most people. In this case, I would recommend using the book then visiting a professional fish keeper, specialist shop or vet with your diagnosis after consulting the treatment section to see if there is an alternative.
   
   All said and done anything that can help easy diagnosis and lead to the correct treatment of fish disease is a good thing.



2. I bought this book based on the great reviews here, and have not been disappointed. That said, there are a few deficiencies that drove me back to the web for more information and hence this review.
   
   There is very little information about contemporary brands and their products that can be used to treat fish diseases. Using the book, one can easily diagnose pop-eye (which I was combating in my prize altum angels). But the suggestions are not terribly helpful in finding the right product to treat this affliction. For example, there are 3 or more different drugs under the Mardel brand that all claim to treat pop-eye. Some target gram-positive bacteria, some target gram-negative bacteria, and some are broad-spectrum antibiotics. At the same time, some can be simultaneouly administered with other treatments, some cannot. And so on. It would have been helpful if the book had helped me sort these details out (which I eventually did) and if it had suggested possible courses of action. Even something that lists all common antibiotics and adds a classification chart to go with them will address this concern.
   
   And as one reviewer pointed out, some of the suggestions are beyond the scope of the hobbyist. But let this not detract you from purchasing a guide that will save you time and help you narrow your diagnosis.



3. I have Aquarium books coming out of my ears. In my quest for knowledge on how to care and treat my freshwater fish, I have purchased books, but most left a lot of my questions unanswered, or were vague on discriptions of fish diseases and/or how to treat. This is by far the best all around book for the Aquarium Hobby enthusiast. It has everything you need to know about aquarium fish, their environment, disease and prevention. The pictures of diseased fish help you pin point the proper ailment, bacteria, and cure. I give this book 5+ stars and highly recommend it to anyone who has aquarium fish.



4. This book is amazing! I absolutly recomend it to everyone I've talked to. Not only does it use casual scientific terms but it does also explain them for anyone that doesn't have a BSc. Great information not only on fish disease, but on maintaining a properly balanced aquarium & preventing diseases from occuring in the first place.

   Personally I think it should be a manditory buy with ever first-fish purchase.




5. The fish hobby is made up of two different types of people. Some hobbyists do not really bother to understand their fish, they simply buy replacements when the current ones die. The second type of fish-keeper wants to know as much information as he or she can on the types of fishes they keep. This book would be of most value to the second type.

   Sometimes, we mistakenly assume that fish are fragile and that there is simply no way to maintain them at optimum health. But that is not the case. Most fish are quite hardy. They can easily be maintained in the home aquarium if attention is given to their particular needs. Even so, from time to time, our fishes do get sick despite of our care. This book will help you diagnose some of the more common diseases that afflict fishes, as well as some possible remedies.

   Some of the procedures in the textbook are simply not feasible for the average aquarists. Most of us do not have access to a laboratory. However, there is enough solutions in the book that are easy enough to follow. I highly recommend this book.

5 comments about Ecology of the Planted Aquarium: A Practical Manual and Scientific Treatise for the Home Aquarist, Second Edition.

1. For those really interested in maintaining a planted aquarium and those looking for reading on chemical and biological interaction between soil, water and plants this book is a mandatory one. Walstad exposes on a perfect scientific way (but still readable) how a mini-ecosystem like an aquarium works.



2. This book has a lot of scientific data and an analytical feel to it. The writter put a lot of thought into this book and provided a lot of information not found in most aquarium books. She focuses on low tech tanks which is nice for those of us that don't have a lot of money to invest in equipment but want the look of a planted tank. I recommend this book to anyone that has a low tech tank or is interested in a different perspective on planted tanks.



3. This book can be useful to the layman and has the depth for the pro.
   
   The author clearly knows her subject and has the technical expertise. The biology and chemistry is over my head (it has been a loooong time since taking those classes), but it is actually readable. Some items simply have to be taken on faith if you haven't got the background to fully comprehend everything. In other words, one does not have to understand 'redox equations' to get the content.
   
   I haven't tried her methods yet, but I am intrigued. It goes against most of my library, but she makes a lot of sense.



4. First of all, I gave "Ecology ..." 4 stars rather 5 as my feeling is that a "Practical Manual" might offer some options in terms of an author's preference. And, being a "Manual," it may also present "Trouble shooting" type of pointers, or "How to find your way back if a different path was selected." I believe the above are areas that could have been addressed in better fashion. However, that said, "Ecology..." is really an excellent source. D. Walstad tackles subjects with both the scientific base as well as personal experience. At times, the scientific base is (for may tastes and background) a little too involved. But, sprinkled throughout, we have questions with answers. I really liked that. I also liked her chapter that basically dealt with "This has worked for me...." The author dispels some myths in terms of natural sunlight and carbon supplementation that generally runs against current trends. What I thought might be improved:
   1) A chapter devoted to, "How to rectify a situation without a total breakdown of the aquarium."
   2) Options to "Plotting soil"(gardening soil)in the substrate. For those of us who don't feel confident in running off to Wal-Mart for our substrate.
   3. More information on filtration; I'm a little skeptical in terms of the plants "Can do it all."
   But, compared to the other book also purchased, "Encyclopedia of Aquarium Plants," I very much like the author stating in clear terms "This has worked for me." With "Encyclopedia," you need dig to find this information.



5. A GOOD BOOK IF YOU UNDERSTAND THE LINGO - I DID NOT. THE BOOK WAS WAY TO TECHNICAL FOR MY POOR BRAIN. I TRIED TO READ IT BUT JUST COULD NOT. I ORDERED THE BOOK BY MISTAKE (AGAIN MY POOR BRAIN). SENT IT BACK AND WAS GIVEN A RAPID REFUND IN ACCORDANCE WITH AMAZON POLICY. I HAVE NO QUARLS ABOUT PAYING THE SHIPPING AND APPRECIATE THE ABILITY TO RETURN AM ITEM WHEN THE ONLY REASON I RECEIVED IT WAS THROUGH MY ERROR. I GIVE THE BOOK AND AMAZON 5 STARS AND MY SELF 1. IF YOU ARE REAL SMART BUY THE BOOK BUT IF YOU ARE JUST "PURTY" SMART LOOK ELSEWHERE.
   THANK YOU AMAZON!!!!
   RED CRANE
   JUST A "PURTY" SMART COUNTRY BOY

5 comments about The Inspired Aquarium: Ideas and Instruction for Living with Aquariums.

1. "Inspired Aquariums" was a joy to read and look at, the photographs of each aquarium was amazing. I found many ideas for aquariums to use for my own aquarium. Instructions were good but was more for the advanced aquarist, which I'm not. All in all it was a good reference book for my
   library.



2. This book is an awesome general overview for those that are researching a big budget build.
   It is not a reference guide for someone researching specific reef, planted,community fish aquaria info.
   There are many other books that serve that purpose.
   You will see many aspects of aquaria installed in some very unique situations by a great team who do this everyday from their facility in Houston.



3. I thought this was more of a book about building aquariums.
   It is a book with very nice photos, of very fancy aquariums in expensive places.
   Not much help for the average homeowner.



4. When I first started to read this book, I thought that it was only for the wealthy, since it deals largely with huge custom-made tanks in built-in cabinetry, or how to work an aquarium into your blueprints. It even refers to a 72-gallon aquarium as "small". But the principles of design and maintenance can apply to the more modest sizes of aquaria too.
   
   If you are new to the hobby, it'll help you decide between freshwater and marine, and then whether you want live plants or live coral. It'll help you choose an aesthetically pleasing location for your aquarium and help you aquascape the interior.
   
   I found the plant section to be especially helpful, even though it was a brief overview. In its description of the major plant groups, it mentioned which ones can get by with less light, or without a CO2 system, or with little pruning. And it didn't put me to sleep like the plant sections of other aquarium books.
   
   The last section, entitled "Case Studies", is really cool. There they take some of the tanks pictured in previous sections and give you all the stats on aquarium size, exactly what filtration was used, lighting, livestock, etc. They also give tips on coordinating the aquarium with the surrounding interior design.
   
   The only negative things I can say about the book are about some misplaced and repeated captions. Also, I would have liked to have seen some aerial-view sketches of aquascaping floor plans, showing plant and rock placement.
   
   P.S. If you are not going to hire an aquarium installation and maintenance service, then you need to complete your fish education with one of the Complete Idiot's Guides by Mike Wickham.



5. This book contains many high quality pictures of various aquariums fixture designs. It covers all types of aquarium ranging from fresh water, marine, planted to coral tanks. The knowlege this book provided is broad but scattered and simply not comprehensive enough for advanced aquarist. It is equally confusing and incomplete for the beginner aquarist. It describes VERY LITTLE on everything ranging from the fixtures, filtration system, lighting, the livestocks on both marine and fresh water aquariums. To some extent this book is a disappointment and a waste of paper. For example, one clearly can not depend on the 4 pages information provided by this book on choosing marine fish. This book could have some values to interior designers or architects who wish to incorporate an aquarium in his/her design.

5 comments about Clownfishes.

1. If you want to raise clownfish or just want to know everything about them, this is definitely the book for you. I lost my copy and tore my house apart to find it and finally had to purchase a new one - just can't live without it.
   For raising clownfish, she covers everything from spawning, hatching, catching, feeding, raising food, illnesses, selling, etc. It's amazing how many times I've had a problem, looked in the book, and she wrote about it.
   This is definitely 'the bible' for raising clownfish.



2. it was really informative. I feel when i am ready i may be able to mate my clowns successfully with confidence. i also appriciate the background the author went into.



3. This reads well and has great background on breeding clownfishes. It gives you the right level of detail to understand what you will have to do to be successful. I have been breeding clownfish with this and another book as my guides and this is the better one of the two. The other is more detailed but so scientific it is confusing. This one is reasonable as a resource. I have an M.A. in aquatic botany so I understand jargon, but breeding fish is a practical activity for many of us, not a scientific research endeavor. You'll like this as a resource if breeding these interesting fish.
   
   Good luck
   
   Tim



4. Of the many books i got, this is by far the most detailed. Also because it focuses on one kind of fish i guess.
   pretty detailed info is available on the various clownfish types, some of the behaviours are also listed to understand your pet a little better.
   
   not a book focussed on filling pages for sure. however, a bit more was expected for detailed trouble shooting issues concerned to behaviours.
   
   overall a nice book if you want to get to know your clown or the anemones.



5. If you're interested in keeping clownfish, this is the perfect book. The author goes into appropriate detail on what is needed to keep clownfish, what kinds of anemones can be kept with them (and their requirements), and how to breed them if you're so inclined. I found the book very easy to understand and not overly burdened with scientific and technical language. I also thought she had a very funny sense of humor that is sprinkled throughout. The pictures are great and she's actually had experience with most species in captivity and is able to make careful distictions to specific characteristics or needs of the different species. Some things I found especially helpful were the chapter on clownfish nutrition (she's really done her homework on that) and the common sense approaches to copepod cultivation for feeding baby clownfish. A great book for those keeping clownfish, even if you're not interested in breeding them.