5 comments about Marine Reef Aquarium Handbook.

1. The was is a great over veiw for people just getting started with the reef hobby. However if you are an intermediate hobbiest the book is very basic and you will most likely not learn anything that you do not know. If your new its a good book to start with.



2. This book was thoroughly disappointing. Provided OK information, but was entirely too technical in its approach. If you do not have a Ph.D. in biology then do not bother with this book, you will not understand it.



3. It should be rated at 5 stars but I give only 4 stars because of its technical nature and my beginner's comprehension. After that, it is a compact guide full of useful, hands-on info that helps the hobbyist create their own ideal aquarium environment.



4. Don't get me wrong, this book is good, however... while reading the book, it uses mostly the scientific names for everything. It would be nice if after the scientific name, it has a common name in parenthesis, you know, using the names the fish stores use. Other than that, it is a decent book.



5. Yes, 5 stars! Pound for pound (and dollar for dollar) this is one of the best books on marine reef keeping you can buy.

   I own several reef and aquarium books. They range from the brilliant, to the not-so-swift-waste-of-money types. The "Marine Reef Aquarium Handbook" by Robert J. Goldstein ranks waaaay up the list, kept from the top only because of its brevity.

   This book touches on a LOT of topics, and it covers them in enough detail to really help you understand and apply what you need to keep your reef (or any aquarium) running well. Due to its (somewhat) small size, it does not cover topics in great detail. Depending on what you want, that may or may not be a good thing. There is however, enough information, written in plain English, for any aquarium keeper--from rank beginner, to the Old Man in the Sea--to learn something new.

   No, this book doesn't contain the depth of information that one of those $80 marine reef books does. But it contains a wealth of information and will send you well on your way to starting up a reef or maintaining your current reef. Even if you're just looking for an interesting read, you can't go wrong with the "Marine Reef Aquarium Handbook" by Robert J. Goldstein.

2 comments about Aquarium Care of Fancy Guppies (Animal Planet Pet Care Library).

1. 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.



2. 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.

No comments about A Practical Guide to Building And Maintaining a Koi Pond: An Essential Guide to Building And Maintaining (Pondmaster S.).

5 comments about Marine Chemistry.

1. This is not a picture book, nor is it a book of anecdotal information based on myth-information.
   It is factual information written in easy to understand language,based on accepted scientific facts.
   You can search the internet for hours,or just get it all right here.
   People often accept unresearched opinions as fact, this is what causes most people to fail.
   You will find plenty of bogus info,geussing and twisted opinions online.
   Many people don't even bother to research the online info, make poor judgements ,and lose livestock.
   The choice is yours, get the the facts right the first time, or this book will haunt you everytime you make a mistake on your aquarium.



2. This book should be in every aquarist's library whether you are just a novice starting you first marine aquarium or an experienced hobbiest wanting to revisit concepts in water chemistry management. If you are a novice, you may want to pace yourself reading the material. The material may take the non-science oriented person time to understand some of the discussion on chemical reactions and the chemical equations associated with those reactions, but the manner in which the material is presented allows for comprehension and practical application of the information. Examples of information presented include the intricate relationship of pH, calcium and alkalinity, the remineralization cycle and impact of organic materials, total dissolved solids and generation of phosphoric compounds (all with relevant chemical equations) in the aquarium and finally the latest techniques in water purification. The best aspect of this book is after the scientific discussion, the author explains how to use this information in a practical manner to achieve optimal water parameters in the aquarium. After you finish reading the book, you are sure to use this as a reference in your aquarium library.



3. I have been reading the internet non-stop for past 1 month !! I have spent over 150 hours reading various topics related to aquariums. In addition i have read over 5 books in this 1 month about aquariums. This all was motivated after my first fish died. As a well educated person, i have gone from complete idiot to an advanced (theoretically) aquarist in this 1 month period. So i have the unique perspective of what a novice beginner needs to know to start an aquarium (freshwater, brackish or marine) and i have the theoretical knowledge needed by an advanced aquarist who wants to run a reef system / planted freshwater. So, after having spent a month on nothing but reading books and internet, i can make good judgement on which is a book to buy and which is worthless. I can say this book is excellent reference material as well as introduction to water chemistry. A must have for beginner to intermediate level aquarist. The author has presented complex material in a well written form. The degree of difficulty in understanding this book depends on your understanding of chemistry and formal education or time spent in aquarium hobby. Considering the prices of other books, i would say this book is a bargain. It can be useful even to a freshwater or brackish water aquarium, because of the knowledge one would gain about water chemistry. my only complaint is that the author has failed to address the role Potassium (K), which makes up a bigger ppm in water more than many of the other elements discussed. That would have made this book complete. Also the table of seawater elemental composition would have been more complete if it presented amount of Carbon present in the form of dissolved CO2. I am writing these tiny criticisms in the hope that the author would come across this review sometime. I reviewed numerous books at 4 different bookstores before i picked some of the books i need to add to my collection. One of my criteria is that a book i bought should stay useful as a reference book, even if i finished reading it. And this is the first book for which i felt like writing a review in amazon.



4. As my specialty is in psychology and human behavior (I am an avid hobbyist in my spare time), I tend to be suspicious of the motives of individuals who write reviews that blindly spit angry and critical remarks, but fail to substantiate their comments with any real reasons. Doubting the validity of the negative review, I bought the book anyway. I have to say that my suspicions were confirmed and I have been nothing but impressed with this useful, explanatory, and in-depth discussion of marine aquarium chemistry.
   
   Marine Chemistry is a book that can better equip the novice and even the most advanced hobbyist in making the best possible choices about how to maintain water chemistry. It helps take the guesswork out of deciding which water care products promote a healthy environment and conversely, which ones could be detrimental. (The index even includes sample calculations on determining how much of specific additives are required to maintain water parameters; this is not something that I have seen included in other books, nor is it usually on manufacturers' websites/labels. There are several "before" and "after" photographs of aquarium specimens showing the impact that elements can have on their care). Further, the book discusses basic principles of maintaining important aspects of water quality, such as calcium, for instance, and why certain methods are advantageous to others in various situations (e.g., kalkwasser vs. calcium chloride). These and others are issues that most, if not all, marine aquarium hobbyists have dealt with, or will deal with, at times during the course of their participation in the hobby; this alone makes the book very valuable. I have found that an initial read-through has been excellent review of basic concepts (e.g., explanation of alkalinity and pH) and has exposed me to newer, unfamiliar ideas (e.g., supporting arguments for strontium and iodine use based on marine biology and chemistry). I keep this book accessible and refer to it often. I feel confident that as I continue to become increasingly competent in this hobby, I will continue to be able to reference information in this book, progressively deepening my proficiency in the hobby.
   
   As a last comment, in my opinion, the information in this book is as up-to-date as any marine aquarium hobbyist of any skill level needs it to be. Further, it explains concepts in a comprehensive, yet easy to understand, manner, whereas articles written in Reef Central magazine tend to be verbose and seem to reflect an effort of the author to talk over the head of their readers.



5. This is a pathetic rushed effort. If you are looking for up to date
   information about the chemistry of modern reef keeping it is not in this
   book. Go read 'Reef Central' magazine for free.

5 comments about Pocketprofessional Guide to Cichlids (Pocketprofessional).

1. This is a great book for people who are starting out and also for those of you that already know about these amazing fish. I learned so much that I decided to buy 6 fish--so far all is great.
   
   I would say this book is very useful!



2. I have many other books on cichlids published by tfh and I discovered that this book contained many pictures reproduced from earlier and old tfh publications. I was hoping to see some pretty interesting new pictures and information.
   
   The information on individual fishes are rather basic stuff, most of it I was able to obtain from other literatures. I really do not think much effort was taken to produce this book. Being a diehard cichlidophile, this book merely adds up to my large collection of cichlid books.



3. I like the book but honestly it should be more on common names and not the latin ones. I guess its mean those whostudy NOT buy cichlids.



4. The Pocket Professional Guide to Cichlids is an excellent book for the care and identification of the gambit of cichlids from around the world. My only disapointment was the lack of some of the very rare cichlids in the hobby. However The Guide does cover most of the cichlids commonly and uncommonly kept in the hobby. A very good buy.



5. Good reference book on looking up cichlids. Even my teen-agers who are getting into our new tank are spending some time reading through this book.
   
   It has useful information on most species such as maximum size, water conditions, food needs, temperament & compatibility. With some species with color variations or closely related species, it uses common descriptions applicable to all of them, and shows photos of the variations.
   
   But it is missing a common-name index which it sorely needs. Hence, only 4 stars.

No comments about Hermit Crabs For Dummies (For Dummies (Pets)).

5 comments about Dr. Axelrod's Atlas of Freshwater Aquarium Fishes.

1. The book serves to identifying any fish provided if one knows the scientific names. If the target audience are technically competent it will serve its intended purpose. But for the general hobbyists/fish keepers or even fish dealers the scientific names are impossible to remember. Even to pronounce them correctly seems impossible. By far the common names are more acceptable and meaningful to them. Even speaking to technical people the common names are more often used. I am not suggesting that the scientific names be dropped but be mention as an additional information to those who needs it. What I meant was that; the far the majority of hobbyists/fish keepers; young and old, technically minded or not would appreciate the common names as a reference.
   Personally, I do find it difficult to locate a fish. It must be somewhere in the book! Maybe it helps if you know the region of the world it comes from as that will narrow down your search.
   On the whole I know lots of work and effort has gone into the making of the book and credit must be given to all responsible.



2. I bought this book when I started getting really into the hobby and I absolutely am impressed with the quality of the photos, how the fish are separated by continent and other useful information. I frequently check back with the names of the fish and where these fish come from. I guess the only not serious complaint is that it does not contain the common name for the fish, only the latin. Although, I could see how hard it could be to list the several common names of each fish, since it's already so huge!



3. The book delivered by Amazon was in Excellent Condition.
   This Book displays pictures and details of fishes not available in other Atlas I have bought, so it is worth every dime.
   Large, clear pictures of all freshwater fishes, great for reference.



4. I bought this book to help me identify fish. Have it worked so far? No.
   
   First, it only names the fish in latin (scientific) name, which is a little frustrating to me. Sometimes, I need to cross info from other sources to reach the specimen I'm looking for.
   Second, you need to know the continent where it comes from.
   
   I've also found some errors in the information. The freshwater stingray, for example, is catalogued as an egglayer, while it's a livebearer fish.
   
   This books is huge, and looks great in your library or stacked in your desk.



5. This book has changed a lot since the first edition. Mostly, it has removed information and added pictures. LOTS of pictures. It is more of a coffee-table book than any kind of aquarium guide. But even the pictures are of uneven quality. I was shocked that the only picture included for a couple of fairly common fish were of dead, poorly-preserved specimens. Yikes!
   
   The authors' stated purpose for this book is "This book was created with the express purpose of making the identification of fishes easier for hobbyists, aquarists, and scientists alike."
   
   Well, if that was the goal, it fails miserably. The book is organized based on geographic area where the fish originates. Think about it. If you saw a fish and wanted to know what it was, would you somehow instinctively know which continent it came from? Of course not. You might want to identify it based on its colors or shape or whatever. The book does not function as an identification guide.
   
   Although most info has been removed, there is some very terse info below each picture as small text and icons. The text lists info such as pH, ideal water temperature (in Centigrade), maximum adult length (in cm), and minimum tank size (in litres). Although it does not tell you what these mean, any intermediate or higher fishhkeeper should be able to figure it out.
   
   The icons are not particularly clear unless you already know the fish. For example, the icon for egg-scatterer versus livebearer is only obvious if you know what the fish is to begin with. More importantly, I can find nowhere in the book where it actually tells what the icons mean. This is very sloppy.
   
   The index is also horrendous, failing to include a number of entries, and including numerous false entries. For example, the first page entry listed for Scleropages jardini sends you to a page that does not contain pictures of jardini, and in fact is a section for a different continent.
   
   Even the quality of the pictures is uneven. For some fish, the coverage is extensive, with a lot of pictures showing different color strains, breeding colors, and so on. Yet for other fish, the coverage is incomplete. For example, there are three pictures of Silver Arrowana, and all three show just-hatched arrowanas. Why not show an adult? The fish changes as it gets older. Also, there are only four pictures of Astronatus (Oscars), showing only 4 color patterns. It's absolutely shocking to me that the abino and tiger albino forms are not shown. They've been in the trade for well over a decade before this edition was published.
   
   My last complaint is that they have been adding pages by adding them as decimal additions. For example, they added 16 pages of pictures of Swordtails (16 pages!) after page 432, and numbered them as pages 432.01, 432.02, etc. The reason for this, of course, is that it means less work adjusting the index, etc., and 16 pages in one place from a publishing standpoint is easier, because it means not changing the rest of the plates. But from a reader's standpoint, it is sloppy and unforgivable, considering the price of the book.
   
   To summarize, this book contains an incredible array of pictures. On the plus side, it has pictures of many fish you'll find nowhere else. It is massive and impressive. The pages are slick and glossy and the physical production standards are high. On the down side, it is badly in need of extensive, high-quality, detailed editing to correct the numerous glaring errors and omissions.
   
   Frankly, this is overall a hugely disappointing effort and I simply can't recommend plunking down such a high price for this edition.

5 comments about The Simple Guide To Planted Aquariums (Simple Guide to...).

1. After reading several books about the same topic, This one is easy, simple and clear to understand, as the title expose. It introduce you as beginner or expert in an understandable language and help you step by step on what you nned to know about the hobbie. If your are plannig to have a planted aquarium, this is a MUST READ BOOK.!!!!



2. 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



3. 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.



4. El libro es bastante completo, toca temas elementales pero necesarios para quienes apenas empiezan con el acuarismo, igualmente desarrolla algunos temas avanzados de forma didáctica y ágil. trae algunas tablas muy útiles sobre parametros del agua. al final, dedica capítulos enteros a las plantas de acuario clasificándolas en una forma bastante útil. Excelente adquisición.



5. I've kept planted aquariums for a number of years, but was intrigued by this book because one of the co-authors is a well-known advocate of low-tech planted tanks.
   
   The format of this book is VERY nice. The writing is friendly and inviting, and there are lots of pretty full color photos. Personally, I didn't learn a whole lot of new information, but it was a pleasant read nonetheless. I would certainly recommend it to someone just entering the hobby, or someone looking for an overview on planted tanks, especially if they're seeking some guidance on what type of planted tank is the best fit for them - high tech, low tech, biotope, etc. All around, a very good presentation, and an excellent invitation to exploring planted aquariums!

4 comments about Damselfishes & Anemonefishes (Reef Fishes).

1. This book's excellent content is certainly equal in quality to the first three. Economics being what it is, I can understand the slightly lower paper, and cover, quality of this volume. As to the number of books in the series, while more books will ultimately cost more, I'm inclined to believe that the actual scope of Mr. Michael's project grew beyond his original anticipation, and the amount information in the set will be worth the cost, and the wait -- although I really want the rest NOW! Good things take time. Hang in there, Scott... And, BTW, I note from the preview of the next (wrasse) volume the page count will be higher than this volume, which further justifies the additional volumes.



2. Yes, the paper is not quite as good as on the previous volumes. But given the skyrocketing price of paper, this is no surprise. It is still perfectly adequate and the images are top-notch. It is no surprise to me that this has expanded to multiple volumes given the economics of publishing such low-demand books.
   
   Scott Michael's series ultimately will be the most comprehensive series on marine fishes for aquarists. They are a treasure trove of useful information. I only hope they can get the rest of the series published in a timely fashion without compromising the quality and quantity of information.



3. Still would buy it but I was disappointed in the fact that they keep dragging the series out. Originally it was suppose to be 4 books..........then it went to six....Now it is nine books according to the newest book. I would agree the quality is not as high as the first 3. Still the information is good. Still I will have NINE BOOKS in my Library instead of 4. Lastly who knows how much longer it will take to release the rest.



4. While the content of this book is outstanding inline with the rest of the series the publisher of this book took many shortcuts including useing lower quality paper stock then previous volumes, decreasing the size of the book and increasing the size of the series in order to make more profit. I am highly disappointed in the publisher for taking these steps. What was originally supposed to be a 3 books series grew to 5 books with precious releases and with the release of this book has grown to 8 with each subsequant book in the series containing less information than the last.

5 comments about Complete Idiot's Guide to Saltwater Aquariums (The Complete Idiot's Guide).

1. This book was funny and informative. I read his freshwater guide and loved it. He tells lots of useful information with pictures! Read this book!!



2. I have read several books, and this one was by far the easiest to read! But don't let that fool you! Despite this, it is full of great information! If you are looking into getting saltwater fish, and don't want a book which sounds like a college chemistry book, this is the one for you!



3. As a novice aquarist, I have to say that this book is GREAT! Ihad read many books on the subject, but this one gave me the courageto actually set up my dream marine aquarium. It has been eight months, and I now have a tank to be proud of. It has inspired several friends and family to start their own. They also have learned a great deal from this book. It is now well worn from use. It continues to be my bible for any questions I may have.



4. This is a GREAT book for a person who knows absolutely nothing about aquariums. It gives great details in explaining everything from beginning to completion in simple terms that anyone can understand. It was most helpful in helping to set up my first and only aquarium.



5. First I would like to start off by saying this book is extremely informative. It tells you everything you need to know about setting up a saltwater tank. The information that is provided in this book is very up to date unlike many other beginner books I have read. Not only is the book Chock full of GREAT info, but it also has great pictures, great suggestions on extra reading materials, and even some fishy humor added in. To top it off after purchasing this book I later found out that the author worked at my local Aquarium store in Randallstown, MD! Whats even better is that I know many people that are in this book and I see many of the examples in the store everytime I visit it. So if you are looking for an all around great book check this one out.