4 comments about The Complete Book of the Marine Aquarium.

1. I have positively oodles of books on fish behavior, diversity and ecology. When I brought this book home the wife asked "why do you need another fish book?" I will tell you like I told her.

   This is the best book I have seen on the fishes commonly found in the aquarium industry. The fishes are arranged according to systematic (evolutionary) relationships, so it is in a format that is familiar to me, and more useful to people that are not already familiar with fish groups. Organization, however, is a minor part of a book. But the information in this book is also top notch. There is important information on hundreds of species referencing, feeding, care, availability and compatibility that is important when considering an addition to your salt water aquarium. There are also excellent sections on general aquarium keeping and reef inverts. This makes this a must have for any hobbyist. Lastly this is also a VERY attractive book, it now gets to be in the living room (near the aquarium where it should be) instead of in my library.

   I didn't use those exact words with the wife, but you get the picture. If you're looking for a book on salt water aquarium fishes this is a great choice. Hopefully amazon will begin carrying it soon.




2. I have been in the aquariast hobby for quite a few years. Though I haven't had a tank set-up for almost 10 years since retiring from the US Navy and moving from Va. to Ga. I decided for the sake of the fish in my 150 gal tank it was best left behind in the care of my neighbor and best friend JD. I am now in the research and planning stages of setting up a 250 gal. reef tank. Since so much has happened in the last 10 years I felt it was wise to get some reading material for varied opinions and fact gathering. I now have 5 reference volumes to refer to. This book by Vince is not only a beautiful book with outstanding pictures but is my favorite. Crammed with every possible aspect of this hobby. From beginner to advanced the info is superb. In fact a Newbie could take this book as a stand alone reference from your very first Marine Fish only tank to an explosively beautiful Reef with Fish, Inverts, and Corals. It gives info on all the types of filtration from the Jaubert System,(My Favorite), to the extreme hi-tech route..Plan on spending major bucks if you go the hi-tech route. in my opinion the Jaubert System is as close to natural as you can get and the results I have seen from those using it match if not excel over much more expensive set-ups, but hey, back to the book. Every possible life form is fully described in easy to understand detail, inhabitant compatibility, location of origin, feeding, disease care, all of it. The way it is organized makes it superior for that "gotta have info right now" scenario when one of your prized specimens needs immediate attention. Though the diseases coverage is brief it is concise and easy to follow. This book is now among 2 that sit out on my coffee table. It gets read or at least browsed through alot by my visiting friends. Kids love the pictures. I highly recommend it for anyone from beginner to advanced. You can find higher priced books but non better. It's great buy at twice the price.



3. Well, I must admit, this book has great photos regarding fishes but little on corals. They have talked little regarding the equipments set ups. They aren't many species included in this book but the common ones are there. If you are looking for a book with great pics on fishes, then this would be the one for you. If you are looking for a reef aquarium manual then this is not for you.



4. This is a very good book for those who are starting out fresh in the marine hobby. Lots of pictures and references to help you out.

5 comments about A PocketExpert Guide to Reef Aquarium Fishes: 500+ Essential-to-Know Species (Microcosm/T.F.H. Professional).

1. Part of the outstanding "The Pocket Expert Guide" series from TFH Publications, Reef Aquarium Fishes by Scott W. Michael is a comprehensive and in-depth guide and reference for a vast number of fishes suitable for home or office aquariums. Enhanced with colored key codes for aquarium suitability and reef compatibility, Reef Aquarium Fishes knowledgeably presents a wealth of succinct information on over five-hundred species. Reef Aquarium Fishes is profusely illustrated with color photographs of the fish and offers aspiring aquarium owners with intricate and detailed descriptions with expert coverage of all the most popular and commonly available reef-appropriate species, along with up-to-date information on their selection care, and feedings. Simply put -- no aquarium owner should be without a reference copy of Reef Aquarium Fishes.



2. This is an updated edition of this series of guides. It does contain more fishes and is a little more organized but I did notice that some fishes were left out that were in the older edition. Otherwise, this is a great guide for aquarists and reefers alike.
   
   I rated it four stars because it a great guide, but not perfect.
   
   Ejoy your fish!



3. What can I say? This is the best book when you're ready to stock your saltwater tank. Do the fish a favor and read this BEFORE you buy a Naso Tang for your 90-gallon tank. Helps avoid many costly mistakes. And it's not just the cost: this book saves fish lives!



4. A good guide to the many fishes & accurate. I bought a Spiny Puffer, who the author said that he's prone to Ich. I was skeptical, but after just the first overnight, I found a big white spot on his head.
   
   I will heed this guy's advice more closely in the future.



5. Although most of thsi is duplicated the the book 'Aquarium Fishes', it is a must have for beginner and expert alike. The pictures and data are up to date and I am using it almost every day.

3 comments about Seahorses: Everything About History, Care, Nutrition, Handling, and Behavior (Barron's Complete Pet Owner's Manuals).

1. I've always thought seahorses were unique and would like to learn to care for them and set up my own aquarium. I never realized how many different breeds there are! This book gives a lot of information about how to care for seahorses and equipment you need. It also talks about their different habits and how to get the most out of your pet. It doesn't give a whole lot of information on caring for your salt water acquarium. It seems it's for people who already know the basics, even though it gives you good information on how to care for your seahorses in the saltwater tank. If you don't know a lot about saltwater acquariums (like me) I would suggest buying this book along with Saltwater Acquariums for Dummies. But all in all it is a good book!



2. This book is very small. It gives a brief description of each of the major breeds of seahorses. I was hoping for more specific and detailed information for those of us who want to learn to raise them. You also definately need an additional saltwater aquarium book.



3. ... in under 100 pages!
   I wish it had gotten more in depth on variously commonly kept species, and gotten more in depth about breeding...
   This is a great introductory book on how to set up your aquarium for seahorses and gives a decent overview of feeding and nutrition. Supplement this book with more species specific information, which can be found online in the various forums about seahorse keeping.

2 comments about How to Keep Koi: An Essential Guide (Interpet Handbooks).

1. We are starting to keep koi, and I have been shopping for a couple of good koi books but it's been tough going... most pet shops around here don't have much, and the bookshops don't either -- either they have books that are too simple, or too complex. There is a lot of detailed categorization and medical information available for the serious koi breeder, but for many of us, too much information is worse than too little. After a lot of research I settled on this title and one other, and I also upgraded to the complete online viewing edition of this title at amazon. Wow! This is a great book... there is clear and interesting text about the history of koi, how they are handled, their anatomy (with diagrams) and the different color patterns. The photos and pictures are lovely and clear as well. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in keeping koi, or even if you are just interested in looking at nice photos and learning about them. :-)



2. Terrific book on Koi's, and a good book for my
   collection on how to help me with my Koi's.

4 comments about The Marine Fish Health & Feeding Handbook: The Essential Guide to Keeping Saltwater Species Alive and Thriving.

1. I have been a tank keeper for twenty years and have read every book written on the subject. This new book by Bob Goeman's is by far the the most comprehensive, up to date,accurate, well written, and organized book to have been published in several years. The chapters on feeding and maintaing the health of the corals and fish are outstanding but there is so much other information in the book about the latest techniques of maintaining salt water aquariums. The book's title could have been "Everything You Need To Know To Maintain a Spectacular Marine Aquarium". There are at least a hundred beautiful photos and the information is cutting edge. Your tank can only benefit by your reading of this book!. It should be part of every "Reefers" library.
   Dr. Paul Carpenter



2. The Marine Fish Health and Feeding Handbook should be on the shelf of every novice as well as veteran saltwater hobbyist. It is a beautifully presented book. It provides an excellent common sense overview of general marine fish maintenance, feeding and healthcare.
   
   The 232 page volume is broken down into 3 parts: The Healthy Marine Aquarium, Foods and Feeding, and Diseases and Conditions. The information contained in the 10 chapters provides a good starting point to assess why your saltwater fish tank and fish may not be thriving.
   
   The Section on Diseases and Conditions gives the aquarium hobbyist an introduction into the complexities of treating and diagnosing fish disease. However, the medical information contained in the book is general, and in a continually changing field of new treatments and medicines for use in marine fish, is not intended to supplant the use of an aquatic animal veterinarian, or aquarium consultants such as the author Lance Ichinotsubo, to correctly diagnose and treat many similar looking fish diseases and saltwater aquarium problems.
   
   Both authors have done a highly commendable job providing a wealth of practical knowledge in this book, garnered over their years as both aquarium hobbyists and professionals.
   
   Les Gerson, D.V.M. Aquatic Animal Veterinarian



3. I've successfully kept tropical marine aquariums in all sizes and shapes for almost thirty years - I started with a baby lionfish in a then-fashionable perspex cube and my last one was a ten-feet long, 240-gallons beautiful monster of a tank housing a whole complex reef community. I think I can safely say that Bob Goeman's new book is an exceptionally complete, well-written, easily understandable, beautifully illustrated guide to the do's and dont's of reef keeping which should not go missing from any serious marine aquarist bookshelf. I wish something of this scope had been available in the past - it would have saved me quite a few heartbreaking disasters!



4. As a marine aquarist for over thirty years and a professional for twenty five years, I have waited for such a book to come around. The in depth coverage on fish disease and plain text makes it a valuable resource for both the professonal and hobbyst alike. I have purchased a copy for all my staff. Richard Oellers President New England Aquarium Services Inc.

5 comments about Reef Secrets: Starting Right, Selecting Fishes & Invertebrates, Advanced Biotope Techniques.

1. One can appreciated the authors' long experience with marine aquaria who elegantly and with simple language explained larger biological concepts yet provide detailed instructions on how do to what and why. Very inspiring are the suggested biotopes that include among others "seagrass aquarium", "reef gorge aquarium", "pizza anemone aquarium", "rubble zone aquarium" as well as the standard reef tank. These are refreshing ideas that are needed with the current predominance of grocery store shelf-like stocked, overcrowded best-of-the-month SPS tanks. Also contains a comprehensive guide about most creatures possible in a reef tank and essentially makes e.g. Sprung's "Quick" guides unnecessary in one's library.



2. Loved it! Has some of the best reefing information available, without the over-technical mumbo jumbo! The stocking guide is excellent; just lacking on a few species.



3. Very good for beginners. Covers all important topics. Very simple language, without technical jargon which is often overwhelming people who just starting with hobby. Very nice stocking guide and chapter about biotops which is not found often in similar position.
   
   I recommend it to anyone who thinks to start with reefkeeping hobby.



4. As a beginning reef aquarist, I enjoyed reading this book, but I am not sure it is a practical book for the novice.
   
   Some of the advice it gives seems designed for the advanced hobbiest who has little need for the book. For example, it advises no more than about a 10% water change each year. That is probably enough for an established, well-maintained aquarium in service for a couple of years already, but I doubt it is a regime suitable for someone just starting.
   
   The authors' advise seems to defy conventional wisdom in other areas. The suggested Ph paramaters, for example, vary from anything I have seen elsewhere. Perhaps that's why they are called reef "secrets". Or perhaps they are just "typos"
   
   Interestingly, the book presents a photo of what it bills as one of the finest amateur marine aquariums anywhere. I went on-line to learn more about that system and learned that the owner has a maintenance regime and water paramaters at odds with the recommendations in this book!
   
   Still, all in all, an enjoyable and well-informed read. It's just not a suitable "how to" book for most of us. On the other hand, the section at the end on species selection was very useful.



5. What a great cut-to-the-chase reference for the reef hobiest. The selection guide is very helpful, especially if you are concerned about compatability or just want to develop a specific region in your own reef tank.

5 comments about Aquarium Designs Inspired by Nature.

1. Given the glowing reviews I read on this site, I was somewhat disappointed with the book when it finally arrived. The general information is fine, as far as it goes, if on a rather basic level. I guess what annoyed me most was that the author makes only a half-hearted effort to use plants indigenous to the various biotopes he describes--for example, Anubias, an African genus, finds its way into the Amazon acid pool. Also, the lists of appropriate fishes are fairly sketchy. And maybe I'm alone in this, but I found it odd that none of the finished biotope aquaria are photographed with fish in them!
   
   What I was hoping for was information on a par with that provided on the Italian website www.natureaquarium.it; this book, while pleasant enough, doesn't begin to reach that level of sophistication or specificity.



2. As an experienced fishkeeper, I can't say I learned a lot from this book. However, I think it is an excellent overall reference for hobbyists above a beginner's level. The pictures are just gorgeous! Each of the 200 pages has at least one or two photos. You will definitely be inspired! The biotopte profiles are in-depth enough, but I feel Hiscock could have better explained how to actually assemble some of the tank features--namely the Chinese Stream waterfall. Although some of the plant types listed do not always "go" with the specified biotope, the finished product looks great and could be easily modified for the purists out there. The only complaint I have is that most of the designs are intended for large tanks. I think you could probably scale down some of the designs, but they might not have the same impact. Regardless, this is a great book for the money!



3. Is java fern found in an Australian river, I don't think so. This book is not accurate!
   All of the aquarium displays are not even mature, probably because most of the plants would be quite unhealthy by the time the display is mature enough to photograph, very unprofessional!
   Another example: there are no mangroves in the mangrove swamp design, Hygrophila corymbosa was used instead with the author stating it is a good substitute for mangroves, what the, right up until the brackish water kills it! What's almost as worse is that the heater is not even hidden in the aquarium background.



4. This book give you more of an idear of setting up aquariums for specific bio types or areas with certain fish and plants. Very good if you want to set up and aquarium with plants and fish and dont quite know where to start and what to do. Even for experienced people you still can learn somthing form this book. Not a stand alone book but partnered with a couple of others is a very good referance .



5. Outstanding book. It helped me visualize the design and layout of my aquarium. An excellent resource for beginners or pros.

5 comments about Tropical Freshwater Aquarium Fish from A to Z (Compass Guides).

1. Not a lot of detailed info, but it's a great visual reference guide. I love it and it's cheap!



2. An OK book that is very brief in its details of fish species and occasionally slightly inaccurate with regards compatibilities. Very nice pictures that get it an additional star from me just because they make species identification a lot easier than some of other books. It has a nice plastic cover for those times when you're reading and dripping at the same time and is handily pocket sized for taking to the shops with you.



3. This book has may types of fish profiles, including many popular aquarium fish, and great pictures. It has the nifty plastic jacket, which anyone with a fish tank will appreciate. It is a small enough book to bring with you to the fish store, and informative enough to make you glad you brought it.



4. 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.



5. 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.

2 comments about The Essential Book of Koi: A Complete Guide to Keeping and Care.

1. EXTREMELEY HELPFUL BOOK. I RECOMMEND IT TO ANYONE WHO HAS A POND OR IS THINKING OF INSTALLING A POND. IT WOULD OF HELPED ME BY READING THIS BOOK PRIOR TO THE BUILDING OF MY POND.THIS IS A GOOD INVESTMENT OF YOUR TIME.



2. A very good book a koi keeper must have. It give all the info you need to know about koi keeping.

5 comments about Ultimate Marine Aquariums: Saltwater Dream Systems and How They Are Created.

1. A nice book with some good information and lots of pictures. But only of real use if you are putting together a big system. Like over 200 gallons!



2. This is an excellent book for those that just want to look at some incredible marine aquariums or those looking for information on starting their own masterpiece.



3. This is an interesting picture book to compare how other aquarists keep their tank. However, most of the aquariums included in the book are pretty average in today's standard. There are numerous more matured and better looking tanks over the internet forums not to mention almost all tanks are in the USA only. Many of the pictures are also very blur. I would be very interested to buy a second book of the serie covering more "Ultimate" aquariums and with better picture quality.



4. This book is very nice in content but poor picture quality, would be nice if the new edition or next volume of this title comes with more equipment and arquitectural photos and diagrams as well.



5. Ultimate Marine Aquariums: Saltwater Dream Systems and How They Are Created
   This Saltwater How To Book was very informative and interesting. It's full of beautiful color photos. It's easy to read, understand and follow.
   It's great for beginners as well as intermediate hobbyists such as myself. It has unique advice and point of views on certain topics. I got a lot of good ideas for setups and use in my own saltwater aquariums. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone looking to start a Saltwater Aquarium or expand their horizons for their current Marine setup!