5 comments about The New Marine Aquarium: Step-By-Step Setup & Stocking Guide.

1. i started a marine aquarium from scratch and with no knowledge. it was very confusing but without this book i don't know what i would have done. it covers all the basics, got me up and running and with no problems.



2. This is a great book and perhaps the best one I have read for a newbie who wants to set up a marine aquarium



3. I would recommend this to anyone interested in starting a marine aquarium. The author provides a to the point and practical guide to setting up your first or next tank. You do not need a biology degree to enjoy it.



4. The writer did just as intended in this book. It is a starter book for someone starting a marine aquarium and it does that precisely without going into heavy details which would create a sense of doom for the new marine aquarium keeper. I spent years with my successful tank and I owe it largely to Michael who is also a sometimes writer for Marine Depot and other places.



5. I've maintained freshwater aquariums for about 7-8 years now and during the summer I thought I'd give saltwater a try. I was looking for a well regarded, easy to follow, and comprehensive book which would teach me the basics on how to get things started. After scouring all the different book reviews on Amazon I finally settled on The New Marine Aquarium. Its been about 4 months since I purchased the book. Today I have a 54 gallon marine tank set up with saltwater fish and inverts and they are doing very well. I purposely waited until now to write a review because I wanted to see the success rate of following the authors steps. With that said, I couldnt be more satisfied. This book is worth every penny. It covers all the basics and provides some very valuable suggestions. The best thing about it is that its a good read, unlike some aquarium books which can be like reading a medical journal this author provides helpful insights in an easy to understand language. Great illustrations and lots of valuable advice and tips are a plus too. Is this the be all/end all for your aquarium research? Of course not. I still did some research on the web but I always came back to this book for the final say on any questions I had. Highly recommended for those that are looking to start up in this hobby.

5 comments about The Reef Aquarium: Science, Art, and Technology, Vol. 3.

1. This is a book that every one should own, that want's or has a reef Aquarium. This book go's into great details.



2. I can't say much on this book except IT is a MUST HAVE FOR EVERY REEF AQUARIUM KEEPER! A very2 good book to have, it's worth the price I tell you.



3. I've kept marine and reef aquaria for over a decade now, have a small tropical and marine fish shop downtown, and have bought and read probably a couple dozen books on keeping marine fish and reef tanks, including Volumes 1 and 2 by the same authors. If I could have just one of all the books I've read on the topic, to read and refer back to whenever necessary, it would be this volume. It's not a beginner's book, but it's wonderfully comprehensive and understandable for one who's already a little familiar with the subject matter. For one who understands most of the "whats" of keeping a reef aquarium, but is confused about many of the "whys," this book answers those questions with very clear and readable explanations.



4. I am a beginning reefkeeper and have purchased a number of books on the hobby, including this one. In my opinion this is easily the best book on what it takes to actually assemble a functioning, thriving reef tank. The chapter on plumbing (parts, layouts, pumps, etc) alone is worth the price of the book and that's just one chapter!
   
   Contrary to other reviews on here I don't think the material is daunting...I think it's relevant. Why jump into a hobby that is recreating an ecosystem if you don't have the knowledge to do so? It's not difficult to understand, and what I've found is that in many places when something is explained, that in text could be hard to understand, there is usually an illustration, chart, or picture to make it clear. Kudos!
   
   I would easily pay double for this book now that I've read it, and this will serve as my main reference on tank issues moving forward.



5. An excellent reference, with rationale, pros and cons of just about every facet of reef keeping. If your new to reef aquariums this book could be overwhelming, but could also keep you from making mistakes. A bit deep and technical, but worth plowing through it. Keep it handy.

5 comments about A PocketExpert Guide to Marine Fishes: 500+ Essential-To-Know Aquarium Species.

1. This is a must have book for the novice to choose which fish are right for your tank



2. this book i bought as my first aquaruim quide, it is amazing, i love this book, it has all what i need and more than 500 kinds of fish.
   i have bought all my fish so far by researching thm in this book and it is working wonderfull. pictures are great quality and information are more than enough to know and keep the fish.
   i absolutly recommend that you buy this book.



3. This book has been unbelievably helpful in helping me to decide which fish I should choose as I set up my first saltwater aquarium. The photographs are clear and bright, and there are many, many species represented here. The code makes it quick and easy to see if a certain fish is compatible with what I already have in my tank. Now, when I go to buy a fish, I keep this book in my car. I go into the shop to see what they have, and if there is something that catches my interest, I'll come back out to the car and look up the description before I make a purchase. This has saved me on a few occasions - not all of the sales people really know what they're talking about, but I have complete confidence in this book for giving me the unbiased facts. This really is a "must buy"!!



4. As someone looking to start a saltwater tank, I picked up this book to fully understand what species I want and SHOULD put in the tank I plan on setting up. This book is invaluable in pointing me to fish that will be the most appropriate for me, a new saltwater aquarist, to support. This book is a saltwater version of Tropical Freshwater Aquarium Fish from A to Z (Compass Guides), which like the Marine Fishes book, includes detailed information about minimum tank sizes, feeding guidance, and tips for captive care. A "suitability" color-code is also displayed for each species ranging from green (a hardy fish which is suitable for most hobbyists) to red (leave the fish in the reef).
   
   If you're new to saltwater tanks like me, I recommend you also read Complete Encyclopedia of the Saltwater Aquarium and the Aquarium Corals : Selection, Husbandry, and Natural History to gain an understanding of what's required to set up and maintain a healthy saltwater environment. Slow and steady is the word. They've certainly helped me understand what it is I need to do and this Marine Fishes book is a handy take-along for visits to the local fish stores.



5. It's a very good and quick guide to acquarium reef fishes.
   It gives the most important informations about species:their needs,suitability index ,captive care and reef aquarium compatibility.
   It's a book that I really use a lot to ID the species!
   A very good guide.I recomend it :)

5 comments about Aquarium Corals : Selection, Husbandry, and Natural History.

1. This is a good book basic general knowledge. It covers corals well with out getting to in depth.



2. I bought this book for my fiance who just recently set up a 20 gallon aquarium. This book has been perfect for all his questions!



3. I bought this book for researching corals for an art project. As a botanical illustrator, I found the information to be extremely informative and well organized. There are plenty of pictures to help you identify specific species. The pictures are fabulous! Art aside, if I were to have a coral aquarium, this would be a must have book.



4. This book is quite informative even for a beginner. The in-depth knowledge expressed is invaluable, it is understandable as well as being scientific. I highly recommend this book for the begginer as well as the advanced aquarist who desires information regarding coral animals & husbandry, algae, and water chemistry.



5. Covers almost everything what you need to know about corals in reef tank.
   very valuable and helpfull as an identification guide, source of information about preferred conditions and requirements of corals in your tank, taxonomy etc etc. very valuable part about coral's health and diseases. also nice chapter explaining role of zooxanthellae, energy budgets, coral's feeding, anatomy, reproduction etc etc etc...
   
   this is just "a must" position in everyone reefkeeper library.

5 comments about A PocketExpert Guide to Marine Invertebrates: 500+ Essential-to-Know Aquarium Species.

1. A necessary reference for Reef Keepers! Unfortunately as the title says it only covers 500 marine invertebrates! Dr. Shimek offers great information and recommendations!



2. Excellent for anyone who has a saltwater fish tank. I've had fish tanks for 20 years and wish I had this resource to let me know in advance what requirements certain fish, corals and invertebrates have as far as size of tank, salinity, etc...which corals/invertebrates are easy to keep and which require way more than I could hope to provide. This is a must have.



3. i bought this book as a biginner to quide me through the types of invertebrates, it has everything you need to know, i use it as my guide and so far it is working wonderfully. easy to read and search. it has almost all the species out there. this is the book that i would keep forever.



4. Outstanding photographs, concise and accurate descriptions, and a nice style of writing. What more could you ask for? I don't have a reef aquarium, but I do refer to this all the time whenever I'm curious about saltwater life other than the finned variety. I've used it to pick out which types of snails and shrimp to include, and which ones to stay away from. It's not a book to read from cover-to-cover, but it's an indispensible reference.



5. you have to keep this at your pocket while going to petshop or anytime . All main info for all categories are available

5 comments about The Conscientious Marine Aquarist: A Commonsense Handbook for Successful Saltwater Hobbyists.

1. This book inspired me to do a live reef tank instead of just a fish tank!



2. Wow, this is a wonderful book. I am going to set up a reef tank very soon, and this book will be very helpful when I have to make decisions for my new tank.



3. I have used this book for years. I found it easy enough to read and help me through my first few years of dealing with marine tanks. And unlike a lot of my books from the beginning this one did have enough "meat" in it to still be relevant as I progressed through the hobby. Overall the content is great and it covers the gambit of marine life. On a different note, the paper and print is of a really great quality as well. This book takes a lot of use and abuse at my house and it really is still in suprisingly good condition. I only mentions this because some of the "cheaper" aquarium books I have picked up throught the years are all falling to pieces. Hope this helped!



4. Written by one of the foremost experts in the hobby, this is an essential book for beginner and intermediate marine aquarists. It covers the fundamentals of setting up, stocking and successfully maintaining a saltwater aquarium and does so in a common sense, easy to understand fashion. It is an approachable and well-written primer on the topic and is the best way to get started.
   
   
   
   However, the book was written in 1999 and is now 8 years old. Remarkably, that means it is already out-dated given the rapidly evolving state of technology in this hobby. The author, Bob Fenner, frequently provides advice and suggestions to aquarists on an internet website and much of the information in his book is qualified or revised the advice he provides now. For example, he highly recommends that macroalgae calupera in this book but, while still recommending it some setups, cautions people today that this algae is not right for all setups due to a tendancy to take over tanks. Some of the modern trends in saltwater aquariums are also not covered in enough depth -- simply because they weren't a trend eight years ago.
   
   
   
   Accordingly, this is a GREAT book to read as you begin your research on setting up a saltwater aquarium. Not only is it a first read, but it is a valuable resource that you will continue to turn to before, during and after setting up your aquarium because it is filled with useful advice. However, it is also advice that should be complimented by additional research with more up-to-date materials.
   
   
   
   If Bob is reading this, I'd just like to say this: This book is incredible and I can't thank you enough for writing it. If you have the time, please consider writing a Second Edition -- the hobby would benefit from such an endeavor tremendously. Thanks!



5. I bought this for my mom. She enjoys all the color photographs and the helpful information about setting up a saltwater tank. She isn't ready to start one yet but this was the perfect book to help her when she does. She especially appreciated the photographs of the different types of fish which helped her identify those she would like.

5 comments about 500 Freshwater Aquarium Fish: A Visual Reference to the Most Popular Species.

1. Yes, there's probably every bit of 500 fish in this book, but it still lacks on a few of the more common species. It is also a little too vague on descriptions. There is a 4 page spread on Discus and Oscars, but that's not really necessary when all the other fish are given one page with one sentence descriptions.
   It's still nifty to have at home, but if you want to see how the fish are going to cohabitate with your other tank mates, this is not your book.



2. I owm saltwater fish but had gotten rusty on freshwater. I needed to relearn this for my new job so this book helped me get back on track. Information is very clear and pictures are excellent. It gave me a quick primer. I think it also a good beginners book since it is easy to understand.



3. This book is good for a quick referencing look at fishes of your interest. The information is adequate for a quick look but not enough if you wnat to know more.Nice, big,clear, colorful pictures that is easy to look at and quick and easy to read basic information about the fish is also included like water temp. max. length, aggreesiveness. It's a great book for a beginner like me who wants to compare different fishes and know a little bit about them for now.



4. This book has many diffent fish in it. It also has the sizes and needs of all the fish. Great pictures!!



5. This book is very compact and the images of good quality. It is a lot smaller than I expected, though. Each page features one fish variety, with a photo and some basic info. The amount of information that fits onto such a tiny page is very limited. Despite the small size, the book is hardcover, thick and heavy and does not qualify as a pocket guide. I don't quite get what the idea was here : it is neither pocketguide, nor large glossy reference/ coffee table book. If I had actually seen the book before purchase, I would not have bought it...

5 comments about Encyclopedia of Aquarium Plants.

1. I found this book very informative when I was setting up my 75 gallon Discus aquarium. Thanks to the information, pictures and various expamples it gave, I gained the knowledge to pick the way I wanted to set up my aquarium and what plants would be the better choices for the lower ph, higher temp. water used for Discus. Very good read.



2. Don't purchase this book unless you are a botanist. It is very difficult to understand and the layout impossible to follow.



3. This is a beautiful book with many high quality pictures of the plants. Overall it has well organized content but some informations are just not specific enough. For example, how much CO2 to dose to your tank is appropriate? How much Gh is a water soft or hard? How much time it normally takes to "cycle" a tank? No introduction on the pros and cons of different CO2 reactors types. Some answers may not be trivial but at least general guide line should be provided to be any useful.



4. This is a very good all round book for aquatic plants from the substrata , to light requirments etc etc. This book even give basic gardening requirments and arranging to have a healthy and attractice garden in your aquarium .



5. This is an excellent book, simple as that. It has information on not only plants, but many other important aspects of aquarium care. It has extensive information on how plants work in the natural habitat, in the aquarium, and how to care for them.
   
   Everything is simple and concise and explained well, the images are great and show exactly what they should. How to trim different plants, how to plant them, how to get rid of algae and making a balance of nutrients in the aquarium and so on. Just examples of what it covers, if you have an aquarium and have plants and just want to know what to do to keep your plants healthy, just get this book.

5 comments about Reef Invertebrates: An Essential Guide to Selection, Care and Compatibility.

1. I've been reading information penned by Mr. Calfo and Mr. Fenner online and was hoping this book would reflect the same wealth of knowledge and sense of humor I've come to expect. I wasn't dissapointed. If you're looking for information on selection, compatibility and geographical origin of many invertabrates for the reef aquarium this is the book to buy. As an added bonus there is a chapter dedicated to refugiums.



2. This book is awesome. Covers everything from basic waterflow and setup through animal interactions and suggestions. Lots to be learned from both novice and experienced.



3. I'm on a tight budget, so usually try to get a book through the library rather than buying, if possible. This one was not available, so I took a chance buying it. I'm soooo glad I did. There's an enormous amount of information. I will be referencing this book for years. I'm interested in raising macroalgae and dwarf seahorses, and compatible invertebrates. Everything is geared toward corals nowadays and live rock, neither of which are necessarily safe for 1 inch seahorses. I was thrilled to find a large section on macroalgae in this book. The focus is on using them for refugiums, but I easily adapted the techniques, including a deep sand bed, to my 2.5 gallon dwarf seahorse tanks. Start here for the easiest way to get incredible water quality in your tanks. The live deep sand bed with macroalgae technique in this book, keeps the approx 1.5 gallons of water in my tanks ammonia-free. Amazing. Also, explains which macroalgae go "sexual," so you can avoid purchasing the ones that may foul the tank (and which are often promoted and sold as the best to buy!). Thanks so much to Anthony Calfo & Bob Fenner - and for their website, too ([...]).



4. I have an extensive library of reef aquarium books, including all Sprung & Delbeek series. This book is beyond doubt the very best guide to reef inverts. It does not cover corals, anemones or, of course, fish. There will be future volumes for those topics. The authors provide extremely thorough coverage of the topic in an entertaining writing style. I anxiously await future volumes in this series. Highest recommendation.



5. If you're thinking of starting a marine aquarium or already have one this book is for you. Not only do the authors describe a plethora of invertebrates but there's a chapter on refugiums that is the most informative source on the subject that I've seen up to this point.

5 comments about The Simple Guide to Fresh Water Aquariums (Simple Guide to...).

1. This book could be a good tool if it was organized a little bit. I found it difficult to locate the information I was looking for from the index. If you have the time to read it as you would a novel, you might find useful information. If, like me, you need a guide to setting up a fresh-water aquarium and some info on fish and plants, it is a little too scattered in various sections that didn't make much sense to me...



2. This book is an outstanding and easy to read resource for anyone who is interested in setting up an aquarium. I read it cover to cover. I often refer to it as "my fish Bible"! I have lent this book to friends who were troubleshooting common aquarium problems, and they too have found it to be extremely useful.
   
   The goal of the book is to give you a wealth of information BEFORE you buy your tank and your fish. It will help you to not make common mistakes. However, this book is a great resource or "refresher course" for those already interested and involved in the fishkeeping hobby.
   
   This book is an overview on the main setup of a freshwater tank. While it does go into individual species a bit, you may want to get more specific and specialized books about the species you are interested in. The parts about individual species are not very in-depth.
   
   Overall -- this is a fantastic resource, and your fish will thank you for getting this book!
   
   Good luck, and happy fishkeeping!



3. I purchased this a couple years ago after having been out of the Aquarium hobby for several years and then deciding to get back in again. I found it to be very informative, building on what I learned 20-30 years ago and outlining many considerations that, today, are common knowledge in the hobby, but was unkown by the average aquarist of the 70s & 80s.
   
   Very good book to read before you add fish to your new aquarium!



4. I just started my first tank with my roommate and we refer to the book as the fish bible...
   
   It has been so helpful to have a source of info like this so we know what we need to get and what the pet store people are just trying to sell us to make a few bucks. Very good info on how to set up the tank and which fish to put in. Also very helpful on how to keep your first fish alive and how to go about getting a full tank. Overall I'm extremely happy that I bought this book as it has walked me through starting my own tank.



5. However, if you do have moderate experience in managing aquariums, this book probably won't be as relevant. For someone just starting out, this book offers plenty of simple instructions and explanations to help you on your journey!
   
   I especially appreciate that Boruchowitz encourages those new to the aquarium hobby to go with lower lighting and low-light plants. This will save you so much money, time, and frustration in the beginning, making the tank a lot easier and more enjoyable to manage.
   
   The author's suggestion to give with larger tanks is also sound advice. 10-gallon and nano tanks are better left for the more experienced hobbyist. Larger = more stable water parameters.
   
   When mentioning substrates, I don't feel the author went into quite enough detail. He tells of the proper pebble sizes for inert gravel but does not include examples of what can be combined with it to create an environment more suitable for your aquatic plants. For inert gravel, you can add laterite to the bottom layer. Some people use peat moss. If you decide to go with a substrate specifically designed to stand alone in your aquarium, ADA AquaSoil, Carib Sea Eco-Complete, and Seachem Flourite are great options. Or they can be mixed with or added to the lower layer of inert gravel. ;)
   
   When stating which catfish are suitable for beginners, I do think Otocinclus catfish ("oto") deserve recognition too. They're great for cleaning algae off plants though they are fairly sensitive (not very hardy).