1 comments about Mini-Aquariums.

1. This is a great addition to my library of aquarium books. Although I can not condone squeezing any fish into a tank smaller than 10 gallons. These "Micro tanks", Would be great for a temporary display of plants only. Even small shrimp would be stressed in these small environments.

3 comments about Discus Breeding for Beginners.

1. the book's title lacks connection with the content which spends little time on the topic of breeding. Generally the book is excellenet clearly wiritten and useful but fails to deliver on the title.



2. I just purchased this book along with 0812046692 Discus Fish by Thomas Giovanetti, I found this book was full of great colorful picutures but did not give me very much information. Specifically one of my disus was sick - I just purchased him - the Discus Fish book helped me treat my fish this book was useless. I also found some of the information was exactly the opposite of what I was reading in all other books???



3. The first,I want send greeting to Jack Wattley for his magnificent,excellent book for all beginers. In this book author tells us everything,about right water for discus,about purchasing and selecting good stock,about feeding discus,about disease, about breeding and hatching artificially!!!He teach us the techniques to raise and breed discus. I find this more full color beautiful photos. Thank you,Jack. Nikolay Khakhamov.

5 comments about Aquarium Plants Manual (A Complete Pet Owner's Manual).

1. I bought this thinking it would help me. It didn't. Also in the back of the book, they have Riccia and Java Moss mixed up. The pictures are switched backwards. I don't recommend this book if you are going to invest your time and money into a plant tank. There are better books out there people.



2. Less than impressive small, thin paperback. Profiles only a small amount of species. There are at least a few errors: mislabeled photos and incorrectly identified species of plants and fish.



3. This manual is worht the money and is very helpful in the types of Aquarium plants that work best with different species of fish and water conditions. I found this maunual to be well worth the money and very helpful and it does have diagrams to show you exactly what you're being instructed on.



4. This little book is a very good value. It covers more than 40 different plants in its encylopedia section in addition to its glossary and several different info sections, including info on lighting, nutrients, selection and care. It gives more info about plants than can be obtained in the more general information books and is very inexpensive. It could be organized a little better but it is still very useful and very much worth the price.



5. There are books out there that are sensitive to the interaction of fish and plants. This is not one of them. Please invest a little more money and purchase one of those other books. The sample layouts are incredibly overcrowded. Even some of the photographs reflect the overcrowding!

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.

2 comments about Community Fish (Aquamaster Series).

1. This book is a basic over view of the community tank and is good for beginners.



2. This guide is dedicated to freshwater aquarium fish compatibility. It presents different fish profiles such as starter fish, peaceful small, medium size, large specimen, substrate and surface dwellers, popular, active, algae eaters!, malawi and tanganyikan cichlids. At the end of the guide, there are several themed community fish set-ups to think about, recommending not only suitable fish for each, but also plants and decor that fit as well. I have been around the fish keeping hobby for a while and thought I knew! But how much I learned a lot from this guide!!
   
   Besides the compatibility topic, this particular guide includes brief but complete sections related to general aquarium care such as tank set-up, water quality, aquascaping, feeding, maintenance, choosing and adding fish, breeding and health care. Aquamaster Guides are a "must have" for the beginner aquarist. Just by a quick glance, you can notice that they have been crafted with much care. The order in which contents are presented and the way each page is designed:going straight to the point, very visual, including superb pictures and neat graphics makes them, entertaining, easy to read and follow from beginning to end.

No comments about Sharks: A Golden Guide from St. Martin's Press.

No comments about The 101 Best Tropical Fishes: How to Choose & Keep Hardy, Brilliant, Fascinating Species That Will Thrive in Your Home Aquarium (Adventurous Aquarist Guide).

2 comments about Cichlids (Complete Pet Owner's Manual).

1. I purchased this book awhile back when I was first getting into Cichlids. It has alot of useful info, and it's easy to follow and refer back to. It gives good tips, and informative basic overveiw. If you're looking for more detailed and/or species/region specific info, this isn't the right book for you. If you are just getting into the hobby, this is a fabulous choice!



2. This books gives someone wanting to learn about Cichlids a good starting point. It covers several varieties, explaining their origins, behavior, breeding habbits and so on. It also gives some pointers on what varieties can coexist and some that shouldn't be mixed. Not all-ecompassiing by any means, but gives a person a good beginning overview to to Cichlids and to help you decide if this is the type of fish you want to put in your aquarium. I've read it to completion, am still interested and now am looking for more detailed information.

3 comments about Today's Essential Guide to Growing Aquarium Plants: The Aquamaster Series (Aquamaster).

1. Little better than a brief introduction to planted aquaria, this book lacks a lot of basic information someone new to keeping aquatic plants would need. For example, the discussion of lighting talks about the number of lamps, not lumens per inch or even watts per gallon, the latter of which is a very basic rule of thumb for planted tanks. While the author talks about plants for the foreground, background, &c., he makes almost no mention of the different light requirements among plants, thus guaranteeing frustration on the part of the aquarium owner when his bright-light loving plants die from too little.
   
   Not recommended.



2. This is a great plant book for freshwater aquariums. Simply, uncomplicated and great pictures. My boyfriend liked it so much I had to order him one!



3. I'm rather ambiguous about this book. If you don't already own some of the other books by the same author, or are looking for a median-priced beginning to your aquarium plants library, this is probably a really good choice. However, I already own the Encylopedia of Aquarium Plants (also by Hiscock) and Creating a Natural Aquarium (Hiscock). I found a lot of the information redundant with the Encyclopedia. On the other hand, it has a lot of the same solid, well-explained information, in a more concise, softcover book. If you don't already own the Encyclopedia, or are looking for an introductory book (perhaps as a gift for someone just getting into the hobby) its an excellent value, and an engaging read. However, if you're already well-versed in the hobby, or own the Encyclopedia, it may not be as useful. I found the other book, Creating a Natural Aquarium much more interesting (I ordered it and the "Essential Guide" at the same time), because it was a very different perspective on aquarium plants, approached from a biotope viewpoint.
   
   But, as an overall, introductory guide, it really is quite good, with easy-to-understand diagrams and very well laid out information.

4 comments about A Dolphin in Front of You.

1. This book helped me a lot, but the information it provided was kind of already know. Otherwise this is a pretty good short and sweet read.



2. Pete Davey has once again writen a great little book. However, don't let the tiny size fool you, it's loaded with tons of information that will help aspiring marine mammal trainers break into the field. From his own beginnings to sound advise on writing a great resume and interviewing tips, Davey's book is for anyone looking to have a dolphin in front of them!



3. I purchased this book after having difficulties transferring the advice from various "mainstream" resume books to my search for a job in the animal care field. I had heard that there was a section specifically on resumes, and thought it might be helpful.
   
   When the book arrived, I was a bit surprised. The book itself is very small in size, about the size of a 4"x6" photograph. I was able to read it all in about a half hour. Overall,I feel it would be a really useful book for high school age kids who are unsure about where to start on their path to a career in dolphin training, but not for someone with experience in the field. The resume section was very vague, as was the interview section.
   
   Overall, the book was OK, but not the resource I expected it to be. Unfortunately, there are very few books on the market dealing with the unique challenges faced in this career field.



4. this book is great for people who want to persue the carrer of bcoming a marine mammal trainer. i myslef have always dreamed of becomeing a trainer and this book gave me great pointers of how to become one. I thoughrougly enjoyed reading this book.