5 comments about The Cichlid Aquarium.

1. This was the first cichlid book I read. It was recommended to me and I'm so thankful for that. It tells you everything you need in order to start up a successful cichlid tank. And I'm not talking information like all the other fish books out there that tell you how to setup a tank with all of their products. This book will tell you about cichlid behavior, ways to curb aggression, compatibility issues...Great book. Highly recommended especially if you are interested cichlids and don't know where to start.



2. definitely one of the better cichlid books on the market. lot's of information on a wide variety of cichlids from mating behavior to habitat. ...



3. This book was a little bit of an disappointment for me. It has good guidlines on how your cichlid aquarium should be and how to maintain it. But it doesn't tell you alot about the fish and lacks information about them such as habits, size, diet etc.
   I would not recomend this to a hobbyist who wants to learn more about the fish themselves.



4. Very interesting book. Gives a lot of information byt if you want specific information on your fish it does not give. It doesnt have an index making things very hard when you want to find specific info.



5. Excellent book. Great photos. No index? Huh? C'mon PaulV. and Dr. Loiselle. Did you guys both make the Homer Simpson "DOAH" sound after you published this and realized you forgot an index. Very frustrating. I still grab this book from time to time for reference and habitually look to the INDEX, but alas, there is none. Can you say REVISED EDITION?

1 comments about Setup & Care of Garden Ponds (Animal Planet Pet Care Library).

1. Part of the superbly produced 'Animal Planet & Pet Care Library' series from T.F.H. Publications, "Setup And Care Of Garden Ponds" by Terry Anne Barber is a profusely illustrated, step-by-step instruction guide covering all aspects of creating, planting, stocking, and maintaining a garden pond of any size appropriate for the available terrain. There are many factors involved, including the benefits of garden ponds, determining the desired pond size and shape, choosing and planting garden pond compatible plants, selecting the proper fish and other aquatic animal life for the pond, keeping the water in a pond healthy and avoiding such biohazards as mosquito breeding, and what is necessary to enjoy a garden pond in every season of the year. Thoroughly 'user friendly' in organization and presentation, "Setup And Care Of Garden Ponds" is enthusiastically recommended for anyone contemplating the creation or renewal of a garden pond.

5 comments about Aqualog: Loricariidae All L-Numbers, New 2nd. Edition.

1. Very satisfy with this book.. It gives clear insight on all the known speices and well as the temperature/diet/and max size of the pleco.. important to all fish keepers who are investing in a Pleco.
   
   The book has most of the L number plecos listed.. but it does lack some of the plecos that are already labeled. or known.. EX: Blue eye pleco and Golden Sailfin are not listed.
   
   A great buy and satisfying to all pleco lovers who can't get the more exotics plecos due to the Brazil banned.. this book is satisfying enough!



2. This is a stunning tour-de-force coverage of the Loricarids. Considering the price, it had better be good, and it is. To start with, the production values are very high. Thick, heavy, glossy pages. Crisp, clear photos. This is a "coffee-table" type of book. Indeed, even people who have no interest in fishkeeping who have seen this book have been mesmerized by the amazing patterns and coloration of various Loricariids.
   
   Second, the info is excellent. Using the L-system, the fish are placed in numerical order. Each page has eight pictures (in 2 columns of 4 pix each), and under each picture are the genus and species names, a common name when there is one, where the fish come from, and a string of icons covering what the fish eats, temperature range, pH, etc. It also lists the maximim size the fish might attain.
   
   Although I'm not a big fan of using icons, they save a LOT of space and the information is available even if you have to work a little for it. Additionally, there are some blank spots later in the book. The authors have left them blank to accommodate paste-in stickers (pictures) of newly-discovered fish, with the stickers being available in the related Aqualog - news copies (it's a magazine).
   
   I am very impressed by the authors not just showing a single specimen for each L number. They have multiple pictures, showing various ages (adolescent vs. adult) and color varieties. This is VERY valuable, because not every individual looks exactly the same.
   
   The book is VERY useful if you are trying to identify an individual specimen, but is equally (or perhaps more) enjoyable to just leaf through.
   
   If you're looking for more extensive info or a cheaper alternative, try Ingo Seidel's "Back to Nature Guide to L-Catfishes." Otherwise, this is a fantastic book, and if you enjoy bottomfish, you should enjoy this one.



3. This book is the best and most uptodate book one can find on the identifacation of all L-numbered catfish. If one is looking to purchase or collect this fish I highly recomend this book. The many picture of the fish are very good. The only draw back is the care information could be better. the reader must rely on smbols to determine the care of the various fish. But for identifaction there is none better.



4. All of the Aqualog books are excellent value, although they are not particularly cheap. They are full to the brim with first class colour photographs and to reproduce these in a book is an expensive process. Whether they are about the beautiful L Number now coming into the aquarist trade or some other species of fish they are the most comprehensive identification books you can buy. They never become dated because as new fish become available to the aquarist trade the books are updated. There is not a lot of literature on African cichlids so this book is invaluable.
   
   They do not deal with the basics of fish keeping, there are many and varied books that do that. They are in the main a fish identification encyclopaedia and not a lot more. But for those aquarists who are particularly interested in a single species they are indispensable.



5. This book is the best Loricariidae Identification book, it has massive of good quality pictures, it tells reader how big the species can be and little bit about how to keep them in captive. For each L number, there is a brief intro at the beginning of the book. Anyone loves plecos must own this book.

5 comments about Angelfishes & Butterflyfishes: Reef Fishes Series.

1. This is most likely one of the best books written on the subject of reef fishes. Great suggestions for care and wonderful photos.



2. If there is anything remaining that you would like to learn about either of these two major groups of marine fishes, I don't know what it is! General group information (reproduction, distinguishing characteristics). Very detailed accounts of each fish species, including size, location where found, how captured (if cyanided), average temperature where located, maximum size, aquarium suitability, what they eat, suitability for reef aquariums, ability to get along with conspecifics and coinhabitants, necessary lighting conditions, variations in colors, hybridized species, etc. Great photos too. This one will definitely stay on my reference shelf!



3. Everything written by Scott Michael is EXCELLENT! He's my favorite aquatic author. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND all of his books!



4. No question about it. It is the greatest book on angelfish and butterfly fish. It is full of the photos for the identification.



5. As yet another in his series of reef fishes this one does not disappoint. Another great book with fantastic photos and info, a definite must-have for the serious saltwater hobbyist.

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

1. A must read if your going to get serious about the saltwater reefs. Will help you skipp the rookie mistakes.



2. This book really drives home a simple concept; Natural fish and/or reef keeping. I kept saltwater tropical fish only tanks for over fifteen years. I moved and took a seven year hiatus. My reemergence back into the hobby has been one of wonderment. Everything has changed! Instead of mountains of expensive equipment and sickly livestock, my tanks are natural microcosms and rich with bio diversity. This book shows the reader how to utilize the most natural approaches in reef keeping and ultimately bestows the knowledge necessary to be a responsible aquarist. My fish and corals are not merely surviving; they are thriving! I strongly encourage anyone to read this fabulous book.



3. Perfect book for starting off understand what is involved in keep a saltwater aquarium. Supplement with reading web forums and online information to get really current opinion and views but a great reference book for the starter. Buy before you buy any equipment.



4. I bought this book as a Christmas gift for my daughter who has a drop-dead gorgeous reef tank! She loved it and said it had tons of great information.



5. 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.

1 comments about Setup and Care of Saltwater Aquariums (Animal Planet Pet Care Library).

1. Being a fresh water aquarium hobbist since I was 6 years old, I always wanted to start a marine aquarium but was always afraid, because I always heard about the far higher costs, the "cycling time" that meant that you could insert new fishes only after one month you setup your system, and the far more complicated maintenance. But this book demystified everything for me.
   
   It is a step-by-step guide on how to setup your first salt water aquarium without entering into unecessary explanations. Following this book you can build your own system and have fishes in it in less than a week -- and I am counting here the time for you to visit some stores to research prices and getting acquainted with the products you will have to buy.
   
   The quality of the book is top-notch: excellent paper, excellent design, hard-cover. The problem, though, is that it lacks more illustrations and some are very deceitful. It seems that the author just wrote the text and the publishing house had to insert some pictures to go along. So sometimes there are some boxes alerting the reader on some fishes to avoid and the publisher put a picture of a fish there to illustrate, problem is that it isn't from the fish the author is talking about!
   
   I could setup my first salt water tank following the steps presented in this book but I changed some stuff that the author failed to mention:
   
   1. Filter: he suggests two hang-on wet/dry filters and no word is given to canister filters, which require less maintenance and are quieter. I chose the later.
   
   2. Illumination: he says only to put two lamps without explaining the detials of which kind of lamp you should use. I've done my research and for the kind of system he recommends (fish with live rock a.k.a. Berlin system) you should use one 5500º K or 6500º K lamp plus a blue "Actinic". He also failed to mention that you should buy a timer to automatically turn on and off the lamps (the first one should be turned on for 8 hours/day and the second one should be turned on for 12 hours/day).
   
   3. Electrical connection: failed to mention that you need to have a ground-fault interruptor (a.k.a. GFCI); I bougth mine at Home Depot.
   
   These are the only three things that I changed from what is written on the book. I also bought two other great books for choosing fishes and invertebrates and believe me, all other books are far harder to follow that this little but effective guide.
   
   Another problem with this books is that the author constantly says that he will explain how to do a "fresh water dip" on Chapter 7 and how this is the most important thing for preventing diseases, however in nowhere in the book (including Chapter 7) this procedure is taught. I had to learn how to do this from another book (The Conscientious Marine Aquarist).

5 comments about The Simple Guide to Marine Aquariums (Simple Guide to...).

1. This is a good starter book for anyone interested in a saltwater (marine) aquarium. It provides some good information on tank set-up, water parameters, equipment, etc. It has a section on fish compatability and even gives a recommended list of fish for a 30 gallon tank. This is a good book to start with and is very easy to read. The author provides some good photos and did a good job separating information into each chapter. The book can be found on Amazon for only a couple of bucks making it well worth the money if you are new to the hobby. I would not recommend this book to those people that consider themselves advanced aquarists because it probably doesn't have the advanced information you might be looking for. However, it is a great book for beginners or those that are fairly new to the hobby.



2. read cover to cover! very useful book for a first timer. easy to read good information and photos!!!



3. Don't be fooled by it's title...the simplicity and well carried chapters allow everyone who reads this easy to follow book to jump start on this captivating hobby.
   Many things can go wrong setting up a new acquarium and this book certainly helps avoid a lot of them.
   A definite must read!



4. I have read countless books on Marine aquariums. while this is not the book for an expert it gives you a great idea on the basics of Marine aquariums. it will get you started. I love this book for things that the more advanced books seem to assume you already know. though there isnt anyting on corals in this book... basicly live rock and the fish... and a glimpse of what it takes for corals. a good read.



5. I really liked this book it gives you great information that can get you started and help you save money.

5 comments about African Cichlids of Lakes, Malawi, and Tanganyika.

1. A great book that was written decades ago and still holds value today - yes, some of the species names have changed (as science always does so..Science will always prove itself incorrect on any subject to allow for needed progressions).
   
   This was the first book available for the Tropical Fish Hobbyist to gain first hand information from sources directly visiting Lakes Malawi and Tanganyika.
   
   The publisher of the book is also the founder of Tropical Fish Hobbyist Magazine - A Well
   Respected publication since the 50's for fish hobbyists.
   [...]
   
   This book allowed me and friends to see where the fish we kept in our tanks were from.. In the 70s there was not an internet to go to...to get a quick glimpse at Lakes Malawi and Tanganyika...It served its purpose well and I feel is still useful as an alternate resource for today's hobbyists



2. Great book, names a little outdated. more info than most. a need for any african cichlid collector.



3. What an amazing book!!! Amazing content with very useful information and beautiful pictures to boot. I dare you to find a better book out there on African Cichlids.



4. First of all the book is 448 pages long (you would think there would be an abundent amount of usefull information) well THINK AGAIN ! The book is full of pictures with outdated scientific names, the only information about breeding any type of cichlid (being malawi or tang) is that you throw in a male with two or three female keep the water clean and BAM, you will have fry everywhere! It takes him about 20 pages to say this, in which he keeps repeating about just putting the fish in together and keeping the water clean. This book is trash and I am highly dissapointed, I wouldnt sell it for the simple fact that I would feel as though I am cheating someone out of money. If you are, on the other hand, looking for a book because your 2 year old seems to be fascinated by fish and fish pictures, then this would be ok for you. Out of the 448 pages 300 are pictures with no information about keeping the fish in an aquaria whatsoever, no explanations & poor "guessing at the correct names"; as he refers to over and over again "this is probably a ___ sp " Very jumbled and poorly organized ; even with the photos ~ this book doesnt even deserve 1 star!



5. I thought that this book will have all the info i'll need for my African cichlids aquariums, but this book is a total flop ,
   surprising with the names that were responsible for its release.
   It has little info on the life of the African cichlid of lake Malawi & Tanganyka and nothing else , it is mainly a picture book (more then 90%) WITHOUT any data on the fish in the pics.
   It seems i'm stuck with it but you can find much much better books to spend your money on.

1 comments about The Super Simple Guide to Koi.

1. I love my Koi and need information on
   Koi's so this book was great to have.

2 comments about Reef Aquarium Success - Volume 1: Learn How To Maintain A Beautiful Mini-Ocean Environment Within Your Tank.

1. The book really does have a lot of good information layed out in a very easy to digest question and answer format. So it truly is a shame that the print quality of this book makes it look like it was done on a home inkjet printer set to draft mode. The simple truth here is that the pictures actually hurt my eyes to look at. They seem fuzzy and "off". If I had a Kindle, this would be a fantastic read. The print version is absolutely not worth the price. They really shoudln't even bother making the rest of this series in print form.
   -Get it for your Kindle, DO NOT buy the paperback.



2. There is so much information in this book that I would call it a must have. It will save you so much time and heartache. Learn from the people who have gone through the problems and solved them to save you time and money. Eric has done something no one else has, that is ask the regular person who has solved their issues on the right way to raise salt water fish. Must, must, must!!!!