No comments about Koi Varieties.

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

1. 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.



2. 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 The book is full of pictures with outdated scientific names, the only information about breeding any type of cichlid (being malawi or tang) is that you throw in a male with two or three female keep the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!



3. 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.



4. I bought this book in order to gain practical information on cichled species and their identification but I am highly dissapointed. It is full of pictures with a lot of missing information (such as sexsing, behaviour or breeding) and it is full of technical descriptions which are not helpful for an amateur aquarist. Photos of the lake Malawi and Tanganyika fishes are all mixed up; pages are not organised at all.



5. One expects when buying a book by such a respected author to acquire a truly great book. This is not the case with this book. First of all, most photography are of very poor quality. Second, not all pages are numbered! This make the job of identifying fishes a lot harder. I'm very disapointed.

No comments about The Guide to Owning Cichlids (Guide to Owning).

1 comments about The Tanganyika Cichlid Aquarium.

1. This is a good book for learning about Tanganyikans...

   It has alot of useful information for such a small book. For someone unfamiliar with the habits of Shell-Dwellers this is very informative. It gives you recommended tank sizes for most of the popular Tangs (Neolamps, Frontosa, Calvus, Lamps) as well as a limited compatability between certain species.

   There is a section about which plants can survive in an African tank... this is hard info to find.

   The only think that I found lacking was a complete section of photos, descriptions, specs and stats of each species. This would've added alot to the book and made it into a true reference guide.

   In any case it is a very fun book to look at from time to time. There's always stuff in there to learn about.

5 comments about Koi: Living Jewels of the Orient.

1. This is a good reference book for people new to the hobby. I especially like the section on the different varieties of koi.



2. Very informative. The best Koi book we have yet to buy.



3. This book has received such glowing reviews I felt the need to add a sour note. It is full of beautiful pictures and has lots of useful information, but it is not as exhaustive a reference as it would seem from its size. The chapters are divided between four authors, with uneven results. The water quality chapter wastes entire pages on step-by-step instructions on how to use a particular brand of water test (they come with instructions,we don't need this in a book). The filtration chapter is devoted almost exclusively to a particular filtration system that chapter's author designs and sells. On the other hand, most of the other chapters are at least adequate, and the koi varieties section is outstanding, with the clearest delineation of the many koi types I have ever read--anyone can tell a showa from a sanke after looking at the side-by-side comparison. This section alone makes the book worth buying.



4. There are not many Koi books in the market. I think this book is the best I ever read. It is very up todate information (technology) especially pond and filtration system. The pictures and diagrams are beautiful and easy to understand.



5. This beautiful, hard cover book has much to offer any person who is interested in caring for KOI>
   I bought the book as a Christmas gift for my husband's folks...
   They just installed a 16 X 33 foot Koi pond in their back yard.
   They have three little waterfalls the aerate the water, and are in the process of adding appropriate plants.
   They really do not know a thing about KOI.
   But I guess it's a new hobby for them....they're retired and
   perhaps need a new direction in life.
   I hope they read this book before they lose too many of those expensive, shiny fishies!
   I read the book prior to giving it to them, and it details the many names and types of KOI, (which means CARP in Japanese.)
   The book explains how one would proplery build an in-ground Koi pond, and shows many examples of how to go about this.
   It's facinating...did you know that KOI require a high protien diet for their health, and to maintain their beautiful, bright colorings? There is quite a variety of food available to give them.
   There is a ton of useful information in this book about KOI,
   and it makes a very nice gift for the Holidays.
   MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL!

5 comments about Complete Encyclopedia of the Saltwater Aquarium.

1. If your are just starting off or of been with the salt water hobby for a white thsi is a great book to have.



2. If you're familiar with IT books, there's a type known as "nutshells" which contain the critical essentials the reader needs to get about their business and gain a deeper understanding of the subject-matter. I'd read about marine tankkeeping on various hobbyist websites but decided to pick this book up to make sure I understood the fundamentals before I set up my first SW tank. Dakin is clearly devoted to the hobby and provides good, sound advice for me, a novice. Some reviewers lament the lack of details for particular species; for that information, I highly recommend A PocketExpert Guide to Marine Fishes: 500+ Essential-To-Know Aquarium Species which provides detailed info about compatibility, minimum tanks sizes, and feeding requirements for various marine fishes. All-in-all, this "encyclopedia" served my needs.



3. When I bought this book I had already been in the sw hobby for six years, but for some reason I had to have this book. Needs to be updated, but it offers a great and broad foundation of the hobby. It is easy to read, and has awesome pictures. Also some of the species names were different from what I have seen in most other books. ???



4. This is a wonderful book for the lay person to read as they wait to see their doctor. The pictures are lovely. I gave it as a gift to my favorite dermatologist who happens to have a saltwater aquarium on display.



5. We've used this book mostly for identification of fish that we didn't recognize at the pet store. The pictures are fantastic and it covers a broad scope of information on setting up the tank, reefs, fish and invertebrates. It gives information on what they eat, who they get along with, and what conditions they prefer. In some cases, however, the directions for caring for a certain type of fish were not as detailed as we would have liked. If you want a general saltwater reference book, this is a great investment. If you're looking for specific, detailed instructions on how to care for different things in your tank, another book might be a good supplement to this one.

3 comments about Goldfish and Fancy Goldfish (AQUALOG Special series).

1. I have a number of goldfish books and am in search of the "Goldfish Bible". I was hoping this was it but will have to keep looking. This is an interesting book - no doubt about that. The author is a German enthusiast who spent a number of years in Japan and China and developed a clear passion for goldfish. The photos are first class and among the best photos of goldfish I've seen. The book includes a large poster of goldfish varities- too large to be practical (unless you're planning to frame it and put it on your wall....) but, with close study, it might help you work through the varieties. The information is interesting- especially the explanation of the different varieties and what to look for. No much you can't find in the other specialist texts but it certainly is quirky. Some of the written English is clumsy but charming in its own way. There are spelling and punctuation errors here and there. Overall, I have to admit I was expecting more from the book in the way of information because these were billed as the "specialist texts". So i was disappointed. But, if you're really into goldfish and can't get enough pictures or enough of the same information explained in a slightly different way, then this book is for you.



2. 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 many of the different beautiful fishes now coming into the aquarist trade or in this case specifically the cold water species Goldfish and Fancy Goldfish which are among the most beautiful cold water fishes. They are first class for identifying that fish that you have had for some time, but have not been able to put a name to.
   
   This is a really beautiful book with some stunning photographs and for anyone interested in Goldfish in particular and fish-keeping in general it is a book to be treasured.



3. The 1st half of the book was pretty dry about the history and the last half was very informative. This was to be a present to a person who loves goldfish and would only like the last part of this book as it would answer her questions. I wouldn't give this to a beginner but to an experinced hobbist.

2 comments about The Guide to Owning Angelfish: Disease, Varieties, Care, Species, Breeding (Aquatic).

1. I'm still on the hunt for a good all-around book to describe more about taking CARE of angelfish, in regard to feeding, personalities, water chemistry/temperature, what they like/dislike, yadda yadda. But lots of good pictures, and I thought a lot was devoted to the different varieties of angelfish (although I'm sure there are so many that it would be difficult to show them all)



2. This is a good first angelfish book. I was a little disapointed though because I would like to see them show more varities of angelfish. They only showed a select few. They don't have much information on genetics either.

   Over all I did learn some from this book and the pictures they did have are really good. So if you aren't looking for a book on all varieties of angelfish with lots of information this book is a good start for your collection of books. I refer to it quite a bit.

4 comments about The Essential Goldfish (Howell Book House's Essential).

1. "Informative but Incomplete" is, I believe, the "kinder and gentler" way to review this book. I should first review the book, and then offer my assessment of its value.
   
   The Book: Thin--both in quantity of content, and in depth of content. What is there is OK, but there's not all that much there; and what is there only scratches the surface of what one would want (or need) to know if one is serious about getting into the keeping and care of gold fish.
   
   To be sure, there is some interesting and unexpected information and tips offered in this book--and for that I am thankful. The book simply does not go "far enough" in giving this information nor offer any depth or background for it.
   
   The Value of the book: I would have no problem if this were in a pets and hobbies section of an elementary school library--possibly even in a middle school library. However, I do not believe that there is much of value to an adult aquarist (neophite, novice, or beyond)to be found in this book. I found similar, and in some cases better information in some brochures and pamphlets put out by TetraCare.
   
   In short, No. I do not suggest this book as a candidate for a 21st Century wave of book burnings. Neither do I recommend it to anyone who wants to learn very much about setting up a goldfish aquarium, and about caring for the little creatures.
   
   In my teaching days, if this book were submitted as a paper, I would give it a "C," and suggest that it be redone for a better grade.
   
   Fr. Mike Lee



2. After killing several types of goldfish by ignorance, this Hargrove edition saved my life and the life of my latest fishies. They have been alive and well and disease-free for over a year now. Easy to understand tips and advice, with step-by-step set up and care information. I am recommending all public libraries purchase this edition... especially for all those unprepared families who win goldfish at carnivals.



3. I found that the Essential Goldfish was decently-written and had a lot of pictures; however, the pictures were not very informative. Pictures should serve to augment the information in the text, and not as eye-candy. For example, in the chapter describing the different types of goldfish, pictures of each of the described goldfish and desirable traits would reinforce the given descriptions. Likewise, in the chapter on plants describes many plants that mix well with goldfish, but doesn't show pictures of each plant.
   I found that there were some key bits of information missing. The author states that certain kinds of goldfish cannot be mixed together, and gives a few examples. A chart of compatible types would be helpful. Likewise, the chapter on breeding gives some good tips, but it doesn't actually explain how to differentiate between males and females!



4. I recently entered the world of goldfish ownership. To prepare for the experience, I read many books on the topic (checking them out from the library), and looked at many more in the local bookstore. After reading some pretty scholarly tomes as well as some light, "So You Have a Goldfish" fare, I decided that this book, The Essential Goldfish, is everything a beginner like me needs.
   
   The book starts by swiftly covering the basic varieties of goldfish, providing enough information so that you can tell the difference between the types and so that you can make an informed decision on what kind you want and which kinds to put together (and to avoid putting together). Along with that basic information, it gives guidelines for choosing your goldfish, and for creating a home for your goldfish.

   Next, the book addresses aquarium maintenance, plants, feeding (with some surprising facts about what you can feed your goldfish), health, and even breeding, and concludes with a list of resources and an index.

   As a professional indexer myself, I would say that the index is the weakest part of the book. There are terms that are indexed where the term is mentioned, but not defined or discussed in any way, and then other places where the term actually is defined, but is not in the index. In this case, the book is small enough and well organized enough that one can still find most of what one is looking for, but in the case of at least one term, one would have to read every page quite carefully to find the definition.

   I should mention that this book is an abridged version of the older "The Goldfish: An Owner's Guide to a Happy, Healthy Pet (Owner's Guide to a Happy, Healthy Pet)," by Carlo De Vito and Gregory Skomal. Some of the sections in both books are nearly identical. However, the outdated information in the older edition was removed for this edition, and this edition is also more attractive and easier to hold and handle than the earlier edition.

   In summary, setting aside the weakness of the index, and after having read several books on goldfish, I would heartily recommend this book for the beginner and intermediate goldfish owner. It is complete enough, small enough, and focused enough that you are more likely to read it from cover to cover, thereby giving your goldfish a better chance of being properly cared for.

1 comments about Cichlids from West Africa.

1. If your interested in west African Cichlids this book is a must. Includes detailed pictures of Pelvicachromis, Nanochromis, and many more species, with both male and female identified. Also includes short description of species habitat and water parameters. This book makes identification easy.