3 comments about South American Cichlids IV (AquaLog-Reference Books).

1. 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 Cichlid species of fishes many of which are among the most beautiful 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 Cichlids in particular and fish-keeping in general it is a book to be treasured.



2. This is not a beginner book that deals with care or even breeding of these beautiful fish. This is a book that deals with the many wild locale forms and MANY varied aquarium colour strains that breeders have created over the years. As the book description above states, if you want breeding and care information, have a look at the Aqualog Special "Majestic Discus". This book can help you identify where your wild discus came from, or at least the form used to create the colour form swimming in your tank.



3. If you want pictures of every possible discus or angelfish color, then this is a very good book. It seems to be targeted to breeders of show fish. For anybody else, it is probably a waste of money. There is no information on breeding or care. There is no attempt to describe the differences between the various sub-species or "breeding forms". Comparing the many beautiful pictures only adds confusion to identification. Reading the several short articles, reinforces the idea that the common discus or angelfish owner should ignore the fancy names (which seem to be very arbitrary at times) and just buy fish that appeal to you. Definitely do not spend extra money for a name.

No comments about Questions and Answers on Saltwater Aquarium Fishes: Understanding Behavior for Successful Fishkeeping.

2 comments about AQUALOG African Cichlids III Malawi II: Peacocks.

1. This book was not quite what I was hoping for. Not as informative as I had imagined it might be. None the less still useful.



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 African Cichlids 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 nothing more. But for those aquarists who are particularly interested in a single species they are indispensable.

No comments about Breeding Egglayers (Practical Fishkeeper's Guide).

No comments about Limnological Analyses.

2 comments about Aqualog Extra: The Latest Apistogramma.

1. 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 Apistogramma species of fishes many of which are among the most beautiful 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 Apistogramma in particular and fish-keeping in general it is a book to be treasured.



2. Its great to be able to identify or look up some of the newer finds. Any aquarist should find it useful.

1 comments about Nutrient Requirements of Fish (<i>Nutrient Requirements of Domestic Animals:</i> A Series).

1. This book is a "must" for all Nutritionists dealing with aquatic species. It never leaves my side while working on formulations and reviewing pertinent data on nutrient requirements and nutritional management of various commercially important species.
   Only bad comment is that it is 1993 and it is time for NRC to bring out a new edition. hint hint....

3 comments about Swordtails and Platies.

1. This is a terrific book to change your mind if you think platies are boring. I defy any aquarist to look thru this entire book and not find at least one variety of platy that he thinks is gorgeous! I take it out time and time again just to look at the beautiul photos of rare platies. OTOH, if you're looking for a lot of technical info, this book comes up a little short, although it's better than any other platy book I've seen (and I have them all, even some in German that I can't read---ha ha). I would have liked if there were more info on color genetics and setting up a biotope tank for these fish. Having said that, I still highly recommend this as "The Bible" for platy nuts.



2. This book is good for those who wants to learn more about the history, breeds & genetics of developing some of the fancy strains of swordtails & platies. It is also invaluable for those looking for a collection of photos on the wild strains.

   For a book of its size and price, however, aspects of it could definitely have been better.

   Organisation of the book lacked planning somewhat, different species of swordtails & platies photos are scattered often without proper order throughout the book. Even the same fish is displayed in different pages. The photos don't often group with the species, nor are they be grouped with type locality where possible. The fancy aquarium strains are not separated at times from the wild strains, and do appear in the same page. Then there are huge unnecessary large photos that takes up a whole page of the book. There was also a genernal aquarium management section in the middle of the book that's more of a filler than relevant, lacking particular attention to the natural habitat aspects of the locality of the types of swords & platies. These flaws subtract the quality that should be the norm for such a work.

   As for the genetics & breeds aspect, there is some good history of strains development, but others like the Hamburg black swordtails still lacked proper detailed discussion. A lot of strains are not discussed. This includes some of the basic genetic aspects such as the black colour in the development of the platys & swords, & the development of the red swords from the rubra platy genes. Some basic genetic terms relevant to the platy/swordtail complex is not discussed, but I feel essential in talking about breeds.

   Overall, it is a good book for the more serious aquarist, but I believe the book could have been much better. The many photos contained in this book is invaluable (both wild & aquarium strains), such as X roseni & X kozssanderi, but no discussion was found int the text that related to these two natural hybrids. I can only imagine that how much better this book could have been with more detail plannning & organisation. An opportunity that was forgone...




3. This book is good for those who wants to learn more about the history, breeds & genetics of developing some of the fancy strains of swordtails & platies. It is also invaluable for those looking for a collection of photos on the wild strains.

   For a book of its size and price, however, aspects of it could definitely have been better.

   Organisation of the book lacked planning somewhat, different species of swordtails & platies photos are scattered often without proper order throughout the book. Even the same fish is displayed in different pages. The photos don't often group with the species, nor are they be grouped with type locality where possible. The fancy aquarium strains are not separated at times from the wild strains, and do appear in the same page. Then there are huge unnecessary large photos that takes up a whole page of the book. There was also a genernal aquarium management section in the middle of the book that's more of a filler than relevant, lacking particular attention to the natural habitat aspects of the locality of the types of swords & platies. These flaws subtract the quality that should be the norm for such a work.

   As for the genetics & breeds aspect, there are some good history of strains developments, but others like the Hamburg black swordtails still lacked proper detailed discussion. A lot of strains are not discussed. This includes some of the basic genetic aspects such as the black colour in the development of the platys & swords, & the development of the red swords from the rubra platy genes. Some basic genetic terms relevant to the platy/swordtail complex is not discussed, but I feel essential in talking about breeds.

   Overall, it is a good book for the more serious aquarist, but I believe the book could have been much better. The many photos contained in this book is invaluable (both wild & aquarium strains), such as X roseni & X kosszanderi, but no discussion was found in the text that related to these two natural hybrids. I can only imagine that how much better this book could have been with more detail plannning & organisation. An opportunity that was forgone...

1 comments about Aqualog Extra: Discus--The Champions.

1. January 20, 2007
   Aqualog African CichlidsIII (Erwin Schrami)
   Unbeatable Fish-keeping Books
   
   
   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 African Cichlids 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.
   
   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 nothing more. But for those aquarists who are particularly interested in a single species they are indispensable.

1 comments about Malawi Cichlids: Mbuna.

1. Photos in this book are all glossy photos, excellent pictures. It provides general information on mbuna. This book is excellent for the beginner, but a bit inadequate for the advance african cichlids aquarist. Nonetheless, it is a good book considering the price tag attacked to it.