2 comments about Beginner's Guide to Saltwater Aquariums.

1. In setting up my first saltwater aquarium, I was looking for a more in depth book. I was rather disappointed as all the information contained within, I had already read about with simple online searches and pamphlets from the pet store. It does have a comprehensive fish guide which is 3/4 of the book if you are interested in finding out what fish will live well together.



2. This book is the best I've found regarding saltwater aquariums. I think it's great not just for beginners but also for people like me who have started a tank some time ago and can't get the fish to last very long. It included just about everything I needed to know to get started but was very easy to read as it sticks to the basics without overloading you with a bunch of technical marine biology talk like some of the other books I've seen. Great in depth analysis of the types of saltwater fish. The book's information on water temperature was something I had never heard before and that alone was worth the price in my case. As they say in the book some of their ideas definitely go against what you normally hear in pet stores and other books so just keep that in mind. But I used to not be able to keep fish like Tangs alive in my tank for any length of time until I tried some of their new ideas. My tank is now in great shape after reading this, great book!

2 comments about Successful Reef Aquarium.

1. The book may have been more properly titled "Inhabitants of the Successful Reef Aquarium". Though Mr. Knop does cover the basics which can give the beginning 'reefer' a good foundation to build on, it is most clearly geared toward choosing the proper inhabitants for a successful system.

   Having said that, I found the book well written and enjoyable to read with lots of beautiful photos. The section on corals is by far the largest (and why not?) A later, and much smaller section covers some of the best fish for the beginning reef hobbyist.

   The reason this book falls short of a 4th star (maybe we could ask Amazon to add a half-star option), is due to it's lack of specifics with regard to setup and maintenance. If the work was titled "Inhabitants of the Successful Reef Aquarium", I would have given it 4 stars.




2. Great beginners book. This book gave me very good basic information on coral identification and classification. The accompanying photos are very clear and extremely helpful. It also gives very sound advice on the types of fish and invertebrates that would complement each other in a typical tank. The section on algae has very good info on the identification, effects and control of specific problem algae. The photos of these algae are better than those on other books i've read. All in all, I believe that this is a book that would provide the beginning marine reef keeper with practical information he could use to ensure his tanks' success

1 comments about Discus in the Community Tank.

1. It's a pretty good book, I enjoyed it very much. It actually gives me a basic tips on what and not what to do. I am pretty much a beginner on this one. So, I basically need all the tips that I can get.

No comments about Lake Tanganyika Cichlids (Aquaguide S.).

1 comments about Collecting Marine Tropicals (Creating the Marine Environment).

1. A fair book that seems to have been written back when scuba was in it's infancy. Not a real species specific book but if your looking for a general book on this topic it's worth the 9 bucks.

5 comments about Aquarium Plant Paradise.

1. While the designs presented are very nice, and the provided information about species used and specifications are useful, the book itself is very poorly laid out, and one can question whether the copy was ever edited. Nearly every page has spelling or grammatical errors or both, and some of the information presented is rendered nearly useless by the awkward wording and mistakes. I realize that Amano is not a mother tongue English speaker, but that's what editors are for.



2. I'm not sure what the purpose of the book was apart to say that Amano is good. The pictures are nice, but there are lots of nice pictures available for free.



3. Just got this book and noticed that a lot of the information is inaccurate. It seems the pictures of the aquariums and the list of plants in the aquariums do not always match up. It's like they just started naming random plants for each picture.



4. This is by far the worst book i do own on Amano's wonderful tanks. Pictures are poorly printed and the overall impression is deceptive.



5. I think Amano's critics tend to overlook the fact that he is a photographer, not a botanist or icthyologist. Even though his technical skills and knowledge of his craft are profound and probably rival, if not exceed, some of the "experts" in the field, he is first and foremost an artist.

   An exceptional artist.

   He has taken his love and respect of nature, reduced it to it's essentials and fleshed it out with a personal, subtle spirituality that is conveyed in all of his books, and this one is no exception.....

   ....as long as you can overlook the typos and printing errors.

   I don't understand why the publisher would spend the money for spot gloss and good stock, yet overlook glaring alignment and spelling errors, but as previously mentioned by other reviewers, this book does seem hastily put together. It's not horrid though, and unfortunately it seems that all Japanese books translated for the American market suffer in much the same way, regardless of their genre.

   If you are looking for in-depth technical how-to's and plant information, you will not find it here. However, it's obvious that was not what this book was intended to be in the first place, so it seems unfair to hold it up to that standard.

   Despite the poor translation and the brevity of the technical information, I think this book can come in handy for the beginning aquatic plant enthusiast, and is a nice low-cost introduction to Takashi Amano. This book emphasizes smaller tanks with smaller, easy-to-keep fish (mostly), gives a broad overview of each tank and provides the basic groundwork for providing a pleasing tank layout. All this in 64 pages for $...- not bad, especially considering that it's more of an art book than a technical manual in the first place.

   If this book was more expensive, I'd be harsher in my review of it. However, I think for the price, it certainly delivers.

4 comments about Dwarf Cichlids (American Cichlids).

1. After purusing the book, and noticing the detailed information submitted by the authors I'd say this book is a must for South American Dwarf Cichlid lovers.



2. The book is entitled American Cichlids I - Dwarf Cichlids. You won't find any African cichlids here, but you will find an in-depth useable reference for Apistos, the various dwarf acaras and checkerboard cichlids, etc. Much easier to read than the Mayland & Bork book, although that one is slightly newer and covers more Apistos, more in depth.



3. This is a book to own. It has many dwarf species info. from South America. And it gives very useful care and breeding guide for people who want to take care of these fishes. Beautiful pics and printing are very readable. Try to get one !!



4. This is a beautifully illustrated book with great information, if you are interested in American cichlids only. It is clearly stated on the front cover and spine that this book covers American Cichlids, but that fact is not mentioned anywhere in Amazons info. The book is worthless for what I wanted.

3 comments about The Betta: An Owner's Guide toa Happy Healthy Fish (Happy Healthy Pet).

1. This is hardly a book about Bettas but as a previous reviewer noted a very basic aquarium book. As a Betta book it is so vague that it offers very little help or knowledge about Bettas' specific needs. The breeding and rearing the young section is a so vague & generalised that I really wonder if the authors have ever bred any Bettas at all. The food & feeding section is so full of errors & again vagueness that its best to ignore it. The disease treatments are mainly things that even your pet shop doesn't carry. Go to the numerous Betta sites on the web and the many Betta groups on yahoo! & you'll be far better off. Dr. Goldstein's book is light years better than this as is Walt Maurus'. Save your money for those and don't waste it on this one!



2. This book is fine for the person who has little background or experience with aquariums. The vast majority of the book is very basic information about water quality, the nitrogen cycle, choosing a tank, filter, light, substrate and plants...very general aquarium basics. It is very disappointing if you are seeking specific and/or detailed knowledge about bettas. No information at all about tail and color variations, genetics, standards, etc. A better title would be, "Setting Up Your First Aquarium...and you can put a BETTA in there too!"



3. I just got this book a few days ago, and it is WONDERFUL! It covers everything in GREAT detail such as breeding, diseases and their prevention, and Genetics. A GREAT book out in the market today. So check it out!!! It is a book that seems to have everything anyone would need to know, in one!!!

No comments about Self Assessment Colour Review of Ornimental Fish.

1 comments about Fish Tank Sonata.

1. Fish Tank Sonata is a book filled with gorgeous and unusual photography paired with thoughtfully written poetry. Both the photographs and poetry touch on social, economic and environmental issues in an interesting and new way. Outstanding!