No comments about What Fish? A Buyer's Guide to Marine Fish: Essential Information to Help You Choose the Right Fish for Your Marine Aquarium (What Pet? Books).

1 comments about Aqualog Extra: The Latest L-Numbers.

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 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 L numbered catfish 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.

No comments about COLDWATER FISHKEEPING (Pet Owner's Guide Series).

3 comments about Fishkeepers Guide to African Cichlids.

1. I have had cichlids since my first tank, which was 6 years ago. I have only ever had cichlids since then, and always had much luck with them. After owning this book, I was able to breed my first cichlids without even trying. Apparently, just by maintaining a very good tank (which was helped along by this book) my fish bred themselves. I had two sets of babies, and finally had to remove "mom" from the tank so that I could manage all of these fish.
   
   The book starts out describing what lakes the different cichlids come from, then gets into the water composition in each of the different lake regions. It also gets into how to handle water pH, ammonia and other toxins, etc. Then, what the different filters are, proper tank lighting, and then what specific plants go well with cichlids of each type described in the book. It also has a great section (which is what prompted me to purchase this book) on specific symptoms of disease in cichlids and how to treat them. This is just in the first half of the book.
   
   There is a short section on breeding, and then the last half of the book is more specifics on various types of cichlids (with pictures).
   
   This book is short but very concise. My first 6 years of amateur tanking was done without any direction besides other people's advice. This is the first and last book I ever purchased on cichlids. Unless you plan on starting a fish farm or running a fish store, this book is more than enough, and short enough to enjoy reading.



2. This book was very samll (116 pages) and was not what I had hoped for. I am a new cichlid owner and this is not the first book I bought. I already had my tank and my starter fish. I wanted some information that was not in your average "dummies book" which I had already read. What I got was some new information, but for the most part, it was just a review book.
   Also, I wanted an idea for some more fish to buy. This book has profiles of 40 cichlids, which sounds like a lot. However, when you take into account the size you want (in my case 4 or 5 inches) and the disposition of the fish (a lot of reviewed fish would not do well in a community species tank), you end up with just a small number of fish you would even want.
   In conclusion, it was an informative introductory book, but I wish I would have spent a few more dollars and gotten a more complete species guide.



3. This was good book for someone buying their first Cichlid (Like me). However I very quickly wanted to know more! The book is great for setting up the tank and gives nice reviews of some species. I think it is a good first book, I found it very helpful, but it is not for experienced cichlid breeders.

5 comments about Tropical Marine Fish Survival Manual, The.

1. I bought this book in 1996 when I was thinking of going from freshwater to saltwater. I found the information extremely helpful in making general decisions regarding stocking the tank. The rating system of 1-10 for each fish's ease of care has proven true over and over again. The fish the authors chose to describe are very common in the aquarium trade. If nothing else, it prevented me from making disastrous choices regarding tank mates. This is a beginner's book, an introduction to the world of saltwater. If I had read "Natural Reef Aquariums" by Tullock first, I probably would never have set up a tank. I would have thought that marine fishkeeping was too expensive and complicated for me, when in fact it has been very rewarding and worth the effort and the price! Maybe this should be classified with one of those "For Dummies" books because it provides an easy to read, enjoyable introduction, but you would never consider it to be your only reference. This book was lost while I was visiting my mother in the hospital and I missed it so much, I bought another. I'm glad I still have it in my library along with the other, more detailed, books. I rate it 4 stars because it's an excellent starting point.



2. This book is basicly a fish guide, and that's fine because that's what I expected from it. The problem is it only gives maybe a paragraph or 2 per group of fish, and then only a paragraph on about 4-8 of the particular species. The info about the fish is fine for the most part, I just expected a more fish info and less pictures and large fonts.

   The bottom line is, I wouldn't buy this book again and I'll keep it if for no other reason then the pictures are very nice.




3. Every book has its strength and weaknesses. To criticize this book for lack of reef information is unfair because this book was targeted towards the audience who either have not owned a fishtank before or who has freshwater experience but getting into salt water setup with fish only tank. I read the book cover to cover in a very short time and I feel that I've learned so much in just two hours which I would not have if I read a "more detailed" book. I got an excellent overall view of the marine fish keeping, the physiological differences between salt and fresh water fish, the evolution between the two, etc. The colorful brilliant photos printed on high quality paper for popular marine fishes is worth keeping the book for its price as a quick reference to show friends. My personal favorite and if not the only reason to keep this book is the picture of the "Picasso Triggerfish". Literally, that fish looks like an artist random dabs and stroke colorful paint all over the fish's body and it has the personality of a true pet who sleeps like a hog and rearrange and personalize its own shelter. Doesn't that make you want to go out and collect such an adorable fish? That is a mark of a good book to inspire a beginner to study more and to learn more so that one day you can keep one of those. If Clown Triggerfish cost over a hundred, that Picasso (Rhinecanthus Aculeatus) must cost much more! Reason for not being a 5 star is that this book could have gone into more detail into the poison of the Mandarin fish and how it may or may not be harmful to its surrounding ecology and fish. I really don't understand why the author would put such information to make a reader curious yet not satisfy their curiousity? Points OFF. Also, I think the tank setup is a bit outdated and I would recommend visiting a local marine fish store or the internet for updated filters/skimmers currently available. Can't really blame the author because the book was written about 8 years ago and wet/dry filtration would be too expensive for most beginners back then. Reason for not being a 3 is that each photo selected for this text is meticulously hand picked to represent the most beautiful of breed, not just some randomly obscure photo as in most pocket hand books for fish identification. Solid, easy to flip quality photo book to show friends.

   Excellent overview book to guide a beginner for introducing the types of marine fishes available to help them decide what kind of fish they would like to keep in their collection. Unless you already own a more comprehensive photo handbook, this book is a good place to start.




4. It gives good identification of commonly available marine fish with a lot of great photos in high quality prints. It is specially useful as an aid to choosing fish. Pretty basic on setup and disease. Overall, it is a good beginner book for stocking a fish only aquarium system.



5. The author (or his 'consultant') have several mistakes in this book - amongst the species descriptions for example, they say the Catalina Goby "will thrive in a tropical invertebrate aquarium" though "Not a true tropical animal..." WRONG. This fish will perish quickly in a tropical environ. There is a photo of Engineer/Convict Gobies identified as catfish! And the author highly recommends a Cleaner Wrasse in every system - foolish, these are obligate cleaners and should be left on the reef. They'll harass your other fish like crazy, and usually refuse regular food. The coverage of system setup, maintenance and disease are very, very lightweight, and rather outdated. If you're looking to get started in Marine Aquariums, buy a book from John Tullock or Robert Fenner. They're more expensive, but worth every penny. This one belongs on the shelves of elementary schools' libraries - well, even that's not fair to elementary students!

5 comments about The Tetra Encyclopedia of Koi.

1. This is one of the best books that I have found on Koi. Beautiful color
   photographs abound in this informative book. If you have to have only one book on Koi-this is the one. Lot of good advice on building a pond, what to do if there are problems such as illness, identifying fish pathogens and their treatment, different kinds of koi. I especially like the pictures of other people's ponds and landscaping-full of good ideas.



2. I lost half of my Koi in the space of 6 hours, because I was counting on this book, and it does not even mention the catastrophic disaster known as PH Crash. Unless you find out about that, and take preventative measures, this WILL happen to you!!

   This book fails to describe water chemistry in sufficient detail, and these days it's pretty outdated. However, it does have a fantastic photo catalogue of koi varieties, and a decent overview of health problems, pond construction, and seasonal care. If you have fish, make sure to get multiple books in case one is missing important information.




3. I have kept koi and bred them for around 5 years now. And when I pick up a koi book this always seems to be the first one I go to. As far as I'm concerned, if I had only one koi book this would be the one. If you're about to get into koi don't do it without the Tetra Encyclopedia of Koi.



4. Amazing. The only problem I had with this book is getting it out of my wife's hands. It covers EVERYTHING. Sections on Filtration, Pond design, Feeding (listing alternative foods that Koi enjoy), Anatomy (first rate), Selecting & showing your koi, a detail listing on the different patterns and scale formation and probably the best ( in my opinion) Parasites and Diseases, what they are, were they come from and how to destroy them.

   This could be and should be renamed to "The koi instruction manual". If you are a koi breeders, I highly recommend this book, after reading it, I would wager that it would be THE book to recommend to your customers. The reason being that they would have less problems and get better enjoyment out of their hobby. It truly would be hard to go wrong with this book.




5. This book is as easy to read as any grade school book and as indepth as books which I have read that cost 5 times as much. I have enjoyed reading it so much that the day after I was done reading it, I started reading it again. I own a nursery for watergardening plants, fish and supplies, and I highly recommend it.

1 comments about Clownfishes Anemonefishes: A Complete Authoritative Guide.

1. If you are a beginning aquarist with a desire to plunge straight into marine fishkeeping and in particular clownfishes and anemonies, this is an excellent book. It is easy to read and understand and is pretty basic. This book takes you from start to finish in setting up a tank for clowns and covers lighting, filtration/protien skimming, some different species of clowns and their characterristics and individual needs as well as a pretty decent list of the types of anemonies that each will accept as a host. If you can successfully maintain a freshwater aquarium, you can most likely use this book as a guide to set up and maintain a marine tank with clowns. If on the other hand, you are an advanced aquarist more interested in breeding, spawning behavior, specific info and fine tuning your set up, I recommend The book "Clownfishes: a Guide to Their Captive Care, Breeding& natural History by Joyce D. Wilkerson.

4 comments about African Cichlids of Lake Tanganyika (For the Freshwater Aquarium).

1. This is a good book with beautiful glossy pictures, but the information in it is very basic. The first 44 pages is devoted to setup, equipment and water with adverts thrown in under the guise of showing you equipment that you should buy for your cichlids. If you are experienced with aquariums(I have maintained different types for over 25 years) you will find most of the first 44 pages a "101" course. The last 20 pages of the book suggests beginner fish for your tank, which I found useful as this was my first African cichlid tank.
   
   A good beginner book, but a bit thin on info about the actual fish.



2. The book is a little thin but remember dont judge a book by its cover. The pictures are GREAT!!! I have been a cichlid breeder for about 25 years and just recently i went into africans and this was one of my first books. The only problem is that it doesnt elaborate on some things, but its a great book.



3. As a friend of mine (that owns a pet shop) said, "I really wish this book had been around when my 8 year old did a report on fish. . .". The book is beautiful. If you need some great pix or if you need some pretty easy text to copy, go for this book. If you have an in depth interest in cichlid keeping or breeding, get the book by Loiselle.



4. This book has a lot of general information about Tanganyikan cichlids and the way to keep them in a home aquarium. The pictures in the book have a special glossy cover, which makes them look very good. It's an excellent 'first book', but someone interested in information about specific cichlid should search for them in another book.

1 comments about Chinese Goldfish.

1. I've had this book for many years in a German translation and even though the translation isn't always correct, the photographs and discussions alone opened my eyes to another world of goldfish! This book illustrates well that it is the Chinese who have created the original colours and forms of all known fancy goldfish on the market, barring perhaps the Tosakin, and illustrates very well the differences in taste in breeding between the Chinese and the rest of the world. Curled Gills, Dragon Pushing a Ball, Goose-Head Redcaps, etc., etc., this book (in my translation) aslo presents these Chinese fish with their original names; a wonderful book if you love goldfish!

1 comments about Koi: An Owner's Guide toa Happy Healthy Fish (Happy Healthy Pet).

1. this book is very helpful in giving a begginers look at koi keeping. it gives information about all sorts of things including informationg on breeding, feeding, classification, deiseases and their cures, pond maintenance, and just some basic information that helps give an idea of what koi keeping is like.

   I gave this book four stares because i feel that people with limited experience will like tis book but people with extensive koi knowledge will not find rthis book helpful. Regardless this is a book that should be in everyones books shelf.