5 comments about A-Z of Tropical Fish Diseases and Health Problems.

1. Is an excellent book for a quick reference and for starting a fish keeper hobby.



2. I wish that I had this book to read before I started my freshwater tank. It is amazing how difficult it is to find good and reliable source of information. This book covers just about everything. Detail is great - it is very comprehensive about the diseases and treatments, and what's even more important - Causes. I would highly recommend it to anyone who is interested in keeping their fish healthy and stress-free.



3. This little book is actually a gem. It covers a variety of fish illnesses with an introduction that addresses standard care. Unfortunately, some of the medications that it recommends are difficult to relate to the American market, as it was written in the UK. That, and perhaps the lack of more photographs, are the only two complaints that I have. Overall, I recommend this book for the beginner and the professional!



4. One of the best books I purchased. Although I really hate to use it (means fish are sick) it is very informative. In fact, I had more information than my local pet store.

   Good luck finding some of the cures.... some can be very difficult. Overall great reading!




5. This book should be required reading for anyone setting up an aquarium for the first time because the author carefully explains how to create the type of environment that will keep your fish healthy.

   I needed the book to determine the cause of sickness that was killing my fish. I was able to determine the cause, disease, and solution to my problem in twenty minutes. I learned more about fish and aquariums from this book in one reading than I had picked up from friends and fish store owners in three years.

   I highly recommend this book to anyone with an aquarium problem.

4 comments about Betta Care (Quick and Easy).

1. Betta Care is a well written book with excellent pictures of "Siamese Fighting Fish." If you have only one source of information at hand, this will serve you well.
   
   Unfortunately, there is another source of information that will serve you well at a much smaller cost - the Internet. Though this book is a handy way to get all the information in one place, you can get the same info (as well as all the good pictures) on many different websites.
   
   My recommendation: If you are the type of person who likes to have the info in black and white in front of them, buy this book. If you're the type of person who spends a lot of time on the web, get the same info for free.



2. The book had a lot more information for breederds than for beginners,
   but the information that a beginner could use, was very good.



3. This book is exactly what it says, Quick and Easy. The chapter on white spot was a real life saver for our betta. We followed the instructions and quess what? It worked.



4. This is an awesome book that tells you how to take care of bettas. It tells you information on feeding,housing,ilnesses, and different types of bettas. Bettas are much easier to care for if you read this astonishing informational book about bettas. This book even helped me cure my betta from an illness called Ich. Buy this low-price book if you plan to own a betta.

1 comments about The Simple Guide to Garden Ponds (Simple Guide to...).

1. Thank you for reading my book. I try to bring you my experience as a hobbyist just like you. I learned a lot by trial and error while building ponds. I hope that my advice allows you to avoid some of the pitfalls that I found.

   Relax, listen to the water and enjoy your new pond.

   Terry Anne Barber

5 comments about Reef Fishes Volume 1.

1. This book is a excellent reference, one that every saltwater fish enthusiast should have in their library. It goes into great detail about each reef fish, including their captive care, disorders and diseases, compatibility, reproduction and many other topics, way too many to list. Plus, the pictures are awesome! A must for anyone of enjoys saltwater aquariums.



2. It should be noted that you will find it on Amazon under the name "Basslets, Dottybacks & Hawkfishes: plus seven more aqarium fish families with expert captive care advice for the marine aquarist", but it's obviously Reef Fishes Vol 2 as confirmed by the Microcosm website.
   Now we are all waiting volume 3 !!



3. This is one of the best fish books I've ever owned. The author succeeds admirably in his goal of providing a comprehensive reference to reef fishes. There are a couple of things prospective buyers should note:

   1) There is more in-depth information about each species than I've seen in any other fish book---by this, I mean pages instead of a paragraph or two.

   2) This is only volume 1 of an eventual 3 volume set that will provide a comprehensive reference to virtually all reef fishes. What this means is that all kinds of bizarre fishes are covered in detail----even those that most of us would never consider for our own aquarium and those that we will never see unless we take up scuba diving. Many (most?) of the fishes that the amateur aquarist might own will be covered in future volumes.

   The text is well-written and fun to read. I particularly enjoyed the chapter on frogfishes, even though I can't imagine myself owning one. Additionally, the book is profusely illustrated with excellent color photographs. It's really astounding that one person could do all the research, compilation, and writing that went into this. Whatever Mr. Michael is making from this book, it's not enough.

   Over-all, a really terrific book, and I'm waiting with bated breath for volumes 1 and 2. I hope the author can find time and energy enough to get them out within a few years.




4. Awesome book! So many wonderful pictures and more information than I hoped for!



5. This is a wonderful book. It give s agreat intor to the general aspects of anatomy, physiology and ecology of reef fishes. It then goes on into detail on several families of fish. Among these are: Eels, Frogfishes, Seahorses, Squirrelfishes, Lionfishes, Anthias, and several others.

   At least 2 more volumes are planned.

   Volume 2 has been due "soon" for quite a while now. I hope "soon" isn't much longer--it will include many of the most interesting fishes: Damselfishes, Butterflyfishes, Angelfishes, Dottybacks, Jawfishes, Grammas, and several more.

   Volume 3 (who knows when it will arrive) will include wrasses, blennies, gobies, surgeonfishes, rabbitfishes, pufferfishes and several others.

   This series will definitely be the "definitive reference on all fishes a marine aquarist might ever encounter." The author, Scott W. Michael, is a renowned expert in this field. He has more than 25 years experience as an aquarist and diver. He has written several other books and contributes regularly to Aquarium Fish Magazine.

   Highly recommended!!

5 comments about The Complete Idiot's Guide to Freshwater Aquariums (Complete Idiot's Guide to).

1. Reading this book is like having an aquarium-expert friend to take shopping with you. The author tells you which fish are best for beginners, what fish shouldn't even be sold, what qualities a dealer should have, what equipment you should buy, what equipment is a waste of your money, what products are dangerous, what plants are no good but are sold for aquariums anyway, etc. I finally found answers to a lot of questions that other books didn't cover. The book discusses cleaning schedules, necessary floor strength, and moving concerns. It explains water chemistry as simply as possible. There is list of the author's favorite aquarium books and other info sources. He even tells you how you can reach him.
   
   The reasons why I didn't give this book 5 stars are trivial: Hard to make out black + white photos and substandard proofreading. Still, everyone who has or wants an aquarium needs this book.



2. Are you starting an aquarium? Well, I've been running one for a while, and my dad used to keep one, and I can definitely tell you that it is absolutely critical to have at least one fish book on hand in order to set up your fish tank properly.
   
   To the book. So why is this so hyped and high rated? First of all, it doesn't lie. You will learn why water changes are important, what pH is, and why you don't keep oscars with neon tetras. You will learn how to position and set up your tank, and you will learn the difference between a canister and undergravel filter. And most importantly, you will learn how to keep fish. Like some others have said, this book does mainly focus on the care and setting up on the aquarium, so for the fish and plants it would help a lot to get a separate book that specializes in those, because his descriptions are not that detailed. However, I can nearly guarantee you that you will not fail in your aquatic endeavor with this guide at hand. Good luck, and may your filter never crash when you are on vacation.



3. This is a very good quide for the beginner. Mike walks through all the steps required for setup and maintaince of an aquarium. Gives good suggestions on fish & plants selections. If the steps in this book are followed the aquarist will have minimal problems to deal with.
   
   Not much here for the experienced aquarist.



4. This is an informative, clear, funny, and brilliant book.
   If you are just starting an aquarium, this is the book to get.
   The beginning is all about the tanks, lights, and everything before the fish.
   There is a section about fish but the photos are black & white so if you want to know more about the actual fish you probably want another book too.
   Overall, a great book for beginners!



5. WOW! This book was ESSENTIAL to our successful (and fun) entry into the world of fish and aquariums. Great tips, easy to follow directions and explanations of "what, why, when and why NOT", written in a funny (if somewhat corny) manner, this book is easy and fun to read. I actually found myself taking it on a trip - and trust me, I have NEVER taken a reference book on vacation unless I was expecting to work on vacation. So, this book gets five stars. Buy it used if you have to do so (we did). We bought five different aquarium books, and this one was the best, and we refer back to it often.

5 comments about Aquarium Plants.

1. This book of the Author is the most comprehensive book, that I've ever had chance to refer to, written about the aquarium plants. I'd like to point my two concerns out: 1) A book printed on semi-glossy or matte paper would be much easier to be read due to its prevention of light reflection especially when it has lots of photos. 2) Although the book contains hundreds of photos, it would be better if both the submersed and immersed photos for each plant have been put.



2. If you buy only one aquatic plant book, make it this one. It's so heavy with detailed information and spectacular photos that it makes my arm tired just holding it. The first 85 pages are about aquatic plant habitat, morphology, and propagation. There is information on planted aquarium care, design, and choosing correct plants. That leads up to the 400+ pages that represent a compendium of aquatic plant species, each with detailed descriptions and photos. There are useful appendixes, too. I own hundreds of aquarium books. This is one I turn to most.



3. Christel Kasselmann's knowledge and passion on aquatic plants are unsurpassed. However the book is a bit out-dated as it has not included the latest plants available especially from my part of the world.



4. In my opinion, this is the best aquarium plants atlas that currently exists in English.



5. I don't think too much if I claim this book is the most comprehensive AQUATIC PLANTS book at the moment.After long waiting being translated, I feel satisfy when read carefully the book content.
   
   In another word I agree to say this as Aquatic Plants Encyclopedia for year 2000.
   
   YUP, It is not 100% perfect, but at least this book is enriching our information source to identify the plants,habitat,origin and other useful informations.
   Last, it a must have for everybody in planted aquaria hobby.

5 comments about The Simple Guide To Planted Aquariums (Simple Guide to...).

1. After reading several books about the same topic, This one is easy, simple and clear to understand, as the title expose. It introduce you as beginner or expert in an understandable language and help you step by step on what you nned to know about the hobbie. If your are plannig to have a planted aquarium, this is a MUST READ BOOK.!!!!



2. This book was too complicated for the beginner and too superficial for everybody else. While all the photos of plants contained more than one type of plant, the caption failed to identify more than one type and it was never clear which plant the caption was referring too. Many of the more complicated topics were treated so superficially as to be of any use to anybody and should have been left out entirely



3. The authors have done an excellant job of describing water chemistry and the reasons various filtration systems work. pH, KH, hardness, nitrites, and nitrates are all covered. Testing and correction of water deficiencies are described very well. The explanation of Kingdoms of platnts, animals, etc. is very enlightening. The different catagories of plants are also covered as well as their use in an aquarium. Fish that are compatible with a planted aquarium are also suggested.



4. El libro es bastante completo, toca temas elementales pero necesarios para quienes apenas empiezan con el acuarismo, igualmente desarrolla algunos temas avanzados de forma didáctica y ágil. trae algunas tablas muy útiles sobre parametros del agua. al final, dedica capítulos enteros a las plantas de acuario clasificándolas en una forma bastante útil. Excelente adquisición.



5. I've kept planted aquariums for a number of years, but was intrigued by this book because one of the co-authors is a well-known advocate of low-tech planted tanks.
   
   The format of this book is VERY nice. The writing is friendly and inviting, and there are lots of pretty full color photos. Personally, I didn't learn a whole lot of new information, but it was a pleasant read nonetheless. I would certainly recommend it to someone just entering the hobby, or someone looking for an overview on planted tanks, especially if they're seeking some guidance on what type of planted tank is the best fit for them - high tech, low tech, biotope, etc. All around, a very good presentation, and an excellent invitation to exploring planted aquariums!

1 comments about Guide to Fancy Goldfish (Fishkeeper's Guides).

1. For the small cost almost every aspect of goldfish/fancy's are touched on. The pic's are first rate. It's a solid first book for anyone looking to have goldfish.

5 comments about Aquarium Sharks & Rays: An Essential Guide to Their Selection, Keeping, and Natural History.

1. I had been told by many people that this was the definitive book for people looking to setup a shark or ray tank. I had heard nothing but good things about this book and after reading the book I concur with those opinions. The book gives you a great overview though this should be supplementary to other research you do. There is much more information that people will need to know about properly caring for which ever shark they choose and the best way to learn it is through multiple sources. The only thing remotely negative I have to say about the book is the tank sizes listed tend to be smaller than most expert shark keepers would recommend. Other than that this is a great book and a must buy for those looking to start a shark tank.



2. I have Stingrays and i use this book as my guide. its great!! Very Helpful



3. It goes into so much detail, from the family to each individual fish (only ones found in aquarium trade though). There is a chapter on common parasites and a range of different treatment methods for both bacterial and parasitic infections, which foods might induce feeding in a new specimen (and which to avoid), size and housing ratios, different methods of filtration, descriptions of many different fishes that can and can't be kept with sharks/rays, a chapter on captive reproduction for many different species and how to care for the newborns, if necessary- how to force feed, materials suitable for custom tanks, plus so much information (ph, specific gravity, copper sensitivity, feeding habits, acclimation to aquarium, degree of rarity in trade- from exceedingly common to rarely seen, ease of captive care, suitable size tank ex.110 gal or whatever number in liters [from metric to imperial applies to dimensions also], to each species distinctive features) about the individual sharks and rays themselves. Plus so much more. A definite 5!



4. This is a great comprehensive view of aquarium sharks and rays. Unfortunately this book points out the truth, sharks are big! Even for a professional marine aquarist such as my self, you'll learn that the husbandry requirements for these animals is often obsured. This is a great book for professionals and those involved in public aquariums. With an overview on breeding, feeding, and health, this book is an excellent introduction to sharks and rays.
   
   -Andy Nicola
   Iowa's premire marine aquarist



5. I have read a pre-release version of this book and it is great. Anyone intersted in the aquaria of sharks or rays really needs to get a copy of this book! It is the 1st book ever to deal with the selection and maintaining of sharks and rays in home aquarium. Not only that but the book is very well priced.

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

1. No doubt about it, if you need to buy one book to get aquainted with the hobby, this book is the one.
   
   Being a librarian and new to the hobby, I have purchased about 12 books on marine aquariums now, some very good, but this is definitely the one to start with.
   
   Information is current and presented effectively. It's filled with actual aquarium photos, unlike some great books that rely heavily on pictures from the ocean.
   
   One complaint, and this was probably an editing ploy to sell more books, Kurtz claims you do not need to be proficient in fresh water aquariums in order to try marine. I HIGHLY DISAGREE WITH THAT, because you can learn a lot of lessons MUCH cheaper with freshwater fish than having to learn to manage water changes, overfeeding, medicating, and algae blooms with your salt-water friends.
   
   Another complaint, my copy had poor binding and fell apart quickly.



2. I really have to give this book 5 stars - it is the first book I read on marine aquariums and it is the source that I bounce all new info off of. This book gives a great introduction to both fish-only and mini-reef aquariums. But that is also it's problem.

   It took me a long time to untangle exactly what information in this book pertained to which set-up. The emphasis of the book is on mini-reefs (and I have since started a simple 55-gallon mini-reef, as well as a 29-gallon fish-only tank), but the best set-up for a beginner would undoubtedly be a fish-only or fish with hardy invertebrates set-up. And this book does cover these issues, but it all seems to get mixed-up with the full-blown mini-reef (which requires higher, and more expensive - way more expensive - lighting, filtration, and livestock). The sections on fish selection are informative, but incomplete (like exactly what should you feed each fish?).

   All in all - no book is perfect, and this is a great place to start. For a briefer, but clearer, discussion of the types of set-ups, I would suggest that you consult The Conscientious Marine Aquarist. It covers the basic differences between each set-up in a much clearer fashion.

   All in all, a fish-only saltwater aquarium is nowhere near as difficult as most people believe, especially if you have experience with maintaining water quality in a freshwater aquarium, and if you carefully choose your fish. This book will help you do both - but keep on reading when you're done - the more you know about this subject, the better. Especially for your fishies!




3. I bought this book before making the big mistake of blindly plumetting into marine aquriums. It openes my eyes before hand to what ws in store. I truly got a head start of the game with this precise, simple great eexplaining fun to read book.