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

1. I bought this book thinking I will get more knowledge about Discus keeping .But after going through the book I changed my opinion and think buying this book was absolute waste of money and time. Information given in the book is too general for any aquarium fish and not for Discus fish in particular. Not worth spending you precious money and time.



2. This is a great book if you know next to nothing about discus. It gives you all the specs you may need to know to keep healthy beautiful discus and even the basics on breeding with some nice pictures. It also repeats alot of information for reference purposes. However, if you need a detailed discription of the care of discus you will be diapointed with this one. I recomend you purchase it with another more detailed book that may overlook the more simple aspects of discus care.



3. This book is, as it implies for the beginning discus keeper. I will go as far as to say that this book isn't only for beginning discus keepers, but for stark new aquarium keepers of any fish. There are only a few chapters that are related directly to discus fish, and of these most of the information is VERY general insomuch that it only relates to GENERAL fishkeeping. If you are NEW to the hobby I would recommend this book, but if you are experianced at all find another, more in depth study of the discus:)



4. I saw this book when i went to the internet to do research on some information about keeping discus.At that time i was planning to own one but have no experience with discus and know very little about tropical fish which i thought only need air supply to survive.Many people on the net said this book was good and is very useful when it comes to problems with the discus so i went to buy it.I learnt many new things about it like heaters,different filtrations,UV lights,tank water like pH,ammonia,hardness and nitrites and nitrates.It was really useful even in the diseases section where they tell us how to deal with sickness of the fish.But overall it was really not that good as it did not go into detail about chillers and heaters and also some websites it listed at the back of the book have already closed.
   These are some bad points so i only gave 3 stars but it is really worth buying for a beginner.



5. This book is a complete waste of money. I'd give it a negative number of stars if I could. What's so bad about it then? It is simply a beginners guide to aquarium keeping (and not a very good one at that) with a few mentions of discus thrown in to make it sound as if it is a discus book.

   The photographs are OK as far as photography goes, but most of the fish pictured are poor specimens including the malformed discus pictured on the cover. Many of the photos are re-used in different parts of the book, occasionally in reverse as if there was an attempt to disguise the fact that the pictures were being re-used. The captions have nothing to do with the photos. There is a picture of a fish with holes in it's head and another of a fish with early stages of fin rot, but neither of these pictures are used in the section on diseases and the captions do not point out these defects. There is no identification of the strains being pictured and virtually no photos of wild specimens to help in identifying the 2 species and 5 subspecies that are briefly described in the text.

   There is a section on the history of the discus, but important names such as Jack Wattley, Carrol Friswold, and Gene Wolfsheimer are conspicuous by their absence.

   A lot of the information is redundant and contradictory. For example on page 39 we find "One way to estimate which size heater your aquarium will need is to allow 5 watts per gallon. For example, a 55-gallon aquarium would need a heater that is at least 275 watts". Meanwhile, on page 54 we read "A heater should supply 2 watts per gallon. So, a 55-gallon aquarium would need at least a 110-watt heater". Now which do think the authors would have you use? Of course they also don't mention that nobody actually manufactures heaters of those wattages (they can readily be found in 25, 50, 75, 100, 125, 150, 200, 250 and 300 watts).

   On the whole, this is one of those books that seems to regurgitate a bunch of stuff that has become "standard knowledge" in the aquarium hobby, without really knowing why these things have become so (or the science behind it). On page 80 in a side box on bare tank set-ups, we are admonished that these are "less cozy for your fish", whatever that is supposed to mean. I doubt that "coziness" is anything we can measure or the fish can give us feedback on in the same way that they behave if their water is too warm.

   On page 47 there is an extremely poor and misleading diagram of the nitrogen cyle. It implies that the major source of ammonia in the aquarium is the fungal and bacterial decomposition of fish "wastes" (feces?). The major source of ammonia is: it is directly exhaled into the water from fishes gills. There is also no mention of the relationship of pH to ammonia ionization, which is critical to be aware of in the low pH of a discus tank, particularly with regards to water changes and the usually accompanying rise in pH.

   There are a lot of other points I could raise, but time constraints prevent me. In summary, this book is a complete waste of money. Just about any book would be better, but if price is a concern the T. Giovanetti book is far better in this price range. I haven't seen M. Sweeney's discus book, but I have seen other things she has written and although I don't really care for her, even her book has got to be better than this one. Even better, spend a little extra and get something by B. Degen, J. Wattley, or J. Quarles. With the price of discus being what it is, if you can afford to keep them, you can afford one of the better books.

4 comments about Clownfish and Sea Anemones (Barron's Complete Pet Owner's Manuals).

1. Having worked in pet stores for many years, I have dealt with lots of books. By far, my favorite are the Barron line of books. These books are not only informative, but are individual in themselves. Whereas with other books, they give you an overview of the animals at the beginning, Barron books give you the authors own experiences and learnings. "Clownfish and Sea Anemones" is a great book for the new marine aquarist who is first starting out, as these little fish and their symbiosis with anemones are usually their first introduction to saltwater aquariums. From setting up the tank, info on different variations in species, and disease info, this book is a wonderful intro to these amazing little fish and their lifemates, the anemones. For more information, read more books from John Tullock. This author will truly open the doors of this hobby to the knowledge starved aquarist.



2. Don't buy this book if you want to learn to care for your clownfish, or sea anemones. It is only marginally good at identification, and is sparse on content about selection, care, feeding, etc. The pictures/illustrations are pathetic, and it also has a bunch of "unnecessary" information about how to care for a marine aquarium. I didn't buy the book to learn how to take care of an aquarium. I bought the book to learn how to take care of clownfish and anemones. This book looks like a book that was published in 1973 and has been sitting on the shelf of your public library since then.



3. Generally, this is a book about introducing a novice to clownfishes. It provides a reasonable introduction to keeping and breeding clownfish, but the coverage of anemones is minimal (it is after all less than $10.00). In some cases, though, it oversimplifies their care (doesn't say anything about how to feed an anemone for example). If I bought this book, I definitely wouldn't think I had enough knowledge to purchase and keep an anemone. However, as far as keeping clown fish (which are quite hardy to begin with), its a good intro for the beginner.



4. The author of one of the best aquarium books (Natural Reef Aquariums) writes about everyone's favorite fish. What could possibly be better? Actually, the book is very limited in scope, and clearly produced down to a price. Brief sections classify anemonefish and the anemones, describe how to set up and maintain a tank, how to feed clownfish, which species to keep with clownfish, and some tips on breeding clownfish.
   
   Classification of both the anenomes and clownfish is covered better in the book 'Anemone Fishes and Their Host Sea Anemones'. The Care and Breeding of Clownfishes is covered better by Joyce Wilkerson in her book 'Clownfishes'. And the setup and maintenance of a tank is covered better by just about every acquarium book out there.
   
   That said, within the limits of the space and format of the book, the coverage is as good as could be expected. The book brings together sufficient information to get beginners started. The book will tell you How to, but not Why. If this is all you want to know (and if you local acquarium shop is good), then this book is probably all you need.

2 comments about Koi and Garden Pools: A Complete Introduction.

1. Koi keeping is an ancient art and little with raising koi has changed. The historical references are still accurate and the preadators as well. It's a pretty good place to start when learning about koi. But there are newer problems that have arisen health wise and there's only little in the book about koi types. I think that if you can get a different "intro to koi" book, you should.



2. this book has information about,koi as an antient hobby, judging koi, Competitions, Breeding koi, Varieties of koi, koi as pets, The pond flora, And The pond fauna

1 comments about Essential Care of Chameleons (Advanced Vivarium Systems).

1. I got my first chameleon almost a year ago... and with it I got this book. Chameleons are very complex animals that require a lot of attention and care. Luckily, this book helps take some of the complexity out of owning one! It covers everything from correct habitat conditions to what kinds of food they eat. I recommend this book for the beginner chameleon owner.... if you are more experienced with them and plan on breeding or something, you might want to look past this book... as it is fairly basic.

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.

5 comments about Understanding Reptile Parasites: A Basic Manual for Herpetoculturists & Veterinarians (Herpetocultural Library).

1. I just wish this book was longer! I learned a lot from such a small book.



2. Consider yourself a true reptile lover? Then you should concerned about the well being of your pet. A healthy pet is a happy pet. Keep your pet well-fed and in good hygienic condition is essential. However, it is possible that the reptile may be suffering from parasites without our knowledge (such as through food). This book tells the pet lover what are the various parasites, what symptoms, what cures, etc. It is truly a good book on the topic.

   The words, of what I would consider in ideal size, are printed on good quality "glossy" paper and very professional.

   I have a copy and I think it's the best book available I can find about the topic. This book that's good in appearance and content. Get it if you are a true reptile lover.




3. And, at Amazon's price, you can afford to buy two of them--one for you and one for your vet! I did! My vet can't thank me enough, and now I don't have to loan him my book every time I want him to see my veiled chameleon. It would be great to live in a big city with vets that specialized in herps/reptiles; but here in the rest of the real world, there are furry pet vets on every corner who can give excellent medical care to your reptiles and amphibians using Dr. Klingenberg's book.

   Key features for you and your vet: 1. Medicine names, dosage for types/weight of different animals, means of administering, side effects, and uses. 2. Photographs of extracted worms and of microscope slides showing various micro-parasites & their eggs. 3. Sketch showing all the worms & parasites in relative size to each other. 4. Tips on "shot-gun" approach to parasite & disease treatment in wild-caught animals, discussion of various cures, discussion of the effects of diseases on your herp, and practical husbandry/keeping/handling/feeding info on how to prevent future reoccurances.

   I got this book when I bought my first frog "just-in-case," but I never needed it, never used it, until this year when my chameleon was sick with worms. I was glad I had it and that is when I decided to buy a second copy for my vet's clinic. You can't afford to wait to buy this book until you need this book. You need it now while your animals are healthy!!!




4. And you should have it before you need it--as in, before you animal is sick. This is a complete and well done reference guide for those of us who don't need to know the vet manual's textbook explanations and can't afford to own those massive volume collections anyhow. It covers basic diagnosis, examination, equipment, internal and external parasites, medicines, dosages, tips for treating, how to administer meds to differnt types of animals, hygiene information, and, best of all to help your vet out, it contains photographs of microscope slides of what the nematoads or protozoans will look like and sketches of them for identification of relative size.

   If you don't have an exotics or herp vet near you, this will help your furry pet vet help your herp. Believe me, I am thankful every day that I got this book when I didn't really need it because it meant the small town horse and dog vet clinic could see my old world chameleon and HELPED me, like they would not have been able to without this book.




5. Roger Klingenberg is a well-recognized veterinary expert on reptiles and their parasites. His book is very well done and appropriate for both veterinarians and reptile owners. The combination of clear line drawings and excellent black and white photos clearly demonstrate how to recognize, diagnose and treat parasites of a variety of reptiles. The book is concise, clearly written and includes useful bibliography. For the price it can't be beaten!

No comments about Savannah Monitors: A Complete Guide to Varanus Exanthematicus (Complete Herp Care).

No comments about The Lizard King: The True Crimes and Passions of the World's Greatest Reptile Smugglers.

1 comments about The Guide to Owning a Tortoise.

1. It does not teach you how to take care of your tortoise, but it was very helpful for my kid school project.

2 comments about Corn & Rat Snakes (Complete Herp Care).

1. I feel that this book is very complete and extremely helpful. If you own or are interested in corns pick this up because it will be helpful, also the offer lists some considerations before purchasing a corn which is great to see.



2. One of the most reader-friendly and authoritative books of its kind Ive ever read. Not only does this book give a solid outline of the natural history of these snakes, but it also answers (Thoroughly!) all the questions/issues that might arise in the captive care/breeding of the corn and rat snakes.
   
   The author, Phil Purser, is an authority on these snakes whom I once had the honor of meeting at a university lecture; his name on a book about herps is a definite stamp-of-quality.
   
   If you have to buy a corn snake book, THIS IS THE ONE!!!!
   
   ~Derek