RovingGinger Posted July 17, 2020 Share Posted July 17, 2020 I still like a traditional hard cover book with good photos. Any recommendations for aquarium books, fish guides, etc? I have bought a few so far including: - The Manual of Fish Health - Dr. Axelrod’s Mini Atlas (not yet delivered) - Encyclopedia of Aquarium & Pond Fish (also not yet delivered) Hate how long it takes used books to arrive, love the low risk of DOA. I am interested in learning more about guppies, goldfish, aquatic plants, aquascaping, and realistically anything else. Any classics or resources you swear by? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Streetwise Posted July 17, 2020 Share Posted July 17, 2020 Organic soil aquarium keepers are lucky to have this text: Ecology of the Planted Aquarium — Diana Walstad https://www.aquariumcoop.com/blogs/aquarium/book-review-ecology-of-the-planted-aquarium 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RovingGinger Posted July 17, 2020 Author Share Posted July 17, 2020 1 minute ago, Streetwise said: Organic soil aquarium keepers are lucky to have this text: Ecology of the Planted Aquarium — Diana Walstad https://www.aquariumcoop.com/blogs/aquarium/book-review-ecology-of-the-planted-aquarium So this is a case where the kindle version is different enough in price I start to waver. Are the photos in it worth the $$ difference or is it mostly text? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Streetwise Posted July 17, 2020 Share Posted July 17, 2020 (edited) I have the Apple eBook version. The digital advantage is note-keeping, bookmarks, etc. I think it has the same visual content. Edited July 18, 2020 by Streetwise 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dublicious Posted July 17, 2020 Share Posted July 17, 2020 (edited) 10 hours ago, RovingGinger said: So this is a case where the kindle version is different enough in price I start to waver. Are the photos in it worth the $$ difference or is it mostly text? I have the hardcover. I've definitely got my money's worth, so if either is affordable I don't think you can go wrong. There aren't many photos but there are lots of supporting graphs, tables and illustrations throughout the book. Should also mention it goes into the science of plants in an aquarium in general. While she discusses dirted, low tech tanks, there's a lot of info in there that would help anyone trying to keep healthy plants in an aquarium. Edited July 17, 2020 by dublicious "Should also mention" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel Posted July 17, 2020 Share Posted July 17, 2020 (edited) One of my all time favorites is the the 1936 version of the "The Complete Aquarium Book The Care and Breeding of Goldfish and Tropical Fishes" by William T. Innes. I think I picked up my copy from ABE books for $20. (Just now checked ABE and this book runs from $19.96 - $50 depending condition). It is amazing how little has changed in the last 86 years! The illustrations are gorgeous! The section on fish food is still up to date in the summer of 2020. Pretty much every section in this book is still up to date. Don't let @Cory see this but he has a rant called "A Word for the Pet Store Man" "Let us regard the pet store man 'more in sorrow than in anger.'" LMAO From the inner cover, who wouldn't want this tank? Angelfish, goldfish, killifish, zebra danios, Harlequin Rasboras, blackbanded sunfish, Jungle Val, Cambomba, and Anacharis. Nothing really ever changes. Just think, no heater, no cannister filter, no LED lights, and no internet to tell you that you are doing it wrong! All in the deep dark part of the Depression. Maybe especially because it was the deep dark part of the Great Depression. Like now when the world seems chaotic and stressed, your little aquatic world was/is a refuge from the outside unpleasant realities. It is not just nostalgia though, if you can get your hands on one, the information in the book holds up very nicely because the plants and the animals haven't changed. Edited July 17, 2020 by Daniel Pet Store Man 6 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chandra Posted July 17, 2020 Share Posted July 17, 2020 If you are into Aquascaping: Sunken Gardens: A Step-by-Step Guide to Planting Freshwater Aquariums Aquarium Plants by Christel Kasselman 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelley Posted July 17, 2020 Share Posted July 17, 2020 I just purchased The Tub Pond Handbook by Ted Coletti. It’s quite good! 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wmarian Posted July 18, 2020 Share Posted July 18, 2020 What I don't see in bookstores is a good beginner book that covers the basics, that isn't a self-published goulash. The one that worked for me was You and Your Aquarium, by Dick Mills which touched on everything from anatomy, cycling, common species, common diseases and how to set up your tank. Aquarium Coop should get into publishing and reprint this.one...a Classic from 1986 :) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kkarsten Posted July 18, 2020 Share Posted July 18, 2020 It's funny to me that some of the books I open the most are $5-10 Barron's "manuals". Angelfish Discus Tanganyika cichlids Guppys, mollies, and platys Freshwater stingrays But I do have a couple that I had to look for that I really enjoy flipping the pages of. South American eartheaters The endemic cichlids of Madagascar These two are probably my favorites. Honorable mentions... culturing live foods All of the auqualogs (for when I need to look at a picture book or ID something) All of the encyclopedia of tropical fishes (I like the 13th edition "with special emphasis on techniques of breeding") Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MickS77 Posted July 18, 2020 Share Posted July 18, 2020 I finally found a copy of Characoids of the World at a reasonable price, happy to have the foremost book on Tetras in my collection. I'm hoping to get a copy of Blehers Biotopes eventually 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tre Posted July 18, 2020 Share Posted July 18, 2020 (edited) Definitely Walstad. It’s text heavy but I’m a biologist and chemist so it doesn’t bog me down much. I have Barron’s plant encyclopedia. I used to have plenty of betta references but most I know by heart by now. there is one that is out of print I do want to get my hands on. Edited July 19, 2020 by Tre Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Posted July 19, 2020 Share Posted July 19, 2020 I’ve had these for a very long time. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ForestJenn Posted July 20, 2020 Share Posted July 20, 2020 On 7/18/2020 at 7:10 AM, MickS77 said: I'm hoping to get a copy of Blehers Biotopes eventually Now that you mention it, me too! It sounds fascinating. Seattle has an antiquarian book sale ever year (well, probably not this year) and you can find rare newer books as well. I'll have to ask a couple of my fellow bibliophile friends that also haunt book stores to keep their eyes open. It looks like it's not super available online. I wonder if my local library system has it? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shadow_Arbor Posted July 21, 2020 Share Posted July 21, 2020 I love this book! 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MickS77 Posted July 21, 2020 Share Posted July 21, 2020 19 hours ago, ForestJenn said: It looks like it's not super available online. Yeah it seems like only a couple European stores have it. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RovingGinger Posted August 5, 2020 Author Share Posted August 5, 2020 I just picked up “Aquarium fishes and plants”. K. Rataj and R. Zukal are the authors and J. Maly is the illustrator for the 56 illustrations. I am a sucker for fish and plant illustrations, but I thought their advocacy for a sand substrate and aeration was pretty interesting given the discussion in the Walstad thread. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rikostan Posted August 25, 2020 Share Posted August 25, 2020 (edited) Mail just came by! When I was a kid, I could only dream of having Dr. Alexrod's Atlas. I checked it out of the library so much, our librarian actually limited how many times I could take it. When I saw it today, all those old feelings came rushing back. Can't believe it took more than 40 years for me to have my own copy. LOL. Oh and all 4 of these cost less than $20 shipped. If you don't mind old library books, checkout (library humor!) betterworldbooks.com. A large portion of their proceeds go to charity and you can find a ton of books for $3.99 each. {EDIT} This says the book was first published in 1987... that can't be the book i am thinking of then. Was there an older book that was as big as the mini atlas? Pretty sure Dr. Alexrod was the author. Maybe it was just the Handbook of Tropical Fishes or Encyclopedia of Tropical Fishes. Either way, so happy to have a copy! Edited August 25, 2020 by Rikostan 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aubrey Posted November 20, 2020 Share Posted November 20, 2020 I just recieved my copy of "The Complete Aquarium Book" by Innes. I found it on EBay for $10 plus shipping. I had already downloaded it on here, but there is something special about going through this old book and seeing passages underlined, pages that are creased from repeated reading, and the names of people who might have checked it out. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian P Posted November 20, 2020 Share Posted November 20, 2020 I have had this book since I was a little kid. It's from 1978 and was written by a Dutch guy. This was wayyyy too technical for me, I was 7 in 1978, but I like the pictures. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dirtydave Posted November 21, 2020 Share Posted November 21, 2020 Exotic Aquarium Fishes by Dr.william T. Innes.I had this 560 page book about memorized when I first got it,52 years ago.Got back into fish keeping this past year and had to get it again. Still very pertinent. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fonske Posted November 21, 2020 Share Posted November 21, 2020 For endless (online) reading fun about fishes and everything nature I go to Biodiversity Heritage Library (or their Flickr stream for the illustrations only). The Dr. W.T. Innes book and many, many more are available there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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