Customer Reviews

The 101 Best Tropical Fishes: How to Choose & Keep Hardy, Brilliant, Fascinating Species That Will Thrive in Your Home Aquarium (Adventurous Aquarist Guide)

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is an OK book for one which seeks only to cover the "basic" species of tropical fish. But the editor ought to hang their head in shame. The index is fraught with errors! Page numbers given for a particular species do not match what pages they are actually on to a large extent, especially with the tetras. In another place, the captions underneath a group of photos of swordtails read rainbow fish! It seems as though this book was sort of put together a bit too quickly for a thorough, ordinary review.

That said, looking past the errors, this is an OK book, as I've said, and very much in the same idiom as the companion volume on plants by the same company. I use my copy of this work as a backup to my "A to Z" book. Basically to corroborate what it says and vice versa. Nothing like having two sources opinions on a given species.

There is lots of content in this little book. I believe it is best suited to a new hobbyist as he/she walks through an aquarium shop looking at their stock. An experienced hobbyist usually knows what they like and how they will behave. Just the same, the book can produce a few surprises. For example, I was reading about Ram Dwarf Cichlids, an old favorite of mine, but soon found myself drawn to the Cockatoo Dwarf Cichlid, a fish with many of the same characteristics but much more colorful (and expensive!). I'll try them someday, and this was the book that pointed them out to me.

This book is good as far as a quick look-up guide for common tropical fish. It suggests what size tank the fish needs and how they should be kept (in schools, in pairs), and tells the fish's temperament and food needs. It has examples of "model" tanks for 10 g, 20 g, etc, that are proven to be harmonious according to the book. It also has a section of tropical fish to advoid. One aspect the book is missing are the water parameters (soft water, hard water, temperature) necessary for the fish, which is extremely important when choosing what fish to keep, and what fish can be kept together. I suggest purchasing this book used; it's not worth it's full retail price.

This was my first fish book. I still look through it even now for ideas of the types of fish I want in a new tank. The information is basic and sometimes redundant (mostly on the eating habits of the same species of fish) but it does include pictures and essentials like the adult size of the fish and what parts of the tank they inhabit.

The book is alphabetized by their common name (goldfish, guppy, etc) and includes fishes to avoid. It also has several pages with examples of compatible fishes for 10(38L), 20, 30, and 50 gallon tanks. The book really emphasizes getting fish that are compatible with each other and the right size / how many for the tank you have.

Although this book is not in-depth, it's a nice quick guide to common fish you can find mostly at your local pet store. I have more books now and experience and I still like looking through this book (plus it's easier to carry around in my purse, especially when internet is too slow on my phone). I really like the listing of peaceful fish and smaller fish.

The book does *not* show you how to set up and maintain a tank nor does it show you how to diagnose sick fish or care for live plants. It touches very briefly in these areas but you will need to look elsewhere for proper coverage.

Overall, I don't regret the purchase.

I purchased this book at my local chain pet store when I first got into freshwater aquarium fish. I continue to reference it when I'm considering adding a new species to my tank. For the newbie, the section on which species NOT to get is very helpful. The author's opinions in this book can be the deciding factor on whether to consider certain species. So far, she has not steered me wrong.

I was looking for a book to help me choose compatible fish for my aquarium. This book helped me do that. It covers seting up the aquarium, feeding and different diets for different fish, treating some diseases,and breeding. I think this is a great book to help you get to know the different fish and their different needs.
Thank you
Genell

well written, easy to comprehend,lots of color pictures, loads of important information on fish behavior, which ones need more salt in water, which ones will eat the tails off fish, etc.

This is a nice, easy to read and understand book on livestock selection for the home aquarium. Worth a place on any aquarium keepers book shelve.