Customer Reviews

Angelfish (Barron's Complete Pet Owner's Manuals)

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

 

 

As a previous reviewer noted, the editorial review is incorrect -- this is a book about freshwater angelfish, not reef-dwelling saltwater angelfish. Whoever submitted the editorial review is a doofus, but that shouldn't be held against the book or its author.

For a small, inexpensive book Angelfish: Everything About... provides a tremendous amount of information.

The sections I found most valuable were those on selecting and purchasing angelfish (appropriate size and age, how to maximize chances of a breeding pair), genetic traits of fancy angelfish (veiltail, black, black lace, marble, new gold, commercial darks and marbles, non-allelic gold, smokey, chocolate, ghost, blushing, zebra, half-black, and pearly), breeding angelfish, and raising fry.

While I'm not interested in angelfish genetics per se, the descriptions of the fancy traits are very helpful when browsing the sites of angel breeders like Angels Plus. It also explains why some fish are so much more expensive than others.

History, tank selection (for show or breeding), feeding (the section on live food is better and more comprehensive than most I've seen in general aquarium books), diseases and treatment, and water quality are all well covered. The book has an index, glossary, and dozens of color photographs.

This book is totally not for those who aren't into breeding Angelfish. It is not in basic termonology in some areas. Very brief in areas you want more information on. If you want a book about Angelfish that is helpful to anyone wanting to know more than how to breed them and worth your time, look beyond this one.

Perhaps I misinterpreted the first paragraph, but the Angelfish we've had routinely snack on neon tetras. They are not especially good community fish, which is typical of ciclids in my experience. Nice pictures.

i purchased this book thinking it would be more informative (like the discus book) but was let down. it was hard to get the information about keeping angel fish in the aquarium. too much else in it that did not help me at all.

The book is small, but very informative, and you feel you KNOW a lot about angelfish after reading it. I recommend this book highly to all angelfish lovers! A "must have"!

As I read the summary of the book it states that angelfish don't attack gourami's etc. NOT TRUE! I have an orange veiled angelfish for about 5 years now and they get very territorial as adults at around 2 years old. She will beat another fish down just for raising it's head up. My angel and the gourami grew up together. When they both got to be the same size. She beat him with her nose. But to be fair he chased her also. Fish I would put with angels are catfish, clown loaches and red barbs or mollies. These fish don't try to occupy the same tank depth as angels. They congregate on the bottom to mid tank. Angels like mid to top, but you may find them resting on the bottom when they are not feeling well. So, though I was hopeful about the book I did not purchase it.

I have not read this book, and based on the book description I would not buy it:
"Editorial Reviews
Book Description
These tropical reef-dwellers make beautiful additions to any tank, "

The fish pictured on the cover is a freshwater angelfish, pterophyllum scalare. "Reef-dweller" refers to the marine angelfish, a completely unrelated species. Freshwater and marine aquaria are wholly different fields, and whoever wrote this blurb had clearly not even looked at the book. It doesn't bode well.