Aquarium Designs Inspired by Nature [Hardcover]

Peter Hiscock (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 2003

This lavishly photo-filled volume demonstrates that having an aquarium to be proud of means much more than keeping fish in a glass tank. The aquarium enthusiast who takes his hobby seriously reproduces a part of the aquatic natural environment in miniature inside his home. Author Peter Hiscock offers practical instructions on setting up a freshwater tropical aquarium. He describes substrate, aquarium plants, and appropriate combinations of fish. Much of this book focuses on fish and plant life in nature, and then offers details on replicating natural settings in the aquarium. Both plants and fish varieties are shown in vivid color photos and described in detail. More than 450 color photos and illustrations.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Peter Hiscock trained at Sparsholt College in Hampshire, one of the U.K.'s leading schools for aquatic studies. He has published widely on fish behavior and aquarium keeping. Among his other books published in North America by Barron's are A Practical Guide to Choosing Aquarium Plants and A Practical Guide to Creating and Maintaining Water Quality.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 208 pages
• Publisher: Barron's Educational Series (May 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0764155490
• ISBN-13: 978-0764155499
• Product Dimensions: 10.4 x 8.8 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #839,770 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

48 of 49 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Somewhat disappointing, June 8, 2005

By 

Tom Fischer (Portland, OR USA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Aquarium Designs Inspired by Nature (Hardcover)

Given the glowing reviews I read on this site, I was somewhat disappointed with the book when it finally arrived. The general information is fine, as far as it goes, if on a rather basic level. I guess what annoyed me most was that the author makes only a half-hearted effort to use plants indigenous to the various biotopes he describes--for example, Anubias, an African genus, finds its way into the Amazon acid pool. Also, the lists of appropriate fishes are fairly sketchy. And maybe I'm alone in this, but I found it odd that none of the finished biotope aquaria are photographed with fish in them!

What I was hoping for was information on a par with that provided on the Italian website www.natureaquarium.it; this book, while pleasant enough, doesn't begin to reach that level of sophistication or specificity.

47 of 50 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Beginer's aquarium book only!, November 14, 2005

By 

Luke W. Brinsmead "Underwater Gardens" (Brisbane, Queensland, Australia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Aquarium Designs Inspired by Nature (Hardcover)

Is java fern found in an Australian river, I don't think so. This book is not accurate!
All of the aquarium displays are not even mature, probably because most of the plants would be quite unhealthy by the time the display is mature enough to photograph, very unprofessional!
Another example: there are no mangroves in the mangrove swamp design, Hygrophila corymbosa was used instead with the author stating it is a good substitute for mangroves, what the, right up until the brackish water kills it! What's almost as worse is that the heater is not even hidden in the aquarium background.

28 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Compared to a previous version....., March 1, 2005

By 

J. Brown (Billings, MT USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Aquarium Designs Inspired by Nature (Hardcover)

I'm going to start off by saying that this book is basically an updated version of "Creating a Natural Aquarium", by the same author. This being said I'm going to compare the two in this review.

"Aquarium Designs Inspired by Nature" (ADIBN) is a very good book for anyone who has wanted to turn their aquarium from a mix and match display to a strict biotope aquarium. Its divided in two parts, the first is a "practical section" that covers the water cycle, substrates and decoration, plants, water conditions and planning. ADIBN goes into some detail on the subjects but doesn't go as far as a textbook and make it boooooring. It is good information for aquarists of all levels. In the other book, "Creating a Natural Aquarium" (CANA), the same information is covered in Part 1, but to a lesser degree and CANA omits some small sections. Part 1 of both books is really very similar and I wouldn't choose one based on the small differences. The important factor, in my opinion, the differences in part 2.

Part 2 of ADIBN covers more biotopes than Part 2 of CANA, which I will list below. The biotopes that are in both books are virtually the same, with ADIBN giving a little more information about each. In the following list I will list the biotope sections and then which book it is in.

Mountain Stream (CANA) split up in ADIBN
*Chinese Mountain Stream (ADIBN)
Central American Stream (BOTH)
Central American River (BOTH)
Australian River (BOTH)
European River (BOTH)
*European Lake (ADIBN)
Flooded Forest (CANA) Same as Below
Flooded Amazon Forest (ADIBN)
Amazon Acid Pool (Both)
*Downriver Amazon (ADIBN)
*Congo Whitewater River (ADIBN)
*West African Streambed (ADIBN)
Lake Malawi (BOTH)
Darkened Cave (BOTH)
*Southeast Asian Stream (ADIBN)
Southeast Asian Swamp (BOTH)
*Indian River (ADIBN)
Brackish Estuary (BOTH)
Mangrove Swamp (BOTH)

Personally I prefer Aquarium Designs Inspired by Nature because it includes a few extra biotypes and goes into a little more depth about each biotype. Aquarium Designs... is also a larger book so there are more pictures and they are larger. Aquarium Designs... uses the pictures from Creating a Natural Aquarium and adds a few. I like pictures, so this personal preference.

CONCLUSION:
If you want a little more detail and a few extra biotopes then go with AQUARIUM DESIGNS INSPIRED BY NATURE. If cost is a factor CREATING A NATURAL AQUARIUM is usually cheaper, and if you don't really care about the extra details missing CANA is as good as ADIBN. Both books are helpful in pointing you in the right direction and no matter which you pick you will be happy. ( I Hope) These are the best books I have found (so far) that describe natural environments for the home aquarium.
GOOD LUCK!