Customer Reviews

Aquarium Plants: The Practical Guide

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

 

 

Pablo Tepoot's book is a very stunning collection of photographs of most of the aquarium plants one is likely to find. The plants are organized alphabetically by genus and species, and the pictures are so clear that it makes it very easy to identify any plant that one might come upon. Unfortunately, there is really very little information on the specific plants. Each plant photo is accompanied by icons which indicate temperature, pH, submerged or aquatic, amount of light, and position in the tank. Also indicated for each plant is its degree of hardiness, which is very useful. However, the temperature and pH icons are the same for every single plant (medium temperature and neutral pH). It would have been much more helpful to indicate the conditions that plants can tolerate. For instance, the egeria can tolerate colder water, which is why it is often a popular plant for goldfish aquaria. Besides, there is no point to using icons when they don't indicate any differences among the various plants. The introduction gives basic information, such as setting up the tank, water chemistry, etc. There is not as much information as there seems to be however, because the text is in four languages. As a tool for identifying plants and as a book that is simply beautiful to look at in its own right, "Aquarium Plants The Practical Guide" is superb. If you want information on caring for plants, and on the requirements of individual plants, you must look elsewhere.

If you are a beginner, and are looking for a very simple, quick, basic plant identification guide, this MAY be the book for you. However, for the price, I personally would want a bit more for my money.

The information in the book is oversimplified to a fault and some of it is inaccurate. While the photography is very good, the masking done to the photos is very poor - you can actually see where they were clipped out of the background in many of the photos - an unexcusable oversight for a publication whose only real strength IS the photography.

If the quality of the photoediting was sufficient, I would be willing to recommend the book - even at the expense of poor content - for those looking for a pretty "coffee-table" type book (which unfortunately is what so many publications in this hobby ultimately end up amounting to). However, due to the poor masking, I don't feel it even measures up to those superficial standards.

This book was meant to be an ID guide, and it IS good for helping the beginner aquatic plant enthusiast identify the more common types of aquatic plants. I just do not think that you are getting a good deal for your money.

There isn't a better picture book of aquarium plant species anywhere. The photos are large (mostly life-size), clear, and the plants evenly lit. A key gives basic information and notes whether the photo is of emersed- or submersed-form growth. The plants were provided by the largest aquarium plant grower in the U.S., so the book isn't burdened with species you never find in stores, and can't possibly order.

There is a short chapter on plant care at the front of the book, but it's made a bit annoying because there are four versions of each page-- one for each of four different languages. But don't buy this book for the information. (Get Kasselmann's _Aquarium Plants_ for that.) Buy it for the photos. You won't regret it. The book will help you decide which plants to buy and ID ones you already have.

Don't buy this book!Yes there are pictures..good ones at that but besides the names of the plants you know nothing about the plant. It would be well and good as a coffee table coaster and an expensive one at that.

dont expect alot in terms of care guides, as they are brief and already, somwhat dated (eg, tepot indicates that metal halides are the only way to light planted tanks: simply not true). but it has an exalent encyclopdia of both true aquatic and terrestrial plants often sold as aquatic. again, its a good referance.

Aquarium Plants: The practical Guide by Pablo Tepoot consists of over 200 pages of the most beautifully photographed plants. Pablo Tepoot exhibits magnificent plant specimens from all over the world. The book is similar to some Aquarium Fish Atlases by virtue of color key identification symbols that facilitate the reader to inform themselves at a glance. Pablo gives insight into all plants with their origin, light requirements, compatibility with other plants and, of course, a splendid picture of all the most popular aquatic and bog plants. There is so much knowledge that one can aquire just by skimming through the pages. Aquarium plants includes still frames of Echinodorus, Aponogeton, Cryptocoryne, Anubius, and bunch plant families, as well as hard to find plant identifications. If you have ever been bedazzled at Takashi Amano's books, then you will absolutely love Pablo Tepoot. This book is a must have for all aquatic plant enthusiasts and beginners alike. No collection is complete without The Practical Guide by Pablo Tepoot.

Like Mercedes,if you expect to get high quality plants picture ,this book really accomodate with all plants details that you will need to place your lovely plant in tank. But to achieve succesfull aqua scaping you need to be carefull as this book lack of information 'what you should do & know to set up whole tank'.Remember that plant is only part of whole succes tank set up. Another book from Barry James & Dianna Walstadt will be essential to enrich what you need to understand.At last offcourse for such Mercedes you have to pay more expensive.

A beautiful, informative book. For it merit an A+, I would have liked to have seen a section in the back with descriptive text about each species. For this reason I suggest also getting the inexpensive Barry James book, "A Fishkeeper's Guide to Aquarium Plants ...". Still, the essential information is there at the top of each page in easy-to-grasp symbols. The photos are stunning. There are a couple of plants for sale that are not included, and I don't remember seeing information about "compatibility with other plants" as a review above mentions. A must for anyone serious about aquarium plants. Gives us all models to strive for! It's rare to see a coffee-table reference book.

This book is great! I have used it for about 10 years in my work and hobby of freshwater aquariums. While the book is written in large part in other languages, the photographs and information for each plant is great for determining what you can expect when you purchase a plant.

1. Has optimal temp, pH, light requirements for each plant

2. Indicates if the plant is fully aquatic or not and has pictures of what the plant looks like when grown under optimal conditions (as well as less-than-optimal)

3. Describes the shape, color and height of the plant when grown underwater and above water

4. The book is written in several languages; there is not a lot of text for each plant and often the information you want is not in the book. It is great for identifying plants, but I would recommend augmenting this info with internet research.

5. Mosses are not in this book.

6. The photographs are what make this book so great.

This book is not for the novice. Unless you are a plant enthusiast this book will not have much value for you. Remember that it is best for plant identification, but does not have detailed information. This is more of a catalog of plants and does not contain newer plants in the hobby.

It's very good as a graphic book, but you wont learn so much because the information is very short and a little incorrect. Great for your livingroom