Back to Nature: Malawi Cichlids (Revised & Expanded Edition) [Hardcover]

Ad Konings (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 30, 2003

Malawi cichlids have been, and will probably always remain, among the most popular aquarium fishes of all time. Their brilliant colors, ease of maintenance, and interesting behavior are the three most important reasons for their popularity.

A selection of these fishes is all you need to create an interesting and decorative aquarium in your home. In order to enjoy your Malawi cichlid aquarium to the full, however, it is essential to take their specific maintenance requirements into account. This new guide provides expert advice on all elements of proper maintenance, such as choice of aquarium (with details of the minimum size and capacity required for each species discussed), creating the correct water conditions, providing appropriate decor, feeding, breeding, common diseases, etc. A detailed foldout map and 600 photos make this guide indispensable for anyone interested in these beautiful fishes.

This book is a revised and greatly expanded version of the Malawi cichlids guide published in the Back to Nature Series in 1997. It contains several new chapters and the number of photos -- about 590 are new -- has doubled. Follow the book's basic guidelines and you will soon have a little piece of Lake Malawi in your living room, for you, your family, and your friends to enjoy.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Ad Konings (El Paso, Texas) is biologist of profession and has more than 30 years of experience with Malawi cichlids and has dived for more than 1000 hours in the lake. As author of more than 15 books on cichlids he specializes in underwater observation and photography of these fishes. He is publisher of cichlid-related books, CD-ROMs, and videos (Cichlid Press).

Product Details

• Hardcover: 208 pages
• Publisher: Cichlid Press (November 30, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0966825594
• ISBN-13: 978-0966825596
• Product Dimensions: 9.7 x 6.9 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #787,563 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Lots of Info, May 3, 2007

By 

C. Thompson "Angel" (Adelaide, Australia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Back to Nature: Malawi Cichlids (Revised & Expanded Edition) (Hardcover)

I purchased this book needing further information on specific types of fish in this particular lake. Loads of fish listed with colour pictures. Also gives information on each fish as to :
1) How large the species grow.
2) Size of tank needed.
3) Ease of keeping rated 1-5.
4) How many baby fish in an average brood you can expect.
5) Colour picture and some general information on the fish.

Also included in the book is a fold out map of the lake with towns noted so they can be linked to individual fish. Lots of information on general fish keeping at the begining of the book.

I purchased with Back to Nature: Guide to Tanganyika Cichlids which is just as worthwhile.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very good reference, August 25, 2010

By 

R. Sohi - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Back to Nature: Malawi Cichlids (Revised & Expanded Edition) (Hardcover)

The author is the founder of Cichlid Press - an important source of knowledge about this fascinating family of species. This particular title is a very good reference book with great photos of different Lake Malawi cichlids. Every species in the lake has its own entry that is about 1/5 of a page. The species are helpfully divided by chapters into aulonocara, haplochromis, mbuna and large predators. Each entry lists the difficulty of keeping that particular species (on a 5 point scale that considers hardiness and aggression towards other fish), the maximum size of males and females, the minimum tank length and volume required to house the fish and the average brood size if you're able to breed the fish successfully. It also tells you the scientific and trade names of the fish, it's distribution in the lake, usual habitat (rocks or open sand and depth) within the lake, food and breeding behavior. For dimorphic species photos of both the male and female are shown. A lot of this information is available on the web (Cichlid-Forum, for example, is a great site that provides very helpful information/opinions about equipment, fish compatibility, descriptions of species and excellent colour photos) but it's nice to have a lot of it available in a single handy volume. The writing in the book is, as others have noted, awkward at times and could have used some editing.

The book is of textbook quality with a durable cover and binding and high quality paper.

I was a bit disappointed when I first received it because I unrealistically expected it to tell me which species I could keep together. Although I wish it gave more details such as the life expectancy of each species and their behaviors in an aquarium, I've been thumbing through the book constantly as I try to figure out how to stock my tank. Unlike some of the information on the net, one also gets the sense that what's in this book is authoritative. As the back of the book notes, the author has spent over a thousand hours in Lake Malawi learning about these amazing fishes. If you keep cichlids or are considering doing so, this book is probably required reading.

Note: All measurements (such as recommended tank sizes, length of fish) in book are in metric units.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Book, October 19, 2009

By 

fishman40 (Pennsylvania) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Back to Nature: Malawi Cichlids (Revised & Expanded Edition) (Hardcover)

This book is excellent! I have purchased several books on african cichlids and this book by far is the best. It is very informative with many illustrations. I would highly recommend this book for anyone who wants to keep african cichlids.