Customer Reviews

Complete Encyclopedia of the Freshwater Aquarium

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

 

 

I found information on fish that I could not find in other basic bread and butter books. While it does not have pictures of the more common species, those can be found in less expensive books. This is a book for the more advanced hobbyist, yet can be a great help for anyone with it's broad coverage. If you want a book covering basic species, go somewhere else. If you have been finding some of the rarer fishes in your pet shop that most books do not cover, then you will find this book helpfull. I do wish it covered more of the Corydoras, and included pictures for all the fish it describes however. All and all, it is nice to see current latin names used, and advice on keeping the rarer fish that seem to be showing up in greater numbers these days.

I was really hesitant to give this book only three stars, because it actually is very well-written and quite nicely illustrated. My main objection to the book is its scope, reflected in its slightly misleading title. In a well-intentioned effort to write a comprehensive one-volume reference, the author glosses over too many principles which a beginner should learn in detail, and skims over (or omits) some essential information on advanced topics.

As a broad overview of home aquarium science, the book is great; as a reference for either the beginning or the advanced aquarist, it will likely prove to be of limited practical use. Someone who is just starting out would do far better to purchase one or two of the many good beginner's books offered on this site. (If you're reading this, it means that you're checking the readers' reviews, which is probably the best way to find the most suitable books for your needs.)

I found this book disappointing. Photographs of some of the more common species that are available at local stores were not shown. If there was a photograph of a species somewhere in the book the description segment did not give a reference page for the photograph. Knowing what rare fish look like is nice but not helpful for most novice collectors. In most pet stores these exotic fish are not available.

This book is awesome, It has tons of detailed information and beutiful pictures. It is a must have for aquarium hobbyist.

this is a great book to have on hand lots of excellent photos inside

I found this book disappointing. Photographs of some of the more common species that are available at local stores were not shown. If there was a photograph of a species somewhere in the book the description segment did not give a reference page for the photograph. Knowing what rare fish look like is nice but not helpful for most novice collectors. In most pet stores these exotic fish are not available.