The Complete Idiot's Guide to Freshwater Aquariums [Paperback]

Mike Wickham (Author)

Book Description

Series: Complete Idiot's Guide to | Publication Date: January 1, 1998

Practical and entertaining, this is a comprehensive, step-by-step guide to setting up and maintaining an aquarium full of healthy, thriving freshwater fish. Presented in the lively, highly readable style of The Complete Idiot's Guide series, it reveals the mysteries of buying aquarium equipment, setting up the tank, choosing the fish, ongoing care, nutrition, sickness and health, breeding and even fish behavior. All the fun fact boxes and cartoons that readers have come to love in The Complete Idiot's Guides will be here. And as a special bonus, the Reference Card will be a four-color fish identification chart. As are all the books in this wildly popular series, this will be the only guide a reader needs.

Product Details

• Paperback: 342 pages
• Publisher: Alpha Books (January 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0876053274
• ISBN-13: 978-0876053270
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 7.2 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (38 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #341,165 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Mike Wickham is a professional fish geek and amateur computer nerd. He has authored several books on aquariums, and more are in the works. Mike is a also a columnist for _Aquarium Fish International_ magazine, and contributes articles and photos to various aquarium hobby and pet trade magazines. He has been an aquarium hobbyist since 1964, and spent 25 years as an aquarium retailer. Mike was also a long-time sysop on CompuServe's former Fishnet Forum. He is active in the Northwest Arkansas Aquarium Society and currently serves as its webmaster.

Visit Mike's Web page at http://mikewickham.com

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This should be required reading for beginner aquarists!, February 4, 2000

By 

Denise K. Smith (Phoenix, Arizona) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Complete Idiot's Guide to Freshwater Aquariums (Paperback)

If only I had bought this book a few weeks earlier. I am a newcomer to this fishkeeping business and set up my first aquarium (125 gal.) with the help of some "expert" friends who have been doing this for years. I expected to lose some of my first fish during the "break in cycle", but did they all have to be the really expensive ones? If I would have had Mike's book beforehand, not only would I have saved myself some serious money, but my new-found fish friends would have been much happier too!

Thanks to Mike Wickham for writing a book that is concise, easy to read, extremely informative and simple to understand and apply (not to mention being humorous along the way). It covers a wide range of topics; from equipment selection to water chemistry to fish diseases, to mention just a few. It provides you with enough information so that you can comfortably select exactly what will work best for your individual needs.

With his help, even the beginning idiot (like me) can create and maintian a healthy and beautiful environment for our new aquatic family.

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars How to establish and maintain a freshwater aquarium., September 23, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Complete Idiot's Guide to Freshwater Aquariums (Paperback)

This book should be read by amateur aquariasts. Wickham begins with a discussion of the benefits of owning an aquarium, from aesthetics to environmental preservation. He then covers in detail the procedure for setting up an aquarium. It includes selecting a tank, choosing gravel, thermometers, lighting, etc. The third part of the book covers those aquatic plants and animals (fishes, arthropods, etc.) that are suitable for the beginner. He even gives advice on the proper transportation of aquatic plants and animals. Part four discusses proper maintenance of the aquarium's equipment and water. Wickham even divides these procedures into daily, weekly, bimonthly, and monthly routines. Part five discusses disease, algae, and other dangers that threaten plants and animals. Wickham concludes with an appendix of additional resources for the aquarium enthusiast.

Overall, I am very impressed with this book. It will be reread and referenced often as I progress in my hobby of maintaining a freshwater aquarium.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wow...Simply the Best!, July 21, 2000

By 

Compton - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Complete Idiot's Guide to Freshwater Aquariums (Paperback)

In starting in the aquarium hobby, a friend suggested I read what he called "A really good book for beginners." Well, before I bought a thing, I read the entire book, each and every page. It turned out that I could correct problems before they became problems! Now that I have owned my aquarium for two years and have become more experienced, I suggest this book to others. If I were to own only one book about aquariums and fish, this would definately be it! Thanks to Mike for this interesting and easy to understand book... I flew through it and learned something new with each page!