Ecology of the Planted Aquarium: A Practical Manual and Scientific Treatise for the Home Aquarist [Hardcover]

Diana L. Walstad (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 1999

ECOLOGY of the PLANTED AQUARIUM A Practical Manual and Scientific Treatise for the Home Aquarist Hardcover, Second Edition (2003) 194 pages, 46 tables and over 50 figures and plant drawings, 70 questions and answers, color plate of author's aquariums, hundreds of scientific references This book will be your constant reference for setting up and maintaining a successful freshwater aquarium. You will come back to it again and again as you encounter (and learn to appreciate) the enormous complexities of aquatic ecosystems. How plants purify both water and substrate to make the aquarium healthier for fish. What aquarium maintenance is important and what is counterproductive and or a waste of time. Facts about plants and algae that will come in handy for preventing those inevitable algae takeovers. How to successfully grow plants without expensive equipment and supplies

Product Details

• Hardcover: 194 pages
• Publisher: Echinodorus Pub; 1st edition (December 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0967377307
• ISBN-13: 978-0967377308
• Product Dimensions: 11.1 x 8.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (59 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,142,839 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

143 of 145 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars certainly the best book I've ever read about aquatic plants, March 12, 2002

By 

Tunc Ali Kuetuekcueoglu (Switzerland) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Ecology of the Planted Aquarium: A Practical Manual and Scientific Treatise for the Home Aquarist (Hardcover)

As an experienced aquarist with a flair for biotop-aquariums I have a huge library of aquarium and ecology books at home. Most of them are printed with luxury paper and coverage including breathtaking pictures. But very few of them include key information that I exactly need. Can fish food alone cover all the nutrient needs of aquatic plants, if yes how? Do I really need additional CO2 and fertilizers? How can I maintain healthy low-tech natural aquariums free from algae with sun light? What are the most significant bio-chemical reactions that take place in the aquarium gravel & soil and how do they affect the general aquarium ecology, pH, KH, CO2, Iron-levels etc? Do plants really purify water, if yes how and which plants are better purifiers? Why are emergent plants better water purifiers? What does this heavy metal talk mean concretely? Do plants consume ammonia, nitrit and nitrate? Why do they generally prefer ammonia over nitrate? etc... etc...The author of this book apparently anticipated my unanswered questions of past and answered all of them in a step by step manner without a single logical gap. Don't let yourself negatively impressed by the modest look of the book. Its content is perfect!

89 of 90 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wow! Accessible, Technical, Wonderful!, September 30, 2001

By 

Dave Millman "davemill" (San Jose, CA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Ecology of the Planted Aquarium: A Practical Manual and Scientific Treatise for the Home Aquarist (Hardcover)

First, the downside: If you want beautiful color pictures of plants, buy Nature Aquarium World (the other MUST HAVE plant book). There are no photos in this book. But if you want detailed, accessible information on how to create thriving planted aquariums, buy this.

Walstad maintains that thriving planted freshwater tanks can be created WITHOUT CO2 injectors, fertilizers, zillion-watt lighting fixtures, or many other high-tech gadgets. This book contains nothing but details on how she does so, from cover to cover.

If you've ever tried adding something (Iron, Light, whatever) and gotten an unanticipated result, you will probably find the answer here. She has lots of information about how plants impact every aspect or aquarium water chemistry.

This is a MUST HAVE book for plant enthusiasts.

42 of 43 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must for the aquatic gardener, March 22, 2000

By 

Jack O'Leary (Massachusetts) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ecology of the Planted Aquarium: A Practical Manual and Scientific Treatise for the Home Aquarist (Hardcover)

This book is an excellent complement to the photo-laden coffee table books on planted aquariums. It is a thoroughly-researched treatise on what biological and chemical processes happen in an aquarium. Unlike most technical books, it manages to combine both detailed discussions of the science involved (including many references to the scientific literature) with practical tips that would be useful to the beginner, using a question-and-answer format in boxes scattered throughout the text.

The author, formerly the Technical Advisor to the Aquatic Gardeners Association, proposes a "low-technology" approach to maintaining a planted aquarium, eschewing the exotic materials and gadgets favored by the German and Japanese schools of aquarium design.