The Nano-Reef Handbook: The Ultimate Guide to Reef Systems Under 15 Gallons [Hardcover]

Christopher Brightwell (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 2006

Any reef aquarium that contains less than 15 gallons of water is considered a nano-reef aquarium. These tiny ecosystems are almost as popular in the fishkeeping community as full-size marine aquarium setups, and with the proper information and tools, they can be set up and maintained by aquarists at any level of the hobby.

The wide range of topics covered in this guide include the importance of water quality and tips on maintaining stable water parameters; components of a nano-reef and how to choose the appropriate aquarium, lighting, and accessories for a tank; which fish and invertebrates are best for these types of tanks; and much, much more.

For a reef enthusiast looking for a new challenge or any up-and-coming fish hobbyist, nano-reef aquarium are a stunningly beautiful option. The Nano-Reef Handbook contains all the information necessary to get started.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 9 Up—Marine aquaria are not for the faint of heart, needing careful setups, informed denizen selection, and proper maintenance far beyond the care of simple guppies in a jam jar. Here, Brightwell focuses on a unique format-the nano- (or mini) reef, weighing in at tanks of 15 gallons or under. Beginning with the necessity for consistent water quality, he follows through with the proper physical components (tanks, water monitors, filters, lighting, etc.) and the role of complete routine maintenance procedures before getting down to the nitty-gritty of stocking. His advice on selecting motile and sessile invertebrates and on choosing fish is thoughtful, as is his chapter on setting up (which includes several effective templates). Larded with attractive color photos, from the eye-catching cover through the informative text, the book includes Internet resources, useful organizations and publications, and an extensive index. Less detailed perhaps than Vincent B. Hargeaves's large-format The Complete Book of the Marine Aquarium (Thunder Bay, 2002), this volume is more informative than David E. Boruchowitz's colorful Starting Your Marine Aquarium (T.F.H., 1998) and somewhat more complex than George Blasiola's The Saltwater Aquarium Handbook (Barron's, 2000). Brightwell has created an up-to-date how-to for competent aquarists with limited space.—Patricia Manning, formerly at Eastchester Public Library, NY
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

About the Author

CHRISTOPHER BRIGHTWELL has been an aquarium hobbyist for more than 25 years and has set up and maintained all manner of aquaria. In 1999, he earned a degree in Marine Science from Coastal Carolina Univerity. Chris and his wife currently live in Keansburg, New Jersey, with their 180-gallon planted aquarium and 75-gallon reef aquarium.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 192 pages
• Publisher: TFH Publications; 1 edition (March 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0793805724
• ISBN-13: 978-0793805723
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 8.7 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #140,474 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #44 in Books > Professional & Technical > Professional Science > Biological Sciences > Biology > Marine Biology
  • #61 in Books > Crafts, Hobbies & Home > Animal Care & Pets > Fish & Aquariums

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Same info in other books that are better written, March 30, 2006

By 

Little tyger "feline extraordinaire" (Middleton, MA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Nano-Reef Handbook: The Ultimate Guide to Reef Systems Under 15 Gallons (Hardcover)

I had a nano reef tank several years ago. Since I plan to take up the hobby again I'm doing alot of research to avoid the mistakes of the past. I purchased this book among others. My opinion is that the information in this book is covered in other books much more clearly and thoroughly. It seems to me that some of the info in this book is too unnecessarily technical, while other info is glossed over and not well explained. I picked up two good tips, but that was all. I guess I would rather that someone read this book than nothing at all when first entering the world of marine/reef/nano tanks, but it would not be on my top ten list of recommendations.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good for beginners, April 17, 2008

By 

nano reviewer (Utah) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Nano-Reef Handbook: The Ultimate Guide to Reef Systems Under 15 Gallons (Hardcover)

This book is an excellent place for beginners to start learning about keeping a nano-reef. It contains some good basic information about getting started and choosing livestock. Some topics are a little overdone but in my opinion that is better than too little information. If you have already been keeping a nano-reef for some time you will probably find one or two helpful things that you may not have known but for an experiended reefer who is looking to improve their skills I would look elsewhere. But once again if you are new to the hobby I recomend this book as an excellent starting place.

1.0 out of 5 stars Don't Judge this Book By the Cover, December 23, 2011

By 

K - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Nano-Reef Handbook: The Ultimate Guide to Reef Systems Under 15 Gallons (Hardcover)

The cover of this book sealed the deal for me when I wavered on whether to purchase this...it represented what I thought would be inside its pages. Unfortunately, I was very disappointed. The photographs were of extremely poor quality and looked dated. Many pictures looked like they were taken with a disposable flash camera (either that or the print quality is poor). The chosen photos were not good illustrations for the respective information. If you are looking to be inspired by beautiful photos or trying to find design ideas for your nano, look elsewhere. If I could rate just the photos in this book, it would get a ZERO.

The organization and layout of this book is poor. While it does have good information, it is dispersed and and sometimes even repeated in various parts of the book. The basic facts are not clear and concise. This is more of a reference book that beats around the bush. It is neither simple enough for beginners, nor advanced enough for the experienced. If you are new to reef keeping, this is not the book for you. This book was not styled to teach somebody new to the hobby or lure you into the hobby (which should have been its goal). Do yourself a favor and buy a complete and comprehensive guide on reef-keeping or go to a number of great websites.

This is one of the few books on nano reefs and had a lot of potential as a quide for current and future hobbyists. The whole appeal of nano-reefs is the wide-eyed-mouth-agap 'wow' factor of living colors and textures in a tiny slice of ocean. The book should represent this in every way. "The Nano Reef Handbook" surely missed the bullseye.