The Simple Guide to Marine Aquariums [Paperback]

Jeff Kurtz (Author), David E. Boruchowitz (Author)

Book Description

Series: Simple Guide to... | Publication Date: January 15, 2009

The Simple Guide to Marine Aquariums provides an easy-to-understand look at setting up and maintaining a successful saltwater aquarium. First published in 2002, this all-new second edition is a major revision to this bestselling guide, and features a brand new introduction addressing the rapid evolution in the marine hobby, plus an additional new chapter reviewing unusual and interesting saltwater setups and specimens. Written by two dedicated aquarium hobbyists with more than 80 years of experience between them, the comprehensive and authoritative information will guide new hobbyists to guaranteed success. A brand new design and layout makes the vital content easier than ever to access and understand, while the updated full-color photographs help illustrate the stunning beauty of marine aquaria. New sidebars are loaded with the most up-to-date information available to complement the topics covered throughout the text.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Jeff Kurtz is a freelance writer and editor living In Toledo, Ohio. Jeff has been involved in the aquarium hobby for over 25 years and is a regular contributor to Tropical Fish Hobbyist Magazine. He is also the author of The Simple Guide to Mini-Reef Aquariums and Saltwater Aquarium Problem Solver.

David E. Boruchowitz is in his sixth decade of fishkeeping. He has been writing and editing for TFH Publications for more than 10 years and has authored a large number of books on a variety of topics. He currently serves as Editor-in-Chief of Tropical Fish Hobbyist Magazine. One of his priorities is making the aquarium hobby accessible to everyone, and many of his projects involve simplifying aquarium husbandry so beginners can succeed on their first attempt.

Product Details

• Paperback: 255 pages
• Publisher: Tfh Pubns Inc; 2 edition (January 15, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0793806720
• ISBN-13: 978-0793806720
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 7.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 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: #93,192 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #35 in Books > Crafts, Hobbies & Home > Animal Care & Pets > Fish & Aquariums

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great for Beginners...but a bit confusing, June 8, 2004

By 

jd (Harrisburg, PA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Simple Guide to Marine Aquariums (Paperback)

I really have to give this book 5 stars - it is the first book I read on marine aquariums and it is the source that I bounce all new info off of. This book gives a great introduction to both fish-only and mini-reef aquariums. But that is also it's problem.

It took me a long time to untangle exactly what information in this book pertained to which set-up. The emphasis of the book is on mini-reefs (and I have since started a simple 55-gallon mini-reef, as well as a 29-gallon fish-only tank), but the best set-up for a beginner would undoubtedly be a fish-only or fish with hardy invertebrates set-up. And this book does cover these issues, but it all seems to get mixed-up with the full-blown mini-reef (which requires higher, and more expensive - way more expensive - lighting, filtration, and livestock). The sections on fish selection are informative, but incomplete (like exactly what should you feed each fish?).

All in all - no book is perfect, and this is a great place to start. For a briefer, but clearer, discussion of the types of set-ups, I would suggest that you consult The Conscientious Marine Aquarist. It covers the basic differences between each set-up in a much clearer fashion.

All in all, a fish-only saltwater aquarium is nowhere near as difficult as most people believe, especially if you have experience with maintaining water quality in a freshwater aquarium, and if you carefully choose your fish. This book will help you do both - but keep on reading when you're done - the more you know about this subject, the better. Especially for your fishies!

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars THIS SHOULD BE YOUR FIRST BOOK, July 10, 2006

By 

Alexandra (New Jersey) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Simple Guide to Marine Aquariums (Paperback)

No doubt about it, if you need to buy one book to get aquainted with the hobby, this book is the one.

Being a librarian and new to the hobby, I have purchased about 12 books on marine aquariums now, some very good, but this is definitely the one to start with.

Information is current and presented effectively. It's filled with actual aquarium photos, unlike some great books that rely heavily on pictures from the ocean.

One complaint, and this was probably an editing ploy to sell more books, Kurtz claims you do not need to be proficient in fresh water aquariums in order to try marine. I HIGHLY DISAGREE WITH THAT, because you can learn a lot of lessons MUCH cheaper with freshwater fish than having to learn to manage water changes, overfeeding, medicating, and algae blooms with your salt-water friends.

Another complaint, my copy had poor binding and fell apart quickly.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars best for beginners, May 12, 2004

By 

J. Franco-Reyna "JF Franco" (Burnaby, BC) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Simple Guide to Marine Aquariums (Paperback)

I bought this book before making the big mistake of blindly plumetting into marine aquriums. It openes my eyes before hand to what ws in store. I truly got a head start of the game with this precise, simple great eexplaining fun to read book.