Dynamic Aquaria, Second Edition: Building Living Ecosystems [Paperback]

Walter H. Adey (Author), Karen Loveland (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review

Praise for the First Edition
"Adey and Loveland target their book towards scientists and those interested in aquaria for their own sake. The latter group will find in this book a delightful description of the basic biological and ecological principles which function in their own systems. To their credit, the authors present mainstream ecological research (both aquatic and terrestrial) alongside the practical issues of aquaria construction and maintenance. Rarely have I ever seen real ecology made so accessible to the layperson. Adey and Loveland have succeeded in conveying a myriad of exceedingly complex issues to the uninitiated. This book successfully presents the essential biological, ecological, and physico-chemical aspects of ecological systems in an accessible fashion."
--ECOLOGY
"Dynamic Aquaria is a beautifully presented and attractive book which is a mine of useful and practical information for anyone wanting to set up aquaria on virtually any scale. Where the book succeeds most effectively is in its practical sections...this is ultimately a likable and useful book, and one which contains indispensable source material for building aquaria. Community ecologists who want to make mesocosms work will find the appropriate sections excellent starter material."
--JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL MARINE BIOLOGY AND ECOLOGY
"This book is crammed with useful information about all aspects of the aquatic sciences and would make a worthwhile addition to every home aquarists's library..."
@source-FRESHWATER AND MARINE AQUARIUM

Product Description

This unique, respected book brings together the diverse modeling efforts of two decades of research in the Smithsonian Marine Systems Laboratory. Dynamic Aquaria, Second Edition integrates the fields of ecology and aquarium science to give readers a better understanding of simulated ecosystem function and ecological food webs. In a new larger format, the Second Edition presents the limitations imposed upon these webs by their compression into micro- and mesocosms. The book demonstrates mainstream ecological research alongside practical issues of aquaria construction, and successfully presents essential aspects of ecological systems in an accessible fashion. It describes the introduction and testing of numerous new techniques for simulating the functional and biodiversity of ecosystems in relatively small dimension. The Second Edition includes new advancements in the field and two new chapters on suspended particulates (inorganic and organic) and biomineralization. Approximately one-third of the photographs are entirely new.

Key Features
* Incorporates new information regarding simulated ecosystem function
* Includes new photographs and two new chapters on suspended particulates (inorganic and organic) and biomineralization
* Demonstrates the status of the science today and points out where newly developed techniques have worked and where they need improvement
* Brings up to date the relationship between biological and ecological theory and practice and the expanding concepts of living model development
* Demonstrates the potential and requirements needed to provide laboratory ecosystems with hands on ecological instruction
* Contains an inexhaustible source of organisms and their chemical products
* Points the way to affordable, large scale techniques to achieve exceptional waste water purities for a wide variety of domestic and industrial needs
* Provides a guide to the culture and display of organisms in their rightful milieu, the ecosystem

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 498 pages
• Publisher: Academic Press; 2 edition (October 6, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0120437929
• ISBN-13: 978-0120437924
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #1,572,755 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Aquarium Ecosystems, May 20, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Dynamic Aquaria, Second Edition: Building Living Ecosystems (Paperback)

While best known for describing the use of turf algae as a natural absorber of aquarium pollutants, the book 'Dynamic Aquaria' shines as a plea for the re-evaluation of how we appreciate aquarium systems and their micro-ecologies. Rather than the display of just a few select specimens, it proposes more emphasis on (and therefore replication of) the fascinating interactions between species and environment. It does a splendid job of discussing the difficulties in scaling down nature's beauty to fit an aquarium's limited volume.

11 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars excellent groundbreaking work on natural aquariums, March 28, 1998

By	Cliff Landesman (Brooklyn, NY USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Dynamic Aquaria: Building Living Ecosystems (Hardcover)

This book explores aquarium systems as models of natural eco systems. Adey and Loveland's technique relies on algae scrubbers to reduce nitrate levels in the tank. By removing new growth of algae, one can avoid frequent water changes. The book includes extensive discussion of important aspects of marine eco systems, such as wave motion, light, and food chains, to name just a few.

The book is more about the science of building marine microcosms than a cookbook for building home marine aquariums.