Complete Aquarium (Paperback)

~ Peter Scott (Author)
Key Phrases: rock pool tank, curio wood, blackwater extract, Food Live, Breeding Egg-depositor, Food Accepts (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Create the perfect aquarium for every type of fish.

The Complete Aquarium presents a systematic guide to aquariums based on freshwater and marine environments from all over the world. Clear, step-by-step instructions will guide you through planning, building, stocking, and maintaining any type of aquatic environment -- as well as an extensive practical guide to building and designing 16 diverse aquariums. Fully illustrated throughout with specially commissioned photographs and artwork, Complete Aquarium provides an informative catalog of aquarium fishes and their habitats.

Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: DK ADULT (April 4, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0789400138
• ISBN-13: 978-0789400130
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 9 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #724,695 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Step by Step on how to set up different aquariums scenarios, July 3, 1998

By A Customer

This is a fantastic book that starts with general knowledge and background of different water environments and fish, but doesn't waste half the book on this background information. The majority of the book is devoted to explaining how to set up different sorts of aquariums, with detailed examples of the plants, rocks, gravel, and suitable fish for each variety of tank. It is mostly freshwater, but 3 Brackish-Water, and 3 Marine Aquariums are also included. The end of the book has easy to understand GENERAL information about water chemistry, filtration, heating, plants, feeding, and breeding. The only fault is not enough description about individual fish. But if you buy a companion book that describes different fish in detail, along with this book you will be well on your way to setting up the exact sort of aquarium you would like. Great book for beginners and also intermediates who are looking for new ideas.

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Start here! Good for the beginner or as a refresher., January 23, 1999

By A Customer

I found this book after I had bought my aquarium and set it up. I wasn't too sure what direction to go in - I just knew that I wanted healthy and happy fish. I read this book from cover to cover, took apart my tank and started over with great zeal. The book gave me lots of information on what to do and also allowed me to figure out what I wanted.

The best part is the various set ups that are included, telling you what fish, plants and environments go together, from start to finish. If the book falls down in any area, it is lack of information about specific fish. However, in conjunction with a good book specifically about fish (which I think you should have anyway), The Complete Aquarium is a wonderful resource that has made my new hobby much more enjoyable because I now know what I want and how to get it!

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Clear, concise and inspirational!, November 4, 2002

By	rose jones (Tallahassee, FL United States) - See all my reviews

This is a wonderful book that features excellent, concise information on the science of fish keeping, accompanied by wonderful photographs (this book is published by DK). It is most notable for its large section on tank design, which walks the reader through the design and setup process for 16 different tanks. Each  with the exception of a couple of community tanks  is an attempt to reproduce the various natural environments of many popular types of aquarium fish. The wonderful photos of the different tank designs are an inspiration! The genius of this book is that, (unlike the lavish creations of Japanese and German natural aquarium experts, photos of which are often featured in aquarium books invariably making the reader sick with jealousy!), it showcases tank designs that are dramatic and beautiful, and yet also attainable by the average fish enthusiast.

I have a few criticisms of the authors tanks. His choice of silver sand as the substrate for many of these tanks is unusual. I have to wonder how easy it would be to use sand in a tank that utilizes a power filter (as these do). I imagine it would be very hard to prevent the sand from getting stirred up and clouding the water. Same goes for using a vacuum siphon to clear debris from the bottom, which most aquariums require from time to time. Im not saying it cant be done (I wouldnt know - Ive always used gravel, not sand, in my tanks), just that I think a beginner could run into problems here. Similarly, several of the tanks featured in this book feature sandy banks that have been created by just patting the sand and stones into a slope towards the rear or sides of the tank. Ha! In reality, sloping areas of gravel or sand in the aquarium need to be built up and buttressed in sections. If not, they will simply slide downhill very quickly and disappear.

As other Amazon reviewers have already noted, the choice of fishes for the various tanks can be faulted. I couldnt believe it when I saw the combination of various types of gouramis with a group of Tiger barbs notorious bullies in the aquarium who would shred the beautiful trailing fins of the gouramis within a few days, stressing out all the inhabitants of the tank, not to mention human onlookers! Also, some of these tanks are stocked with very delicate fish, such as the discus, that should only be kept by very experienced hobbyists. Likewise, the author also features some high-maintenance aquarium plants such as cabomba, without emphasising to novice readers that such plants require very intense lighting if they are to be grown successfully.

Because of these shortcomings, the beginner should most definitely supplement this book with at least one other book that includes more information on problem solving and more detailed descriptions about the fishes themselves. Overall, though, this book is highly informative and a delight to read. I bought a copy of this book about a year ago and have used it over and over again. Buy it!