Book of Coral Propagation, Volume 1, Version 1.0: Reef Gardening for Aquarists (Hardcover)

~ Anthony Calfo (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"I think your book will be a hit!... There are now a lot of propagators out there."

Mike Paletta -- MIKE PALETTA 2001: author of The New Marine Aquarium

"Your book will be an invaluable source of information for coral farmers and reef hobbyists alike."

Martin A. Moe,Jr. -- Green Turtle Publications, MARTIN MOE

Product Description

A concise guide to the care and culture of reef invertebrates. This book is for curious minds interested in discovering some of the exciting techniques of coral propagation. It is tailored for hobbyists looking to safely control the growth of coral in aquaria, professional aquarists producing invertebrates for sale and trade, and thoughtful resellers interested in inspiring customers and staff to explore the many rewards of keeping coral reef invertebrates. A comprehensive guide of 450 pages, Volume 1 topics include commercial mariculture in greenhouses (including fabrication, design and operation), concept aquarium dynamics, a large coral family overview with consideration of captive viability and, of course, coral propagation, securing, and growout techniques for private aquarists and commercial interests.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 450 pages
• Publisher: Readingtrees.com,US (November 7, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0971637105
• ISBN-13: 978-0971637108
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.5 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.9 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #775,587 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A great book for anyone serious about propagating corals, November 26, 2001

By	Steven C Pro "dspro" (Pittsburgh, PA United States) - See all my reviews

Anthony Calfo's "Book of Coral Propagation" was a pleasant read. It is a nearly all text book, but the author's easy-going, sometimes eccentric, writing style makes even difficult topics simple to understand. It is focused on the profitable, commercial propagation of coral, but there is a healthy amount of information for the casual owner of a coral reef display tank. The book covers topics on captive reef care from planning, equipment, and hardware to water quality issues, supplements, and feeding to shipping methods and recieving protocols to propagation techniques. But, the most important part of the book is the coral family overviews. The author covers the proper care of all of the coral species seen for sale in the trade. There are many other books that do the same thing, but where this book is different is in the discussions about profitability of species. This is the first book that I have read that discusses expected growth rates and ease of propagation. This is invaluable information for anyone serious about coral propagation. If you want to grow and propagate corals for display and trade with fellow aquarists, or to sell on a small-scale to local retail stores, orto make the jump to full-time, for-profit coral gardening, you must have this book.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Too good, November 11, 2003

By	Gavin Manning (Sandringham, gauteng South Africa) - See all my reviews

Anthony Calfo is, in my opinion the guru of coral propagation and mariculture. His very informative and fun to read book is filled with all you need to know about starting to cut and grow thriving corals. I have set up my Mariculture business using only Anthony's advice found in this book and I am having great success. If you follow Anthony's advice, you will save thousands of dollars in setup and many hours of tinkering around trying to figure out how to do certain things. If you are doing mariculture as a business, this book is too good for your competition to have. I want to keep it a secret but there are hundreds of fantastic ideas and advice that you cannot help sharing with your friends. My fellow Coral Farmers think I am a vault of knowledge and an expert in the field - I just hope they never meet Anthony, I only know what his excellent book has taught me. I cannot wait for part 2 (soon to be released) ...and the best part is that Anthony is available via e-mail for advice or clarification of any issues you may not understand. Buy it now!

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A true masterpiece in coral husbandry and propagation!, January 16, 2002

By	"j_roumfort" (Indiana, PA USA) - See all my reviews

The "Book of Coral Propagation" is now my favorite book in my 40-some reef/marine aquarium book collection. If you are looking for a first-rate book on coral propagation and husbandry that is in-depth, up-to-date, and full of ground-breaking information, then look no further. Don't assume this book is just about propagation for the commercial sector or hardcore reef aquarists. It provides a holistic view on the husbandry of corals too, that even beginners can appreciate. In order to propagate corals, you need to understand how they thrive and grow, and this book will be your ultimate guide. So even if you don't plan on propagating corals, this book will still provide more information on husbandry than any other book out there. The coral family overviews themselves are worth buying this book. This book is thick, and it's not full of filler. Unlike most books in the hobby (and industry for that matter), this book actually contains valuable knowledge - and lots of it - derived from years of bona fide research, practice, and experience! There are many coral books out in the marketplace, and a few coral husbandry books, but all fall short of providing practical and useful information that aquarists can really use. Most of these so called coral books are reiterations of biology books or make good coffee table books (pretty pictures). This book is radically different! It is so refreshing to read a book that is actually useful. Looking at a picture book full of pretty corals is not going to help you grow and care for corals in your aquarium. Not only is this book useful, it is very easy to read. It's amazing how a book with so much knowledge and detail can be so painless to read and comprehensive at the same time. I would highly recommend all reef aquarists add this book to their current book collection. No matter how many books you have, you will find this book most useful and full of innovativation, insight, and revolutionary knowledge based on real-life experiences of the author. And if you don't have any coral books yet, then look no further, save your money, and buy this book first!