Topic of the Week October 2 - Book Reviews for Reefkeeping

[billyr98]

Well their is plenty of books on my shelf.. Ones I like to reference, ones I like to sit and read.. And other that should of never been bought.. So I wanted to share that information in a TOTW. So others can see what books can help you out in this hobby and save money by not buying other books that aren't helpful..

I will write up some book reviews and post them later on...

 

[Charlie97L]

personally, anything that i've seen that hasn't been hardcover like "saltwater aquariums" and "coral reef tanks" that you can get in the LFS for like 12-15 bucks are total garbage. they generally have good to decent information basic principles, but species indexes and compatibility are totally wrong, a lot of the time.

i have "marine invertebrates" volume 2, and it's great. anything that was written as a general index of species, with an aside to aquarium keeping, is better in my opinion, rather than a BUY A REEF AQUARIUM books.

i read one that said a mandarin is really easy to keep, a flame angel is 100% reef safe, carpet anemones are easy and "good community inhabitants" and the minimum size tank for a blue tang was 30 gallons.

i'm looking forward to billy's reviews!

my general advice on this topic, do some online research, find out the experts in your chosen field, and get the books they wrote. Calfo, Bourneman, the clam guy (can't remember his name!). Usually the really good books will be 35-100 buckeroos.

PS. i used to work for borders for quite a while, and i did read most of the saltwater section while i worked there in anticipation of starting my tank. that's where i'm getting the price mark.

 

[cheeks69]

There are some great books out there.

Aquarium Corals by Borneman
Reef Invertebrates by Calfo&Fenner
The Conscientious Marine Aquarist by Fenner
Natural Reef Aquariums by John Tullock
Marine Fishes: 500+ Essential-To-Know Aquarium Species by Scott Michael
A PocketExpert Guide to Marine Invertebrates by Ron Shimek

And if you have money invest in
Corals of the World, Vol. 1, 2, 3 vy J. E. N. Veron

 

[Charlie97L]

Giant clams in the sea and in the aquariuam

John Fatherree

 

[cheeks69]

Giant clams in the sea and in the aquariuam

John Fatherree

On the topic of clams another excellent book:

Giant Clams: A Comprehensive Guide to the Identification and Care of Tridacnid Clams by Daniel Knop

 

[mps9506]

There are some great books out there.

Aquarium Corals by Borneman
Reef Invertebrates by Calfo&Fenner
The Conscientious Marine Aquarist by Fenner
Natural Reef Aquariums by John Tullock
Marine Fishes: 500+ Essential-To-Know Aquarium Species by Scott Michael
A PocketExpert Guide to Marine Invertebrates by Ron Shimek

And if you have money invest in
Corals of the World, Vol. 1, 2, 3 vy J. E. N. Veron

Agreed on the above.
IMO Corals of the World isn't a very good value for most people. It is probably worthwile if you think you need it, or just want some cool pictures of corals. It is pricey though.

Borneman's Aquarium Corals book is a must IMO for any beginning reef aquarist. You will find use for it for years. I still use it as a reference, and quite often take it with me on trips just to re-read.

The Modern Coral Reef Aquarium Vol 1 by Fossa and Nielsen is another that I think is a great read for anyone getting more advanced into the hobby. This book taught me about pH, calcium and alkalinity before I discovered the vast amount of info on the net. It isn't an easy read, but it contains so much info I think it is well worth the $75 or $80 it costs.

 

[cheeks69]

Agreed on the above.
IMO Corals of the World isn't a very good value for most people. It is probably worthwile if you think you need it, or just want some cool pictures of corals. It is pricey though.

The benefit of the collection is that you'll be able to identify alot of corals that Borneman doesn't, but again the cost is quite high so not for everyone.

 

[Cartman89]

Though not a "reef" book. I do highly recommend Scott. Michaels "SHarks and Rays" book. Anyone interested in keeping sharks or rays MUST read the book. 10/10