The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Freshwater Aquariums
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Aquariums Supplies has all your Aquraiums Supplies in one place. Aquariums Supplies is exactly that, everything Aquariums Supplies.
I was kind of a newb when it came to fish and was going by some of the opinions of my room mate, since he had kept some fish successfully in a 20 gallon tank he got for free but my fish kept dying. I did a search on here for aquarium books and found this one. It was definitely a life saver and it has a ton of information on how to successfully keep your fish healthy, happy, and active. There is plenty of actual facts in the book that are not overwhelming but still deliver the information. There are plenty of diagrams and pictures and drawings to explain everything that he is talking about. I would say that the only drawback is not being in color because I could not make out some of the pictures. When i got this book I opened it up and then didnt put it down for 2 days and read it cover to cover. Overall, probably the best investment for keeping freshwater fish.
This book should be read before you even buy your first aquarium . No person should go into keeping fish with out knowledge and this book has it . Mike Wickham leads you step-by-step from why you should keep fish to choosing the correct aquarium , proper filtration , heating , lighting and decorations to the proper plants and fish for your new aquarium . He explains in easy to read instructions the process of cycling your new tank , how ammonia , pH , nitrites and nitrates effect your fish and how to test your water . In this book you find the proper instruction in care for your fish and maintenance of your aquarium , from how to properly feed your fish to partial water changes and cleaning . Mike will describe popular fish for beginners and what fish can cohabitate with one another . And so much more .
If this book was read before anyone even purchased their first aquarium , they would find it to be an easy and enjoyable process with little to no fish loss during those first few weeks during the “break in” cycle . After many years of keeping fish I still refer to it when I have questions . Every aquarium hobbyist should have this on their bookshelf .
Received book within only a few days of purchase. It is a used book, but is in excellent condition, exactly as advertised, with no marks on it. I wouldn’t hesitate to use this vendor again, especially for used books!
Reading this book is like having an aquarium-expert friend to take shopping with you. The author tells you which fish are best for beginners, what fish shouldn’t even be sold, what qualities a dealer should have, what equipment you should buy, what equipment is a waste of your money, what products are dangerous, what plants are no good but are sold for aquariums anyway, etc. I finally found answers to a lot of questions that other books didn’t cover. The book discusses cleaning schedules, necessary floor strength, and moving concerns. It explains water chemistry as simply as possible. There is list of the author’s favorite aquarium books and other info sources. He even tells you how you can reach him.
The reasons why I didn’t give this book 5 stars are trivial: Hard to make out black + white photos and substandard proofreading. Still, everyone who has or wants an aquarium needs this book.
Are you starting an aquarium? Well, I’ve been running one for a while, and my dad used to keep one, and I can definitely tell you that it is absolutely critical to have at least one fish book on hand in order to set up your fish tank properly.
To the book. So why is this so hyped and high rated? First of all, it doesn’t lie. You will learn why water changes are important, what pH is, and why you don’t keep oscars with neon tetras. You will learn how to position and set up your tank, and you will learn the difference between a canister and undergravel filter. And most importantly, you will learn how to keep fish. Like some others have said, this book does mainly focus on the care and setting up on the aquarium, so for the fish and plants it would help a lot to get a separate book that specializes in those, because his descriptions are not that detailed. However, I can nearly guarantee you that you will not fail in your aquatic endeavor with this guide at hand. Good luck, and may your filter never crash when you are on vacation.