The Simple Guide to Fresh Water Aquariums by David E. Boruchowitz

Before I bought my first aquarium, I read several books for beginners, and this is by far the best. Anyone who is interested in fishkeeping and follows the advice in this book will have a successful experience. All the basics –tank sizes (DON’T start too small!), essential equipment, water quality, feeding, etc.– are covered clearly and thoroughly. In addition, the advice about chemicals and equipment to avoid will save you money and prevent stress on both you and your fish. Finally, the stocking schemes offered (there are many, many options) are like having an expert go fish shopping with you so you can choose the perfect selection of fish based on your preferences and tank size while avoiding the expense and disappointment of choosing incompatible or unsuitable species (e.g., aggressive fish, fish that grow too large, fish that require very special environments).If you are beginner in the hobby, buy this book, follow the advice, and you will have a great experience!

“… fervent dedication of many aquarists, the needs of a new aquarium owner are often …”

Setting up a Tropical Aquarium Week by Week by Stuart Thraves

I got this from a local library. Its very good. The author sets up a single tank in the beginning and by the end of the book (week 12) it is fully established. The book is great for people who want to use real plants in their tank.

Theres a big section with various plants arranged into four categories: background plants, midground plants, foreground plants, and floating plants. There are full color pictures on every page. Various species are pictured and described. The fish section is arranged into three groups: first fish, second fish, and third fish. (First fish should be added to the tank first, second fish should be added second, etc.)

The only problem I had with this book is that there is too much emphasis on plants. Personally, I am more interested in animal life and less interested in the plant life. But if you’re a beginner and you want to have real plants in your tank then you will love this book. If there was an updated, cheaper, paperback edition, I’d probably buy it.

Encyclopedia of Aquarium Plants by Peter Hiscock

After looking at other aquarium plant books, this one definitely stands out. It is better organized and easier to refer to than other books. When I want to look up a specific plant, all I have to do is flip towards the back of the book, look at the large and colorful plant photos and the succinct, yet complete description on its care and requirements. The book also discusses important topics like substrates, fertilizers, lighting, plant diseases, appropriate fish etc….The author even presents different layouts of tanks for those needing ideas for designs and types of live planted tank (cold water plants, warm water plants, tanks represented by region (Asia, South America etc…). On the whole, this book an excellent resource.

The New Marine Aquarium: Step-By-Step Setup & Stocking Guide by Michael S. Paletta, Edward Kadunc, Scott W. Michael, and John Goodman

I’ve been keeping marine tanks with very mixed results off and on for the past thirty years. When I started out in the hobby and didn’t know any better I was expert in quickly killing off all of the gorgeous occupants of my tank. “Live rock, ah you don’t need it,” said most of the “knowledgeable” local fish stores. Also protein skimmers were more of an afterthought – “after you’ve had your tank up a while and the sludge really starts to build then you may want one,” they said. “Having problems,” they’d ask. “You need to get a U/V sterilizer, or a cooler,” or something else, though these are all potentially useful they weren’t the reason that my tanks weren’t surviving. Well, it’s interesting to look back and see how quickly technology and common knowledge about how to successfully start and maintain a thriving marine tank (reef or fish) have evolved. Through the years I’ve looked at the top selling marine aquarium books that were available – some have been good at some things and most have been antiquated in not reflecting the latest technological updates, or even biological knowledge. Well, after purchasing “The New Marine Aquarium” by Paletta I have found the perfect book that truly ties most everything about success in the hobby together. This wonderful book will take you by the hand explaining what you’ll need to begin with and why in order to create a successful microcosm. From what items you’ll need to purchase (even on a shoestring budget), how to set up your tank, what fishes to consider, this exquisite book explains it all. The wonderful part is how clearly defined everything is by Mr. Paletta and how everything is thoroughly yet not verbosely explained as to why you’ll need a certain item or why you need to set something up in a particular way. The magic of this book is how it covers the gamut of what you’ll need; it’s clear, eloquent, not overstated. You’ll find answers as to what tank, what invertebrates, which corals, what goes best with what fish, what type of heater, powerhead, filter system; even suggestions on the exact sequence you’ll need to follow for monitoring and testing your tank during its cycling period. Even for someone with a lot of experience in the hobby you’ll still find little golden nuggets of information that will turn on the “ah ha” light bulb as you realize that now you understand why this works or why something hasn’t worked. This book is in a class by itself; clearly superior to most of the other current marine aquarium titles. It’s not overwhelming in size or scientific prose – it’s just enough of what you need for the common layperson to successfully begin this wonderful hobby and it’s still interesting and informative for someone who has a wealth of experience. If you are purchasing your first marine aquarium or if you know someone who has just started then this is one of the best if not the best books to help ensure your success. Its reasonable price and gorgeous photographs make it even more of a valued purchase.

The Reef Aquarium: Science, Art, and Technology, Vol. 3 by Julian Sprung and J. Charles Delbeek

I am a beginning reefkeeper and have purchased a number of books on the hobby, including this one. In my opinion this is easily the best book on what it takes to actually assemble a functioning, thriving reef tank. The chapter on plumbing (parts, layouts, pumps, etc) alone is worth the price of the book and that’s just one chapter!

Contrary to other reviews on here I don’t think the material is daunting…I think it’s relevant. Why jump into a hobby that is recreating an ecosystem if you don’t have the knowledge to do so? It’s not difficult to understand, and what I’ve found is that in many places when something is explained, that in text could be hard to understand, there is usually an illustration, chart, or picture to make it clear. Kudos!

I would easily pay double for this book now that I’ve read it, and this will serve as my main reference on tank issues moving forward.

Aquarium Corals : Selection, Husbandry, and Natural History by Eric H. Borneman

I cannot say enough positive things about this book. I have a significant collection of books on marine fish and reef aquariums,and this is easily one of the best I have. If you are planning to keep corals and are really serious, you should buy this book and follow Borneman’s advice. The pictures are excellent, and the depth and intelligence of the coverage on everything from corallimorphs to stonies is exceptional.

Saltwater Aquariums For Dummies by Gregory, PhD Skomal

This new edition of Saltwater Aquariums for Dummies has been brought much more up-to-date with current marine aquarium techniques and is one of the most recently published books I could find on the subject. That said, it’s still not a great book on the subject. It becomes overly repetitive in some areas and lacking in others and is often poorly organized. For instance, even basic species information is divided between multiple chapters with each one incomplete on its own and constantly referencing you back-and-forth. Too much time is spent on filtration techniques which the book itself deems are generally inadequate while leaving the reader confused between other techniques [and glances over or completely neglects advanced techniques used for reef aquariums]. The book is clearly aimed at the beginner, but fails to provide adequate direction for moving forward from there.

500 Freshwater Aquarium Fish: A Visual Reference to the Most Popular Species by Greg Jennings

This is a great reference text for some common species as well as the unknown ones; especially if you want a quick reference of a variety of species to create a “species” or “community” tank this book will be helpful in decision making. The book gives good details regarding the expected size of the fish, general behavior and environment just to name a few. The photos contained within the text are well detailed. I would recommend this book to beginners and intermediate aquarists.

The Conscientious Marine Aquarist: A Commonsense Handbook for Successful Saltwater Hobbyists (Microcosm/T.F.H. Professional) by Robert M. Fenner, Christopher Turk, Matthew L. Wittenrich, and Scott W. Michael

This is a great book, top-notch quality both on the text, pictures, quality of the paper used and information provided. In my opinion just one thing could make this book even better: a better organization/rating system for the fishes/invertebrates covered. The author put a lot of text for each fish/invertabrate without a simple to read classification on wheter a beginner like myself should buy or not that particular animal. For that I am using the excellent The Complete Book of the Marine Aquarium [Hardcover] By Vincent B. Hargreaves, which provides a rating from 1 thru 5 on each animal depending on the complexity of keeping it on a fish tank.