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Here
is a list of some books (and not only) that I have recently read.
17. HELMUT
DEBELIUS "NUDIBRANCHS AND
SEA SNAILS - INDIAN-PACIFIC FIELD GUIDE" by IKAN UNTERWASSERARCHIV,
Published in 1998, 324 pages, Hardcover. From the Red Sea to South
Africa and across to the West Coast of the Americas. This book is perfectly illustrated with over 1000 photos
from the natural environment of the animals on 324 pages. A true
bargain in terms of price/achievement. Helmut Debelius doesn't need
any special introduction and this volume leaves very little to be
desired. This book does not contain information about keeping those
species in captivity but gives invaluable information concerning the
natural habitat / habits of each species which is of course useful
to any fishkeeper. One of the great things about this book is the
short stories (usually 3-4 pages packed with photos) which show what
happens in the natural biotope of the various species. It is a great
help to those who wish to understand the needs of their artificial
ecosystems. The photos are of high quality and the fish are
easily identified. A great work.
18. HELMUT
DEBELIUS "CRUSTACEA GUIDE
OF THE WORLD" by IKAN
UNTERWASSERARCHIV, Published in 1999, 324 pages, Hardcover. From the
Pacific Ocean, Indian Ocean, Red Sea, Meditteranean, Atlantic ocean
and the Carribian. Everything you wanted to know about shrimps,
crabs, lobsters, mantis shrimps and amphipods. This book is perfectly
illustrated with over 1000 photos from the natural environment of the
animals on 324 pages. A true bargain in terms of price/achievement.
Helmut Debelius doesn't need any special introduction and this
volume leaves very little to be desired. This book does not contain
information about keeping those species in captivity but gives
invaluable information concerning the natural habitat / habits of
each species which is of course useful to any fishkeeper. One of the
great things about this book is the short stories (usually 3-4 pages
packed with photos) which show what happens in the natural biotope
of the various species. It is a great help to those who wish to
understand the needs of their ecosystem and its inhabitants. The photos
are of high quality and the fish are easily identified. A great
work.
19. ROBERT
M. FENNER "THE
CONSCIENTIOUS
MARINE AQUARIST" by TFH
Publications Ltd., Published by 2001,
432 pages, Hardcover. A commonsense handbook for successful
saltwater hobbyists also called the "bible for the new marine
aquarist". I had been waiting for this book for more than a year (it
was out of print) and I will confess that I was fully rewarded when
I got it. Written by someone who has seen the fish in their natural
habitat and kept them in his tanks it gives information on both
sides of the hobby. The information in this book is truly invaluable
and will save you time and lost lives. I am not a long time marine
hobbyist but I have already found this book to be extremely accurate
- to the details. If one has to find a drawback in this book it
would be that it doesn't refer to all species (although it covers
every fish I have seen in the petshops). If it was there would be no
reason to buy any other book for your marine tank. Highly
recommended.
20.
PATRICK
LOUISY & THIERRY MAITRE-ALLEN
“PETIT GUIDE
ENCYCLOPEDIQUE – LES POISSONS D’ EUROPE”,
ARTEMIS EDITIONS, 2001, 384 pp, Soft cover.
When it comes to literature about Mediterranean species, information
is really hard to find so any book is really welcomed even if it is
written in a language I can’t read (French). With a good dictionary
and a good deal of effort you can get the information you want. This
book is a real treasure. Although it is meant for fishermen it is
exactly what I needed. Very good photos and plenty of information –
most of it extremely useful for the fish keeper. Each fish has its
own page with the scientific and common name (French common name)
and lots of information concerning its feeding habits, the locations
you should search for it and – of course – the ways to catch it.
Since the book is aimed to fishermen, the means recommended (net,
fishing line) are not the ones to use if you just want to keep it in
your tank. However, the location and the feeding habits give us a
good starting point not to mention that it serves as a first class
identification atlas. I must confess that in more than one species
it proved very accurate. A very good book indeed. I wish it was also
available in English.
21.
STEVEN
WEINBERG
“DECOUVIR LA
MEDITERRANEE”
EDITIONS NATHAN, 1993, 356 pp. Soft cover.
The same introduction is true for this book as well. It deals with
something on which information is very rare : Mediterranean species.
Written in French too, it is the ideal partner of the previous book.
It has less information per species and contains far less fish
species. Why is it important then ? Because it contains information
on invertebrates and macro algae which is exactly what I needed for
my Mediterranean mini reefs. Anemones, snails, crustaceans
everything you will see in the sea is there, too – along with many
fish species. A great advantage of this particular book is that it
contains the common names in many languages which is very helpful if
you try to get some additional information on the web. The photos
are of good quality and if the species is in the book you can’t go
wrong. With these two books and a good French – English dictionary
one can really get all the information he will need. Again, one
wonders why this book is not available in English, too. For those
starting – or already keeping – Mediterranean species in their tanks
then those two French books along with the “Mediterranean and
Atlantic Fish Guide” by H. Debelius and the 4th volume of
the Debelius – Baensch Atlas is all you will need to know your fish,
invertebrates and macroalgae and positively identify them. The only
thing you have to know after that is to keep your specific gravity
over 1,026 (I keep it at 1,027 while the natural sea water is
between 1,026 and 1,027)!!
22.
JOHN
TULLOCK'S
"WATER CHEMISTRY FOR
THE MARINE AQUARIUM"
Published in 2002 by BARRON'S, 95 pages.
This is a very "honest" book, being exactly what its title declares.
As far as I know it is the first of its kind, a rather late but very
useful addition to the marine aquarium bibliography. The properties
and the quality of the marine water, and especially the marine
aquarium water, is -even nowadays- an area of myths, misconception
and misinterpretation for many hobbyists. This book is a perfect
chance for a beginner to understand marine water duplication right
from the beginning, and for an advanced hobbyist to clarify any
doubt. Tables, charts, glossary, how-to’s, the properties, the
effects and importance of the various seawater compounds, the
preparation and testing of aquarium water, water additives, even a
smooth introduction to chemistry and obscure terms like
“alkalinity”, “redox” etc. are all there, and even the illustrations
are interesting and sometimes out of the ordinary. All in all, this
is a nice little book that will save you a lot of research, errors
and bad advice…
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