Tropical Fish Forum
Tropical Fish Keeping => General Fishkeeping Chat => Topic started by: Miggy on February 08, 2013, 02:48:31 PM
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Hi everyone,
What are the best tropical fish books to buy
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Hi Miggy.... and welcome to the forum.
Difficult question - are you totally new to fishkeeping? If so then the information tab on this forum has tons of good info.
As for a book to buy.... I can't help you other to say don't get 'The Simple Guide To Freshwater Aquariums' by David E Boruchowitz, I realise now that there's too much missing from his information. It cost me a couple of fish when I started.
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Personally, I'm not too keen on books.
If you want one for showing what fish are around in the trade, the best ones are Baensch aquarium atlases, followed by this one http://www.amazon.com/Aquarium-Fishes-World-Herbert-Axelrod/dp/0793804930
If you want one on setting up tanks etc, I wouldn't recommend a book. Most of the ones I've browsed through don't even mention fishless cycling.
Then there are books on planted tanks, but I'll leave it up to our plant experts to advise on those.
As Colin says, this forum has lots of useful info. If you are just starting, my advice would be to read those and print them off if you prefer to read paper versions.
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If you really want to read a book on fishkeeping, I would recommend getting a few out of your local library. Definitely read more than one book, as it should demonstrate how diverse the answers can be when you think you're asking a basic question. So many people have different opinions on fishkeeping and depending on where you are, your local tap water conditions, the size and type of your tank, the type of fish you want to keep, you will not necessarily find the answers you want in a book - there are just too many variables.
But read a couple books to get some basic ideas, and then come back to the forum to ask your specific questions. This is a really good place to learn about fishkeeping as there are a lot of very friendly people, from all over the country that can give advice based on their different experiences of fishkeeping, and backgrounds. I have had advice about water chemistry, plant care and different types of equipment. Don't be afraid to ask any question. Sometimes questions get asked in such a way that they start interesting conversations, and we all learn something new. I've been reading this website for a couple years now, and I still read / learn a lot more than I can contribute.
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As above really. Any reference info in a book can be sought online for free, and you get richer information too. I spent money on 3 books when I bought my first tank, in the end I didn't even need them.