# fish book



## blor (Jul 7, 2005)

I'm planning on getting a book on fish and was just wondering which one is good? (preferably under $20)

thanks


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## mlefev (Apr 19, 2005)

Well, I'm sure I can dig something up that might be good for you. I know I'm always stopping and reading books in pet stores. Maybe if you could narrow it down more, I might be able to think of one I've looked at. Any specific types of fish, or just fish and aquarium keeping in general?

Edit: I know I saw one called "aquarium fishes of the world" that looked pretty informative.


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## blor (Jul 7, 2005)

just fish and aquarium keeping in general

I know I've seen a few that looks good but I just don't know if they really are.


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## mlefev (Apr 19, 2005)

Yeah that's my problem. I see some that have a lot of useful information, but I'm not sure if it's enough to warrant actually buying the book. Sometimes I think the pages I have read are the only important ones in there, and the next 300 pages are going to be useless information like "this is a fish" "fish have fins".

That book I mentioned is the only general aquarium book I can think of offhand. I know another had something like "focus on freshwater fish" in the title, but again, I don't know the author.

Out of curiousity, where in southern california are you? If you don't want to mention it, that's fine. I just moved to San Diego recently, so I was wondering.


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## blor (Jul 7, 2005)

guess I'll check out that book whenever I am at the bookstore.


I'm in the riverside area, about 1.5 hr from san diego


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## fishfreaks (Jan 19, 2005)

aquarium fishes of the world by dr.herbert axelrod, dr warren burgess, neal pronek, gaxelrod and david boruchowitz. it covers a wide variety of fish and also tells you about diseases, planted tanks, and setting up a tank. this may be the one that mlefev. is talking about. We have this one and love it. it talks about with each fish breeding, water specs and habits, size, and where the fish is from. I highly reccomend this book if you want more of a general selection


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## TheOldSalt (Jan 28, 2005)

That's a pretty good book. Another one which is very good, although 39 years old, is the "Innes book," namely, "Exotic Aquarium Fishes," 19th edition, but William Innes. This book is a classic, and very few have ever been written before or since with as much truly useful information. It's also pretty cheap. I have a few copies, or you could try to find one on Ebay.

There are numerous other books of varying quality. I have to go to work now, but later i'll list a few good ones.


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## Hamm35924 (Jun 13, 2005)

aquariums for dummies? i have that book, its pretty good.


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## maxpayne_lhp (Jan 19, 2005)

> aquarium fishes of the world by dr.herbert axelrod, dr warren burgess, neal pronek, gaxelrod and david boruchowitz


Oh yah... that's a good one.


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## Damon (Jan 18, 2005)

The book you want will be determined by what you are looking for information wise. The books T.O.S. and Fishfirst listed (I have both) are great books but if you are looking for a specific type of fishbook (ie Lake Malawi or Central American cichlids) there are books that are more geared to these types of fish and will have more detail about them vs a generalised book.


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## malawi4me2 (Jan 18, 2005)

One of my favorite cheaper books about the general husbandry of tropical freshwater fish is the Tropical FishIopedia by Mary Bailey and Peter Burgess. It covers general aquarium set-up, fish health and behavior, species selections, etc. Very informative IMO, and it sells for $19.99 at most bookstores. (I think I got it a while back at Borders...)


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## TheOldSalt (Jan 28, 2005)

Ah yes, the Fishlopedia is a good one.

There are a bunch of _okay_ books, and oodles of bad ones, but these we've mentioned are probably among the best. Sadly, there is no ultimate book on the subject, as the publishing houses wouldn't touch one with a ten foot pole due to the cover price such a book would have to have, which would make it difficult to sell. I tried to compile such a book once myself, as have many others, but I got shot down before it was even finished. If some really, really rich guy who really likes fish should underwrite the cost of producing such a book, it could be done. Many of the big books on today's market shelves owe their existence to such an arrangement. 

Wouldn't it be great? _The Fishkeeper's Bible_, 4500 pages of the most complete & detailed information ever assembled about every aspect of aquaria, their denizens, and their care. Only 89.99, thanks to a grant by the Microsoft Corporation which made printing possible. 
*sigh* 
Maybe someday. For now we'll just have to amass large collections of books ( I've got over 200 ) in order to learn everything we want to know.


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## Lisachromis (Jan 19, 2005)

A few suggestions in no particular order.....

Tropical Fish by Peter Stadelmann & Lee Finley 

Tropical Fishlopaedia: A Complete Guide to Tropical Fish Care  by Peter Burgess & Mary Bailey 

Baensch Aquarium Atlas by Dr. Rüdiger Riehl & Hans A. Baensch (my personal fav)

Innes book is good, but the latin names of the fish are way outdated (the fish care info is good though). Mary Bailey is a good source as is Dick Mills. There are lots of basic info books out there and the quality of the info in them vary as much as the authors do.


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## mlefev (Apr 19, 2005)

fishfreaks said:


> aquarium fishes of the world by dr.herbert axelrod, dr warren burgess, neal pronek, gaxelrod and david boruchowitz. it covers a wide variety of fish and also tells you about diseases, planted tanks, and setting up a tank. this may be the one that mlefev. is talking about.


Yep that was the one. I was reading it for about an hour in the pet store until the clerks started looking a bit frustrated. I wanted to buy it, but with the debt I was in at the time, I had to put it back on the shelf. It seemed VERY intersting.


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## mlefev (Apr 19, 2005)

blor said:


> I'm in the riverside area, about 1.5 hr from san diego


I've been through that area. I knew a couple of people that lived there for a long time. Nice to meet you sort-of-neighbor...lol.


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## blor (Jul 7, 2005)

heh...more like neighbor from afar





and thanks for all the info...I definately be checking out aquar/world, fishlopedia, exotic aquar fishes, and baensh aquar atlas


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## mlefev (Apr 19, 2005)

hehe, very true. I think the book we've been suggesting would be good, though. You can probably get it from amazon or somewhere cheaper than you could in a store.


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## MyraVan (Jan 19, 2005)

This thread came at a good time! My birthday is coming up soon and I had no idea of what to ask for. Now I have some good suggestions.


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## maxpayne_lhp (Jan 19, 2005)

MyraVan, did you tell me about some book with good pratice on ecology to planted tanks? What was that, I forgot.


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## MyraVan (Jan 19, 2005)

Ecology of the Planted Aquarium, by Diana Walstad. Tells you how to have a nice-looking, healthy planted tank with very little work, and much less money than the high-tech approach. It's the first aquarium-related book I ever bought (I had a couple given to me before I bought this one).


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## malawi4me2 (Jan 18, 2005)

For lots of pics of absolutely _beautiful_ planted tanks, and aquascaping ideas, look for the Nature Aquarium World series by Takashi Amano. His designs are gorgeous! It's a three book series (that I've heard is going out of print soon), and although they're not exactly much for information on fishkeeping, the pictures will keep you mesmorized for hours!


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## maxpayne_lhp (Jan 19, 2005)

Takashi Amano... ah ha... his style is quite different and reallt neat!


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