There
are, most likely, hundreds of good books regarding the identification
and care of marine animals.Unfortunately,
there are as many, or more, bad ones.The books presented in this section are books
that I have read or am reading, and think highly of.I choose not to mention the bad ones I've read.
I
could not imagine being successful in this hobby without doing the reading.If you attempt it, the odds are against you.Actually, the odds are against your animals.Most likely, you will experience significant die-off, get discouraged,
and abandon the hobby, leaving a trail of dead animals, and a significant
investment in yard-sale fodder, in your wake.Reading will help you not to experience this tragedy.
The
Marine Aquarium Handbook: Beginner to Breeder
by Martin A. Moe Jr.
This
is the first book on raising marine animals that I ever read.While the text is somewhat dated, and the pictures are only line
drawings, this book is a must have.It was updated several years ago to include
reef systems, but the real value is the detailed descriptions of the
natural biological processes, and the disease treatment of marine fish.It is cheap but information rich, and it belongs on every aquarist's
bookshelf.
The
Marine Aquarium Reference: Systems and Invertebrates
by Martin A. Moe Jr.
This
is not a text that I have read yet.I felt obliged to include it on the list because of all the praise
I have heard about it, and how pleased I was with the Marine
Aquarium Handbook, also by Martin Moe. It is out of print, but can
be located at many fish stores, as well as Amazon.
Natural
Reef Aquariums: Simplified Approaches to Creating Living Saltwater Microcosms
by John H. Tullock
This
is the first book that I purchased when I decided to return to marine
fish/reef keeping after a protracted hiatus.It teaches a lesson in matching up reef inhabitants with compatible
species from an emotional compatibility as well as a geographic compatibility
perspective.It contains beautiful
photos that help identify the more common species. It also discusses
their care in a reef system.It
contains information on tank selection, lighting, and filtration.If I had to pick a favorite, this would probably
be it.
The
Conscientious Marine Aquarist: A Commonsense Handbook for Successful
Saltwater Hobbyists
by Robert M. Fenner
Much
like the Tullock book, Natural Reef Aquariums,The Conscientious Marine Aquarist starts out with the basics
of marine fish keeping.It covers
tanks, lighting, filtration, and nutrition.(It has a homemade fish food recipe that I use regularly.)It is well laid out with beautiful photos and also serves to help
identify the more common species and their requirements.This book has more of a fish slant than does the book by Tullock,
and covers the difficulty in identifying the healthiest specimens and
the strongly recommends the quarantining of same.All-in-all, a very good value.
Also,
Bob Fenner does a regular column for Flying
Fish Express that has some helpful tips.
The
Reef Aquarium : A Comprehensive Guide to the Identification and Care
of Tropical Marine Invertebrates
by J. Charles Delbeek, Julian Sprung
This
book, combined with the 2nd volume,
is considered by many to be the reef keepers bible.This first volume deftly covers the natural reef, coral biology,
lighting, aquascaping,and water
quality.It also covers collection and care of stony
corals and tridacnid clams as well as the diseases and maladies associated
with each.
The
price of this epic tome is a tad steep, but it is a beautiful hard-bound
edition with a tremendous amount of information and excellent photos.
The
Reef Aquarium : A Comprehensive Guide to the Identification and Care
of Tropical Marine Invertebrates Vol. 2
by J. Charles Delbeek, Julian Sprung
This
book, combined with the 1st volume, is considered
by many to be the reef keepers bible.Volume 2 expertly covers soft coral and anemone biology, collection
and transportation, propagation techniques, and the maladies that trouble
the soft corals.
This
book is also pricey, but, like its predecessor, worth the money.If you are on a budget, buy only Volume 1 and 2 of this book.Most everything you need is touched upon here.
Marine
Atlas Volume 1
by Helmut Debelius, Hans A. Baensch
This
book is predominately a taxonomic atlas of a specific set of fishes
and invertebrates.It was translated
from its original German, and is more scientific than entertaining.It covers anemones, shellfish, tangs, wrasses, and other of the
most popular fishes, but does not make a complete work by itself.You need at least volume 2 and 3.
This
is a great field guide for figuring out what your fish store is selling
you.Do not always trust the
fish store employees.When I
take a fish excursion, being that there are precious few quality fish
stores nearby, I carry volumes 1, 2, and 3 with me.
Reef
Fishes, Volume I: A Guide to Their Identification, Behavior, and Captive
Care
by Scott W. Michael
This book is the first of a set of three volumes. It is a well-written
and exquisitely photographed taxonomic guide to fishes of the coral
reefs, and to the captive care of each. Obviously, not all reef fish
are represented here, and the total set will only represent several
hundred of the most common species. All-in-all though, a beautiful book
and I anxiously await the other two volumes.
Marine
Reef Aquarium Handbook
by Dr. Robert J. Goldstein
I bought this book in a pet store in Maryland while I was there on business.
It was cheap and I needed something to read. It turned out to be a decent
book for the price. It explains a lot about filtration types and identifies
some common corals and their care.
Just
like the title says, this is a quick guide to identification and captive
care of the major corals found in the aquarium trade. It is well photographed
and provides a sufficient level of detail to determine if it is suitable
for you aquarium. I particularly like the placement and requirements
charts for each specimen.
This
book covers all manner of topics related to the captive care and breeding
of clownfish (anemonefish). It talks about tank setup, species identification
and pairing, and raising the fry to adulthood. It also covers, at a
superficial level, host anemones and the species-to-species suitability
between clownfish and anemone host. It is a good book and easy to read
is you are ready to learn more specifics about what could be the most
interesting fish in the hobby.
