Encyclopedia of Aquarium and Pond Fish

Features

• Cover Type: Hard Cover with 400 pages
• Published by: DK ADULT February 28, 2005
• Written in: English
• ISBN 10 Number: 0756609410
• ISBN 13 Number: 978-0756609412
• Book Dimensions: 10.9 x 9.1 x 1.1 inches
• Weighs: 3.6 pounds

From Booklist
In the fine tradition of its great how-to guides for raising houseplants, DK here offers a practical and visually appealing manual for all who would keep fish. The author has written various natural history titles and is a consultant to the pet industry. More than 800 individual fish, invertebrate, and plant species are described.

The book begins with a short introduction to the natural history of fish, their classification, and the history of fish keeping. The first major section covers the most popular kind of fish, those that live in fresh water. It begins with the practicalities of setting up and maintaining a tank, including descriptions of common problems and how to address them. Next is a very rich directory of fish organized by family or genus, with commonly available strains (including a few well-known rarities) discussed in terms of their size, temperament, and required conditions for culture. A brief directory of freshwater plants rounds out this section.

For those who like more of a challenge, marine fish are treated next. Following the same general structure as the freshwater fish section, Alderton divides marine fish into parts on culture and fish by family or genus, then finishes with a section on marine invertebrates. A shorter but still very useful section on the basics of keeping pond fish, again with sections on setup, fish by family or genus, and plants, finishes up the body of this volume. A glossary of terms, a handy list of Web sites, and indexes (one by common and scientific names, the other of more general terms) round things out.

This book is a fun read for fish keepers and voyeurs alike. The well-organized and authoritative content lives happily next to gorgeous photographs. School and public libraries should strongly consider this volume for their reference shelves. A few circulating copies are a good bet to get heavy circulation in recreational collections at all levels. Jeff Kosokoff
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product Description
A lavishly illustrated reference covering all aspects of keeping fish, the Encyclopedia of Aquarium & Pond Fish is the first book on the market to provide care and identification information on all types of fish for every possible environment, from indoor aquariums to outdoor ponds. The book contains a directory of over 800 of the most popular fish freshwater, saltwater, coldwater, and tropical‹showing not only what each fish looks like, but what food they eat, which species they can cohabit with, how big they grow, and much more.

Reader Reviews
Typical of DK books, infomation are presented using interesting facts and statistics. This is an excellent coffee table book for leisure reading any time and by anyone. This is also a rare gem that combines all 3 general genres of fishkeeping - marine, freshwater, tropical, in one easy-to-read reference. There's even a fairly comprehensive section dedicated to koi (the author is either a fanatic or simply this is a prized pet). However one must take note that this is not a good reference for marine starters. Basic information such as breeding, feeding, diseases are adequately explained but techniques and equipment talk are out-dated compared to many books out there. Excellent high resolution photos. Eg. a shot of a seahorse staring at a brineshrimp (full recognizable with legs and eyes!), leaffish swallowing a prey, ghastly shots of 'L' Plecos... In summary, this book is a Jack of all trades. Easy reading but not as a sole book for reference. You want starters? Try the excellent "The New Marine Aquarium: Step-By-Step Setup & Stocking Guide". You want comprehensive fish data? Try Dr Burgess's Atlas of Marine Aquarium Fishes and Dr. Axelrod's Atlas of Freshwater Aquarium Fishes. This is a book permanently in my coffee table collection. 5 Stars for the interesting read, no deducts for any lack of info because if you set your eyes on this book you should already be aware this is typical of DK books - never a comprehensive reference for novices nor for the experienced.