Reef Secrets: Starting Right, Selecting Fishes & Invertebrates, Advanced Biotope Techniques

By Alf Jacob Nilsen and Svein A. Fossa

Organized by family for easy reference, each profile includes all essential care, feeding and husbandry advice. The species profiled include all available reef aquarium choices, with scores of seldom... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 189008767X
• ISBN13: 9781890087678
• Release Date: January 2002
• Publisher: Microcosm Ltd
• Length: 240 Pages
• Weight: 2.34 lbs.
• Dimensions: 11.0" x 0.8" x 8.8"

Customer Reviews

Inspiring, detailed, practical

One can appreciated the authors' long experience with marine aquaria who elegantly and with simple language explained larger biological concepts yet provide detailed instructions on how do to what and why. Very inspiring are the suggested biotopes that include among others "seagrass aquarium", "reef gorge aquarium", "pizza anemone aquarium", "rubble zone aquarium" as well as the standard reef tank. These are refreshing ideas that are needed with the current predominance of grocery store shelf-like stocked, overcrowded best-of-the-month SPS tanks. Also contains a comprehensive guide about most creatures possible in a reef tank and essentially makes e.g. Sprung's "Quick" guides unnecessary in one's library.

Think out of the box

You won't have to go over the ammonia cycle again here, though there is enough info to get you started. The title is a great indication of what to expect. This book is about thinking out of the box in aquarium keeping and planning them correctly. My favorite section talks about ideas for aquariums and how when we start, we usually try to replicate a hodgepodge thrown together because we want a little of everything instead of a real underwater scene which could be much more interesting. This book has opened my eyes to new planning possibilities, I wouldn't have thought of otherwise. It has a great section on all types of fishes, invertebrates, cnidaria, etc... of options for choices with clear and concise care guide and potential pitfalls. There is one or two things that might surprise if you have aquariums in the Americas, such as stating that 10% of water changed per year is reasonable. Maybe very large aquarium, but I change that per week. Then again, only because I have read elsewhere and heard advice to do so even though it does seem to make sense to me. I wish I had found this book before planning my current aquarium, but it has certainly gotten me thinking about the next one. I recommend this as an additional starter book (perhaps to accompany Paletta's New Marine Aquarium) or for anyone who knows the simple basics and wants interesting new ideas to rehash the passion. Without question, worth it.

Best marine aquarium book ever

This book is great, it is not only a book packed with usful infomation for anyone beginer or advanced, it has a lot of info on what equiptement you need and tells you why you need it. It also is just a great book on hand. I would reccomend it to everyone

Great way to select animals for your aquarium

The best part of this book is the stocking guide section. It describes many, many common fishes & inverts that are found in the aquaria trade in great detail. Makes stocking a tank very easy. They're very environmentally aware without being preachy about it. For instance, they will point out which fishes should be tank bred and why.Beautiful photography!

Great Book for Starting a Reef

This is a beautiful book. There are lots of great pictures. The book is an excellent resource for those who are starting a reef tank. There are thorough and informative chapters on issues such as set-up, live rock, lighting, fitration, feeding, etc. The sections on selection & care of corals, other invertebrates, fishes, and algae are excellent. Issues of care, compatibility and conservation are addressed for all species.I did notice a couple of incorrect pictures, but this is a very minor problem.Overall, this is an excellent beginner/intermediate book by a pair of recognized and respected authorities in the field. Their superb 4-volume series is beyond the budget of most at a per-volume list price of around $90. Most of what the average new reefer needs is here in this book. It is an excellent value for the price.