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The number of corals imported into the U.S. rose 249 percent between 1995 and 1996, an indication the coral reef hobby is booming. Concerned hobbyists have begun growing corals domestically so that people can enjoy reef tanks without destroying natural reefs. This book combines information on setting up and maintaining a reef, as well as ecological concerns.
From the Back Cover
At last, a book to kick-off your hobby as a marine reef aquarist. From selecting…
Buy The Coral Reef Aquarium: An Owner’s Guide toa Happy Healthy Fish at Amazon
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I fell into reef aquarium ownership almost overnight. I didn’t know what I was getting into and bought an established 140 gallon tank with rocks and fish. The second hand tank had been neglected and there were only 3 surviving fish and the rock didn’t look too healthy. I had no idea what I was headed into and I bought and killed a number of beautiful, expensive fish out of total ignorance.
This book would have not only saved me a lot of money, but a lot of headache, heartache and trips to the local fish store.
Dr. Shimek includes tips on inexpensive ways to equip the hardware and contents w/o spending an arm and a leg on overpriced items at the store. He tells you what animals to avoid (especially for beginners) and which ones are must-haves.
For a beginning book, it is packed w/ info in just over 125 pages and in a very affordable package. Most aquarium books are VERY expensive and you’ll never read the whole thing.
I read this book in about 2 weeks (I work full time and I’m a slow reader) by taking it with me during my lunch hour and it has already saved me hundreds of dollars in items/livestock I was considering on purchasing.
My only criticism is the lack of photos of critical things the author was citing. There are tons of high quality photos in this book, but some creatures were mentioned that I would have like to have seen represented in a photo and still have no idea what the author was talking about.
The author does assume some knowledge in some areas where it seems he may have forgotten his audience. Had I not already dealt w/ some issues during my “baptism by fire” experience of learning the hard way for months before buying this book, I wouldn’t have understood some of the concepts he brought up.
This book was one of the best purchases I’ve made in regards to aiding my hobby. Thank you, Dr. Ron!