Fish Books

Natural Reef Aquariums by John H. Tullock, 1997, Microcosm, Ltd. An excellent book covering a balance of equipment, techniques and ecology. Tullock divides up the discussion of species based on their origin (geographic as well as reef type/depth). He doesn't even attempt (as so many authors do) to give a comprehensive catalog of species. Instead he provides more examples and general information about animals from each biotope that are either easy for beginners, suitable for experienced reef aquarists or difficult for even experts. If I had to choose just one book to cover as much of this ground as possible, this would be the one.
The Coral Reef Aquarium by Ron Shimek, Ph.D., 1999, Howell House. This book was a very pleasant surprise. It is small and the cover looks like something from Petsmart. I really didn't expect much. However, it has a lot of good information in a small package. Shimek directly contradicts some of the common "religion" of reef keeping--such as the claim by several other authors that zooxanthellae corals don't need any supplementary food. He generally leans toward low-tech solutions and is a big proponent of live sand. He even recommends the much-scorned bristle worms as beneficial to keeping the sand bed loose and productive.
Reef Secrets by Alf Jacob Nilsen and Svein A. Fossa, 2002, T.F.H. Nearly half of this book is devoted to a stocking guide listing and showing common reef animals (fish and inverts) and macro algae. The pictures are okay, but there isn't a lot of detail provided in the "stocking guide." The rest of the book, however, is very "systems oriented" in introducing the topics of lighting, water (and water movement), aquascaping, feeding, etc. I generally liked the Norwegian authors' approach but I was surprised to see some common equipment and techniques overlooked in such a recent book. (An example: the section on lighting doesn't mention compact flourescents.) The final chapter is devoted to ecological organizations and reef preservation. Probably the most distinctive characteristic of this book is an emphasis on creating an aquarium based on specific biotopes. The authors seem to believe that the fish, plants, inverts, plants, rocks and substrate of a specific tank should all reflect a single theme ("deep fore-reef of Indo-Pacific" or "mangrove and seagrass") which is I found interesting. Although I may not follow a particular biotope as strictly as these authors suggest, but it is an interesting contrast to the typical reef tank or store display that includes a variety of species that might come from the Red Sea along with Hawaiian and Florida. All in all, a good first book to get introduced to the reef hobby.
Reef Invertebrates, An Essential Guide to Selection, Care and Compatibility by Anthony Calfo and Robert Fenner, 2003, Reading Trees. Buy this book! While it is eventually useful as a quick reference, its real value is in sitting down with it and reading it cover to cover...twice. There is good coverage of refugium design, live rock and sand, algae (good and bad)--detailed stuff the other books gloss over. There's a good section on feeding and caring for inverts. Then there is the meat of the book...one or more chapters for each of the major groupings of aquarium inverts (sponges, worms, mollusks, crustaceans, echinoderms). Not every individual species you might encounter is given special attention, but the information on the groupings of related species is extremely useful.
A Guide to the Selection, Care and Breeding of Corals for the Mini-Reef Aquarium by Dr. Herbert R. Axelrod, 1997, T.F.H. Let me first say that the title is the just about most exciting writing in this entire volume. Axelrod has been delivering books for the aquarium hobby for at least thirty years. His writing hasn't gotten more engaging over the decades. His personal observations and opinions (and back-patting) frequently seem to be the primary focus rather than the animals themselves. Generally, the writeups of each coral looks like it was written with a cut-and-paste of basic boilerplate. Okay, now that I've trashed the writing, let me also tell you why you need to buy this book: the photographs! Each and every page (other than the index) is printed on wonderful glossy photographic paper and has one or more large and stunning photos of corals that will make you ooh and ahh with each page turn. Absolutely gorgeous!
The Reef Tank Owners Manual by John H. Tullock, 1995, Coralife Publication. Given the age of this book, I suppose it isn't fair to criticize it. However, I wouldn't recommend it. Tullock's later book (see above) is far better. This book is small and all text (well, there are a 16 pages of photos stuck in the middle, but they don't add anything in context.) Even though the book is still in print and promoted as the 3rd Edition, Revised and Updated" the number of typesetting and other mechanical errors is disturbing. Occasionally a entence start on one page and never end...the next page will start a new sentence or topic. You get the idea. I think the only thring really "revised and updated" was the pretty Percula clown picture on the cover. Save the money and put it toward a better book.
Aquarium Corals Selection, Husbandry and Natural History by Erick H. Borneman, 2001, T.F.H. I was taken to task by one reader for my original comments about this book...so I'll revise them. The author is enrolled in a PhD program and this book reflects that depth of study. The first 93 pages are so didactic and tedious that I put the book down for several weeks because I just wasn't interested in that much biology right out of the gate. After reading two other books I came back and continued shlogging through. Once he gets into the center of the book, describing various coral genus' traits, the book is dry but not painful. The photos are generally small but helpful. Please don't make this the first corals book you read...it might put you off the hobby altogether. That said, it should be on every reef-keeper's bookshelf. It is a great reference book once you are ready for it.
A Practical Guide to Corals for the Reef Aquarium by Ed Puterbaugh and Eric Borneman, 1996, Crystal Graphics. A quick and easy book. Lots of pretty pictures but only minimal information about care and requirements. I'd use this book as a first screen to determine whether it makes sense to investigate a particular type of coral further. Don't use this book as your only reference.
Invertebrates, A Quick Reference Guide by Julian Sprung, 2001, Ricordea Publishing. Very good for what it claims to be--a quick reference guide. Invertebrates are divided by taxonomic groupings and a chapter dedicated to each: sponges, mollusks, arthropods, echinoderms, etc. Commonly encountered species are highlighted but as representatives for other similar species. The information provided is helpful, but somewhat brief. Language is not overly technical and the highlights of care requirements give a quick screening for which species might be worth further study and investigation. This book serves a simlar purpose to the Practical Guide to Corals for the Reef Aquarium or the Marine Fishes 500+ Essential-to-Know Aquarium Species books...a quick overview with pictures but not a detailed specific examination. Worthwhile and recommended quick reference (but not a substitute for the Calfo and Fenner Reef Invertebrates book!)
Corals, A Quick Reference Guide, by Julian Sprung, 1999, Ricordia Publishing. Similar to his later Invertebrates, A Quick Reference Guide, but not as practical. This book has lots of pictures (which is good) but they aren't always as dramatic as some other books--so don't buy it for the pictures. There is minimal text description for each illustrated species, so don't buy it for detailed information. There is a useful graphical display for each species (or group of related species) that indicates lighting and water flow and feeding needs, aggressiveness, hardiness and an idea of ideal placement within an aquarium. A nice quick glance feature similar to the Puterbaugh/Borneman Practical Guite To Corals book, but maybe not enough to justify it. An okay book, but not sufficient by itself. Still better than either the Axelrod or Puterbaugh/Borneman books. The Borneman Aquarium Corals, although dry reading, has much more information.
Giant Clams by Daniel Knop, 1996, Dahne Verlag GmbH. This is the reference on the clams kept in the marine aquarium. Most of the book is spent on biology that then leads into one long chapter on aquarium care. The book was originally written in German and translated to English by two Germans. Unfortunately the translation at best imperfect, but you can get to the intended meaning. (I've always thought that translations should be done by someone whose native tongue is the one into which the text is being translated. Going the other way always makes for some interesting use of idiom...oh, well.)
Book of Coral Propagation, Volume One by Anthony Calfo, 2003, Reading Trees. (A second volume is coming...updates to this volume were to be made available at www.readingtrees.com although I haven't found them...however, as an author I understand the early objective of providing updates loses momentum as one gets onto other projects.) This book is hard to describe. It has only a few pages of small photos; it has a few drawings. And is has a wealth of great information. It is informally bound but professionally written. Anthony Calfo puts great energy into this hobby and his writings about it. So, when should you buy this book? Well, perhaps not when you might think. I set this book at the bottom of the pile for way too long because I wasn't on the verge of doing any propagation. I'm still just trying to keep things alive let alone reproducing! Well, the first 3/4 of this book is not really about propagation at all--just good, sensible info on keeping corals healthy, well fed and safe from harm. These, of course, are prerequisites to propagating your corals, but they are the basics that every reef-keeper needs to know. Other than the lack of pictures and detailed drawings this book is perfect for beginners. Read it!
The Reef Aquarium, A Comprehensive Guide to the Identification and Care of Tropical marine Invertebrates by J. Charles Delbeek and Julian Sprung, Volumes One and Two, 1994 and 1997, Ricorda Publishing. That's one heck of a long title, but these books deserve a bold title. If you look back through this list 1994 is the earliest reef title of the lot. From that you might suspect the material to be dated and stale. How wrong you would be. I will bet that each of the authors listed above read the Delbeek/Sprung book as they either got started in the hobby or were becoming expert enough to write their own books. This is great material that should not be overlooked because of its age. Volume One covers the basics of coral and clam biology, fundamentals of equipment and techniques for reef keeping, followed by chapters on clams and stony corals. Volume Two is devoted to the biology and care of soft corals, anemones and ends with a bit on the diseases and pests (and good guys like hermit crabs) that affect corals. The final chapter is short--just pictures and brief descriptions of beautiful coral aquaria from that long ago time (1997...) Wonderful books and not obsolete in any way.

There are still many books that I haven't read and can't comment on yet. I'll get them added as time (and budget) allow.

Freshwater

Marine

Reef and Coral