John q
Member
Now that's a bargin. Cheap as chips 😀
Haha, had a copy of "Closet Cultivator" in the 90's, one of ED'S earlier books.
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PARAGUAY
Member
That's a brilliant book had one years ago. Think l also had the British Wild life one as well.
GraemeVW
Member
Ok, not a book, but didn't know where else to show these. Couldn't resist these playing cards!
Garuf
Member
These are my go to books. The last one ‘The Living Aquarium’ was published in 1979 and was my go to for many years. It’s still great for the basic ecology of aquariums and the nitrogen cycle etc. The Aquarium Atlas is published in 5 volumes and is very comprehensive.
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So on a related note I'm interested to see what people think of as their most valuable fish keeping book. If you had to buy one book to give as a gift to a new fishkeeper what would you choose? Would it be something practical or something inspiring or both?
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G
Guest
Guest
Picked this up today for a couple of quid from a LFS. Some great content.
John q
Member
First of two recent purchases, this one arrived today.
Couldn't resist buying it after reading the "Book blurb" description that's written on the back cover.
Blurb:
"Here are the happy and colourful little fish flitting through the verdant forests of aquarium plants, both plants and fish held in perfect balance through the marvelous workins of natural forces in your aquarium, the entire uni achieving blissful stasis as the waste products of the fish nourish the grateful plants, with turn generously contribute their bounty of lifegiving oxygen for the fish in this aquatic wonderland.
Forget it. As author David E.Boruchowtitz points out, there's no such thing as a perfectly balanced aquarium. The biosystems at play in even the smallest fish tank are too complex for us to ever fully understand, much less completely control. But sensible use of today's excellent aquarium equipment allows hobbyists to create a very satisfactory artificial substitue for "balance" in the home aquarium once they know how true balances are achieved in nature. This book explains both sides of the story-the natural biosystems as well as how to use the equipment available-in a text markes as much by its refreshing clairty as by its interesting and highly useful recommendations."
I'd have maybe chosen a picture for the front cover that didn’t show deficiencies, guess the author wasn't using ei in this tank.
Will reserve judgement on the book until I've read it.
Couldn't resist buying it after reading the "Book blurb" description that's written on the back cover.
Blurb:
"Here are the happy and colourful little fish flitting through the verdant forests of aquarium plants, both plants and fish held in perfect balance through the marvelous workins of natural forces in your aquarium, the entire uni achieving blissful stasis as the waste products of the fish nourish the grateful plants, with turn generously contribute their bounty of lifegiving oxygen for the fish in this aquatic wonderland.
Forget it. As author David E.Boruchowtitz points out, there's no such thing as a perfectly balanced aquarium. The biosystems at play in even the smallest fish tank are too complex for us to ever fully understand, much less completely control. But sensible use of today's excellent aquarium equipment allows hobbyists to create a very satisfactory artificial substitue for "balance" in the home aquarium once they know how true balances are achieved in nature. This book explains both sides of the story-the natural biosystems as well as how to use the equipment available-in a text markes as much by its refreshing clairty as by its interesting and highly useful recommendations."
I'd have maybe chosen a picture for the front cover that didn’t show deficiencies, guess the author wasn't using ei in this tank.
Will reserve judgement on the book until I've read it.
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Guest
Guest
It's got to have some good content though, be interesting to get your review either way John 👍
Finally managed to get my hands on a copy of this. It's as rare as hens teeth these days....
John q
Member
Very nice find Tim and definitely a book I'd like to add to the collection one day.
As a side note: my beloved other half phoned me at work today asking if I'd been ordering more aquarium books... "it was cheap" I replied.
Being the master of distraction I swung by aldi on the way home and got her two lovely bunches of tulips, which seemed to do the trick and she hasn't mentioned the book tonight.
The purchase price of my book was £2.50, so think I'll have to up my game in the flower department if I ever shell out for Bleher's Biotopes.
18 pages in and enjoying it so far, will report back with honest review once finished.
John q
Member
Well finished the book and here's my review.
The books main theme of "balance" is basically based on water changes, the author repeats on numerous occasions that this happens in nature, so needs to happen within our closed systems. I'm not sure if this is a side swipe aimed at the walstad type tanks or not.
He does accept that if a tank were to be heavily planted, and had a very light fish load then maybe then a balancing act could be achieved.
Plant's seem somewhat of an after thought in the book, with his preference for epiphytes and even then they only get a casual mention. So don't rush out to buy it if your looking for hints and tips on growing aquarium plants.
There's also a chapter on filters that @dw1305 would love. The author deems filters as the "work horses of the nitrogen cycle" he goes on to say that plants alone simply cannot keep up with the amount of ammonium produced in the average aquarium, the bulk of nitrification happens inside these filters.
Having said all that I enjoyed reading the book. It touches on the scientific side of water to some extent and also gives insights in to how water cycles itself in nature. There's a decent section on basic biotope set ups and another section on fish wellbeing.
Ultimately the main theme running throughout the book is water change, water change, water change; the more the merrier.
So would i recommend the book...
Yes, for anybody new to fish keeping I'd suggest they'll learn things that would be beneficial to fish health. For anybody that's a seasond aquarist, especially if you have a planted tank then you might want to give it a miss 😉
"Meanwhile, back at the ranch"
Latest purchases...
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MichaelJ
Member
Hi all,
He looks to have had a <"wide area of expertise">, so who is going to review the books on <"Parrots"> and <"Sugar Gliders">?
cheers Darrel
Yes, thank you.
I agree with the water changes and I just think the <"past is a different country">, but I might be able to sell him <"some Biohome">?
He looks to have had a <"wide area of expertise">, so who is going to review the books on <"Parrots"> and <"Sugar Gliders">?
cheers Darrel
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G
Guest
Guest
Thanks for the write up John 👍
I have both. Great books. The Complete Aquarium was my bible growing up with the hobby. I might have mentioned that before once or twice. It’s a gem of a book still very much relevant today and way ahead of its time; published in the late 70s early 80s. It gets a mention in a Brief and Incomplete and History of Aquascaping.
I have both. Great books. The Complete Aquarium was my bible growing up with the hobby. I might have mentioned that before once or twice. It’s a gem of a book still very much relevant today and way ahead of its time; published in the late 70s early 80s. It gets a mention in a Brief and Incomplete and History of Aquascaping.
The Miniaturist
Member
I remember those angle iron framed tanks. Ours was painted not polished metal though, I'm rather envious of that one!
We also had a tank on a low wrought iron stand with swirly curly bits, like a gate, at one point.
We also had a tank on a low wrought iron stand with swirly curly bits, like a gate, at one point.
