Aquarium and Natural History Books

[dw1305]

Hi all,

Thanks for the write up John

Yes, thank you.

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.

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

 

[MichaelJ]

so who is going to review the books on <"Parrots">

Looks like a job for @Hufsa. I believe she recently got into keeping parrots?

Cheers,
Michael

 

[Tim Harrison]

Thanks for the write up John 👍

"Meanwhile, back at the ranch"

Latest purchases...

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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.

 

[castle]

I didn't know whereelse to post this, but I have finally managed to track down a metal framed aquarium of my own

Smells of the sea, and if you can't tell it's also leaking. Something I will turn my attention to one day. Came with loads of old gadgets, including lots of 2 plug items, which leads me to think this is from continental Europe. At the very least it should tick the "history" word of the thread title 😅

I finally managed to open up a box from the move and get some books onto a shelf; missing a few, and I think just two more books on my want list then my fishy shelf will be "complete":

Still, a bit chaotic on the bookcases.

 

[Tim Harrison]

Great collection

I didn't know whereelse to post this, but I have finally managed to track down a metal framed aquarium of my own

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Smells of the sea, and if you can't tell it's also leaking. Something I will turn my attention to one day. Came with loads of old gadgets, including lots of 2 plug items, which leads me to think this is from continental Europe. At the very least it should tick the "history" word of the thread title 😅

That is an awesome looking aquarium, should be in a museum It'll look very cool restored and back in use.
My first aquarium had an angle iron frame. But weirdly it was more for show than essential since the tank was bonded with silicon.

 

[MichaelJ]

down a metal framed aquarium of my own

That stainless steel frame aquarium brings back sweet memories of when I had my first “real” aquarium … 🥲 Very cool! … sort of perpetually leaking as I remember it.

What was that wax compound they used back then, before silicone?

Cheers,
Michael

 

[hypnogogia]

What was that compound they used back then, before silicone?

Putty, smells of linseed oil and was also used to glass windows. I remember back in the day my uncle had a steel frame tank which every so often would need to be dismantled and re-sealed with fresh putty.

 

[castle]

Putty, smells of linseed oil and was also used to glass windows. I remember back in the day my uncle had a steel frame tank which every so often would need to be dismantled and re-sealed with fresh putty.

Harder than cement now (maybe not), this post I found yesterday (Fixing Vintage Fish Tank) shows a way to restore them. The idea is to strip it back (in winter), and then silicone this back together. The metal frame and the thick, old glass has a lot of charm.

 

[Oldguy]

But weirdly it was more for show than essential since the tank was bonded with silicon.

Perhaps people did not trust silicon, I know I didn't back then. Still have an angle iron 12gal tank that I re-glazed with silicon, but as a vertical 2ft high trickle filter.
My late father, way before I saw light of day, went to night school to learn acetylene welding and made a few angle iron tanks for his own use.
It was one of those rusting relics that I found, as a small boy, on the pig sty roof that got me into pond dipping which led onto fish keeping and plants. My tanks always had plants. Happy memories.

 

[castle]

Some posts @Oldguy i would like to “like” more than once.

 

[The Miniaturist]

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.

 

[bazz]

Anyone remember Berti?

 

[Nont]

Recently got myself a used Echinodorus book from 2001.

 

[Tim Harrison]

Got this from AbeBooks for a couple of quid. No idea why it has marine fish on the front cover since it's about freshwater tropical fish. But it's not bad at all

 

[John q]

Got this

Just when I thought I'd scratched that itch of stopping buying books... thanks @Tim Harrison you've just scratched it again 😀

 

[FrozenShivers]

Only currently own Aquascaping by George Farmer, I'm hoping Aquatic Habitats by his friend Tai Strietman will be good when it comes out in March. I've managed to just order The Natural Aquarium by Kobayashi/Doshin for under £4 on eBay, looking forward to that. Sadly most of the books I want are far too expensive for me to even consider, which is a shame.

 

[Tim Harrison]

Tha latest addition to the collection. I already have a later copy of this book, which interestingly is a lot thinner, but the same number of pages. This one is a first edition though. It’s not subtitled “Book One”.

I got it cheap since it’s water damaged. So I spent an hour or so ironing wavy pages 😁It seems to have worked quite well. I’ll leave it under some heavy books for a while hopefully that’ll finish the job of flattening it out.

 

[Ben Cox]

I have managed to find these on eBay. Took a while but worth it I think, but can’t find Vol 5 in English.

Plus the Plants and Aquascape books bought new.

 

[hypnogogia]

have managed to find these on eBay. Took a while but worth it I think, but can’t find Vol 5 in English.

I've got the set of five. They are brilliant. I think there is even a volume 6. Are they not published any more?

 

[Ben Cox]

I've got the set of five. They are brilliant. I think there is even a volume 6. Are they not published any more?

I dont think so. I have only been able to find them on ebay. I can find Vol 5 but only in German. I think there may be a 6th volume but again this is in German only ( if you can even find it). I also think there are Catfish and a Cichlid versions.