good books to read

[phil]

hi,
can anyone recommend any good books to read about the reef aquarium. i've read the natural reef aquarium by j h tullock, and really enjoyed it so i'm looking for some more bed time reading.

thanks
p

[reefpoor]

If you're interested in natural systems check out a book by Adley and Loveland called Dynamic Aquaria-Building living Ecosystems. They build there systems using Algae Turf Scrubbers as the main method of filtration, that also create wave surges in the tank.

[ChuckG]

The New Marine Aquarium by Mike Paletta
The Conscientious Marine Aquarist by Bob Fenner.

I actually have not read these but they are always recommended to beginners.

I went to the school of hard knocks. Lost a lot of livestock with the "throw it in and see if it lives" approach. I would not recommend this method to anyone. It is definately more costly and produces unwanted and unecessary deaths of animals in the process.

[DaveK]

Originally Posted by reefpoor

If you're interested in natural systems check out a book by Adley and Loveland called Dynamic Aquaria-Building living Ecosystems. They build there systems using Algae Turf Scrubbers as the main method of filtration, that also create wave surges in the tank.

While this is an excellent book for background information, I don't recommend it for a "How to Guide" for reef aquariums.

I have tried algae scrubbing for an extended period of time, and while it has some interesting aspects to it, I don't believe it's the way to go with a typical in the home reef system.

If you check around, some of the systems mentioned in the book no longer exist, or have been modified to use additional filtration methods. This is no reflection on Drs Adley and Loveland, since their work was done before the methods used today were in common use.

Bottom line, I'm not saying don't buy the book, just don't treat it as gospel. or use ideas from it without getting the thoughts of a lot of others first.

[phil]

thanks for the advise.

i think i'm try the library first, see what i can find.

thanks
p

[copterfixer]

J.H. Tullock has a few more aqua books, you should check them out. I enjoyed his book also.

[DaveK]

Originally Posted by phil

...
i think i'm try the library first, see what i can find...

Your local library can be a good place to start looking, but check the publication dates on any material you find. The SW reef hobby has changed a lot in the last few years, and many older books are hopelessly out of date.

[DaveK]

I have made this thread sticky. There are a lot of good books to read and also a lot of out of date books, and books with bad information.

This way we can reference this thread when we want to refer people to books on the SW reef hobby. Don't be afraid to list the "turkeys" out there, but please make it clear why they are NOT good .

[DaveK]

Some additional books, the ones to get after the two mentioned in ChuckG's post.

Ultimate Marine Aquariums by Michael S. Paletta - This is a fairly in depth description of 50 outstanding reef systems. The descriptions include the equipment being used, water parameters and livestock.

Aquatic Systems Engineering by P. R. Escobal - The guide to designing most everything having to do with aquarium systems. A must for serious DIY people.

The Modern Coral Reef Aquarium (Vol 1) by Fossa and Nilsen. An in depth series of books on reef systems. Lots of good information, but does read a little rough due to it being a translation into English.

The Reef Aquarium (Vol 1, 2, and 3) by Charles Delbeek and Julian Sprung - This is likely the definitive series of books on reef aquariums at the moment. Naturally this makes them expensive, but shop around. Vol 3 contains the most information on equipment and setup. Vol 1 has some information on these subjects, but is mostly on SPS and LPS corals. Vol 2 covers soft corals, anemones, zoos, and polyps.

[phil]

Thanks for the Recommendations. I can sense a few late night reading sessions coming on and an irritated wife, whose trying to sleep. maybe ill get her to pick the fish as a peace offering.

p