Product Description

This lavishly photo-filled volume demonstrates that having an aquarium to be proud of means much more than keeping fish in a glass tank. The aquarium enthusiast who takes his hobby seriously reproduces a part of the aquatic natural environment in miniature inside his home. Author Peter Hiscock offers practical instructions on setting up a freshwater tropical aquarium. He describes substrate, aquarium plants, and appropriate combinations of fish. Much of this book focuses on fish and plant life in nature, and then offers details on replicating natural settings in the aquarium. Both plants and fish varieties are shown in vivid color photos and described in detail. More than 450 color photos and illustrations.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #70518 in Books
• Brand: Barrons Books
• Published on: 2003-05
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Dimensions: 2.31 pounds
• Binding: Hardcover
• 208 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780764155499
• Condition: USED - VERY GOOD
• Notes:
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About the Author
Peter Hiscock trained at Sparsholt College in Hampshire, one of the U.K.’s leading schools for aquatic studies. He has published widely on fish behavior and aquarium keeping. Among his other books published in North America by Barron’s are A Practical Guide to Choosing Aquarium Plants and A Practical Guide to Creating and Maintaining Water Quality.

Customer Reviews

Somewhat disappointing
Given the glowing reviews I read on this site, I was somewhat disappointed with the book when it finally arrived. The general information is fine, as far as it goes, if on a rather basic level. I guess what annoyed me most was that the author makes only a half-hearted effort to use plants indigenous to the various biotopes he describes--for example, Anubias, an African genus, finds its way into the Amazon acid pool. Also, the lists of appropriate fishes are fairly sketchy. And maybe I'm alone in this, but I found it odd that none of the finished biotope aquaria are photographed with fish in them!

What I was hoping for was information on a par with that provided on the Italian website www.natureaquarium.it; this book, while pleasant enough, doesn't begin to reach that level of sophistication or specificity.

Beginer's aquarium book only!
Is java fern found in an Australian river, I don't think so. This book is not accurate!
All of the aquarium displays are not even mature, probably because most of the plants would be quite unhealthy by the time the display is mature enough to photograph, very unprofessional!
Another example: there are no mangroves in the mangrove swamp design, Hygrophila corymbosa was used instead with the author stating it is a good substitute for mangroves, what the, right up until the brackish water kills it! What's almost as worse is that the heater is not even hidden in the aquarium background.

An Incredible Book!
As a tropical fish keeper since childhood (35+ years) my aquariums always looked real "plain". Then I found this book. Not only does it have about 20 different proposed designs (like European River, Southeast Asia Swamp) but it them specifies the gravel type, plants to use, and fish to populate it with to make the real thing. You don't have to do all the things suggested but it give you great ideas to design your aquarium (or redesign it). It is packed full of color pictures and has plenty of advice. It is full color, hard back and 200 pages.

I really can't believe the author put as much time and effort into this book as he did.