What is the ideal book for every Salt water hobbyist

[Road_kill]

Hi Guys

I wanted some advice on what book to buy, which covers everything you need to know about fish only to reef keeping.

Has anyone got or came across a comprehensive or very informative book that has helped them alot and managed to assist them in any situation that they have encountered so far?

I have came across a couple of books on the web one by "Robert M. Fenner - The Conscientious Marine Aquarist: A Commonsense Handbook for Successful Saltwater Hobbyists"
how good is this book?

Any others you guys have that you recommend all of us to get?

Thanks

[Dave Pacek]

Hard to imagine any single book that would ever cover 'everything" that could come up, but the Fenner book is definitely the best single introductory book I've yet run across.

Dave P

[Cearbhaill]

I agree. It is comprehensive, helpful in practical ways, and unlike many marine books up to date with its information.

[Steven Pro]

I would agree that is it the closest thing for what you are asking. It is an excellent reference for fish, but only ok for reefs. For a great reef book, try Eric Borneman's "Aquarium Corals", although it does not have any fish information.

[VickiGinWA]

From one newbie to another - I don't think you can read too many books before you even get a tank. Here is my list:

Marine Fishes by Scott Michael
Saltwater Aquariums for Dummies by Gregory Skomal
The Complete Book of the Marine Aquarium by Vincent Hargreaves
The Marine Aquarium Problem Solver by Nick Dakin
The New Marine Aquarium by Michael Paletta (this has been a great resource for us).

On order:
The Concientious Marine Aquarist by Fenner and Eric Borneman's book on corals

If any of you experienced problems w/any of these books, let us know. I don't think you can be too educated, but you can be incorrectly educated!

[Paul Pos]

To Reef Central

I've got over $300 invested in books and I don't even own a tank yet! The two best starter books in my opinion are Fenner's 'Consciencious Aquarist' and Paletta's 'The New Marine Aquarium'. Eric Borneman's 'Aquarium Corals' is a great reefkeeping book if you decide to stock corals. You'll be glad you did your homework before you bought anything.

A great piece of advice alot of experienced hobbyists give is to plan your tank in reverse. First, decide what you want to keep (fish only, soft corals, LPS, SPS, etc.) and then plan around it. The size, lighting, filtration, water movement and other equipment will depend on your stocking plan. Also if you have a 'pivotal species' that has special requirements such as an anemone or a mandarin fish, you need to plan the tank around that species. Once you have mapped it all out, you can then buy the equipment with the confidence that it will accomplish your goal.

If this sounds like it can take awhile to get a handle on....it does. Doing your homework now will save you money and grief later. Asking question like this tells me you're off to great start. Good luck!!

[Nuhtty]

I have Bornemans coral book.
I also have Saltwater for Dummies...good book for referencing a few things.

Anything by Fenner is good, IMO.

[BMitch]

Go with Fenner and Paletta's books. Check Amazon because they often have a discount if you buy both together.

[bertoni]

Lots of opinions...

My two favorites:

Aquarium Corals, by Eric Borneman

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/AS...567043-8388664

Both already have been mentioned.

In all honesty, I think there's a lot of information online that'll help, but those two books I find useful very frequently.

[pisces77]

Not much advice in this one, but a HUGE help in ID's Dr.Burgess's Atlas of Marine Aquarium Fishes.

[mickey57]

...I do a lot of praying about my tanks so I would say the BIBLE I like the part about Noah and the flood.That fits me to a tee.Oh,every newb should invest in a shopvac
.............................Mickey