No single book can cover absolutely every variation of freshwater aquarium fish, but 500 is a pretty decent start. As a home hobbyist who's been bitten by this particular bug, this would be my go-to reference book to quickly look up and assess a fish I'm interested in acquiring for a tank. It lists helpful information such as; distribution, size, behavior, diet, aquarium (meaning what type is recommended), and breeding tips, in a sidebar next to a large, quality photo of each species of fish. Some of the more popular and varied fish, bettas for instance, have several photos and pages that go into a little more detail to give you a good idea of the diversity that exists within that one type. Under the photos, there is a paragraph or two commenting further about the fish's history in the hobby and some observations by the author. This is all quite helpful for planning a tank and making decisions about what kinds of fish should and should not be stocked together in communities. This book has also enlightened me about fish I didn't know about, or wouldn't have otherwise considered. I admit, I read through a lot of pages just for entertainment -- confirmed nerd here. 500 Freshwater Aquarium Fish wouldn't be my first recommendation for someone who is barely starting to get into the hobby, as it might be overwhelming to a beginner, especially a younger beginner. I see it mostly as a handy reference supplement for intermediate home aquarists who have experienced fishkeeping for at least a little while and are eager to learn more. Read more
This is a great reference book for any serious aquarist. I am still a beginner aquarist, and on my first attempt at an aquarium, many of my fish died. The problem was that I mixed different types of fish together. For example, I had Angelfish, Discus, and Gold fish, together with three other types, all in one tank. That was not very wise. The Gold fish were eating the smaller fish (though the pet shop told me they wouldn't), and many who were not eaten died of bite wounds. I removed the Gold fish and kept the other fish together. Still, six out of the eight Discus died. I couldn't figure out why. There were no fish bigger than them in the aquarium. On further reading, I realized that the water temperature was the culprit. Discus like warm water, anywhere from 26 to 30 Celsius, even slightly warmer for breeding. Angelfish, however, prefer temperatures up to 28 Celsius, and not higher. The other types of fish had their water temperature requirements as well. The water temperature in my aquarium was too low for the Discus. I removed the Discus fish and put them in an aquarium on their own with a water temperature of 30 Celsius. They seem to be very happy! It is to be hoped that I'll get little baby Discus soon! This book gave me details about the fish I have and how to create their specific habitat. Water temperature, as mentioned above, is very important, but there are other important factors as well. For example, Discus fish like water that is soft and acid. I put driftwood in my tank to achieve this water quality. I also heavily planted (with real plants) the back and sides of my aquarium. Discus like a densely planted environment. They like to lay their eggs vertically on plants or rocks. So I added natural rocks as well. Discus also like to be within their species. Putting one or two discus in an aquarium is not wise. The Discus might survive, but they won't be happy, and this will show on their body color (usually faint colors). Put a minimum of eight Discus together and they will manifest beautiful skin colors. Where do I get all this information? From this book of course! This book should be in every aquarist's library. Read more
Chock full of information on many varieties of tropical fish. Good photos of them as well. Read more
They sent me two when I only ordered one, very helpful and full of information Read more
Really nice pretty book. I never head to the pet store without it. Beautiful pictures. A+ explains temperament optimum temperature range, and just all overall knowledge of what you need on whatever fish you’re looking at. Read more
Good information, good pictures, very comprehensive. I must for your fish book library Read more
Was happy to receive the book, found it well layedout and the quality of the fish photos are great with good description of the different species. Hard to find these kinds of Species books in the market these days. Happy customer! Read more
The book includes a quick overview of fairly random information for each species (sometimes how the species entered the hobby, sometimes a description of convoluted taxonomy, sometimes a comparison to other species. There's a picture of the species. And on the side is information on other names the species is called by, its behaviour, water parameters, food habits, and some breeding info. The side information is the best part of the book and can be quite helpful in determining whether a fish is suitable for a reader's aquarium. The pictures are frankly a hodgepodge of great to poor. There are some species that are done a great disservice by pictures taken in brightly lit surroundings, or the female of the species when the males are much more attractive, or others where the fish is held in a hand which obviously isn't going to present it at its best. Surely more of an effort to use more attractive pictures could have been made? The taxonomy is horrible. I'm a fish researcher by trade, and so may weight this more than it likely is for an average reader. It's obvious that sometimes the text is updated and the main name given or the alternative names on the side aren't. I would guess that at least 1/3 of the species have a contradiction between the text and the names shown elsewhere on the page. Finally, the book is an awkward size for a paperback. The shape is square and it's incredibly thick for the size. Making it like most books in proportion would at least make it more attractive. Read more
