This literature is highly reccomended

[Reefer54]

I have not seen a thread devoted to the literature which many have spent years of time, energy, and effort acquiring. I personally recommend to all new hobbyists that a few dollars spent on quality literature put together by proven authors who also play a part in the industry far surpasses the money they may spend learning through trial and error and of course, will help as a direct on hand source for information to the questions so often answered here with statements that have huge variance and application.

So for the new to very experienced hobbyists out there. I, with your help, would like to compile a list of literature and authors that we can use to promote the better keeping of our reef inhabitants.

I personally am looking for a Acro specific book for identification and care requirements as i further my knowledge and practice in keeping these, i find that there are so many i can not identify yet and such, can not be certain what the unique requirements for each are.


so to start it off, i recommend all hobbyists invest in a few books and will follow with more specific books pertaining to coral, algae, and would like people to add with: Category, Title, Author, a brief synapsis, and demographic

BEGINNER TO ADVANCED:

The Conscientious Marine Aquarist (Microcosm/T.F.H. Professional) Hardcover
by Robert M. Fenner
--a great read for the beginner to advanced aquarist. from setup to keeping more specifc biotopes, it is a great reference for water, light, husbandry adn general knowledge.

Natural Reef Aquariums: Simplified Approaches to Creating Living Saltwater Microcosms by John H. Tullock and Jr. Martin A. Moe (Jan 1997)
--a great basis for foundation of how to go about your first tank or 20th tank.

Invertebrates: A Quick Reference Guide (Oceanographic Series) by Julian Sprung (Jun 2001)
--a fantastic resource for identification and care requirements as well as husbandry and

Reef Invertebrates: An Essential Guide to Selection, Care and Compatibility by Anthony Calfo and Robert Fenner (Jun 2003)
--a bit more advanced and specific for care and husbandry

The Reef Aquarium, Vol. 3: Science, Art, and Technology by Julian Sprung and J. Charles Delbeek (Nov 25, 2005)
--any of the volumes of this book is going to be a GREAT resource.

CORAL:

Book of Coral Propagation, Volume 1 Edition 2: Reef Gardening for Aquarists by Anthony Calfo, Christine Williams and Anthony Calfo and Christine Williams (Nov 1, 2007)
--more advanced topics specific to propogation

Corals: A Quick Reference Guide (Oceanographic Series) by Julian Sprung (Sep 1999
--phenomenal pictures and categorical information from taxonomy to care in the home. a bit advanced for biginners, but a great reference for furthering your hobby education

Aquarium Corals : Selection, Husbandry, and Natural History by Eric H. Borneman, Scott W. Michael and Janine Cairns-Michael (Mar 2001)
----phenomenal pictures and categorical information from taxonomy to care in the home. a bit advanced for biginners, but a great reference for furthering your hobby education

CLAMS:

Giant Clams in the Sea and the Aquarium by James W. Fatherree (Sep 21, 2006)
--One of the only extremely specific Clam books from the wild to the aquarium. TONS of information.

ALGAE:

Algae: A Problem Solver Guide (Oceanographic Series) by Julian Sprung (Jun 25, 2002)
--great for identification and procedural methods to irradicating nuisance algae and keeping desired algae, including natural predation methods.
advanced.


PERIODICALS:

And related, though not the same, I strongly urge many hobbyists to subscribe to periodicals as the information in those is extremely diverse and often subscriptions help to promote the protection, care, and development of our oceans and reefs as well as keep our hobby lessening on the impact thereof.

So please add periodicals, and just to mention as it is awesome, many periodicals now offer online subscriptions and online access to past issues.

CORAL MAG
ADVANCED AQUARIST

These are just some of the books i have compiled at home, there are others. I personally am bias to buy and read books by some authors who have proven long term success and have played integral roles in the furthering of our hobby (IMO). But i will not name names, as there are many i have not mentioned that also deserve merit and acknowledgment.

Good luck, Have fun, Research first

 

[MinnFish]

Das Korallenriff-Aquarium (vol. 1). Not yet translated in English. But, Svein Fossa and Alf Nilsen are considered as godfathers of European reefkeeping. They have contribute great amount of research and study to this hobby. This should be put on your must read list, once it is translated to English. Unless you are fluent in German.

 

[MinnFish]

As far as periodicals goes. I would recommend Marine Fish and Reef USA. Good reading and info.

 

[Dmorty217]

Anything that Sprung or Delbeek write is great knowledge and info

 

[MinnFish]

:wavehand::wavehand:

Anything that Sprung or Delbeek write is great knowledge and info

:thumbsup:

 

[ThRoewer]

Das Korallenriff-Aquarium (vol. 1). Not yet translated in English. But, Svein Fossa and Alf Nilsen are considered as godfathers of European reefkeeping. They have contribute great amount of research and study to this hobby. This should be put on your must read list, once it is translated to English. Unless you are fluent in German.

They actually visited my little home hatchery back in the early 90s to see some of my tank bred Calloplesiops altivelis. Back then - to my knowledge - the only other one who had successfully bred them was H. Wassing in the Netherlands.

 

[tkeracer619]

Sea Anemones...As a Hobby (Save Our Planet), by U. Erich Friese.

Excellent old book that can be had cheep on amazon. Tons of great photos as well. The pages tend to be stuck together but with care they can be easily separated.

 

[snorvich]

While I have read many aquarist published books, I tend more towards those published by marine biologists. May be a bit more difficult reading and hence not geared so much to new comers, but very useful.

Two books I highly recommend are:

Fish Disease: Diagnosis and Treatment by Dr. Edward J Noga.

Captive Seawater Fishes: Science and Technology by Dr. Stephen Spotte

While not the easiest reading, they are both superb.

Both books are somewhat expensive but are well worth the money and often available used.

 

[Dmorty217]

The Elasmobranch Husbandry guide is a great read for anyone wanting to keep sharks. Not a easy read to say the least but full of info, and real info not just guesses on tank size and max number per tank size. Best part is it's free. Will cost you almost 600 pages of printer paper, or 260ish front and back but its well worth it.

 

[Peter Eichler]

Tons of great photos as well. The pages tend to be stuck together...

Those must be some pretty amazing anemones :lmao:

 

[Timfish]

+1 to anything written by Deleek and Sprung!
I would add I think every aquarist needs to get a copy of Forest Rohwer and Merry Youle's "Coral Reefs in the Microbial Seas"! It has a great deal of current research that went into writing it but they manged quite successfully to keep it a very readable, and at points humorous, for the average aquarist and the E-book version is lonly $10. The recent research on the coral holobiont, coral diseases and the role of DOC, Dissolved Organic Carbon, in the deteriation of reefs as profound implications for long term success of reef aquariums.

 

[ThRoewer]

Das Korallenriff-Aquarium (vol. 1). Not yet translated in English. But, Svein Fossa and Alf Nilsen are considered as godfathers of European reefkeeping. They have contribute great amount of research and study to this hobby. This should be put on your must read list, once it is translated to English. Unless you are fluent in German.

Actually it is translated and available in English under the title "The Modern Coral Reef Aquarium"
I found a copy of volume 4 in a local fish store and picked it up because on page 17 it has a picture of my baby marine betta

 

[reefwiser]

I have Das Koralenriff Aquarium in all four volumes in German and English. Picked up the German ones first. Must always keep up on my German reading as that's where all the interesting work is happening.

 

[rssjsb]

Those must be some pretty amazing anemones :lmao:

Ewww.

 

[Bigdelfin]

Is this list "This literature is highly reccomended" relevant today (2019 y)?
or have somethings fundamentally new ?

 

[ReefWreak]

Is this list "This literature is highly reccomended" relevant today (2019 y)?
or have somethings fundamentally new ?

I own 2/3 of the above books, and still read and reference them frequently.

Forums are good, but are also full of fads. Equipment does change, but the books recognize that, and recommend finding out the newest and most efficient equipment available (and other than LEDs, not much has changed since those books were written, just different ways and brands doing the same things, though often more efficiently).

The principles, and the biology of the specimens, have not changed since those books were written. Often recent fads are re-hashes of old reefkeeping info from the 60s and 70s.

 

[Bigdelfin]

Buy a book (who no longer needs) or scan : The Reef Aquarium, Vol. 3: Science, Art, and Technology
(wright private message)