wahooo!!! Christel Kasselmann's book Aquarium Plants arrived today

[SnakeIce]

this is a awsome book wooohooo coolness








ok done dancing around the room for now:D

[Cearbhaill]

You off the couch yet?
Still reading??

[SnakeIce]

if life didn't happen I would still be on the couch reading it...
but work and other things gotta distract:rolleyes: :)

[superjohnny]

It sounds like a really cool book, but I'd sure like to be able to pick it up and thumb through it before I shell out $85. I haven't been able to find it locally :-/

[SnakeIce]

check out amazon.com from time to time.... I got mine for about 70$,

ok about that flipping through it, I can give you a species profile of your choice to give you an idea of how the book is...

have you seen any of the books that have titals like Atlas of livebearers of the world by T.F.H. publications? those books give detailed information on the fish species covered compairitive to the way Aquarium Plants covers plants

[Captain Hook]

I noticed Kasselmann is a guest speaker at the AGA conference in Dallas. Must be a good book.

[SnakeIce]

there is another cheap book that sorta compares, it is about 15$ US, but it doesn't hold a candle to Kasselman's book. Her book has a much more complete listing of species of plants kept or sometimes kept in aquariums... lets just say that there are some in there you might just have to go collect yourself to have:D

[Starry]

Originally posted by SnakeIce
there is another cheap book that sorta compares, it is about 15$ US, but it doesn't hold a candle to Kasselman's book. Her book has a much more complete listing of species of plants kept or sometimes kept in aquariums... lets just say that there are some in there you might just have to go collect yourself to have:D

And which book might that be?

[SnakeIce]

some one suggested it on here instead of kasselmann's if you don't have the money for hers but I will have to do some more search to find what book that was... lol I tried to buy it and my order got canceled

[SnakeIce]

Aquarium Plants Manual
By Ines Scheurmann
Softcover - 1993

this is the book that was said to be next best thing

[superjohnny]

SnakeIce, how bout a species profile of something common... like Java Fern? If you get the chance, no big deal. I'm sure I'll end up getting it eventually.

Thanks

[SnakeIce]

java fern: Microsorum pteropus, family Polypodiaceae
scientific name synonyms given,
Etymology of the name given,
Distribution: widespread in tropical Asia
gives a description that I would have to look up some of the words used to describe it- very precise

culture: slow growing but unproblematic and popular fern, prospers in soft or hard water, in well- or moderatly illuminated aquariums, Optimum growth occurs under medium light intensity, in soft to medium-hard water, in good water circulation and a ph value within the weak acid range. temps best from 20 to 28 degrees Centigrade

goes on to describe ways to plant it in the aquarium... ..not in the substrate how ever in emersed cultivation(out of the water)the rhizomes can be grown in loose soil
can be used in aquariums, paludariums, with limited use in brackish..

vegetative propagation is though rhizome partition and adventitios plants, which form on roots and leaves.
sexual reproduction is also possible through spores, though those are formed mostly in emersed growth goes on to describe how that would be done

gives the biotope range information it is found in

and finally describes different forms in cultivation, some nurserys have developed plants with different leaf form

from Aquarium Plants Kasselmann, Christel
(Aquarienflanzen. English)
translated from original German by Ulf Kotlenga and Andre S.J. van Proosdid. - 1st English ed.

ISBN 1-57524-091-2 (hardcover : alk. paper)


one thing I will say is that it does not use common names, there are a few in a index in the back of the book, but just about exhaustive other wise.

[SnakeIce]

about 250 species, afew crosses/hybrids, just over 500 pages

[superjohnny]

I wonder what my wife would do if I just out-of-the-blue ordered it? I'm supposed to be saving my money for a NEW tank :rolleyes:

[Starry]

Originally posted by SnakeIce
Aquarium Plants Manual
By Ines Scheurmann
Softcover - 1993

this is the book that was said to be next best thing

I have that book. In fact, it's the only plant book I have. Getting hard to find, I think it might be out of print. It's an excellent book for beginners. The photos are great, but I find that the profiles are of limited use - as I said, only for beginners. The "theory" sections aren't useful at all beyong a very basic understanding and not up to date at all (ie. recommends substrate heating, no PO4 dosing)
I don't think this book can be discussed in the same league as the Kasselmann book. *dreamy eyes*
Good little book for beginner though.

[SnakeIce]

glad I didn't get it then, I don't have use for beginner books... that is what online is for

[Captain Hook]

Originally posted by SnakeIce
glad I didn't get it then, I don't have use for beginner books... that is what online is for

That is pretty much why I didn't buy a plant book the guy at Big Al's recommended. It looked pretty good but I know I can pretty much learn it all around the net.

[SnakeIce]

i find that the mere knowlege that something exists is the biggest hurdle... I have/have had fish and plants I had not known about befor hearing about them on here... which is of course how I came to wanting them in the first place

[gregg604]

eBay is also a great place for used books, just beware of the people who send you library books. Bought a fish encyclopedia and it's a great book, but I probably owe a fortune in late fines to some angry librarian in Seattle.

[JLudwig]

Kasselmann is the best book on aquarium plants out there right now... what I didn't see mentioned, and this is important - there are pictures of the flowers of most species. Flowering plant are classified and ID'd mostly according to flowers, I've never seen anything so complete.

Having said that, I have Innes's book which is _okay_, I believe Oriental Aquarium's "The Aquarium Plant Handbook" is much better, has just as many species as Kasselmann, but usually just pictures and a few brief comments. Culture section is written by Amano or someone close to him, I think it's even better than Kasselmann's and an order of magnitude better than Innes's.

The AGA sells it (never a bad thing to send them a few dollars every once and a while):

http://www.aquatic-gardeners.org/bookstore.html