just a suggestion

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greenterrorrr

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Jul 6, 2001
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This is just a suggestion I would like to give all the newbies out there. I haven't posted many responses but I visit this site a few times a week over the last couple of years so I have a good idea of the kinds of questions asked here. My suggestion is to subscribe to a fish magazine. A lot of questions asked here are answered in the magazine by people that know what they are talking about. Most people here know what they are talking about but some don't. So if you want to learn a few things and have your questions answered try a fish magazine.
 

Darkangel

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Nov 16, 2002
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Oshawa, ON, Canada
Hey greenterrorrr that is a great suggestion although I would like to take it a step further and recomend that they also buy a book. There are many decent books out there for a reasonable amount of money and what you spend on a book you will make up for in fish you do not waste your money on or kill. My personal choice for a great book would be the Baensch atlas volume 1. Then if you want more get volume 2 and 3 and the photo index.
 

Anton Wernher

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Feb 24, 2002
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Just because its in a book or magazine doesn't mean its sound advice. Its always best to verify any info with a couple of other sources.. and even then take it with a grain of salt.
 

TJcanada

AC Members
Buying mags and books are a good idea...but also consider your local libraries, filled with several author's to choose from. Some fish keeping books can be expensive - and so can some subscriptions.

Good thread .... :)

Maybe to help out we should list the mags and/or books we have and what we think of them - to give future buyers/borrowers an idea of what to look for..?

Here's one book I have that I've found useful and interesting: Bettas - A Complete Pet Owner's Manual, published by BARRON'S, written by Robert J. Goldstien, Ph.D. I enjoyed this book, it deals with characteristics of genus,betta genetics, different types of bettas and thier spawning habits(mouthbrooders/bubblenesters) with "how to's" on breeding, housing and feeding, and a brief chapter on disease and treatments.There's also a list of clubs,websites, other books, etc. at the end of the book.

Anyone else care to share...?
 

Cuddlebug910

Cuddlier than any other bug
Mar 2, 2002
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Go ahead and laugh

When I told my parents that I planned on setting up an aquarium they weren't too thrilled. Not that they didn't like aquariums, cause they've had numerous tanks in the past... My mom came home a couple days later with a book that she swiped from one of her coworkers. Aquariums for Dummies. Yup. Go ahead. Laugh. I did.

But then I read it. I read almost all of it actually. And while there's some things in there that I now question, it's actually a pretty good source of beginner's information. It doesn't have a lot of pictures, which is why I purchased Barron's Aquarium Fish shortly thereafter. This book has got a lot of pictures of the more commonly kept fish (and some oddballs) and brief profiles.

These are the only two fish books that I currently own. But I'm always checking 'em out when I go to the bookstore. And I've managed to find lots of good info online, mostly at this site and the links provided by the people that frequent it! :)
 

Cichlid Woman

Dwarf cichlids rule ...
Nov 27, 2002
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Boy am I glad you brought this up. Something I've noticed lately that's really starting to bug me--all the aquarium magazines I've found (both of them ...) have saltwater and freshwater in them. I subscribe to Aquarium Fish magazine, and at least half of the content is saltwater--which I don't have and don't want. It bothers me that I'm paying substantially for pages that I don't want to read. I want freshwater!!

What I've been trying to find for about the last week, both on magazine stands and on the internet, is an exclusively fresh-water aquarium magazine. If I could find one, I'd subscribe to it instead of Aquarium Fish.

Does anybody know of such an item?

Thanks,

-- Pat
 

slipknottin

the original legend
Jan 13, 2002
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thats because there are more people interested in learning about SW...

more people = more money :D
 

Darkangel

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Nov 16, 2002
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Oshawa, ON, Canada
Be that as it may Anton Wernher the info is usually fairly good and gives a starting point. I believe a good book is an invaluable tool in fish keeping. Getting other opinions is a good idea but at least you have something to compare it to and if it made it into print it must have some merit. I would be willing to bet that most if not all multi tank succesful aquarists have a few good books in their possession. Cichlid Woman, unfortunatly they all have some saltwater even the British Aquarist and Pondkeeper. You can get some usefull info even from reading those articles though.
 
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