(back cover) WHAT FISH? A GUIDE TO TROPICAL FISH Buying fish for your tropical freshwater aquarium can be an uncertain process. This book puts your mind at rest by providing vital information about a wide range of fish. The advice is accurate, up-to-date, and easy to access. As an added bonus, there is a star rating guide to the price you might expect to pay for each fish. Make the right buying decisions with confidence.

For beginning aquatic fancier looking to start out right with fish, Freshwater Aquariums by David Alderton is the ideal primer. A vertebrate that breathe primarily by means of gills and swim by means of fins is the author’s lead-in to the first chapter called “What are Fish?” Alderton builds the reader’s confidence by providing solid information about what fish are anatomically speaking, how they evolved, how they breathe, how they move, where they live, and how they behave. The new fancier’s aquarium begins in chapter two with instructions on setting up the tank, including selecting the right size, figuring out how many fish, setting the tank, equipment, substrate, heating, lighting, filtrations, plants, water chemistry, assembly, and more. Choosing the freshwater fishes that appeal to the reader is the subject of “Introducing the Categories of Fish,” which schools readers in seven categories: Cyprinids (e.g., goldfish, minnows, and barbs), Characins (e.g., tetras), Cichlids (e.g., oscars, angelfish, and discus), Anabantoids (gouramis, bettas/Siamese fighting fish, and paradise fish), Toothcarps (guppies, swordtails, platies, black mollies, and killifish), Catfish, and others (loaches and Chinese algae eaters). The purchasing, maintenance, and feeding of fish are described in considerable details, and the author gives a basic overview of breeding and keeping fish healthy as well. Resources, glossary, and index conclude the book.

In a straightforward, accessible format, this book introduces the hobby of tropical fishkeeping, outlining what is required in order to set up the correct environment, and what varieties of tropical fishes will thrive in an aquarium. Detailed information on choosing equipment, setting up a tank, plant selection, and water chemistry is included. You also get comprehensive coverage of how to feed your fish and how to maintain their tank. With special sections devoted to signs and symptoms of disease and first-aid treatments, as well as breeding tropical fish, this book has everything for the beginning hobbyist and the more experienced fishkeeper.

Essential Tropical Fish: Species Guide is the essential guide to identifying and selecting tropical fish for your aquarium, providing a resource for both beginner and enthusiast. Compiled from years of experience selling fish in the local pet store and the fish trade, this book contains profiles for the most commonly available tropical fish, answering questions such as how big the fish gets, ideal water conditions, compatible tank mates, recommended tank sizes, tank setup needs, and dietary requirements for each species. If you’ve ever been in a tropical fish store and unsure what fish to get, what species or what to ask the shop assistant, this book will give you the knowledge you need. It is our hope that fish keeping will bring you as much fun and enjoyment as it has brought us over the years.

David A Lass’s introduction to angelfish fulfills its subtitle, “Understanding and Keeping Angelfish,” and more. This colorful guide in the Fish Keeping Made Easy series discusses angelfish in their natural Amazon rain forest habitat in South America and the needs of this beautiful and recognizable fish in the home aquarium based on their dietary, water conditions, and behavior in the wild. The chapter “Angelfish Groups” describes the three species of angelfish (Pterophyllum altum, P. leopoldi, and P. scalare), the most popular twelve color variations seen in local pet stores, and the special traits of the species. Separate chapters are devoted to selection and care, feeding and diet, and reproduction. The author discusses the keeping of angelfish in an “all-angel” tank (shoal of angelfish!) as well as in a community tank, and gives solid advice on selection of equipment and live plants. A chapter on parasites and diseases will be of great use to all fishkeepers trying to avoid fungal, bacterial, and viral diseases in their tanks as well as general treatment protocols and hospital tanks. Glossary as well as resources of websites and publications conclude the guide.

"This updated, comprehensive, full-color reference covers 500 of the most popular freshwater aquarium fish. It provides concise at-a-glance information on their behavior, diet and breeding along with guidance and recommendations on setting up a freshwater aquarium. Species include: Cichlids, Catfish, Cyprinids, Characoids, Loaches and suckers, Gouramis, Rainbow fish and blue-eyes, Livebearers, and others"--