"Mating, spawning & rearing methods for over 90 species"--P. [1] of cover.

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.

(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.

With more than thirty varieties to choose from, freshwater angelfishes are widely considered the most popular and recognizable freshwater fishes available to hobbyists today. Their elaborate finnage, unique coloration, and inquisitive behavior make them a must-have fish for novice and expert aquarists alike. More so, their ease of breeding makes them attractive candidates for those wishing to explore this aspect of the hobby. Whether you're interested in breeding angelfish for profit or merely for fun, supplies all the important information that you'll need to be successful. It covers: The importance of water quality, Diet and nutrition, The most popular varieties, Reproduction from start to hatching and beyond, Diseases and their treatments. Book jacket.

Among the livebearing fishes--literally those that bear live young--are some of the world's most popular aquarium subjects, such as the Guppies, Platies, Mollies and Swordtails. This colorful guide forms an excellent practical introduction to keeping and breeding these and other livebearers in the home aquarium.