Book Recommendations?

[SugarBear]

Hi all,

I'm Dave in Oregon City. I've been visiting here for a few months now reading this or that and contemplating a return to the hobby after a 10 year abscence. Finally my wife is onboard with the idea and we're getting fired up to get back in the game.

I tried to search the forums for recommended books, but "book" is too short of a word for the seach engine DOH!

Can some of you recommend good books detailing the more recent and modern concepts in reef husbandry? I would like to try to catch up on the newer ideas that seem to be making sucess much easier today than it was ten years ago.

Thanks!

[andy]

I use these two all the time:
The Conscientious Marine Aquarist (http://www.amazon.com/Conscientious-Marine-Aquarist-Commonsense-Successful/dp/1890087033/ref=sr_1_5/002-5160857-1068063?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1178222223&sr=8-5)

Aquarium Corals : Selection, Husbandry, and Natural History (http://www.amazon.com/Aquarium-Corals-Selection-Husbandry-Natural/dp/1890087475/ref=sr_1_1/002-5160857-1068063?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1178222274&sr=1-1)

I don't have The Reef Aquarium: Science, Art, and Technology, Vol. 3 (http://www.amazon.com/Reef-Aquarium-Science-Technology-Vol/dp/1883693144/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/002-5160857-1068063?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1178222321&sr=1-1) but a lot of people seem to like it.

[reefgeek84]

I think books are great...but this hobby is alot like tech. it changes every 6 months...So I highly recommend getting on boards like you do already and do alot of reading. People's experience is very valuable in this hobby. Andy listed some great books to read on the side...but do not dismiss forums...like Reef central.

[Nyles]

Agree with Andy this book is great
The Conscientious Marine Aquarist (http://www.amazon.com/Conscientious-Marine-Aquarist-Commonsense-Successful/dp/1890087033/ref=sr_1_5/002-5160857-1068063?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1178222223&sr=8-5)

[Nyles]

but I would get the cheaper book, here....

http://www.amazon.com/Conscientious-Marine-Aquarist-Commonsense-Successful/dp/1890087025/ref=pd_bbs_2/103-6638236-8303067?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1178226048&sr=1-2

[bluecheese]

Agree with above. Try Powell's they have used books too.

I also like a very basic and easy to start title: The New Marine Aquarium " by Michael Paletta it can guide through most common mistakes made when starting.
One step above: "Natural Reef Aquariums" by J Tullock
and for more details/advanced:
"The Reef Aquarium" by Julian Sprung and C. Delbek

Complement the books with online info as suggested by Reefgeek. Odds are pretty good that someone is doing exactly what you are doing and asking some of the questions you may have on one of the forums. Also don't be shy asking questions aways. Most people will be happy to give you suggestions and opinions.(laugh)

Welcome back!

[andy]

Regarding online advice:

As a relatively new 'returner' to the hobby (away from it for about 20 years), I'm really not a big fan of the mega-sites like RC for general advice and best-practices. For every bit of advice offered, there will be several counter-examples presented and it often (usually?) degrades into flames. It can be really confusing trying to sort out who's "right" and who to emulate. In general, I think it is more important to pick a respected approach and stick with it, practicing good husbandry and keeping things well-maintained.

I have found the mega-sites to be good resources for answering specific questions, particularly technical gear questions, but overall I wouldn't steer a newcomer in those directions. YMMV.

[Nyles]

And to top off that reasoning (Andy's) I would go to one of the meets and hook up with a few locals and check out there tanks, if you like what you see don't be afraid to ask questions regarding there practices (husbandry), setups, and maybe learn a few pointers from local hobbiests. The problem with online help is you really don't know what kind of person your dealing with, experience, tank cleanliness... etc, etc... And we won't even get into practicality of some of the online tanks.

[dsoz]

Welcome to the club!

Books are great, and so are message boards. But also find a "mentor" that is successful. Someone that you can go to when you have a question that you need answered NOW.

Most of the stuff that we learned 10 years ago is no longer considered "good." You will need to re-learn a lot of stuff.

For example, bristle worms were considered "bad" and should be removed. Now they are considered to be "good" because they are detritavores, and eat stuff in the sand-bed. I am finding it difficult to get over my predjudice against them and put them into my tank. Wet-dry filters are now "bad." I can give a thousand different examples of this sort of changes in theory.

Cheers
dsoz

[reefgeek84]

That is true, I agree with both of you...especially meeting local people. I was referring more to specific questions, not an overview of everything...that could get very overwhelming...

[SugarBear]

Thanks for the great feedback!

We made our first (of an anticipated many) visits to Waves today. Joel was a pleasure to talk to.

I recently re-read my copy of volume one of Sprung and Delbeek's "The Reef Aquarium" from back in 1995. It was good for brushing up on chemistry, but they were still dissin' on bristle worms (I always hated to trap and remove them myself) and praising wet/dry so I thought that there might be a better source out there.

I have been reading the various forums (and especially viewing member tanks/setups), but as was mentioned there are so many divergent thoughts on the 'right' way to do things that it gets tiresome and confussing to read after a while. I thought perhaps a book would help avoid that and give me a good plan of action. I hope to make a PNWMAS meeting sometime and a possibly find myself a mentor. Right now we are still deciding on the where and what size questions for our tank. Have some great ideas rolling in our heads, but have yet to pull the trigger on one of them. In the meantime I just plan to re-educate myself in every way I can.

Again I appreciate the feedback and will probably snag a copy of Sprung and Delbeek's latest since I enjoyed the writing style of the first.

[JManrow]

Welcome to the forum Dave! I have found some good deals on books at http://half.com

Have you looked at the PNWMAS Library thread yet? http://www.pnwmas.org/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=18
When you become a card-carrying PNWMAS Member, you can check out books for $5.00 a month!

[andy]

We charge to check books out of the club library?