Dr. Axelrod's Atlas of Freshwater Aquarium Fishes

I see a lot of reviews about this book. One of the most popular gripes is, "but there's no text". Yes, it's true: it's a photo atlas of freshwater aquarium fishes. The most comprehensive I've found anywhere. This book works great for coffee tables, aquarium planning, window shopping, daydreaming, identification of fishes, etc.Most importantly, you know the names of the fishes you are looking at. Once you have the names, you can search for more information on the internet, in other (text) books, in the library, or anyplace else. And besides, can you imagine how big this book would be (and how expensive!) if each photo had a bunch of text with it?

There are a huge number of aquarium fish books out there,but none of them equal to this in size or number of photos. I own the 3rd edition of this book from 1990,and it has over 5000 beautifull photographs!The text is very short and easy to understand. I am a freshwater fish keeper myself,so when identifying some of the unusual fish species I have,this book is a great help for me. Something unusual with this book is that it covers many species that are not suitable for aquarium - that`s good,because when you see a 5-inch juvenile redfin catfish,can you imagine that it will grow to a 4-feet monster!Naw...So this book also keep you back from unsuitable species. Some species are especially treated in this book - for example,there are more than 30 species photos of the guppy!Over all,this book is a treasure for anyone interested in aquarium fish,and cannot be skipped,although the price is high. When I first received it for my 12th birthday,I was happier than ever!So go get it!

This book is a must. Yes it`s full of pictures, but the simple identification key tells you the basics of almost every fish avaliable on the market today and then some. This book is very helpfull in identifying fish that are sold and possibly mismarked by the wholesaler or the retailer. The joy of fish keeping is just like any other hobby, find the rare and hard to find. This book will help you in that search. Remember, common names are just that, common. This book will tell you what you are about to buy, or what you already have in your tank.

Dr. Axelrod's atlas is truly impressive in its scope to help the aquarist identify the numerous fish species available. Yet the book is more than just an illustrated compilation of fish; it is also a valuable reference resource on disease identification and prevention, as well as a useful pointer to the requirements of a particular species and an adequate if succint guide for the beginning aquarist. A must have for any aquarium aficionado.

Impossible to offer more colour photographs of so many freshwater aquarium fishes in a single book. Enormous volume at an incredibly low price for such a lot of pics and pages. Details for every fish (virtually every fish available in the aquarium trade, and many that probably are already extinct or never been offered for sale) are under every pic. With more than 7,600 photos shown, it is normal that some are better than others regarding sharpness and trueness of colour, but the average is extremely good, allowing an easy identification. A must for the serious hobbyist.