The Book of the Marine Aquarium

I recommend 'The New Book of The Marine Aquarium' by Nick Dakin. The information he presents is accurate and he covers all aspects of the hobby from fish only tanks to reef tanks. He covers all of the possible equipment that you might need for an aquarium in a very comprehensive manner. It also has a very large appendix with dozens of fish and invertebrates and information on their feeding habits, aquarium behavior, and compatibility with other fish/invertibrate species. All photos are of very high quality and in full color. Overall, it is a very thorough and well written book.

This book is great for aquarists of all levels. Every page, except for the index, has full color pictures. Not a single B & W diagram through its 400 pages. Comprehensive information on the biology and behavior of numerous fishes and inverts. Only drawback is that it does not seem to have the most recent information. Concepts such as the "Berlin method" are not even mentioned. Overall, a great book for the cost!

Gives good identification of commonly available fish. Great photos. Doesn't go to in depth with invert identification. Pretty basic on setup.Good beginner book for fish only systems.

Excellent description of basic equipment - and specially valuable as an aid to choosing fish. Description of characteristics, behavior, and requirements were very good. I had been a freshwater hobbyist for years - and this book was invaluable in helping me get started in the marine hobby.

I'd recommend it to the novice marine keeper. A good place to start