Teach Yourself Keeping Aquarium Fish »

Dick Mills

Learn the best tips for taking care of your finned friends

Teach Yourself Keeping Aquarium Fish provides you with everything you need to know to set up and maintain a happy, healthy freshwater or salt-water aquarium. Important terms, selecting appropriate breeds, equipment, care and feeding, temperature control and cleaning, and all the other essentials are covered in lucid detail. There is also coverage of more advanced subjects such as breeding, and a gallery of stunning color photos showcases some of the many beautiful breeds available.

Foreword     vii
Why keep fish?     1
The choice is yours     3
Know your fish     8
The basic design     9
Freshwater and saltwater differences     16
The fish's needs     17
Space     18
Food     18
Light     19
Containing the interest     21
Requirements     22
The weight of an aquarium     23
The size of an aquarium     23
How many fish?     25
It's a watery world     28
The world's water     29
Domestic water supplies     30
pH levels and water hardness     31
Testing water quality     33
The hardware store     34
Heating     35
Lighting     36
Filtration     37
Aeration     42
The green world     44
The benefit of plants     45
Using plants     46
Types of plants     47
Sticks and stones     49
Wood     50
Rockwork     50
Substrate     51
The desirable residence     53
Tank siting and preparation     54
Substrate     56
Hardware     57
Decoration     61
Water     61
Planting     63
Marine corals     65
Finishing off     66
Maturation     66
Testing the water     67
Friends and neighbours     69
Buying fish     70
Populating the tank     72
Quick guide to fish groups     72
Tropical fishes     73
Coldwater fishes     83
Tropical marine fishes     84
Suggested fish and plant collections     85
Introducing the fish     88
What's on the menu?     91
Quantity     92
What to feed     92
Other foods     95
Feeding the fish during the holidays     98
Routine maintenance     99
Aquarium management     102
How to change water     103
Keeping the glass clean     103
Cleaning filters     104
Keeping a tank clean     105
Handling fish     105
In sickness and in health      107
Prevention     108
Quarantining     109
Recognizing disease     109
Fish ailments     110
Diagnosing and treating disease     114
Should the worst happen     115
The patter of tiny fins     116
Methods of reproduction     117
Species breeding information     119
Breeding fish     120
Breeding case histories     126
Troubleshooting     138
Power failure     139
Leaks     139
Filters     140
Air-pumps     140
Algae     140
Fish behaviour     141
The Show must go on     142
Taking it further     145
Glossary     150
Index     157