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Setting up a Tropical Aquarium Week by Week Paperback – November 20, 2009

by Stuart Thraves (Author)
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 167 ratings
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Setting Up a Tropical Aquarium: Week By Week
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A practical guide to setting up and maintaining a new aquatic ecosystem.

New fish-keepers are quite often impatient to set up their aquarium and want to add their new, expensive fish as soon as possible. This common misstep can have disastrous results that may discourage beginners from ever trying again.

Setting Up a Tropical Aquarium Week by Week is an encyclopedic reference that concentrates on establishing and maintaining a viable tropical freshwater aquarium. The book uses detailed photographic sequences to follow each stage of setting up an aquarium in real time over 10 weeks. Setup starts with the installation of the substrate and life-support systems and progresses to when the first fish are added two weeks later. The book then follows the development of the aquarium's environment during the next eight weeks, as the tank turns from an artificial into a living ecosystem.

The book also profiles 50 common aquarium plants and 100 popular warm freshwater aquarium fish. Throughout, the author explains the natural processes as they occur, so that fish-keepers can ensure their ongoing success.

With expert counsel, clear instructions and simple-to-follow illustrations, Setting Up a Tropical Aquarium Week by Week is the essential reference for the first-time tropical freshwater fish hobbyist.

Previous page
  1. Print length
    208 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Firefly Books
  4. Publication date
    November 20, 2009
  5. Dimensions
    8.75 x 0.56 x 10.25 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    1554074827
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1554074822
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

Tropical fish tanks are beautiful and soothing; the set-up, however, is less relaxing. It takes two weeks before you can put in your first fish and 10 weeks before the tank becomes a living ecosystem. Don't despair. This book gives you easy-to-follow week-by-week instructions with graphic illustrations to ensure success. You're also introduced to 50 aquarium plants, 100 popular [tropical] freshwater fish, and tips for ongoing maintenance. It's better than watching TV! (Liz Grogan Good Times 2009-10-31)

About the Author

Stuart Thraves is an author and internationally respected authority on fish-keeping.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Firefly Books; Updated edition (November 20, 2009)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 208 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1554074827
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1554074822
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.7 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 8.75 x 0.56 x 10.25 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 167 ratings

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Stuart Thraves

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Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5 out of 5
167 global ratings
Can’t wait to get started
5 Stars
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Great book. Going to be very helpful. Written for the average person. Detailed but not too technically.
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Top reviews from the United States

Lori K.
5.0 out of 5 stars EXCELLENT book for beginners!
Reviewed in the United States on January 28, 2015
Verified Purchase
I have just set up a 45 gallon aquarium, and I followed this book as I went along - I now have a beautiful aquarium, with healthy fish! I have tried the aquarium hobby in the past, but never successful as this this. If you are a beginner, this is the book to buy. Here's why: very clear instructions and explanations, without over-doing the science speech, and yet remains comprehensive. There are beautiful full color photos with each step of the set-up. For one example, I bought a piece of bogwood from a local fish dealer, they did not tell me to soak the wood first. But I followed the pictures and instructions in this book, and I ended up with a beautiful piece of bogwood/aquascape that did not turn my aquarium water brown. Beautiful! I do have other books for beginning a tropical aquarium, but this is the one I only really needed. I absolutely love the photos of each step. The author explains something, and there's a full color photo to illustrate it. I'm a visual learner so this was perfect for me.
If you want to learn about plants, the author goes into great detail needed to plant a beautiful aquarium, and keep the plants healthy. There are many photos and information of plants you can add to your aquarium.
The author describes (in easy to read) step-by-step how to set up the aquarium, and also how to maintain it, keeping it beautiful for your fish and plants.
Again, those lovely photos each step of the way!
This is not a fish reference guide, although the book does give detailed information on what fish to buy first, second, and third. More gorgeous photos.
In my opinion, this is the book to buy if you are setting up a new tropical aquarium.

In short - the book is easy to read, comphrensive, with beautiful photos each step of the way. Perfect!
16 people found this helpful
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catdoc
4.0 out of 5 stars good book
Reviewed in the United States on March 11, 2014
Verified Purchase
I thought this was a good book. It cuts to the chase without too much philosophy. I thought it was a little hasty to get the fish in the tank the first week but apparently it works. I have not had such luck. It covers a little of everything you need to know especially as a beginner; water, cycling, fish, plants, maintenance, etc. A good book for beginners or for a refresher.
2 people found this helpful
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old dog
5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book !!
Reviewed in the United States on January 29, 2024
Verified Purchase
Recommended for beginners or mid-level enthusiasts. Very comprehensive.
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book! Perfect for the beginner.
Reviewed in the United States on August 30, 2011
Verified Purchase
After a ten year break I decided to get back into aquarium keeping. I knew the basics but I was a little rusty on all the details. This book was a perfect refresher course on all of the intricacies of keeping a tropical aquarium - and I learnt a ton of new stuff too. I am setting up a 10 gallon quarantine tank (in my office) and a 29 gallon display tank (in the living room). I have followed this book page by page and a few weeks later my tanks are ready to accept fish - yes, I'm going shopping this weekend!

The author covers every aspect of setting up a new tank. Filters, lighting, substrate, food, you name it - it's all here. The explanation about the critical subject of water chemistry is the best I've read anywhere. There's also a ton of info about plants if you want to get into that side of things. He then goes on to recommend the most appropriate kinds of fish for each stage in the development of your new aquarium - all great information from someone who clearly knows what he's talking about.

The book itself is full color, with lots of graphs and charts to hold your interest. The photographs are excellent.

So, all in all, a great reference for the beginner. Highly recommended. Glad I bought it.

[And, no, I'm not the author's close friend or business associate!]
15 people found this helpful
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Lisa Stone
5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful Book!
Reviewed in the United States on January 18, 2023
Verified Purchase
Book was exactly as described & arrived quickly. High quality Book with great color photos. Well-written; a fine starter for setting up that new or first aquarium. Highly recommend book & seller. Five Stars!
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Kindle Customer
4.0 out of 5 stars Four Stars
Reviewed in the United States on January 24, 2016
Verified Purchase
Very good manual for newbies in aquarium tanks .
2 people found this helpful
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C H B
5.0 out of 5 stars from an excellent explanation of cycling
Reviewed in the United States on September 29, 2014
Verified Purchase
Although the book is several years old, the content was up to date enough, and well rounded in all the aspects of setting up an aquarium, from an excellent explanation of cycling, complete with easy to understand charts and time tables, to grooming live plants and adding fish in three different time frames so the water chemistry could keep up. The photos are abundant and clearly show what the author is writing about. There are sections with photos on many common aquarium plants for background, center and foreground. The fish section is replete with names,area of tank that each prefer, numbers of fish for schooling properly,hints on food preferences and beautiful pictures. There is much, much more but I will tell you that I bought five books on setting up and caring for an aquarium , and this is the one I have just about worn out, bookmarking, underlining and turning to again and again.
11 people found this helpful
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eve
5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating!
Reviewed in the United States on June 15, 2013
Verified Purchase
This reference book provides a sequence of events from beginning to build your aquarium with the end result of producing and maintaining an attractive and healthy tank environment for the fish you put in it. It is abundant with pictures. It discusses many species of fish and lets you know which can get along together in your community tank. It explains how to be creative in building your aquarium with wood, rocks and plants. There are also sections on plants, filtration options, lighting and cleaning. It is a wonderful book for anyone who takes their hobby seriously. It is very informative and provides a wealth of information. It is not difficult to review this book; it is wonderful. It covers so many areas that it is impractical to list them all here. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to take the time to create a unique tropical aquarium and learn alot in the process.
13 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

peter n.
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent reading
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 25, 2024
Verified Purchase
Wish I had purchased this earlier I found it to be very informative and pictorial instructions easy to follow would advise anyone taking up fish keeping as the first book to buy
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Patrick pakfah
5.0 out of 5 stars Just what I wanted
Reviewed in Australia on March 28, 2022
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Happy with product
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Maria M.
5.0 out of 5 stars This is a wonderful brand new book full of great advice and beautiful ...
Reviewed in Canada on January 31, 2015
Verified Purchase
This is a wonderful brand new book full of great advice and beautiful colorful pictures of "set-ups", fish and plants.
I would highly recommend this book to beginners as well as experienced aquarium enthusiasts.
One person found this helpful
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Hassan Goksoylar
4.0 out of 5 stars Setting up a Tropical Aquarium week by week
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 19, 2021
Verified Purchase
Very good book, laid out in simple stages guiding you from the beginning of set up through the cycling process, then ultimately once your tank has fully matured. There is a good selection of fish descriptions, and the care of. The fish selection is mostly of fish that are quite common, so don’t go buying this if you are looking for an extensive guide on different species. I do like the lay out of the book and the language used, I would have given it 5 stars if it wasn’t so expensive.
One person found this helpful
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Brad Polkinghorne
4.0 out of 5 stars Great information
Reviewed in Canada on June 2, 2019
Verified Purchase
Lots of info for a beginner
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