[ggsteve]

I started out in the aquarium hobby long before computers, let alone the Internet. Books were a must and a great thing to collect. I set about sorting my aquarium books this morning so I decided to take an informal count. I may have missed one or two. I count 70 books about the hobby, including freshwater, saltwater and pond related titles. My favorites are my antique copies of William T. Innes' famous book "Exotic Aquarium Fishes". I have copies from 1949, 1952 and 1955 printed by his families own printing company. The color plates are hand painted! The 3 green ones are the Innes published copies, the yellow one is the reprehensible TFH edition.

How many aquarium books do you have, not counting magazines? What are your favorites and why?

BONUS QUESTION: Can anybody identify what the "V" shaped thing is on the center of the text page? You'll notice it on the book spines in the first picture too.

 

[Cardoc]

That is a cool book. I use to get books from the Library, but now I just use the internet.

 

[steven p]

That is a cool book. I use to get books from the Library, but now I just use the internet.

Pretty much what I did.

Started online... Then, I figured books would be awesome sources of actual scientific info. The local Library didn't have much. Most of what I saw in the texts was not always considered correct anymore,which makes things very backward. Lots of names(especially plants) were different. I did see some things in an old book published by tropica about Allelopathy and compatible plant species, which I only ever had seen referenced in Walstads book. So back to the world wide web for me.

Books just aren't too easy to find anymore. Not to mention what some of these books can cost vs. What's in that book, is it worth it to invest anymore?

 

[sapphoqueen]

For me is easy ... 3 of them are printed..... the rest are PDF i enjoy them like real ones every time ...

 

[ggsteve]

Here's another one of my favorites. "The Cichlid Aquarium", signed by the author, Paul Loiselle. He spoke at a meeting of the Worcester Aquarium Society when I was president.

 

[koiboi]

Steve have you been rummaging through my bookshelf? I have one of the old Innes books as well (55 I think) as well as the Loiselle book. I also love my Axelrod's Atlas, the big giant one, published sometime in the early '80's. I probably have about twenty or so books, and I love them. Like spotting the "old" scientific names that no longer apply! (How about Innes suggestion of heating the tank with a bunsen burner? Ack!)

 

[ggsteve]

Steve have you been rummaging through my bookshelf? I have one of the old Innes books as well (55 I think) as well as the Loiselle book. I also love my Axelrod's Atlas, the big giant one, published sometime in the early '80's. I probably have about twenty or so books, and I love them. Like spotting the "old" scientific names that no longer apply! (How about Innes suggestion of heating the tank with a bunsen burner? Ack!)

I love aquarium books. I have the big Axelrod marine atlas and the big catfish atlas. I only have the "Mini" freshwater atlas. However, I do have a copy of Axelrod's "Handbook of Tropical Aquarium Fishes". published by McGraw-Hill in 1955. It only has one copyright and printing date in it so I think it's a first edition.

 

[lochaber]

The only book I currently have is Walstad's.

When I look in a library or in a bookstore, it seems like the vast majority of books are over-simplified start-up guides (fish need water), or overly specific guides to species and such. I don't see many good mid-range skill level books. In the past I've come across some that I really liked, but I can't remember the titles, and I think they were usually translations of European books. Stuff like setting up biotopes and aquascaping tips/techniques. I've learned more from the old alt.aquaria usenet postings and a handful of websites then I have from books.

 

[DaveMcKenz]

I started out in the aquarium hobby long before computers, let alone the Internet. Books were a must and a great thing to collect. I set about sorting my aquarium books this morning so I decided to take an informal count. I may have missed one or two. I count 70 books about the hobby, including freshwater, saltwater and pond related titles. My favorites are my antique copies of William T. Innes' famous book "Exotic Aquarium Fishes". I have copies from 1949, 1952 and 1955 printed by his families own printing company. The color plates are hand painted! The 3 green ones are the Innes published copies, the yellow one is the reprehensible TFH edition.

How many aquarium books do you have, not counting magazines? What are your favorites and why?

BONUS QUESTION: Can anybody identify what the "V" shaped thing is on the center of the text page? You'll notice it on the book spines in the first picture too.

Marble hatchet fish? Also one of my all time favorite books.
Thanks for sharing,
Dave

 

[ggsteve]

Marble hatchet fish? Also one of my all time favorite books.
Thanks for sharing,
Dave

Very good, you got it! That head-on view of the hatchet has always been the "logo" of the Innes book.