Rating: 
Summary: Bringing it all together
Review: I bought this book, along with another, to research and get info on starting a tank. I have to say this is such a great book for anyone who is afraid to get started, like I was, in investing in a saltwater tank. After reading it, I am confident that I will be able to start up and maintain a nice tank in my home. I cant wait to get started! The book is very easy to follow. The pictures are great. Great checklists and tips. So far, it is the best book I have come across, for a beginner like myself. It made me feel, with a little thought and planning, that I could easily start up a nice tank. Thanks for such a great book!
Rating:
Summary: THE book for the beginner & experienced alike
Review: I've been keeping marine tanks with very mixed results off and on for the past thirty years. When I started out in the hobby and didn't know any better I was expert in quickly killing off all of the gorgeous occupants of my tank. "Live rock, ah you don't need it," said most of the "knowledgeable" local fish stores. Also protein skimmers were more of an afterthought - "after you've had your tank up a while and the sludge really starts to build then you may want one," they said. "Having problems," they'd ask. "You need to get a U/V sterilizer, or a cooler," or something else, though these are all potentially useful they weren't the reason that my tanks weren't surviving. Well, it's interesting to look back and see how quickly technology and common knowledge about how to successfully start and maintain a thriving marine tank (reef or fish) have evolved. Through the years I've looked at the top selling marine aquarium books that were available - some have been good at some things and most have been antiquated in not reflecting the latest technological updates, or even biological knowledge. Well, after purchasing "The New Marine Aquarium" by Paletta I have found the perfect book that truly ties most everything about success in the hobby together. This wonderful book will take you by the hand explaining what you'll need to begin with and why in order to create a successful microcosm. From what items you'll need to purchase (even on a shoestring budget), how to set up your tank, what fishes to consider, this exquisite book explains it all. The wonderful part is how clearly defined everything is by Mr. Paletta and how everything is thoroughly yet not verbosely explained as to why you'll need a certain item or why you need to set something up in a particular way. The magic of this book is how it covers the gamut of what you'll need; it's clear, eloquent, not overstated. You'll find answers as to what tank, what invertebrates, which corals, what goes best with what fish, what type of heater, powerhead, filter system; even suggestions on the exact sequence you'll need to follow for monitoring and testing your tank during its cycling period. Even for someone with a lot of experience in the hobby you'll still find little golden nuggets of information that will turn on the "ah ha" light bulb as you realize that now you understand why this works or why something hasn't worked. This book is in a class by itself; clearly superior to most of the other current marine aquarium titles. It's not overwhelming in size or scientific prose - it's just enough of what you need for the common layperson to successfully begin this wonderful hobby and it's still interesting and informative for someone who has a wealth of experience. If you are purchasing your first marine aquarium or if you know someone who has just started then this is one of the best if not the best books to help ensure your success. Its reasonable price and gorgeous photographs make it even more of a valued purchase.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent beginner book
Review: If you are just starting out in the marine world, this is the book for you. It covers everything you need to get started. A very well written book with excellent photos and diagrams.
Rating:
Summary: Only one book needed: this one!
Review: If you are planning to start a marine aquarium, but can only buy one book, make sure it is this one!
This book provides a very clear, very easy to understand "recipe" to success in a marine aquarium, even if you have had no other experience with marine tanks. Mr. Paletta explains what you need to do it, why you need to do it, and what you can do to get started without spending a fortune. The writing style is very readable--you don't have to be a marine biologist to understand the points Mr. Paletta is trying to get across--and the many checklists ensure that you don't miss anything along the way. The photography and layout is beautiful and inspiring to the aquarist impatiently to begin stocking the aquarium.
If I had any complaints, it's that I really would have liked a little better explanation on sumps and refugiums (he describes them as something for the advanced aquarist to consider, but not necessary for the beginner--after fighting cyanobacteria in my tank due to excess nutrients in my canister filter, I'm not 100% sure I agree). Had I understood what they were and how they work before I built my tank, I probably would have ripped my canister filter out and built the sump instead.
However, this is a minor complaint about an otherwise excellent book. If you are building your first marine tank, don't look at any other books and *DON'T* put anything living in your aquarium until you've read this book cover to cover at least twice :)
Rating:
Summary: An Elegant Book
Review: The book is concise and simply stated. I have read other marine aquaria books since, but most aren't written quite as gracefully. A beginner only needs one book to get started and be successful in this hobby, and this is it. It has all the fundamentals. The nominal cost of this book will save you much money in the long run. Follow the advise in the book without exception--especially, regarding the setting up of a quarantine tank. Also, as Mr. Paletta et al note, live rock and a protein skimmer is the way to go! Good luck and have fun with your new hobby! PS-Marine Fishes by Scott W. Michael makes an execellent companion book to The New Marine Aquarium. As your hobby experience progresses, I think it should be the second book you buy. Eventually you may want to know more detailed information about what fishes get along with other fishes to successfully stock your tank. There is a dizzying variety of fishes to choose from and they aren't all listed in The New Marine Aquarium. Best of all is that Marine Fishes is palm sized!
Rating:
Summary: An Elegant Book
Review: The book is concise and simply stated. I have read other marine aquaria books since, but most aren't written quite as gracefully. A beginner only needs one book to get started and be successful in this hobby, and this is it. It has all the fundamentals. The nominal cost of this book will save you much money in the long run. Follow the advise in the book without exception--especially, regarding the setting up of a quarantine tank. Also, as Mr. Paletta et al note, live rock and a protein skimmer is the way to go! Good luck and have fun with your new hobby! PS-Marine Fishes by Scott W. Michael makes an execellent companion book to The New Marine Aquarium. As your hobby experience progresses, I think it should be the second book you buy. Eventually you may want to know more detailed information about what fishes get along with other fishes to successfully stock your tank. There is a dizzying variety of fishes to choose from and they aren't all listed in The New Marine Aquarium. Best of all is that Marine Fishes is palm sized!
Rating:
Summary: All beginner must read book!
Review: There are tons of valuable information on this book, it tell you everything you need to know, and lay out the steps to setup, plus the on-going maintenance tasks, so you would not have any surprise later on... with this book's help, you will know what is ahead of you, and can help you to make the decision on ..."am I going to commit on this hobby or not..." For my point of view, it would be excellent if the book can have some estimate on the budgets side... I was expected some where around 4K... and I ended up spend more than 10K (a 210 Gallons coral/fish tank).
Rating:
Summary: Superb
Review: This a one heck of an easy book to follow. I enjoyed it a lot. It is full of great ideas and fantastic pictures. Now if I could just afford live rock....:)
Rating:
Summary: A great book for the first-time aquarist
Review: This book delivers on its promise. Without any experience whatsoever in aquariums, I got two great tanks up and running in three months with thriving fish. The greater up-front expense is more than compensated for by the ease of long-term maintenance as well as the health and well-being of the inhabitants. The only shortcoming in the text in my mind (but not worth a reduction in a star) is too little discussion of lighting given the many options, but you come to learn that lighting is a matter of personal aesthetic preference as well as what is in the tank, and there are online sites where you can compare the same tanks under different lights. The only other book I needed was Marine Fishes by Scott Michael, which allowed me to narrow in on species of interest once I had completed the initial choices outlined by Paletta, and know exactly what to feed them. Great text! Thanks!!
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Step by Step Guide
Review: This book is a must have for those who have limited amount of knowledge on marine aquarium. It's a wonderful beginner guide; which explains how to setup the aquarium, how to choose the right equipment, as well as how to choose the right fish for new aquarist. The step by step guide is very simple and easy to follow. The photos and illustrations are great. It definitely raises my confidence level in terms of setting up my first marine aquarium. Please note that this book doesn't have in depth description on each type of marine fish, and it doesn't cover any coral at all. However, I still recommend this book to everyone who wants to setup a marine aquarium.
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