I need a book, right?
I guess I still belong to the old generation. Everywhere I search on blogs, forums, and websites I'm told all the information I need to set up and maintain my reef tank can be found online. And so far, as long as I know what to search for, I've had no trouble finding it.
But...I still want a book. Something tangible to hold, with pages to dog-ear, to put under my pillow while I dream of sweet sweet fishes and coral...I digress.
So, I ordered The Nano-Reef Handbook from Amazon and got it on Wednesday!
It's gotta be perfect, right? After all, it is the self-proclaimed ultimate guide to reef systems under 15 gallons. And my tank will be 10 gallons, so win-win!
At first glance I was a bit disappointed. First, for a book published in 2006 the photos look like they're from 1982. Second, the order that the content is presented is strange. I am looking for basic knowledge--like the nitrogen cycle and cycling a new tank--applied to small tanks. But the first chapter jumps straight into recommending dosing of trace elements that occur in concentrations less than 1 ppm. Strontium anyone?
I was thinking I should have looked for a "beginners" guide to nano-reefs. But I soldiered on through cautions against Iodine and the drawbacks of calcium chloride supplements, and before the end of the first chapter I was rewarded. At about page 40, the introductory content I was looking for appeared, and continued throughout the remainder of the book.
The author, Chris Brightwell, is the founder of an aquarium supplements company so I guess it makes sense that he focuses so much up-front time to what I would consider final refinements in a tank. But fortunately, he did not skip the basics, he just put them further back. The book does get into the nitrogen cycle, how to setup the tank, what equipment to consider, etc. Basically everything I was looking for.
When I get to choosing livestock for the tank, this book will be immensely helpful as it boils the world of fish, invertebrates, and corals down to the subset that are appropriate for small aquariums, and how they get along with each other, or don't.
I'm excited to keep this book as a reference for future additions to my tank, but I am still looking for the perfect beginner's reference for setting up and maintaining a reef tank. Any recommendations would be much appreciated!
But...I still want a book. Something tangible to hold, with pages to dog-ear, to put under my pillow while I dream of sweet sweet fishes and coral...I digress.
So, I ordered The Nano-Reef Handbook from Amazon and got it on Wednesday!
It's gotta be perfect, right? After all, it is the self-proclaimed ultimate guide to reef systems under 15 gallons. And my tank will be 10 gallons, so win-win!
At first glance I was a bit disappointed. First, for a book published in 2006 the photos look like they're from 1982. Second, the order that the content is presented is strange. I am looking for basic knowledge--like the nitrogen cycle and cycling a new tank--applied to small tanks. But the first chapter jumps straight into recommending dosing of trace elements that occur in concentrations less than 1 ppm. Strontium anyone?
I was thinking I should have looked for a "beginners" guide to nano-reefs. But I soldiered on through cautions against Iodine and the drawbacks of calcium chloride supplements, and before the end of the first chapter I was rewarded. At about page 40, the introductory content I was looking for appeared, and continued throughout the remainder of the book.
The author, Chris Brightwell, is the founder of an aquarium supplements company so I guess it makes sense that he focuses so much up-front time to what I would consider final refinements in a tank. But fortunately, he did not skip the basics, he just put them further back. The book does get into the nitrogen cycle, how to setup the tank, what equipment to consider, etc. Basically everything I was looking for.
When I get to choosing livestock for the tank, this book will be immensely helpful as it boils the world of fish, invertebrates, and corals down to the subset that are appropriate for small aquariums, and how they get along with each other, or don't.
I'm excited to keep this book as a reference for future additions to my tank, but I am still looking for the perfect beginner's reference for setting up and maintaining a reef tank. Any recommendations would be much appreciated!
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