A PocketExpert Guide to Marine Invertebrates- 500+ Essential-to-Know Aquarium Species Description:

A PocketExpert Guide to Marine Invertebrates: 500+ Essential-to-Know Aquarium Species review:
5 stars (This book saved me from disaster!) - Thanks to this book I was able to identify the fact that I had inadvertently introduced a small Mantis Shrimp into my reef tank thru the purchase of living rock. Mantis Shrimp can, when fully grown, either kill your fish, or even break the glass of your aquarium! When I realized what it was, I was able to get the shimp out of my tank.



This is an excellent book which can help you to choose appropriate invetebrates for your tank. The descriptions help you to understand their needs and any possible compatibility issues with other invertebrates.



This pocket guide is small enough to take with you when you go to your local fish store so you can check before you buy.
4 stars (Great reference) - This is an invaluable tool to use when shopping for marine invertibrates; its convenient to take with you and do a bit of spot research on animals you find in the fishstore and might be considering purchasing, so that you can make an informed decision. it briefly covers the different types of corals you might find and various motile (moving) invertibrates like crabs, snails, etc. Also on each entry is given: minimum tank size, lighting requirements, reef aquarium compatibility, captive care, foods and feeding, maximum size, and place of origin. Also I recommend the other 'sister' book, Marine Fishes by Scott W. Michael.
5 stars (Biggest Bang For Your Buck Out There In Aquarium Books) - The two "500+ Essential-to-Know Aquarium Species Books" are the biggest bang-for-your-buck aquarium stocking and general information books out there. Even though both of the books, Marine Fishes (ISBN: 1890087386 by Scott W. Michael) & Marine Invertebrates (ISBN: 1890087661 by Ronald Shimek) are pocket guides, they offer so much more information than the other books that I have seen. They don't waste space telling you about fish that you will never see in an aquarium and instead give relatively in-depth information on the species that you are likely to encounter. Neither do they present the information in hard-to-decode picture format; they use sentences: A very underused communicated technique in most aquarium handbooks out there. Not only is the selection of species perfect but the provided information on care is perfect as well. The Marine Fishes version provides the following well-presented information on each fish:



* A color picture

* Scientific name (genus & species)

* Common name

* Maximum size

* Minimum suggested aquarium size

* Aquarium suitability index

* Reef aquarium compatibility

* Captive care tips and information



Likewise, in an equally well-presented manner, A PocketExpert Guide to Marine Invertebrates: 500+ Essential-to-Know Aquarium Species presents the following information on each specimen discussed:

500+ Marine Invertebrates by Robert Shimek



* A color picture

* Scientific name (genus & species)

* Common name

* Maximum size

* Naturally-occurring range

* Lighting requirements

* Foods & feeding

* Aquarium suitability/Reef aquarium compatibility

* Captive care tips and information



Don't take my word for it, just try it with a few species that you already have in your tank or that you are considering buying by using Amazon.com's "Search inside the book feature." I recommend you buy these on Amazon.com; you get free shipping (with a $25 order) and don't have to pay sales tax.



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