Marine Invertebrates500 plus Essential to Know Aquarium Species
By Ronald Shimek
Publisher: TFH Publications (2004)
Marine Invertebrates book review. If you are looking for a nice reference guide to use in the identification of those saltwater invertebrates species at the local fish store then check out the pocket guide Marine Invertebrates by Ronald Shimek. As the name implies it is a small but thick book with over 500 species profiles included. It's the perfect size for taking it along with you to the store. It's approximately 400 plus pages and provides high level overviews on the species profiled.
So what are the marine invertebrates species covered you may be wondering? Obviously the author couldn't cover everything found in the trade but he did cover many of the most popular species you are likely to encounter in the local fish stores and a few that you may never see in the shops. Coral (soft, LPS and SPS), anemones, shrimps,crabs, clams, worms, sea urchins, slugs, sea stars, snails, feather dusters, etc. On each of the profiles in 500 Marine Invertebrates you will find:
- Color photo to help identify the species - there are some really nice pictures of the various species in this book.
- Scientific Name - self explanatory
- Common Name(s) - sometimes only lists one, but sometimes several are listed
- Maximum Size - details the max size likely in the aquarium
- Range (where found in the ocean)
- Minimum Aquarium Size - tank size needed to keep them
- Lighting - gives info such as dim, moderate and high lighting levels, nothing too specific
- Foods and Feeding - a very helpful section in each profile that gives hints and tips on not only what to feed but sometimes on specimen placement in the tank for ease of feeding. Usually really helpful info in the feeding sections.
- Aquarium Suitability and Reef Aquarium Suitability - will tell you if the invertebrate is reef tank safe or not.
- Captive Care Requirements - usually the largest section in each profile, it provides a paragraph or so on the requirements for keeping them in the aquarium.
What I found really nice in 500 Marine Invertebrates were the introductions to the species' families as you went from one section to the next. These introductions provided nice reading material and covered any generalizations that could be made about the species about to be covered. Very helpful.
Marine Invertebrates is a nice reference book that would be interesting to saltwater hobbyists and reef tank keepers in particular. The info in this book is pretty solid and for a "pocket guide" it is well worth the small investment. We give this book .
Author : Mike FishLore
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Reviewed by: Mike FishLore
Summary: Book review on Marine Invertebrates - 500 plus Essential to Know Aquarium Species
Description: If you are looking for a nice reference guide to use in the identification of those saltwater invertebrates species at the local fish store then check out the pocket guide Marine Invertebrates by Ronald Shimek.
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars.
Marine Invertebrates - 500 Aquarium Species Reviews and Comments
This was one of the first books I picked up before getting my 120 gallon aquarium. I wanted to do everything the right way and was reading everything I could get my hands on and purchased this book. It's a great read and I find myself getting this book off the shelf frequently when helping others ID shrimp, crabs and snails. Newbies should definitely look into buying or borrowing this book before buying any inverts, especially if they are planning on a reef tank. You don't want to introduce something that could wreak havoc in your tank! Peace out and good luck with your tanks everyone!
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