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Rating: 
Summary: Not for everyone
Review: Lots of information, but not all specific to what I wanted to learn or what I needed more detail to better understand.
Rating: 
Summary: The most comprehensive guide
Review: The best reference guide for fish. It has listings by symptom and by disease. I have used it to diagnose fish illnesses without a problem. It has a lot of principles useful for setting up an aquarium. Using these principles, I have been able to improve the water quality of my fish tank, resulting in minimal fish loss. One thing that it does lack (that I have been unable to find in any book) is a comprehensive guide to fish breeds and varieties.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Diagnostic Tool for Sick Fish
Review: The first two sections of this book provide thorough information on the basics of successfully setting-up a tank and maintaining an aquarium. The real gem is the third section which covers fish health including how to prevent disease, determine what's ailing your fish when it is sick and how to treat the illness. This is one of the few books I've seen which stresses the use and how to set-up a quarantine tank. This book has helped me save more than one fish in my tank and is worth the price for that alone.
Rating: 
Summary: Professional and expert guidance!
Review: The information in this book is slightly hard to read, due to technical language, however, the content is thorough and very useful for the new aquarist. Covers only the essentials for tank set-up, but gives thoroughly detailed information about the different aspects of fish keeping. The authors have a genuine care for fish, and this is reflected in their writing of fish keeping standards. Very professional/practical advice.
Rating:
Summary: Professional and expert guidance!
Review: The information in this book is slightly hard to read, due to technical language, however, the content is thorough and very useful for the new aquarist. Covers only the essentials for tank set-up, but gives thoroughly detailed information about the different aspects of fish keeping. The authors have a genuine care for fish, and this is reflected in their writing of fish keeping standards. Very professional/practical advice.
Rating:
Summary: A great reference
Review: The part of this book that sets it apart from others is the diagnosis and treatment chapters for illness. There is a what if section that gives you several different theories for what might be ailing your fish, as well as detailed descriptions of illness', and descriptions of what medications do what and how to use them.This alone is worth the price of the book. The aquarium maintenence and set up part is standard issue, and is about the same as any other book I have read or bought.
Rating:
Summary: Where's the index?
Review: This book has a lot of valuable information and has helped me through problems. Particularly helpful is (as everyone else has noted) the section on diagnosing and treating diseases. The only thing about this book that bothered me was the lack of an index. While there was a nice glossary of terms, there was no index! It's not the end of the world, but it did become annoying with the "Now I know I read that in here somewhere, but where?" Other than that, I highly recommend this book to the beginner to start off with and to the intermediate aquarist to maintain a healthy tank.
Rating:
Summary: Lots of Great Info, But No Index!
Review: This book has lots of great info, but you may not be able to find it. It has no index! I admit that the Table of Contents is well-organized, but I still say it's ridiculous not to have an index.
Rating:
Summary: Good Disease And Behavior Reference
Review: This book is a good reference resource for general problems that may arise for the beginner to intermediate fishkeeper. Ms. Bailey sets up several chapters such as what behaviors are "normal" for certain species. There's another chapter dedicated to fish diseases. She describes what they are. Another portion of the book is dedicated to environmental causes of problems, such as temperature, osmotic stress, etc. Treatment plans are always offered. What is most helpful with this book is that it is set up in a question/answer format with the questions in bold font. The most important, albeit brief chapter, is how to euthanize a very sick fish. Many books ignore this. Ms. Bailey outlines when it is time to do this and how to do it quickly. She also outlines which methods are actually cruel and should be avoided.
This book isn't really for those who want to learn about individual fish or plants. But, don't let that deter you from purchasing this book. It would be a valuable companion to any fish hobbyist's library!
Rating:
Summary: A Great Starter Book
Review: This book is intented to be guide and/or mentor to the new aquarist, and an ally to the experience aquarist. It is not a picture book, but rather an excellent reference book that is easy to read. It guides the reader through the aquarium set-up what to look for and what to avoid. The types of fish that can be placed together and the accompanying plants. The section of "What ifs" answers many of the questions that a beginner may ask. The experienced aquarist will find it valuable as it brings the most current theories of fishkeeping to the front. The authors give advise how to solve the common and not so common problems, and will mention the implications of each approach. This is a book that will remain next to the aquarium at all times.
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