Do books have value in the age of the Internet? Here are WetWebMedia we'd definitely answer that in the affirmative. Every aquarist should at least own a book that outlines the basics of water chemistry, water quality, livestock selection, diet and healthcare. It's also a good idea to own a fish encyclopaedia as well so that when you go shopping you'll have a book that will tell you the environmental, social and dietary needs of any fish that you're not familiar with.

Fortunately the range of aquarium books is enormous. There are books aimed at every part of the hobby, from beginners to experts. The tricky bit is choosing the book that's right for you. On this page you'll find books that the WetWebMedia crew have found particularly useful. We're recommending them here as being reliable and good value. Books that are still in print or available from stock are listed with their US dollar prices; some books that are out of print are also listed, being well worth tracking down used. Amazon has good access to many used titles, often at very low prices (under $10).

Click on the links to go to the Amazon.com web site; if you order the book, WWM will get a small commission that will help defray bandwidth costs. This doesn't cost you a penny!  

Book suggestion - 10/10/10
Hi, I am starting a fresh water aquarium tank. I have some previous experience. So, I am looking for a book that would be for intermediate to advanced user. I need a good reference book. Thank you! Art
<Hello Art. A good question! We do have an article on recommended books, here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/bksfwbrneale.htm
Although some are for absolute beginners, others are starter books for particular niches, like livebearers or fish health. In a sense, a "good book" will provide information on a part of the hobby you're most interested in. As general books, probably the best regarded bibles of the hobby are the books that make up the Baensch Aquarium Atlas series, with Vol. 1 being an almost essential purchase for any freshwater aquarium hobbyist. Compared to the TFH Mini Atlases, the Baensch books have somewhat fewer species but much more useful and deep text. Aqualog tend to publish very high-end books on specific niches, so their catalogue is worth looking at, but their books tend to be strong on photography and identification, weaker on text. The reverse are some of the more recent TFH books, like the recent one on Loaches, which may not have so many photos but do have masses of really good quality text. So put another way, tell me what sort of things you're interested in, and I'll try and find a few book titles that might amuse. Cheers, Neale.>