From: rachide@dhhalden.no (RACHID ELAZHARI)
Subject: Re: FAQ: Beginner topics and books
Organization: Ostfold College
Date: Wed, 9 Sep 1992 15:38:27 GMT

In article <la691hINNijm@caldera.usc.edu> tli@caldera.usc.edu (Tony Li) writes:
>From: tli@caldera.usc.edu (Tony Li)
>Subject: FAQ: Beginner topics and books
>Date: 1 Sep 1992 01:05:05 -0700
>			 Beginner topics and books
>
>Rev. 1.7 8/21/92
>
>Prologue:
>---------
>This monthly series is intended to address some of the frequently
>asked questions (FAQ) on the rec. and alt.aquaria newsgroups.  Because
>the answers may not be complete, please feel free to ask questions. 
>This is only intended to address first level concerns, and not to
>dampen discussions.  Please see the file FAQ.README for pointers to other
>topics. 
>
>Please review and send any corrections or inputs to the FAQ maintainers
>with "(FAQ)" in the subject line.  You are absolutely welcomed to tackle
>(i.e. WRITE) sections that have not been written yet.
>
>We've received recommendations to put email address "pointers" in
>the FAQ to vector questions to specific experts on particular
>subjects.  If you would like to offer yourself as such an expert,
>please send me your email address and the specific topics you want
>to host.  Please include an email path that is generally accessible
>to the greatest number of people.
>
>GLOSSARY OF COMMONLY USED ABBREVIATIONS AND TERMS:
>--------------------------------------------------
>
>     AFM     = Aquarium Fish Magazine
>     CO2     = Chemical symbol for carbon dioxide
>     DIY     = Do-it-yourselfer type articles (somewhat equivalent
>               to the FAMA "For what it's worth" column)
>     (F)     = Used in subject line to indicate Freshwater
>               discussion
>     FAMA    = Freshwater And Marine Aquarium (magazine)
>     H2O     = Water
>     (M)     = Used in subject line to indicate Marine discussion
>     MFM     = Marine Fish Monthly (magazine)
>     M/O     = Mail Order
>     NH3     = Chemical symbol for ammonia (highly toxic)
>     NH4+    = Chemical symbol for ammonium ion (not so toxic)
>     NO2-    = Chemical symbol for nitrite ion (toxic)
>     NO3-    = Chemical symbol for nitrate ion (not so toxic)
>     O3      = Ozone.  Highly reactive and unstable form of oxygen.
>     pH      = Measure of acidity/alkalinity (See H2O quality)
>     ppm     = Parts per million
>     RO      = Reverse Osmosis (See filters)
>     RUGF    = Reverse UGF
>     sp.     = Species not identified; i.e. Cichlasoma sp.
>     TFH     = Tropical Fish Hobbyist (magazine)
>     UGF     = Under-Gravel Filter (See filters)
>
>
>Anaerobic    = Without Oxygen.  In aquaria, this typically refers
>               bacterial activity in water of low oxygen content.
>Bettas       = Siamese Fighting Fish (Betta Splendens).  Often
>               named Alpha for annoyingly obvious reasons :-). 
>               Often misspelled as Betas.
>Redox        = Reduction-oxidation potential.  Measured in millivolts 
>	       (mV).  Higher means better water quality.
>
>REC.AQUARIA, ALT.AQUARIA, SCI.AQUARIA:
>--------------------------------------
>     A common question is why are there three newsgroups dedicated
>to talking a aquaria related topics.  The actual story is quite
>long and dirty, and will be written up at a later time.  For those
>who don't know the history, let me whet your appetite by describing
>the history with the name (of my creation):  "The Great Aquarian
>Flame Wars."  [or maybe "The Dumb and the Fishless" :-)]
>     The simple answer to the reason of why three groups is that
>not all sites receive all three newsgroups.  The best solution (given the
>existing setup) is to cross-post hobbyist-type articles to both
>rec. and alt.aquaria.  Sci.aquaria should be reserved for egghead
>discussions of fishy  science in latin :-) (e.g. physiology,
>taxonomy, plant biology and ecology ... any topic ending in a "y").
>     Although cross-posting will result in some people receiving
>duplicate articles (because some newsreaders will not "mark"
>articles as being read across newsgroups), this is generally the
>best solution).
>
>STARTING A NEW AQUARIUM:
>------------------------
>     Before one buys and sets up an aquarium for the first time,
>one should buy or borrow a good beginner's book on the subject.  A
>list of suggestions is included in this message.
>
>     In summary, the following is a flow for setting up an
>aquarium.
>
>-    Decide on the type of fish and the number. DO NOT RUSH OUT AND
>     BUY THE FISH YET!!
>-    Decide on real/plastic plants.
>-    Read up on the requirements and the compatibility (of flora
>     and fauna).
>-    Review choice of flora and fauna.
>-    Determine size and type of aquarium.
>     >>Rules of thumb:<<
>     *    12 sq. in. of surface area per inch of ADULT fish (not
>          including tail).  This is a very rough rule of thumb.
>     *    Tall fish look good in tall tanks.  A tall tank with a
>          given surface area will support the SAME number of fish
>          as a short tank with the same surface area. (See above).
>     *    Most fish prefer long/wide tanks.  We humanoids generally
>          prefer tall tanks; they look better.
>     *    PLASTIC vs. GLASS:
>          Glass tanks weigh more and cost a lot less than plastic
>          (acrylic/Plexiglass(TM)) tanks.  Plastic is easily
>          scratched; glass can crack and spring a leak, or worst
>          yet, shatter.  Fish look better in acrylic tanks (if it's
>          quality plastic) because the index of refraction of
>          acrylic is closer to the index of refraction of water.
>     *    Each gallon of water weighs 8.5 pounds. Make sure your
>          floor can support the weight.  Also ensure a stable
>          platform.
>     *    Larger aquaria are subject to less fluctuation of temperature
>          and water quality.  Get the largest you can afford.
>-    Choose a filtration system most appropriate for your fish and
>     aquarium.  In general, water should be turned over 3-5 times
>     an hour depending on fish load.  (See filters).
>-    Determine size of heater.
>     >>Rules of thumb:<<
>     *    2.5 watts per gallon of water (for example, a 10 gallon
>          tank needs a 25 watt heater).
>     *    When possible, use two heaters to achieve desired wattage
>          instead of one large heater (even distribution of heat,
>          backup in case of breakage).
>     *    Submersible heaters, for the most part, are a better
>          choice.  Check the  manufacturers' instructions to see if
>          the heater is salt-water compatible if you intend to use
>          it in a brackish or salt-water tank. 
>-    Check prices. (See Mail Order).  Be cautious about "Starter
>     Kits" and "Package Deals"; more often than not, they contain
>     equipment that is obsolete, or is woefully inadequate for the
>     task, or is simply unnecessary.
>-    Re-evaluate everything based on budget.
>-    Buy and setup aquarium.
>-    Some may choose to "paint" the back of the aquarium (black or
>     blue at this point.  Others may want to add commercially
>     available aquarium backing (poster-like photos of plants). 
>     It's infinitely easier when the aquarium is dry.
>-    If you choose UGFs (see filters), set this up first.
>-    If you're using gravel, rinse it.
>-    Set up the heater where there is water flow so the heat can be
>     evenly distributed.  Do not bury it in the gravel.
>-    Do not plug in anything electrical while setting up.
>-    Let aquarium cycle for one-three weeks.  (This will allow
>     chlorine/chloramine in tap water to dissipate, will allow the
>     nitrogen cycle to start, and will let you see if there are
>     water leaks).  (Cycle = letting the natural cycle of
>     beneficial bacterial growth to establish itself).
>Other options:
>*         If you have a friend with an established tank (running
>     over 6 months and healthy), check to see if you can put an
>     easily moved filter (like a sponge filter: see Filters) in
>     their tank for a week or so.  This will provide a healthy
>     colony of nitrogen-removing bacteria for your new tank. Put
>     this aged filter in your tank prior to adding fish, don't let
>     it dry out or get too hot or cold.
>*         If you will be using a UGF or a filter packed with gravel
>     (see Filters), ask your friends to give you some gravel from
>     their established tanks, especially if they also use UGFs. 
>     This will help you start the bio-filtration much more quickly. 
>     You can also use this technique when you start a new tank and
>     you already have an aquarium.
>*         If you wish to get rid of chloramines and/or chlorine
>     quickly (instead of letting the water sit for a while),
>     consider using commercially available de-chloraminators, like
>     Kordon's AmQuell.
>-         If you get a used tank, be very careful.  Test for leaks
>     by filling the tank either in the bath tub or in the
>     drive-way/on the lawn, where the leak will do least harm. 
>     Check all seals and re-seal the tank with *aquarium safe*
>     silicone cement (Dow Chemicals and others make that stuff; buy
>     it from hardware stores where the price is 25% of what you
>     will pay for the same item in a pet shop).  Aquarium safe
>     means no fungicides or other poisons which will leach into
>     your aquarium and kill your fish.  READ THE LABEL.
>-    Plant all plants at the same time before you add fish.  Your
>     work becomes much easier if the tank is only half full of
>     water.  See Plant Books for more info.
>-    Add rock work and decorations after washing these.
>-    Introduce fish into the aquarium over a length of time. (i.e.
>     don't buy all the fish on the same day and dump them into the
>     aquarium.  Spread it out over time.)  Start with the hardiest
>     fish.
>-    Don't introduce the pet store water with the fish.  Pet store
>     water can contain all sorts of parasites and nasty beasties
>     which may cause problems later.
>-    One technique to slowly acclimate your new fish to your tank
>     is to put the fish and its accompanying pet store water in a
>     small, clean bucket (one that's never had soap or other
>     chemicals in it) and establish a siphon with a piece of
>     airline tubing with airstones at either end. This slow drip of
>     water should fill the bucket in about an hour, when you should
>     then carefully net the fish out and put them in the tank. 
>-    Change 25% of the water every three weeks and maintain
>     filters.  >>This cannot be stressed enough!<<  Regular
>     cleaning of your mechanical filter (sponges, whatever) and
>     regular partial water changes will allow you to have a
>     successful tank with less than *15 minute of maintenance per
>     week*.  De-chloraminate water before you put it in your tank.
>-    Test water regularly with test kits to ensure water quality is
>     acceptable.
>
>MOVING AN AQUARIUM:  Contributor: Timothy Shimeall
>-------------------
>
>The best word on moving fish (and in this discussion, fish
>includes all aquarium animal life), beyond very short distances, is
>DON'T.  Travel is very stressful on fish, and even with the best
>precautions you should expect to lose several.  Given this is true,
>you may want to seriously consider selling off your stock and
>getting new fish at your destination.
>
>If, given the above, you still want to try to move fish, then the
>following may help to minimize the pain and loss of fish.
>
>The task of moving fish basically splits into two tasks: moving the
>tank, and then (later) moving the fish.  Do not attempt to move the
>fish in their tank.
>
>Moving the tank
>---------------
>
>The main problem in moving the tank is the filtration system. 
>After a very few hours (less than a day) without a flow of
>oxygen-laden water, aerobic bacteria start to die.  This means that
>if you are moving a short distance (an hours drive or so), it may
>be possible to preserve your bacteria colony.  But beyond that,
>you'll need to restart the bacteria.  (No, bacteria don't die after
>an hour, but you need to account for tear down, packing, unpacking
>and setup time, and have the total be only a few hours.)  This
>leads to the following process:
>
>1) Put your fish in a holding container (more on that below)
>
>2) Drain your tank.  If the move is going to be short, preserve
>some of the water to help preserve the bacteria colony.
>
>3) Disassemble your tank.  Aquarium plants will survive a fair
>amount of time if their roots are kept wet, so it should be possible
> to bag them with some water and set them aside for hand-moving. 
>If the move is going to be short, put your filter medium in a
>sealed container (preferably a never-used pail or other
>chemical-free hard-sided container) without cleaning it.  For long
>moves, either clean or discard your filter media.  Pumps, heaters,
>etc. can be packed as any fragile appliance.
>
>4) Move your tank.  Don't use a moving company or professional
>packers, unless you have absolutely no choice AND you can supervise
>them packing the tank and loading it in the truck.  It's far better
>to move it yourself.
>
>5) Reassemble your tank at your destination.  If you're doing a
>short move you should have enough dechlorinated/treated water
>available on arrival to fill your tank and get water moving through
>your filter.  If you're doing a long move, then set your tank up as
>if it was a new tank-- including a week-long delay before putting
>fish in the tank.  Initially, put in a few hardy fish to get the
>nitrate cycle established.  After the tank is stable, put the fish
>from your old home back in.
>
>Moving the fish
>---------------
>
>There are three basic problems in moving the fish:
>  - where do you put them while you're moving the tank (a week+)
>  - how do you pack them
>  - how do you support them while they're being moved
>
>Where do you put them?  Two basic options:
>+ A friend's tank
>+ A pet store tank
>
>Some pet stores will, for a fee, board fish during a move.  A
>signed contract, detailing what responsibilities the pet store is
>assuming, is a very good idea.   Some pet stores, for a further
>fee, will pack and air-ship the fish to you on request.  This isn't
>cheap.
>
>Bear in mind that you'll be leaving the fish there for at least a
>couple of weeks.
>
>How do you pack them?
>
>For short periods of time (a couple of hours, tops) you can put the
>fish in sealed bags, half-filled with air.  This time can be
>stretched somewhat by filling with oxygen, rather than air.  Put
>the bags in a padded, compartmentalized container, and ship by air. 
>(This is basically how pet stores receive their fish).  For larger
>fish, or longer trips, one can use a sealed bucket for each fish,
>rather than a bag.  
>
>How do you support them on the move?
>
>Fish basically won't eat during the move.  They're too stressed,
>and you don't want to degrade the water quality by the food,
>anyway.  Fish can survive a week or so without food if they've been
>previously well fed.
>
>Try to maintain an even temperature, perhaps by placing the fish in
>a sealed cooler, or compartmentalized cooler.
>
>For long trips, particularly by car, a battery-powered airpump and
>airstone is a good idea (if not a must). 
>
>After the move, slowly condition the fish to the new tank location,
>as you would in adding new fish to a tank.
>
>GOOD BEGINNER BOOKS:
>--------------------
>     Most aquarium books are reasonable in their advice.  Do be
>careful of older books which were written before some of the more
>recent advances in the science of aquaria were made.  Issues such
>as the nitrogen cycle will probably not be covered well.  Libraries
>are an excellent source of books, and one should go the library
>first before spending any money.
>
>Titles:
>
>Baensh's Aquarium Atlas                 ~$22-28
>Marine Aquarium Handbook by Martin Moe  ~$10
>Vierke's Aquarium Book                  $10-15
>Marine Aquarium Reference:
>Systems and Invertebrates by Moe        ~$22-25
>The Concise Encyclopedia of Aq. Fish    ~$10
>     (Dick Mills)
>
>Many of the "Fishkeeper's Guide" Books by Tetra press are quite
>good, and are available for around $6-$10.  For plant books,
>Barron's and Tetra's (~$5-6) are suggested.
>
>FRESHWATER books:
>A decent aquarium reference book need not be expensive or very
>detailed.  What it must have is:
>	- enough common species to make it usable 
>	  (200-300 species is sufficient for most purposes) 
>	- recognizable pictures of fish to use as the identification 
>	  guide descriptions of the species including:
>		+ length the fish will attain 
>		+ typical behaviour (and community tank compatibility)
>		+ spawning requirements 
>		+ dietary needs 
>		+ minimal tank size 
>		+ water quality and temperature
>	- some basic suggestions on how to set up an aquarium 
>	- some minimal info on fish diseases
>
>There are many books that satisfy these requirements.  They are very
>inexpensive and there is no excuse for someone to spend $20+ on the fish
>that will die in 3-4 weeks instead of buying a book that would prevent
>these losses for a lot less money.
>
>For under $10:
>
>Simon&Schuster's "Pocket Guide to Aquarium Fishes" which lists for $7
>and can be found for $4 in discount book shops.  Not an "end-all"
>reference volume but at least it does not lie too much.  I probably
>like it because it has an excellent photo of Aphyosemion filamentosum
>that looks just about like the A. filamentosum I have. (ISBN 0-671-25451-0)
>
>At Crown Books and other "remaindered" book sellers, you will find a
>book edited by Dick Mills that is called "The Concise Encyclopedia of
>Tropical Aquarium Fishes" if it's published by Crescent (and Tetra's
>Junior Atlas of Tropica Aquarium Fishes" if it's publisehd by Tetra).
>It covers all the basic ideas about setting up an aquarium and has
>descriptions and fair quality photos of over 300 species of fish (the
>book is not in front of me so can't give you more detail).  It's
>published by Salamander Press in Europe and Tetra (Crescent) in US.
>(Crescent edition ISBN 0-517-66776-2)
>
>At Tower Books and other "mainstream" bookseller chains and larger book
>stores, you will find Barron's series of translation of German aquarium
>books, all between $5 and $8, concentrating on specific categories of
>fish (Killifishes (ISBN 0-8120-4475-4), Cichlids (ISBN 0-8120-4597-1)),
>or breeding (Ines Scheurman's "Aquarium Fish Breeding" (ISBN
>0-8120-4474-6)), or general aquarium maintenance, or plants.  All of
>these books give a beginner a solid introduction to what and why of the
>the filtration, water chemistry and so on.  Any of these books make an
>excellent starting point.  They don't have very many colour photos,
>which probably contributed to the low price, but have a lot of
>drawings.
>
>Also near the $10 mark (and a lot less through mail-order), are the
>Tetra/Salamander series of "Fishkeeper's Guide To..." books.  They are
>available at a number of "normal" book stores and I recommend "...
>Healthy Aquarium" and "...Community Fishes" as the better beginner
>books.  The rest of the series is quite good as well and any one of
>these books should be a great start.
>
>"The Innes Book" -- it is a thick volume that has gone through a dozen
>publishers and something like 50 editions.  The newer ones will
>probably be a bit more up to date, but the older ones are not bad,
>either.  They range from $2 to $15 and my preference is for the oldest
>editions.  I am personally looking for a leather bound printing from
>early 30's.  Don't expect the fish names to match the current nomenclature
>or in some case even the real species -- for the last 40 years "The Innes
>Book" has had a picture of A. filamentosum for their Aphyosemion gardneri.	
>
>These are the cheapest books.  If you are willing to spend $15-20 (and
>you better be willing to spend that much on the books if you are go
>to spend that much on the fish!), the number of books is larger and the
>amount of information increases.
>
>Between $15 and $20 the books get larger, more colourful and complete:
>
>van Ramshorst's Aquarium Encyclopedia published by HPBooks and sold by
>Waldenbooks is a translation from Dutch and at $17.95 is among the
>better "shopping list" aquarium books.  It is full of very good quality
>colour photos, covers over 570 species of fish, 80 species of plants,
>all aspects of aquarium design, building, set-up, decor, etc.  Not much
>on filtration, but that's all in FAQ, so not a big flaw for a USENET
>reader.
>
>Crown Books used to sell "The Living Aquarium", a translation from
>Swedish published by Crescent Books.  It's close to $20 and does not
>have descriptions of too many species, but has a lot of detailed
>diagrams, goes into the black arts of filtration and lighting and
>attempts to cover cold water and tropical fresh water, cold water and
>tropical marine and brackish aquaria, suggesting the species and decor
>for them.  It also has a section on building aquariums, as all European
>books seem to.
>
>MORE EXPENSIVE AND/OR SPECIALTY BOOKS:
>
>There are many other books that are not cheap even when you buy them
>mail-order (a sure way to save 50% on the price).  Many of these books
>cost so much because of the large number of colour photos in them and
>because of the production values that went in.  You will have to decide
>for yourself if it's worth your money to buy these and if you will find
>something really worth while in them (I have spent several hundred $$$
>on such books over the last few years and do not regret buying any of
>them).  If nothing else, these books make great coffee table books that
>are bound to get all sorts of comments from house guests.
>
>WHERE TO FIND THE CHEAPEST BOOKS:
>
>Look through the used book stores.  Books from 20-30 years ago may have
>wrong Latin names for some of the fish, claim that certain species of
>now-common fish are hard to breed, and may have less than adequate
>coverage of filtration, but those books are still excellent general
>references and (should) cost very little.
>
>WHAT NOT TO BUY:
>
>AVOID any books by TFH that are less than 100 pages or have a word
>"Beginner" in the title.  Leaf through the book: if you see lots of
>photos of products placed so that brand names are obvious and easy to
>read, or you find a bunch of photos of grinning gap-toothed kids
>holding up various pieces of equipment or poking their hands into an
>aquarium -- put this book away and never look at it again.  These books
>are (in my opinion) utter garbage.
>
>There are a few exceptions to that rule in the TFH line: Dr. Jubb's
>"Nothobranchius", 2 volumes of Jocher's "Spawning Problem Fishes" and
>Windelow's "Aquatic Plants", but they fall into the "specialty"
>category).
>
>USEFUL DATA:   Contributor: jj@alice.att.com 
>------------
>Useful numbers for fresh water:
>
>One foot of fresh water depth == .445 psi.
>
>231 cu inches (in ^ 3) = 1 gallon
>
>1 cu foot (ft ^ 3) = 7.48 gallons  =  1728 in^3
>
>1 gallon H2O at 4C weighs 8.57 lbs /* this is derived from the
>                          atmospheres/ft number, somebody
>                          with a CRC can go get the right number,
>                          but this is within a few % */
>
>Example:
>
>44x16x16 tank = 11264 in^3 = 48.76 gallons.
>
>Tank will weigh 418 lbs (roughly) (+ rocks which have an SG much
>higher than 1, so you can *roughly* say " + rocks ")
>
>The pressure at the bottom of the tank will be .59 psi, or 85 psf,
>roughly  13% more than the standard loading for code
>construction,so catch an extra joist or three with the stand!! 
>
>Along the bottom strip of the tank, you will have a total
>(uniformly spread side to side) force of ( 15.5/12*.445*44 = 25lbs)
>pushing outwards against your joints.
>
>The total force on the long side will be ( 8/12*.445*44*16 = 208
>pounds).
>
>/* Note:  In general, this is NOT half of the water weight.  This
>is a coincidence due to the same bottom and side shape. */
>
>Other useful points...
>
>     Weight = psi at bottom * bottom area
>          ( (44x16=704 in^2)  * .445*16/12 = 418 lbs)
>Note: If this doesn't give you the same answer as the volume
>calculation SOMETHING IS WRONG!
>
>     Standard (new) wood joist floor loading is 75 psf.  This
>corresponds to one 14" high tank of any other dimensions.  Before
>you build that 30" high tank, think about where it goes!  For odd
>houses and houses not to code, this may be worse (or better, who
>knows?).
>
>Disclaimer:
>-----------
>Some answers listed above may reflect personal biases of the author
>and the FAQ's contributors.  In cases where the answers name
>specific products and their respective manufacturers, these are not
>to be taken as endorsements, nor commercials for the manufacturer. 
>Where cost information is stated (magazine subscription rates),
>this is based on "street" information, and are in no way binding on
>the publisher.  The answers contained in this series pertain to
>discussions on the rec. and alt.aquaria newsgroups, and are by no means
>exhaustive.  This series is not intended to take the place of good
>aquarium books on the subject matter.
>
>Copyright:
>----------
>The FAQ owes its existence to the contributors of the net, and as
>such it belongs to the readers of rec.aquaria and alt.aquaria. 
>Copies can be made freely, as long as it is distributed at no
>charge, and the disclaimers and the copyright notice are included.
>
Newsgroups: alt.aquaria,rec.aquaria