The Nano-Reef Handbook: The Ultimate Guide to Reef Systems Under 15 Gallons
Grade 9 Up—Marine aquaria are not for the faint of heart, needing careful setups, informed denizen selection, and proper maintenance far beyond the care of simple guppies in a jam jar. Here, Brightwell focuses on a unique format-the nano- (or mini) reef, weighing in at tanks of 15 gallons or under. Beginning with the necessity for consistent water quality, he follows through with the proper physical components (tanks, water monitors, filters, lighting, etc.) and the role of complete routine maintenance procedures before getting down to the nitty-gritty of stocking. His advice on selecting motile and sessile invertebrates and on choosing fish is thoughtful, as is his chapter on setting up (which includes several effective templates). Larded with attractive color photos, from the eye-catching cover through the informative text, the book includes Internet resources, useful organizations and publications, and an extensive index. Less detailed perhaps than Vincent B. Hargeaves's large-formatThe Complete Book of the Marine Aquarium(Thunder Bay, 2002), this volume is more informative than David E. Boruchowitz's colorfulStarting Your Marine Aquarium(T.F.H., 1998) and somewhat more complex than George Blasiola'sThe Saltwater Aquarium Handbook(Barron's, 2000). Brightwell has created an up-to-date how-to for competent aquarists with limited space.—Patricia Manning, formerly at Eastchester Public Library, NYCopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.