The Marine Reef Aquarium Hardcover – August 1, 2008

I owned a high end reef aquarium store for 3 years and I found this to be one of my favorite books for beginner and intermediate aquarists (by the way if you ever think you want to start or own an aquarium store think twice. you will not make a lot of money and you will work more hours than you thought there were in day). It does a great job covering the specifics of reef aquariums and is not out-dated the way a lot of books are (ie old school lighting and filtering techniques are not a problem with this book). It is brief and easy to read, although not lacking any subjects. If you want more information on a subject, this book will give you enough knowledge to intelligently search the web for more in depth articles on that specific subject. It sets realistic expectations and points you in the right directions. If you consider yourself an expert, you probably won't find this book all that useful, but I think you would agree that this book is great for beg/int hobbyists.Anyways that is my $.02. I hope it is useful!

I would definitely recommend this book for anyone thinking about setting up their first marine tank. Well written and laid out, this book goes over the basics to starting a reef tank and even includes some info about more advanced things. My personal fave is the fact they included a chapter on pests and how to get rid of them... including mantis shrimp, which I have yet to see in a book like this.Its hardcover and full of pages of colorful pictures and diagrams, and is a pleasure to read from cover to cover.Please check out my other reviews for beginning marine aquariums at: [...]

This book has a lot of good information if you are doing a first time setup, or are new to reef aquariums. The information is very current, and the book has lots of great pictures and diagrams. If you are thinking about getting into the hobby, or are a beginner and need some direction this is a must read! Most experienced reefers will not get a lot out of this book other than some nice pictures and some info here and there, but it would make a great coffee table book so your friends and family who visit can quickly understand your reef.

If you already have the mini encyclopedia by the same author, don't bother with this one -- they are virtually identical. But I bought this one because this is the book that my local store has. It is very current, has great basics.

I highly recommend this for anyone thinking of getting into the saltwater reef tank hobby. The information is very well laid out, easy to read, and from cross checking is also accurate. An updated version discussing the ins and outs of LED lights would be nice but since LED's are just getting to market in mass amounts, and at a price that actually makes them affordable, it's understandable that there could be a year or two delay as LED requirements are discovered. This will make a great ongoing reference book as well as an attractive coffee table book!

If you're feeling overwhelmed by an endless stretch of aquarium how to videos in your YouTube feed (Like I was) this book is a good primer to start organizing your thoughts.

My skill level is "A guy who used to have a fish/live rock tank 15 years ago" and I wanted to get up to date on current ideas/technology. I read this in about a week and I learned a great deal. I bought a new 90g tank with a refugium (which I've never had) and I think this book did a great job of preparing me for taking care of it. I recommend keeping a highlighter/notes handy as well.

This book is excellent for anyone just starting out. Very clear instructions. If you are into the reef more than 2-3 months it will become a reference only on a basic level. It did co firm for me I had set up my tank correctly. I’m about 6 months into my tank.