Reef Keeping Basics

Successful Reef Tank Management
By Eric V. Van Der Hope
Publisher: Globalnet Publishing (2006)

Reef Keeping Basics

This is not your normal aquarium book. Reef Keeping Basics is an e-book (printable for personal use) that contains a ton of vital information for anyone interested in starting a reef type saltwater tank. Starting a reef tank can be very expensive and with so much money tied up in equipment it's critical that we get it right the first time. By reading this book before embarking on your reef keeping adventure, you could potentially save yourself a lot of money and prevent many headaches. Don't just read this book, STUDY it.

Here's the premise: Eric Van Der Hope interviewed 14 successful reef tank keepers and asked them really good questions on nearly all of the possible reef keeping topics and you get to read their detailed responses. Reef Keeping Basics provides you with a quick way to learn from those more experienced in this hobby. Learn from their mistakes, experiences and knowledge.

List of Reef Keepers Interviewed:

Adrian Nichols
Alicia Honn
Carole Jurrens
Dave Playfair
Joe Burger
John Susbilla
Karen Powell
Kevin Pockell
Marc Levenson
Marie Dempsey
Melody Surber
Richard Durso
Russell Mountain
Tara Izzo

Areas/Topics covered by each Reef Keeper:

Types of setups they have - often multiple tanks.
How long it took them to get where they are now in the hobby.
Most important aspects for saltwater fish beginners to consider.
Information they wish they had when starting out.
What they think the top 5 areas hobbyists should concentrate on.
Thoughts on the budget needed for keeping a reef tank.
The difference between a good and a great reef tank setup.
Their aquarium type preferences.
Their least favorite aspect of this hobby and the most rewarding part.
Detailed discussions on water, aquarium reverse-osmosis units, deionization, test equipment required, etc.
Proper aquarium lighting arrangements and lighting issues that every hobbyist should consider.
Filtration methods - What types of filtration they use (protein skimmer, refugium setup, etc.) and recommend and how they use live rock.
Substrate preferences - what they prefer and why.
All other equipment needed such as salt, test equipment, heaters, powerheads, wave makers, etc.
Suplemental Additives - Calcium, Iodine, etc. Which ones they use and how often.
Livestock recommendations - good starter fish, corals, anemones and invertebrates.
What and how they feed their fish, corals, anemones and inverts.
Preventive Maintenance - their thoughts and maintenance regimen as well as advice on controlling troublesome algae.
Buying equipment - their thoughts and recommendations on buying your equipment prior to setting up.
Aquarium Fish Tips and Suggestions - last but not least, each reefer gives tips and suggestions on selecting fish, obvious mistakes they've made that you can avoid, other books they recommend for further research and many answers to commonly asked questions.

What's really interesting is to read the different approaches to the various aspects of reef keeping. It shows you how no two setups are exactly alike but they achieve the same end result - a thriving miniature reef in a home aquarium.

Reef Keeping Basics covers alot of ground and covers it well. After reading these interviews you should be armed with the confidence and, more importantly, the knowledge needed to get started right in the reef keeping hobby. 4.5 stars .

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