# BEST PLANTED TANK BOOK



## PhishNeslo (Dec 20, 2002)

the amano book is not technical at all. it is a nice picture book. there are three in the series, the first is about normal sized tanks, the second is about really small ones, and the third is about really big ones. they are all incredible. 

i need a really technical book about planted tanks. i have been reading my old organic chemistry books, and my old ecology and biology books, and my physics books, but i just want one that will tell me which plants like which lights and why, what different lights do to different plants, and a complete list of all the chemical processes going on the the tank (fish, plants, algae, bacteria, water, etc). i want to know everything. so if anyone knows the book, let me know.


----------



## cousin it (Nov 1, 2002)

the books I find useful for planted tanks are:
Berti Gesting, Nature and aquarium (advanced aquarium management)
Dennerle, System for a problem free aquarium
Dr Karel Rataj, Thomas j Horeman, Aquarium Plants ( their Identification, cultivation and ecology)
Takashi Amano, Aquarium plant paradise.

out of them all the one which has been the most useful over the years is the Berti Gesting one.


----------



## Doomer (Jan 5, 2003)

Aquarium Plants by Christel Kasselmann. Pricey but very good.


----------



## GulfCoastAquarian (Jul 30, 2002)

My favorite planted aquarium books are the Amano books as well. Generally most technical references are either outdated or fairly basic. The best resource a planted aquarium book can be useful for is simply getting ideas for aquascaping by looking at pictures.


----------



## corvus (Dec 23, 2002)

I have yet to find a single book that will tell me everything to do to get the results I want, because I don't think it exists.

However, the Amano books inspired me to get into planted tanks, thats for sure!


----------



## cousin it (Nov 1, 2002)

I have used the Berti Gesting book to achieve the results I get, instead of quoting latest ideas it gives a very good explaination as to how and why following natural processes.


----------



## PhishNeslo (Dec 20, 2002)

ohhh . . .i know it is out there. ill find it. i am pretty bookish ;-)


----------



## Steve Hampton (Jul 22, 2002)

For Aquarium Plant Identification:
Aquarium Plants - The Practical Guide: 
by Pablo Tepoot

For Flower Morphology and Biology, Biotopes and detailed information:
Aquarium Plants - by Christel Kasselmann

My all around favorite and most thought provoking and most often referred to book:
Ecology of the Planted Aquarium A Practical Manual and Scientific Treatise for the Home Aquarist - by Diana Walstad

There are others but these three are full of details and current information.

Interestingly, I've got an extensive library of reference texts but I've never purchased one of Amano's picture books. While I enjoy looking at his stunning layouts and creative photography I haven't found that the text of the books to be very good...I just look at the books at the book store or on the web. I should also note that I favor Dutch and Jungle style tanks over Amano's.


----------



## PhishNeslo (Dec 20, 2002)

i almost bought that walstad book. i balked at the price though, and didnt order it. i think i should have. i really like the amano books, and his asian-style layouts. that is what i go for in my talks. clumps of different plants next to each other just dont make me as happy


----------



## kuhli (Dec 4, 2002)

Another vote for "The Ecology of the Planted Aquarium - A Practical Manual and Scientific Treatise for the Home Aquarist" by Diana Walstad. The book is really a collection of all of the 'scientific' evidence or tools she's come across in her years of aquarium keeping. It's easily the most technical publication oriented exclusively towards planted aquaria. You won't be disappointed.


----------



## aquaphish (Dec 20, 2002)

I found a book by Ines Scheurmann -- Alquarium Plants Manual. It's good for the price under $10..00


----------



## PhishNeslo (Dec 20, 2002)

that scheurmann book is pretty old (its a good place to start though) it is only about 50 or 60 pages though, and is one of those little books (like 6x8 inches or something)


----------



## corvus (Dec 23, 2002)

I also have the Walstad book, it is very good. However some of it, IMO, you need to be a biology student/professor to understand it.


----------



## PhishNeslo (Dec 20, 2002)

bingo. i just ordered it on amazon. so ill have to dust off my chem/bio minor. hehehe


----------



## Fishysan (Apr 8, 2004)

Cool book lists.. getting a few of those myself.

Of the Amano books, for the pictures, which is your favorite? I'd really like to just get one Amano volume for now as inspiration.

Thanks!


----------



## urbanspectrum (Feb 19, 2004)

I just picked up a book, Encyclopedia of Aquarium Plants by Peter Hiscock 
that I find to be one of the more helpfull books, its got 150 plant profiles in the back. think it retals for under 20 bucks


----------



## GreenTank (Mar 2, 2004)

I second the Encyclopedia of Aquarium plants by Peter Hiscook. It helped me understand alot more, and the picutures and advice on plants is great. The only place its lacking is info on algae. It has some but is limited. 


Its such a great book. Ive got a few of the amano books..ok but not informative. Also a good pocket size book is Plants for Your Aquarium by Wolfgang Gula, published by Barons.


----------



## bpl1000 (Dec 14, 2003)

*How about those plant identification books?*

hmm... I have the Hiscock book also, I thought it was kind of "thin". Good starter book though.

Anyone have any other good plant identification books they could recommend? I have a couple unidentified plants that I bought at Petco when I was just starting out. First and last plants I'll will probably ever buy there, btw.


----------



## Wasserpest (Jun 12, 2003)

bpl1000 said:


> Anyone have any other good plant identification books they could recommend?


As Doomer already mentioned before... For the more serious planted tankers, Aquarium Plants by Christel Kasselmann is great for IDing plants, and gives a lot of cultural information too. Expensive, but about 500 good pages.


----------



## Hannahj (Dec 18, 2021)

cousin it said:


> the books I find useful for planted tanks are:
> Berti Gesting, Nature and aquarium (advanced aquarium management)
> Dennerle, System for a problem free aquarium
> Dr Karel Rataj, Thomas j Horeman, Aquarium Plants ( their Identification, cultivation and ecology)
> ...


I’ve been looking for the “Nature and Aquarium” Gesting, B (1993). I live in the US and no search results can make this book available to me. Any suggestion? Where did you find yours? I can’t find one anywhere online, or on a resale site.


----------



## Asteroid (Jul 26, 2018)

Hannahj said:


> I’ve been looking for the “Nature and Aquarium” Gesting, B (1993). I live in the US and no search results can make this book available to me. Any suggestion? Where did you find yours? I can’t find one anywhere online, or on a resale site.


Just so your aware, your responding to a post that is around 18 years, so don't be upset if you don't get a response. Many newbies to the forum do this, your not the first.


----------



## Darkblade48 (Jan 4, 2008)

Wow, I think 18 years is the record that I've seen for thread revival so far!


----------



## Kubla (Jan 5, 2014)

It's actually only a couple of weeks from being 19 years old!


----------



## Socratic monologue (Dec 8, 2008)

Oh, if we could go back in time a couple decades and pick up all the aquaculture (and herpetoculture) books that don't exist anymore....

It was a golden age, and we didn't know it.


----------

