Getting Started with Aquariums

by Marissa Creamer Rowan Public Library                                                                                                                            

 Do your summer vacation plans include a trip to one of North Carolina’s public aquariums?  The aquariums at Roanoke Island, Pine Knoll Shores, and Fort Fisher offer a wonderful opportunity to experience North Carolina’s aquatic environments. Aquariums provide such a refreshing respite from the unrelenting heat of summer.  Watching sea creatures glide silently through the clear water is so relaxing you might find yourself wishing for your own aquarium at home.

Scientific advances have made aquarium keeping more convenient than ever. If you think you might be interested in starting a home aquarium but want to learn more before you take the plunge, plan a visit to Rowan Public Library for a selection of books to guide you.

For a basic beginner’s guide, try Gina Sandford’s Aquarium Owner’s Manual.  She discusses the various kinds of equipment needed, how to set it up, and how to choose and care for fish and plants. Also provided are sample setups for a variety of different environments including tropical freshwater, softwater, and rift lake, as well as brackish water, marine, and reef. Each setup includes specifics concerning equipment, décor, plants, and stock, as well as alternate fish selections.

If you like a methodical approach, Setting Up a Tropical Aquarium Week-by-Week by Stuart Thraves is the book for you. Thraves walks you through the process step-by-step, beginning with building the system, and leads you through adding plants and fish at the proper time. I especially like the photographic sequences that follow each stage of set-up in real time over a period of twelve weeks. The detailed “Routine Maintenance” section will help you keep your aquarium in top form.

Of course, you want your aquarium to be pleasant environment for your fish as well as an attractive feature in your home. To create an aquarium with the appearance of the natural habitat in which the fish live, take a look at Aquarium Designs inspired by Nature, by Peter Hiscock. He provides a world tour of aquatic environments with full details of how to create them in a home aquarium. Draw inspiration from the large photographs depicting the swirling currents of mountain streams and rushing rivers. Or perhaps you prefer the still waters of peaceful lakes, swamps and pools. Detailed descriptions of the habitats and the native fish and plant life can help you create your own inspired design.

The beautiful fish are the main attraction in an aquarium, and the variety of fishes available to the aquarist is larger than ever before. If you don’t know a gold zebra loach from a goldfish, consult Focus on Freshwater Aquarium Fish, by Geoff Rogers and Nick Fletcher. You will find more than 800 beautiful color photographs of over 150 popular freshwater fish, divided by family grouping, with details on the size and characteristics of each.

RPL also has a selection of books for the saltwater aquarium enthusiast, as well as books on aquarium plants and fish health.  Take advantage of the resources available at Rowan Public Library to ensure success with your new aquarium.