Ecology of the Planted Aquarium: A Practical Manual and Scientific Treatise Paperback – April 15, 2023

I'm not new to plants but I'm pretty new to aquariums, and you don't know what you don't know, so I was really interested in getting this book to find out what I SHOULD know, and what I should be paying attention to. The "Carbon" chapter got too technical for me, 9EDIT: I went back and read it at the end, and after everything else, it made more sense) but most of the rest of the book had a ton of really good info that I really found useful. The actual instructions for setting up a tank come at the very end of the book, so it's reasonable to read that first, then read through the whole book to get an understanding of why. But the whole book does have a ton of relevant information, and it gets through it efficiently and explains it in a practical manner, so I found it very interesting to read even though I don't really know chemistry.

The title is *very* descriptive. This book uses science instead of relying on the conventional wisdom, which is so often wrong, or the many myths about planted aquaria. Yet it is a practical and accessible text for the home hobbyist.Many books on tropical fish and planted aquaria are little more than a concatenations of captioned postcards -- attractive color photographs with sparse, slightly informative text. Generally they follow the current trends or parrot the conventional wisdom, which has often proven to be wrong or misguided. But _Ecology of the Planted Aquarium_ is a refreshing change from the glut of "postcard" books available on aquaria. If you want pictures, this is not your book -- but there is no shortage of those to choose from.Rather than merely repeat the conventional wisdom or trumpet a new and contrary view, this author has diligently researched what happens in a planted aquarium AND explored hypotheses to explain the results. It set a new standard for books on the subject by replacing anecdotal arguments, didacticism, marketing promises, and myth with science. Many aquatic gardening experts consider this now a standard text to read (and have for reference) if you want to keep planted aquaria.Extensive references are included so that sources, scientific studies, etc. can be traced back for further research. This book reveals in a well-organized manner the complex chemical relationships in a typical hobbyist planted aquarium. As such, it can serve as a primer and key reference work for hobbyists. Hopefully, it will also stimulate discussion and serve as stalking horse for further research into this complex subject. Although necessarily technical, it is not unduly so nor does it demand of the reader any specialized education.While the author does have a stated personal preference for simple, "low-tech," inexpensive methods, she lays out the basic science that underlays all methods, including "high-tech." Thus, this book, more than any other I have seen on the subject, provides a foundation for explaining why divergent and even contrary methods of setting up and maintaining planted aquaria can be equally successful.If you plan of having a planted aquarium, you owe it to yourself to get this book.

This book has become an underground hit among hobbyists wishing to throw off the yoke of mechanical filtering which has been the long-recommended method of maintaining a healthy freshwater aquarium. The author, who recently admitted that it wasn't until 2019 that she started taking her own advice, makes the case that many, many common aquatic plants require ammonia and other nitrates as a staple food and that these nutrients are readily available in the form of fish waste. It's as simple as that, but she does so by taking the reader's hand through chemical formula by chemical formula in a way that speaks to both the scientific community and ordinary hobbyists simultaneously. Although nowhere does she come right out and say so, the clear upshot is that by heavily planting an aquarium with the right combination of soil (actual dirt - not just gravel) plus submersed, emersed, floating and emergent greenery, one can do away with plug-in filters. A fascinating read, best used in conjunction with the author's discussion board, readily located by googling her name, or simply dwalstad.

This volume contains a wealth of information; it covers its topic thoroughly and in great detail, if also with a good deal of repetition. Reading the book straight through I was annoyed by its repetitiveness, though this makes it more, not less, useful as a reference work, which, like most readers, is how I will most use it in the future. The author knows what she is talking about; her conclusions seem scientifically sound and, for the most part, are based on experimental data, many of which are included. Her presentation of anecdotal evidence is helpful as well. Her writing, in addition to its redundancy, was also replete with errors in both grammar and syntax, which I found quite annoying; these would have benefitted greatly from more vigorous proofreading. To those who wish to read this book front to back, as I did, I recommend doing so with paper and pencil in hand; summarizing its most salient points as one goes will greatly help one navigate the otherwise relatively dense text. This book is probably best appreciated by readers who have a firm grasp of at least undergraduate level biology and chemistry, but its conclusions should be useful to almost anyone interested in aquarium keeping. With that caveat, I strongly recommend this book for the deeper insight it offers to all, even the most experienced, aquarists. It's a flawed gem, but a gem nonetheless; I know of no other publication like it.