One of the keys to successful aquaria is good information. There are many sources of information but having access to good reference books is essential. The following are my recommendations for books for various aspects of the hobby:

General Reef Keeping

Shimek R. 1999. The Coral Reef Aquarium: An Owner's Guide To A Happy Healthy Fish. Howell Book House, New York, 126pp.


This is an inexpensive book that gives all the necessary basic information about setting up a tank.


Tullock J.H. 1997. Natural Reef Aquariums: Simplified Approaches to Creating Living Saltwater Microcosms. Microcosm Ltd, Shelburne, VT, 336pp.


Another excellent book which includes all the basic information about marine aquariums. One of the features of this books is it gives a number of examples of potential tanks.


Fosså S.A. and Nilsen A.J. 1996. The Modern Coral Reef Aquarium, Volume 1. Birgit Schmettkamp Verlag, Bornheim, Germany, 367pp.


A very good reference book that goes into a lot of detail about various aspects of the aquarium keeping, including lighting and chemistry.

Coral Care

Borneman E.H. 2001. Aquarium Corals: Selection, Husbandry, and Natural History. Microcosm Ltd, Charlotte, VT, 464pp.


The book gives a very good grounding on the biology of corals (Hydrocorals, Zoanthids, Corallimorphs, Soft Corals and Scleractinia) as well as how to care for them. It also contains comprehensive information on most of the families, genera and species commonly seen in the aquarium trade. This book is a must for anyone attempting to keep corals.

Coral Identification

Veron J.E.N. 2000. Corals of the World - Volumes 1, 2, 3. Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville, Australia, 1382pp.


Corals of the World is the definitive set of books for the identification of scleractinian (stony) corals. The books do not include any information on the on aquarium care , however the provided habitat information is useful for understanding a coral's requirements.


Fabricius K. and Alderslade P. 2001. Soft Corals and Sea Fans: A comprehensive guide to the tropical shallow-water genera of the Central-West Pacific, the Indian Ocean and the Red Sea. AIMS, Townsville, Australia, 264pp.


Soft Corals and Sea Fans is very useful for identifying soft corals often encountered in marine aquaria. It does not include any details on aquarium requirements but the habitat descriptions of each genus are helpful.

Last updated: July 10, 2003