The Inspired Aquarium: Ideas and Instruction for Living with Aquariums

The Inspired Aquarium: Ideas and Instruction for Living with Aquariums
Average customer rating:

Great pictures but awkward content

Not for beginners

Excellent Reading

An excellent book for practical information applied to aquarium aesthetics

Good introduction and inspiration

The Inspired Aquarium: Ideas and Instruction for Living with Aquariums
Jeff Senske , and Mike Senske
Manufacturer: Quarry Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Fish & Aquariums | Animal Care & Pets | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
General | Animal Care & Pets | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
General | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 1592531954

Book Description

In light of the recent popularity of such movies as Finding Nemo and Shark Tale, and aquariums as elements of interior decor, home aquariums have become all the rage. Since there are so many ways you can design an aquarium today, a little guidance is definitely needed. The Inspired Aquarium is a key tool to use while searching for ideas to help inspire your own home-aquarium design. This complete handbook acts as both an inspirational and factual guide. It shows you the most compatible choices in aquatic creatures, plants, lighting, and more for your chosen setup.

Customer Reviews:

Great pictures but awkward content .......2007-06-11

This book contains many high quality pictures of various aquariums fixture designs. It covers all types of aquarium ranging from fresh water, marine, planted to coral tanks. The knowlege this book provided is broad but scattered and simply not comprehensive enough for advanced aquarist. It is equally confusing and incomplete for the beginner aquarist. It describes VERY LITTLE on everything ranging from the fixtures, filtration system, lighting, the livestocks on both marine and fresh water aquariums. To some extent this book is a disappointment and a waste of paper. For example, one clearly can not depend on the 4 pages information provided by this book on choosing marine fish. This book could have some values to interior designers or architects who wish to incorporate an aquarium in his/her design.

Not for beginners.......2007-03-08

This is not a book for beginners who want to know how to set up a tank. Rather, this is a book for creating a tank that will fit in a magazine such a Home Beautiful. Amano's books give examples of stunning layouts. This book will give ideas of how to plan a stunning layout that blends with the color of the room's woodwork, drapery and lighting. And, it thoughtfully discusses planning where to put the filtration, drains and water source for ease of maintaining the tank. (Gotta keep that carpet clean - these rooms are show pieces, remember.)

Examples are given of neutral color fish that provide background for more colorful fish to avoid a tank that is too 'busy'. Coordination of substrate color is discussed. Reference is made several times to 'the tank maintenance service'. This is, basically, a book on interior decorating that specializes in tanks.

All in all, this is a book that rounds out a library and I have to recommend it to a library that has already covered the basics. However, you will probably not being applying the knowledge unless you either are dreaming or have bucks.

Excellent Reading .......2006-11-10

This book is definately an inspiration, and would recommend this book to anyone that also customisers aquariums to suit customers needs.
This book is a" MUST HAVE ."

An excellent book for practical information applied to aquarium aesthetics.......2006-07-03

The Inspired Aquarium by Jeff and Mike Senske is outstanding IMO. It has a vertical focus - aesthetics blended with practical advice in creating a visually appealing aquarium, broadly applied to every major type of tank. This book is not an "in the frame" aquarium picture book like Amano's, where you get a view of a tank with equipment ripped out, fans across the top to create ripples, and everything but the interior of the tank blacked out. Instead this book is filled with photos showing how lovely an aquarium can be, not just within the confines of the tank, but beautifully incorporated into your home. And it provides lots of practical information on how to make your vision a reality.

It covers fresh and saltwater fish only tanks, along with planted FW and SW reef tanks. It is not a detail technical treatise on any of those types of tank. So a beginner would have to supplement their information to get started in any of these areas, though they would have more than enough information to decide what type of aquarium they want to tackle. While it is not strictly a "how-to" book, it is filled with useful advice that seems to be lacking in so many books other dealing with aquarium aesthetics. It is particularly useful for guidance in the areas of aquarium (and equipment!) placement, plumbing, selection of aquarium and fish, filtration and lighting.

If you want an aquarium, and have set yourself a $175 budget, this is not the book you need. But if you are someone that is interested in getting into the hobby, and are willing to invest a little money and time in creating a piece of living art in your home, then this is the book you've been waiting for! Or if you are trying to figure out what type of tank you want - freshwater with fish? Freshwater planted? Salt? Reef? This provides great detail around the differences and relative difficulty of owning those types of tanks. And for people like myself, already in the hobby, but can't quite afford some of the truly magnificent tanks showcased in this book, it is still extraordinarily helpful for both the practical advice and truly inspirational examples and case studies it provides.

Books like Takashi Amano's Nature Aquarium World only show you beautiful interior pictures of planted tanks, and Cristell Kasselmann's Aquarium Plants only provide scientific information on FW aquarium plants. That is more than enough to justify the purchase of either IMO. But the Senske's The Inspired Aquarium provides both tons of practical advice and inspiring examples of creating aquariums as living works of art in your home. For me, that was enough reason to run, not walk, to go get the book.

And once in my hand, I could not make myself put it down until I had read it cover-to-cover. Actually the first night I had it, I fell asleep with it in my hands...

As far as I can tell, this type of book is unique within the hobby, and long overdue.

Good introduction and inspiration.......2006-06-24

If you think you want an aquarium, this is a great introduction to how to do it right, as well as an inspiration with great photos and ideas. As an aquarist with some years of experience, I didn't expect to learn much new here, and didn't, but still picked up some useful information. I bought the book because I'm redesigning my reef aquarium and couldn't seem to decide on what I wanted to do with cabinetry and sizing.

One thing the book makes very clear, and which is helpful for beginners or those who have done some reading but are having trouble sorting it all out, is that there are various categories of tanks. What works for a planted freshwater aquarium is not the best approach for an unplanted one. What works for a fish-only marine is not the same as for a reef. The book breaks it all down by type of aquarium, makes clear which ones are the most work, and explains the equipment basics. There is an excellent resources section at the end for learning more.

Michigan Gardener's Guide, Revised Edition
Average customer rating:

Good book - at least for the beginning gardener

Michigan Gardener's Guide, Revised Edition
Marty Hair , Laura Coit , and Tim Boland
Manufacturer: Cool Springs Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
Midwest | Regional | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
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Planting Design Illustrated

Tree and Shrub Gardening for Michigan (Lone Pine Guide)

ASIN: 1930604203

Book Description

Gardening is now the favorite leisure pastime in America. Homeowners are realizing the health benefits derived from gardening and the increase in their home's property value.

Book retailers are well aware that the trend in gardening books is to regional titles that provide credible information on the plants that perform well in specific regions.

Michigan Gardener's Guide, 2nd Edition is written by the highly popular gardening experts Marty Hair, Laura Coit and Tim Boland.

Contains easy to use advice on the top landscape plant choices (more than 160 entries) for Michigan.

Recommends specific varieties and provides advice on how to plant, how to grow and how to care for Michigan's best plants.

Customer Reviews:

Good book - at least for the beginning gardener.......2004-02-15

I borrowed this book from the library, and did not get to look through it extensively, but I am a beginning gardener and would definitely like to add this book to my home library to have on hand as a reference. I liked the fact that the book is broken into sections by annuals, perrenials, shrubs, etc. Also, I think every plant mentioned includes a full color picture. That was a high point for me as I am just becoming familiar with many of these specimens. I wish I could give a more thorough review, but at first glance I was very happy with the content of this book.

Butterflies Of Michigan Field Guide (Butterfly Field Guides)

Average customer rating:

Butterflies Of Michigan Field Guide (Butterfly Field Guides)

Butterflies Of Michigan Field Guide (Butterfly Field Guides)
Jaret C. Daniels
Manufacturer: Adventure Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Butterflies | Field Guides | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books

Reference | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books
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Trees of Michigan Field Guide (Our Nature Field Guides)
Birds of Michigan Field Guide, Second Edition

ASIN: 1591930987

Customer Reviews:

Butterflies Of Michigan Field Guide (Butterfly Field Guides).......2006-11-12

This book is very helpful when looking for host plants in Michigan.

Tree and Shrub Gardening for Michigan (Lone Pine Guide)

Average customer rating:

Lots of choices!
Worth getting if you garden in Michigan!

Tree and Shrub Gardening for Michigan (Lone Pine Guide)
Tim Wood , and Alison Beck
Manufacturer: Lone Pine Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1551053470

Customer Reviews:

Lots of choices!.......2007-08-08

As a new homeowner, I've found myself with a huge yard. The house was empty for two years. Now that I've cut, pruned, and cleared shrubs, I'm ready to plant new stuff. I saw this book in Borders and was surprised by the detailed descriptions and pictures. By no means do I have a green thumb. This book; however, encourages me to learn more.

Worth getting if you garden in Michigan!.......2007-05-02

The collaborative effort between Tim Wood & Alison Beck is a noteworthy resource for people gardening in the very cold/unreliable weather of Michigan.

Many of the comments are very insightful & the practical easy to use lay out simplifies the process of choosing suitable woody ornamentals for one's landscaping project.

As a landscape designer not originally from Mi, I've used this book as a very reliable source for recommendations in the design process. Both professionals & homeowners alike will appreciate this books wealth of information & easy reading style.

My only issue with the book was that it stuck with most of the very traditional sometimes overused plants here in Michigan. Would have been nice to have seen included a few more plants that are zone hardy to Michigan yet are highly underused and could do with some exposure to the general public. Eg: Asimina, Dianthus, Evodia, Itea, Pseudotsuga & the vast array of Explorer shrub roses that do marvellous in Michigan

Overall I think the book has plenty to offer as a crash course that lays a solid foundation to build (a garden) on.

Average customer rating:

Shrubs of Michigan
Cecil Billington
Manufacturer: Cranbrook Institute of Science
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

Shrubs | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

Average customer rating:

Good info but few pics or illustrations

The Michigan Gardening Guide
Jerry Minnich
Manufacturer: University of Michigan Press/Regional
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Garden Design | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0472083988

Book Description

It's all here--step-by-step guidance for gardening success in Michigan's varying soil types and often difficult climate. Veteran garden writer Jerry Minnich presents detailed directions and practical tips for growing vegetables, herbs, flowers, landscaping plants, and house plants, as well as dependable advice on hundreds of garden operations.

Minnich begins where gardening begins--in the soil--as he tells how to build a healthy and productive soil, and how to solve soil problems. In subsequent chapters he reveals composting and mulching techniques, and what to do when the weather is less than congenial for gardens. Minnich describes more than sixty Michigan vegetables, tells how to grow them, and lists recommended varieties for each. There are also chapters on growing fruits, berries, and nuts, and on food storage. Minnich devotes a chapter to growing annuals and perennials, another on lawns, trees, and ornamental woody plants. He tells how to deal with insect and animal pests without using harmful chemicals, and he includes a major section on houseplants.

Throughout, Minnich approaches the subject with experience, wit, and style. Readers will learn how to deal with weeds in the lawn, how to surf the landscape for com-posting materials, and how to grow mulch at home. He explains intercropping, companion planting, seed saving, cover cropping, strip composting and other techniques. He tells how to raise unusual crops such as tomatillos and radicchio, as well as the standard favorites. He explains how the science of phenology can help the gardener, how to take a soil test, how to use earthworms to turn household wastes in to compost, and how to attract birds and toads to the garden. And he lists more than a thousand varieties of vegetables, herbs, fruits, and ornamentals that can be trusted to grow in the Michigan climate.

The Michigan Gardening Guide is the one backyard guide that Michigan gardeners can trust. It is a tool as indispensable as the hoe and the shovel.

Jerry Minnich has written about gardening for more than twenty years and has been commended with a Certificate of Merit by the Garden Writers Association of America. His interest in gardening began when he joined the staff of Organic Gardening in the 1950s.

Customer Reviews:

Good info but few pics or illustrations.......2005-09-26

I was disappointed in this book because there are very few photos or illustrations, and those that appear are not in color. Also, I assumed the book was solely about floral gardens (because of the lovely cover) but it actually covers lawn care, fruit trees, vegetable and indoor gardens, etc.; not that much is devoted to flowering annuals/perennials. (My fault: I should have previewed the table of contents). The section on insect control is probably the best part of the book. Although other readers might be very pleased with the book and all the general info it contains, I would not have purchased this book if I had seen it beforehand.

Average customer rating:

Guide to Michigan Vegetable Gardening
James Fizzell
Manufacturer: Cool Springs Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Horseman's Guide to Michigan Trails Revised

Average customer rating:

Horseman's Guide to Michigan Trails Revised
John Faitel
Manufacturer: Jf Press, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0965027619

The Michigan Gardener's Companion: An Insider's Guide to Gardening in the Great Lakes State

Average customer rating:

The Michigan Gardener's Companion: An Insider's Guide to Gardening in the Great Lakes State
Rita C. Henehan
Manufacturer: Globe Pequot
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

Book Description

The glaciers that advanced and then receded through the Great Lakes region shaped Michigan’s terrain and soil in ways that challenge and sometimes confound modern-day gardeners. Michigan today has 450 varieties of soil! Before they can garden successfully, Michigan gardeners need to know what soil they have and how to address its shortcomings—and do that within the limitations of the state’s climate and northern growing season. This book explains how Michigan gardeners can lengthen their growing seasons through careful plant selection, exploiting microclimates, and using season-extending products. Chapters focus on lawns, vegetables, flowers, and trees, plant diseases, and invasive plants.

Author Rita C. Henehan lives in White Pigeon, Michigan. She is a Master Gardener and frequent contributor to garden publications coast to coast, and often appears on the radio program “Green Thumbs Up.”

Average customer rating:

Michigan Lawn Guide
Melinda Myers
Manufacturer: Cool Springs Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Book Description

The Michigan Lawn Guide takes the mystery out of lawn care and maintenance. The book describes how to properly plant, fertilize and water as well as recommendations on how to address the inevitable lawn problems.

Seasonal Guide to the Natural Year: A Month by Month Guide to Natural Events--Minnesota, Michigan & Wisconsin

Average customer rating:

Seasonal Guide to the Natural Year: A Month by Month Guide to Natural Events--Minnesota, Michigan & Wisconsin
John Bates
Manufacturer: Fulcrum Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
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