Dynamic Aquaria: Building Living Ecosystems

Very informative; actually employing some of the techniques described therein.

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I must admit I have not read the third edition of this book,only the second. I anticipate any improvements the authors have considered adding will be worth the time to take in. Reading this book probably demands an appetite for knowledge as broad as Dr.Adey's, and it is clear from the references he offers that he could expand on all the information here without trouble. But what is here! Even if the reader can never manage the resources to develop any of the systems described, the lessons taught amount to a new and comprehensive way to understand how the world biologically and physically works.As someone who had looked for this kind of information, and found it only in bits and pieces,it would be hard for me to overemphasize how valuable this piece of work is. If you are just going about setting up your first aquarium this book will scare you with the science. The information really needs to find it's way into the hobby level through the experience and writing of others who may need to simplify the presentation. Also, the equipment that is necessary to achieve the results described here is simple, but not yet available "off the shelf" It's hard to know if it will ever be, even for those with more professional needs.The ideas are so basic, yet so radical compared to the way aquarium keeping has always been understood, that only the person who is excited by the vision of capturing a real ecological system will be interested for now. I am a serious hobbyist with a science backround. This book, in any of it's editions, should be considered from here on as the definitive work on keeping an aquatic system healthy, whether it's in your home or outside your door.

Dr. Walter Adey is one of those rare, truly multi-disciplinary scientists. I once heard a list of all his advanced degrees, which ranged from marine biology to botany to geology, but I can't remember them. I came away with the impression that he was in a position to really understand the complexity of a living ecosystem. That breadth and depth of knowledge shines through in Dynamic Aquaria, making this a far more interesting and readable book than the title might indicate. What's more, this book is about the process of recreating living ecosystems, which is the true test of understanding. As such, this book could be considered one of the seminal works of what is now a multifaceted global discipline: restoration ecology. My exposure to Dr. Adey (and to the late reef restoration researcher Wolf Hilbertz) in the mid-90's, when he was Director of the Marine Systems Laboratory at the Smithsonian Institution. This book, and those two men, set me on the restoration path. It led to my writing The Restoration Economy (2002), which was the first book to document the multi-trillion-dollar collection of industries and scientific disciplines that are restoring our natural and built environments. My entire professional life has since been focused on community revitalization and natural resource restoration, culminating in a new book, reWealth (McGraw-Hill, 2008). What I'm saying is that the insights I gained from Dynamic Aquaria helped change my life in a very positive and major way. I don't know what higher praise I could give a book. If you love this blue planet, maybe it can do the same for you.

This book explores aquarium systems as models of natural eco systems. Adey and Loveland's technique relies on algae scrubbers to reduce nitrate levels in the tank. By removing new growth of algae, one can avoid frequent water changes. The book includes extensive discussion of important aspects of marine eco systems, such as wave motion, light, and food chains, to name just a few.The book is more about the science of building marine microcosms than a cookbook for building home marine aquariums.

It is a book written by the inventor of the algae turf scrubber (ATS). The book offers a comprehensive discussion of the water treatment problem, at a scientific level. It is relevant and interesting for anybody interested in the ATS technology. The treatment of the water purification problem is comprehensive and includes detailed discussions related to biology and microbiology. It also reviews water sewage treatment facilities based on the ATS. The author has extensive experience with the maintenance of large salt water aquaria.

Brilliant, insightful and interesting book. High on technical detail.

Ce livre est une merveille.Mais une merveille difficile a saisir.Ce livre est avant tout écrit pour des biologistes il me semble.Une bonne maîtrise du sujet est un prérequis obligatoire pour aborder sereinement le contenu de ce livre.Cela dit, ce livre est un excellent complément pour tout aquariophile qui veut comprendre ce qui se passe dans les milieux aquatiques, et ce en profondeur.Il ne remplacera en aucun cas un bouquin sur l'aquariophilie au sens large du terme.Ce livre traite de tout les aspects d'un milieux aquatique, mais très peu de ses habitants.Ce n'est donc pas ce bouquin qui vous aidera a choisir LE poisson idéal pour votre aquarium.Il n'en demeure que ce bouquin est un Must-have pour la bibliothèque d'un aquariophile averti.