Recommend me some good books please

[ancientaquarist]

Taxonomy, photography and scientific interpretation.

I accessed a German review of Koslowski's book. It essentially said-extremely thorough, attrocious photos and for other taxonomists ONLY.

Aquarists beware. Caveat emptor. I cancelled my order immediately as this was the gist of five reviews over 16 months. I love dwarf cichlids and
hope to have many more. Guess what. They are living things and don't give a rusty f k what any scientist says their name is this week or their
evolutionary connections to their relatives. And so many apistos have so many morphs that it's a wonderful group of confusing animals. Good!

Further, as someone whio studied and taught botanical nomenclature for 35 years there isn't one ID that isn't arguable and they change faster than our underwear in the desert. I like Roemer's book and most of my
others. There will always be arguments and it's good to have a Wise Mike
around to delineate them-but the fish and the aquarists shouldn't waste their time on such trivia! Just 2 cents worth of parlour wisdom.

 

[libasci]

Mergus Cichlid Atlas on sale for 35.99 at drsfostersmith

I just found this deal thought I would post it - seem like the same book everyone is talking about


http://www.drsfostersmith.com/produ...p;js_enabled=0&Bc=1&N=2004+4294963375

 

[cootwarm]

Sounds like both books compliment each other, like a set. Sounds like it wouldn't be redundant to purchase both books.

As for Romers Atlas, I've been keeping fish for many, many years but I was new to apistos. I knew nothing about water chemistry. For all those years I only needed to worry about temperature, water changes and de-chlor. I used peat water before, but I just knew peat water encouraged breeding in certain species, but I never tested or measured it at all, I just added a randon amount to my water changes. With Romers Atlas it seemed I was learning something new each turn of the page. But then I'm a reader. I prefer to read textbooks to fiction novels. (Actually, I can't remember the last time I read any fiction!).
Not to get off topic, but I must add that this forum has been the best learning tool of all. If anything needs to be clarified or better understood, just post a query here and tap the experience of the many, many knowledgable & experienced dwarf keepers that are members of this forum!

Michael

 

[apistodave]

Did anyone read page six of the atlas??? Well there you go, A Pulchra is A Pulchra, the holotype that was used by Kullander was compared to by Uwe. Kullander calls it an intermediate Sp between Pertensis group and agassizi. In most pubs Gephyra is used to example the agassizi type Pulchra, blue spot on upper lip. One of the problems with Ingos book is he was given a deadline to have it done by interzoo 2002 or leave it forever, as a result there are lots of errors in layout and picture quality, pics which are referenced by text but unidentifiable as to which pics. Ingo hadnt even been keeping apistos for years before he wrote the book too.

 

[apistodave]

Darn now I am guilty of what I was complaining about!!!!!!!! Buy the book read it ---I have some excerpts and its certainly a good book!!!!!!!!!

 

[Rolo]

Hi Dave,

:evil:

do you know the real facts about the development of the book and the bad pictures? .... I know another "truth" So I think, I should defend Koslowski a little bit now...

But as you talked about your business point of view and the magnetism of bad informations in people's mind ... please stop that! ... better edit it.

The truth is always in the middle... and we shouldn't go on discussing this theme, because we are both too much prejudiced.

greetings,
Rolo

 

[apistodave]

Rolo even Mike says the pics arent that good!

 

[apistodave]

Edit it?? Wait a minute. I have been silent for months now and reading the minor criticisms of the book I worked on. I write a critique of another book and I have to edit it! Something wrong with this picture here.

 

[apistodave]

I also said this Rolo--Darn now I am guilty of what I was complaining about!!!!!!!! Buy the book read it ---I have some excerpts and its certainly a good book!!!!!!!!!

 

[Mike Wise]

Did anyone read page six of the atlas???

David,

I, as most of up appreciate all of Uwe's efforts of many years of research, but what does this have to do with inaccuracies in his book?

Well there you go, A Pulchra is A Pulchra, the holotype that was used by Kullander was compared to by Uwe.

OK, he examined the holotype of A. pulchra Kullander 1980 - and misidentified the fish (A. sp. Erdfresser/Earth-eater) shown in the Atlas!

Think about this. Kullander described A. pulchra in 1980. At the time he knew this fish better than anyone. He then shows a specimen of the Erdfresser/Earth-eater Apisto in his description of A. hippolytae Kullander 1982 (fig. 3, p. 182). He describes figure 3 thus (translated from German): "A specimen of a 37 mm SL undescribed (emphasis is mine) Apistogramma species from the type locality of A. hippolytae". I ask you, why would Dr. Kullander fail to recognize a species that he had described only 2 years earlier??? He is, after all, recognized in cichlid circles as the preeminant cichlid taxonomist. Obviously Kullander recognized Erdfresser as a completely different species from A. pulchra. Unfortunately Römer didn't.

Kullander calls it an intermediate Sp between Pertensis group and agassizi . In most pubs Gephyra is used to example the agassizi type Pulchra, blue spot on upper lip.

Not quite true. Kullander states in the original description of A. pulchra that, "Its characters place it in the pertensis group, but it is distinguished from its closest relatives there by the colour pattern, rather few dorsal spines ... etc." As for A. gephyra Kulander placed it with A. pertensis because "of the lack of dorsal fin spot, and the few chest scales, but the relationships remain somewhat obscure." If you go to Dr. Kullanders web site right now you will now see that he accepts that both A. pulchra & A. gephyra belong in the agassizii-group, not the pertensis-group. He is not afraid to correct errors. Every author on Apistogramma - except Uwe, it seems - now believes the same.

One of the problems with Ingos book is he was given a deadline to have it done by interzoo 2002 or leave it forever, as a result there are lots of errors in layout and picture quality, pics which are referenced by text but unidentifiable as to which pics. Ingo hadnt even been keeping apistos for years before he wrote the book too.

These are very strange comments. Rainer Stawikowski had been 'bugging' Ingo to write the dwarf ciclid section of the "Die Buntbarsche Amerikas" series of books from day 1, back in the mid-90s. At the time, Ingo considered his book "Die Buntbarsche der Neuen Welt - Zwergcichliden" adequate. It was only after the explosion of new apistos that appeared in the late 90s that he realized that an update of his original book would be useful.

Ingo & I had ongoing correspondence concerning aspects of his book as far back as 1999. The manuscript was updated for the last time in December 2001. He had written me several months earlier that the 'due date' for his finished manuscript was the end of 2001. You certainly can't blame him for printing problems. His book was out for sale in March 2002.

As for the comment that Ingo hasn't kept apistos for years is a considerable exageration. Koslowski's bibliography shows apisto hobby articles, scientific descriptions, and books starting in 1980 and being continuous to the present. The only hiatus in his writing was between 1987 & 1994. During this period he had just finished the most comprehensive book on dwarf cichlids to date, started teaching in high school, got married & became a father. Anyone who knows what it's like getting started as a high school teacher knows that time & money are at a premium. Career & family come first. Still Ingo was giving talks to local clubs throughout this period. At this moment he is keeping mostly wild bettas, "because there are not many interesting new apistogramma now." Unlike Uwe's outgoing, over the top, personality, Ingo is more like Dr. Kullander, a tiny bit introverted, studious, & careful what he says. He also reports mistakes that he makes (to me at least :) ).

This will be the last comment on this subject from me. I consider both gentlemen assets to our hobby, but I will politely report mistakes either make.

 

[apistodave]

Ok we can leave it here if you want--it's getting a little heated and maybe on the verge of personal so if you two want to quit I'm game.

 

[apistodave]

Ok we can leave it here if you want--it's getting a little heated and maybe on the verge of personal so if you two want to quit I'm game. The friendships are important too.They really are both very good books and anyone who gets them is doing the right thing

 

[ancientaquarist]

Books-Koslowski-Roemer usw.

Hi Dave, Mike, Rollo and All-

I have read now six reviews auf Deutsch of Roemer's ATLAS and the Koslowski book. Without reservation each review is highly enthusiastic about the Atlas and has grave reservations about an appropriate readership for the Koslowski. The first said in bold type-"not for hobbiests-strictly a tome for taxonomists.<snip> and the frightful photographs miserably produced undercut its usefulness for the scientific community."

In the same on-line evaluation Ingo replies that is "was intended for a broader audience than taxonomists" but "I agree fully that the dark, undecipherable photographs (entirely the fault of the publishers) actually places the value of my book in question for everyone, including me!"

Roemer's Atlas gets some points off in one of nine reviews for disputed IDs and possible printing errours BUT in general was received with the greatest enthusiasm and recommended to all cichlidists and especially lovers of genus apistogramma.

I greatly appreciate Mike Wise's thoughtful, exceptionably erudite discussion of questionable taxonomical ids in several books and articles and the helpful information about misidentified photographs in my Aqualog Catlogue and several books. It is stimulating and exciting to have reentered the world of aquaristics through apisto.com's door.

For those of you who remember that my Pelvicachromis pulchers spawned in a 29 gallon community tank and the fry appeared first seven weeks ago I must say that I have never seen baby fishes grow like this.
Several of my males are already 1.75-2.0?" long and are colouring up and the parents are getting ready to spawn again. There are 23 survivors
from this brood which were raised in a dither-crowded aquarium. I think there are 11 females which means something about pH or temperature. They are much smaller than the males but their dorsals and caudals are covered with occelli-will these beautiful markings remain??

All the very best-Zwergbuntbarsche im Ewigkeit!

 

[apistodave]

Well Michael you must admit that one thing none of us here at apstogramma.com can be accused of is boring.