Dwarf Cichlid Book Reviews

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   Although it is possible to find a lot of information about dwarf cichlids on the Internet, anyone that is seriously interested in dwarf cichlids should own one or more of the excellent books that are available. These books contain a wealth of information that is easily accessible and very comprehensive.

    With new species being regularly discovered, every dwarf cichlid book that is published needs updating before it is even printed. However, information on existing species, care and feeding, aquarium management and breeding is timeless and this type of information will not go out of date.

    It can be difficult to find many dwarf cichlid books. Many of the best books are published in languages other than English and few are distributed in America. A couple of these are available and I provide information on how to locate them on their individual review pages. Few pet stores will stock the English language dwarf cichlid books so I generally recommend Amazon as the best source to find them.

South American Dwarf Cichlid Books

Books that should be commonly available

Aqualog Southamerican Cichlids II
Author: Ulrich Glasser & Wolfgang Glasser
Copyright 1996
110 pages 465 photos
This is the second of the Aqualog series of books and features only dwarf species. It is primarily a photo book of species and contains little text or information on care and breeding. For each species a number of photos are provided with a series of symbols that provide very elementary additional info. The photos are top notch and many different species and forms are represented. Unfortunately, the lack of text makes this basically only an identification book and since it has been some time since it was published a number of the species that were new at the time are mis identified. Still it is a book full of wonderful photos of many different species and belongs on the shelf of every serious dwarf cichlid fan.

Aqualog Extra the latest Apistogramma
Author: Dieter Bork
Copyright 2005
48 pages 223 photos
This book only covers the species and forms of Apistogrammas that were discovered after the publication of the Aqualog II book described above. It follows the same basic format - mostly a book of photos of fishes with virtually no text. Many beautiful photos of unusual dwarf cichlids however, this is not the best book for beginning dwarf cichlid keepers. It is a great book if you want to look at beautiful fish and wish they were swimming in your tanks!

Mergus Cichlid Atlas Volume 2
Author: Dr. Uwe Romer
Copyright 2006
1,319 pages
This book is a follow up to the excellent Volume 1 which was published in English in 2002. The first volume covered every species known to date and the second discusses every species discovered since the German edition of Vol. 1 was published in 2000. I wish I could report that this book is as good as the first but it is not nearly as important of a book for most hobbyists. Since this is intended to report on the newest fishes most of the species that hobbyists are likely to find are not in the book since they were covered in Vol. 1. However, for the specialist, this is another excellent volume that significantly advances our knowledge of Apistogrammas. If you are serious you will want to own this book.

South American Dwarf Cichlids

Author:    Hans J. Mayland & Dieter Bork                   This is currently the best general
Copyright 1996                                                          Apistogramma reference available
English Edition 1997
187 pages    137 photos

Although more than 10 years old, this remains an excellent text on South American dwarf cichlids. It gives good information about keeping and breeding many different species. It has top quality information about housing, breeding and all aspects of aquarium care. Complete Review

American Cichlids I - Dwarf Cichlids

Author: Horst Linke & Dr. Wolfgang Staeck
Publisher: Tetra, Melle, Germany
Copyright 1984
English Edition 1994
232 pages 152 photos
It has been more than 20 years since the first edition of this excellent book was published. The English version is more recent but there have been many discoveries that are not discussed. However, this remains a good reference and can be purchased used at very reasonable prices. Complete Review

Books that are in print but hard to find - see the individual review for info.

Die Buntbarsche Amerikas Band 2 Apistogramma & Co.

Author:    Ingo Koslowski                                   This is a great book but hard to get.
Copyright 2002                                                      You will need to buy the translation
German Language / English translation available       separately
318 pages    more than 700 photos

This is the best book there is for giving complete descriptions of every species known when it was published. This book has excellent information about vearious aspects of keeping and breeding Apistogramma. However, it really shines in the section that describes the fish. Hundreds of species and forms are discussed with photos and detailed info provided for each species. Most of the photos from this book have been republished in the 2005 DATZ book South American Dwarf Cichlids (see below). However, the new book only contains brief species decriptions. If you are really interested in Apistos this is a "must have" book.
This book is available only in German but Mike Wise has published a great authorized translation. The translation is only available from Mike and he will only sell you a copy if you can prove you have purchased the original German book or the DATZ successor. Contact Mike at apistowise (at) earthlink (dot) net

South American Dwarf Cichlids

Author:    Rainer Stawikowski, Ingo Koslowski and Volker Bohnet
Copyright 2005
129 pages    558 photos
    This is the newest book available. It attempts to provide photos of every known form of Apistogramma. Published in Germany, the text of this book is in both German and English. It is the best reference for species identification but is currently difficult to find in the US. It is widely available in Europe. Complete Review

Books that are out of print and very hard to find

Mergus Cichlid Atlas Volume 1
Author:    Dr. Uwe Romer
Copyright 2000
English Edition 2002
1,311 pages    1,448 photos
    This massive book has the most complete information about South American dwarfs. It has been over a decade since it was first published so there are some problems with names. However, this is a must have book. In 2006 a warehouse fire destroyed the existing stock of the English language edition of this book. It has become very scarce and used copies are rarely offered.A second printing is planned for 2008. Complete Review

West African Cichlid Books

Books that should be commonly available

The Cichlid Fishes of Western Africa

Author:    Anton Lamboj
Publisher: Birgit, Schmettkamp Verlag, Bornheim, Germany
Copyright 2004
Binding: Hard Cover 2
55 pages    521 photos
    This comprehensive book is the best available on the fascinating and beautiful cichlids from West Africa. It covers all species and not just dwarfs and is the best reference yet published. Complete Review

Cichlids from West Africa
Author: Horst Linke & Dr. Wolfgang Staeck
Publisher: Tetra, Melle, Germany
Copyright 1984
English Edition 1994
200 pages
As with its South American counterpoint this book has become rather dated with many newer discoveries not being discussed. However, it remains an excellent primer on the care and breeding of the West African Dwarf Cichlids. The book has been out of print for a number of years but is widely available used at very reasonable prices. this is a good book to have.

Aquarium Magazine Reviews

The three major American aquarium hobby magazines all have occasional stories about dwarf cichlids and are generally a great resource for all fish keepers. I look forward to every issue I receive in the mail from my subscriptions. For complete information visit

Aquarium Magazine Reviews

Copyright This website and all contents and design, including images, are protected under U.S. Copyright © 2006 by Montana Exotic Tropicals. All rights reserved worldwide. Dwarfcichlid.com is for your personal and noncommercial use. No one may modify, copy, distribute, transmit, display, or publish any materials contained in dwarf cichlid.com without prior written permission. dwarf cichlid.com is a registered service mark and may not be used without permission.

Dwarfcichlid.com Practical Information About Keeping, Breeding and Buying Dwarf Cichlids
Home Aquarium Care Buying Dwarf Cichlids Book Reviews South American Fishes In-Box Q&A West African Fishes Contact Us
Fish Profiles & Photos South American Apistogramma agassizii atahualpa borellii cacatuoides commbrae geisleri gephyra gibbiceps hongsloi iniridae macmasteri ortmanni panduro paucisquamis pertensis rubrolineata sp. "Abacaxis" sp. "Putumayo" sp. "Steel Blue" steindachneri uaupesi xingu Apistogrammoides pucallpaensis Dicrossus filamentosus Laetacara curviceps Mikrogeophagus altispinosa ramirezi West African Nanochromis parilus transvestitus Pelvicachromis pulcher roloffi subocellatus taeniatus Please help! Your contribution of any amount will help support the site.	Dwarf Cichlid Book Reviews Please buy your books here! You really don't get them from us but if you order from Amazon by entering through these links I will receive a small commission on the sale. I don't do much to try and pay for the cost of running this site and this is one way to help me out. Any product you buy from Amazon will credit toward us provided you enter them through one of the links on this page. Nothing will change about your Amazon experience but you will help support the site. Thank You! Although it is possible to find a lot of information about dwarf cichlids on the Internet, anyone that is seriously interested in dwarf cichlids should own one or more of the excellent books that are available. These books contain a wealth of information that is easily accessible and very comprehensive. With new species being regularly discovered, every dwarf cichlid book that is published needs updating before it is even printed. However, information on existing species, care and feeding, aquarium management and breeding is timeless and this type of information will not go out of date. It can be difficult to find many dwarf cichlid books. Many of the best books are published in languages other than English and few are distributed in America. A couple of these are available and I provide information on how to locate them on their individual review pages. Few pet stores will stock the English language dwarf cichlid books so I generally recommend Amazon as the best source to find them. South American Dwarf Cichlid Books Books that should be commonly available Aqualog Southamerican Cichlids II Author: Ulrich Glasser & Wolfgang Glasser Copyright 1996 110 pages 465 photos This is the second of the Aqualog series of books and features only dwarf species. It is primarily a photo book of species and contains little text or information on care and breeding. For each species a number of photos are provided with a series of symbols that provide very elementary additional info. The photos are top notch and many different species and forms are represented. Unfortunately, the lack of text makes this basically only an identification book and since it has been some time since it was published a number of the species that were new at the time are mis identified. Still it is a book full of wonderful photos of many different species and belongs on the shelf of every serious dwarf cichlid fan. Aqualog Extra the latest Apistogramma Author: Dieter Bork Copyright 2005 48 pages 223 photos This book only covers the species and forms of Apistogrammas that were discovered after the publication of the Aqualog II book described above. It follows the same basic format - mostly a book of photos of fishes with virtually no text. Many beautiful photos of unusual dwarf cichlids however, this is not the best book for beginning dwarf cichlid keepers. It is a great book if you want to look at beautiful fish and wish they were swimming in your tanks! Mergus Cichlid Atlas Volume 2 Author: Dr. Uwe Romer Copyright 2006 1,319 pages This book is a follow up to the excellent Volume 1 which was published in English in 2002. The first volume covered every species known to date and the second discusses every species discovered since the German edition of Vol. 1 was published in 2000. I wish I could report that this book is as good as the first but it is not nearly as important of a book for most hobbyists. Since this is intended to report on the newest fishes most of the species that hobbyists are likely to find are not in the book since they were covered in Vol. 1. However, for the specialist, this is another excellent volume that significantly advances our knowledge of Apistogrammas. If you are serious you will want to own this book. South American Dwarf Cichlids Author: Hans J. Mayland & Dieter Bork This is currently the best general Copyright 1996 Apistogramma reference available English Edition 1997 187 pages 137 photos Although more than 10 years old, this remains an excellent text on South American dwarf cichlids. It gives good information about keeping and breeding many different species. It has top quality information about housing, breeding and all aspects of aquarium care. Complete Review American Cichlids I - Dwarf Cichlids Author: Horst Linke & Dr. Wolfgang Staeck Publisher: Tetra, Melle, Germany Copyright 1984 English Edition 1994 232 pages 152 photos It has been more than 20 years since the first edition of this excellent book was published. The English version is more recent but there have been many discoveries that are not discussed. However, this remains a good reference and can be purchased used at very reasonable prices. Complete Review Books that are in print but hard to find - see the individual review for info. Die Buntbarsche Amerikas Band 2 Apistogramma & Co. Author: Ingo Koslowski This is a great book but hard to get. Copyright 2002 You will need to buy the translation German Language / English translation available separately 318 pages more than 700 photos This is the best book there is for giving complete descriptions of every species known when it was published. This book has excellent information about vearious aspects of keeping and breeding Apistogramma. However, it really shines in the section that describes the fish. Hundreds of species and forms are discussed with photos and detailed info provided for each species. Most of the photos from this book have been republished in the 2005 DATZ book South American Dwarf Cichlids (see below). However, the new book only contains brief species decriptions. If you are really interested in Apistos this is a "must have" book. This book is available only in German but Mike Wise has published a great authorized translation. The translation is only available from Mike and he will only sell you a copy if you can prove you have purchased the original German book or the DATZ successor. Contact Mike at apistowise (at) earthlink (dot) net South American Dwarf Cichlids Author: Rainer Stawikowski, Ingo Koslowski and Volker Bohnet Copyright 2005 129 pages 558 photos This is the newest book available. It attempts to provide photos of every known form of Apistogramma. Published in Germany, the text of this book is in both German and English. It is the best reference for species identification but is currently difficult to find in the US. It is widely available in Europe. Complete Review Books that are out of print and very hard to find Mergus Cichlid Atlas Volume 1 Author: Dr. Uwe Romer Copyright 2000 English Edition 2002 1,311 pages 1,448 photos This massive book has the most complete information about South American dwarfs. It has been over a decade since it was first published so there are some problems with names. However, this is a must have book. In 2006 a warehouse fire destroyed the existing stock of the English language edition of this book. It has become very scarce and used copies are rarely offered.A second printing is planned for 2008. Complete Review West African Cichlid Books Books that should be commonly available The Cichlid Fishes of Western Africa Author: Anton Lamboj Publisher: Birgit, Schmettkamp Verlag, Bornheim, Germany Copyright 2004 Binding: Hard Cover 2 55 pages 521 photos This comprehensive book is the best available on the fascinating and beautiful cichlids from West Africa. It covers all species and not just dwarfs and is the best reference yet published. Complete Review Cichlids from West Africa Author: Horst Linke & Dr. Wolfgang Staeck Publisher: Tetra, Melle, Germany Copyright 1984 English Edition 1994 200 pages As with its South American counterpoint this book has become rather dated with many newer discoveries not being discussed. However, it remains an excellent primer on the care and breeding of the West African Dwarf Cichlids. The book has been out of print for a number of years but is widely available used at very reasonable prices. this is a good book to have. Aquarium Magazine Reviews The three major American aquarium hobby magazines all have occasional stories about dwarf cichlids and are generally a great resource for all fish keepers. I look forward to every issue I receive in the mail from my subscriptions. For complete information visit Aquarium Magazine Reviews Copyright This website and all contents and design, including images, are protected under U.S. Copyright © 2006 by Montana Exotic Tropicals. All rights reserved worldwide. Dwarfcichlid.com is for your personal and noncommercial use. No one may modify, copy, distribute, transmit, display, or publish any materials contained in dwarf cichlid.com without prior written permission. dwarf cichlid.com is a registered service mark and may not be used without permission.

Practical Information About Keeping, Breeding and Buying Dwarf Cichlids

Dwarf Cichlid Book Reviews

South American Dwarf Cichlid Books

West African Cichlid Books

Aquarium Magazine Reviews