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species, care and feeding, aquarium management and breeding is timeless and this type of information will not go out of date.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 South American 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 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 great book is hard to get and only available in German. Copyright 2002 You will need to buy the translation separately German Language / English translation available 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 various 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 descriptions. 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 Act Fast! This is the best book on South American Dwarf Cichlids but it has not been available since a 2006 fire destroyed all the books. As of late 2011 this book is available from Amazon.com for only $65 which is a super bargin. There is no telling how many of these books exist so if you want a copy of the very best get it now! 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.
South America Maps
Amazon Basin Map The native waters of dwarf cichlids are often very remote and undeveloped. The Amazon basin is a huge area and much of it is completely undeveloped. There are very few roads and the major transportation corridors are the rivers themselves. Most native peoples have no use for maps and there are very few good maps available. The only map I know of that covers the entire Amazon Basin is this one that was published in 2000. The map scale is 1:4,000,000 and includes portions of Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, the Guyanas, Peru, Surinam, and Venezuela. Elevations shown by color changes. Legend locates cities and settlements of all sizes; roads from highways to unpaved roads; trails. Also airports and airstrips; railways. Hydrographic features such as glaciers, waterfalls, non-perennial streams, swamps and seasonally inundated land. Lighthouses; mines; wells; active volcanoes; ruins and other points of interest. List of national parks and other protected areas. Glossary of abbreviations of geographic features translated into English, Spanish & Portuguese. Although this map has become quite expensive to purchase it is a great reference for anyone who wants to better understand the waters of the Amazon
Aquarium Magazine Reviews The 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

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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