Martin A. Moe, Jr., one of the most respected aquarists in the world, has written an incredibly detailed account on the breeding of the Orchid Dottyback. The book is in paperback, around 14 dollars, and is 285 pages long.

“Breeding the Orchid Dottyback”, as it is entitled, is Mr. Moe’s journal on that project. Orchid Dottybacks had been bred before, but not by the common hobbyists, and not without a lot of equipment. Moe bred them in a small bathroom he converted to a fish room. He did this in a 20 gallon tank, that also had two Golden Cleaner Shrimp, and two Clownfish. He started out with tank-raised fish, which are more expensive, but more likely to breed than wild caught ones. The book is very inspirational, and even if you don’t plan on raising or breeding saltwater fish, it is a great read. The Appendix in the back covers everything from retrieving larvae, to raising rotifiers.

The challenges faced when breeding the Orchids are very interesting to see as well. Feeding live plankton also brought in disease sometimes, and other organisms that would feed on the larvae for example. Newly hatched brine shrimp were too big to be eaten by the Dottyback larvae after one hour (their first molt), and so they collected in the tanks and became a problem. There were many other things he had to overcome, and the book says a lot about dedication and sacrifice as well.

We need more books like this one in the hobby, if not just for the encouragement they give. Breeding saltwater fish is more than just making money, it is enhancing the knowledge we have to conserve natural resources. And there is hardly a more noble cause. It’s a good read all in all.

The book "The Enchanted Braid: Coming to Terms with Nature on the Coral Reef" is an exceptionally planned well-balanced book about the coral reefs. Osha Gray Davidson wrote it in 1998. It can be found at Barnes and Nobel, and other booksellers, for around 20 dollars for hardback. There is a small picture collection in color in the middle of it, and it consists of 269 pages with an index.

The book is extremly versatile and covers many topics of interest to aquarists. There are 16 chapters, and topics range from poetry and stories about the reefs, to the biology of corals and how they function. There is a major stress on environmental factors affecting the coral reefs in different questions, and what is or what isn't being down about it.

Another valuable section of the book describes the ecology of the reefs, how they are formed and the eco system. The three parts that make up coral reef ecosystems are covered, which are the reefs themselves, the mangroves, and the sea-grass beds.

There are fish stories mentioned throughout, and interesting notes on everything from the aggressiveness of damselfish towards SCUBA divers, to the Wrasses' ability to change sex,is written about.

This is a fantastic read, well worth the money. It will give the reader a much higher understanding of all aspects of the coral reefs and the environment. Even non-aquarists will find interest in this book, and it is easy enough to read for young people.