ABOUT THE AUTHOR
 
Gregory Skomal, PhD, is an experienced aquarist and Marine Fisheries Biologist at Martha's Vineyard Fisheries, Division of Marine Fisheries, Massachusetts. He's been keeping saltwater aquariums since childhood and has shared his extensive knowledge with viewers of National Geographic, the Discovery Channel, NBC's Today, and other media.

• INTRODUCTION
  • About This Book
  • Foolish Assumptions
  • Icons Used in This Book
  • Where to Go from Here
• PART 1 : GETTING STARTED WITH SALTWATER AQUARIUM BASICS
  • CHAPTER 1 : Taking Your First Salty Steps
  • CHAPTER 2 : Some Things Fishy
  • CHAPTER 3 : Choosing the Best Fish for You
  • CHAPTER 4 : Looking Closer at Invertebrates
  • CHAPTER 5 : Going from the Dealer to Your Home
• PART 2 : SETTING UP YOUR AQUARIUM
  • CHAPTER 6 : Selecting the Best Aquarium That Meets Your Needs
  • CHAPTER 7 : Figuring Out Filters
  • CHAPTER 8 : Heating and Lighting Your Aquarium
  • CHAPTER 9 : Decorating Your Tank — Fishy Furnishings and Finishing Touches
  • CHAPTER 10 : Partial to Salt — The Brackish Aquarium
  • CHAPTER 11 : Getting Your Aquarium Up and Running
• PART 3 : TAKING PROPER CARE OF YOUR AQUARIUM
  • CHAPTER 12 : Tackling the Nitrogen Cycle
  • CHAPTER 13 : Considering Chemistry: Salt, Acidity, and Gases
  • CHAPTER 14 : The Lowdown on Algae
  • CHAPTER 15 : Keeping Your Aquarium Clean and Handling Issues
• PART 4 : CARING FOR YOUR FISH
  • CHAPTER 16 : Feeding Your Fish
  • CHAPTER 17 : Preventing Stress
  • CHAPTER 18 : Playing Fish Doctor — Diseases and Treatments
  • CHAPTER 19 : Observing Your Fish
PART 5 : THE PART OF TENS
• CHAPTER 20 : Ten Fish to Avoid
• CHAPTER 21 : Ten Invertebrates to Avoid
• CHAPTER 22 : Ten (Plus More) Simple Metric Conversions
• CHAPTER 23 : Ten Great Public Saltwater Aquariums
PART 6 : THE APPENDIXES
• APPENDIX A : Additional Resources Every Saltwater Aquarist Needs
• APPENDIX B : Glossary
INDEX