Back to Nature: Guide to Malawi Cichlids

Good info , obviously it’s an older edition so not all the info is up to date since they are constantly changing the fish to a different genus, etc. But I’m happy with the book and glad I got it !

The author is the founder of Cichlid Press - an important source of knowledge about this fascinating family of species. This particular title is a very good reference book with great photos of different Lake Malawi cichlids. Every species in the lake has its own entry that is about 1/5 of a page. The species are helpfully divided by chapters into aulonocara, haplochromis, mbuna and large predators. Each entry lists the difficulty of keeping that particular species (on a 5 point scale that considers hardiness and aggression towards other fish), the maximum size of males and females, the minimum tank length and volume required to house the fish and the average brood size if you're able to breed the fish successfully. It also tells you the scientific and trade names of the fish, it's distribution in the lake, usual habitat (rocks or open sand and depth) within the lake, food and breeding behavior. For dimorphic species photos of both the male and female are shown. A lot of this information is available on the web (Cichlid-Forum, for example, is a great site that provides very helpful information/opinions about equipment, fish compatibility, descriptions of species and excellent colour photos) but it's nice to have a lot of it available in a single handy volume. The writing in the book is, as others have noted, awkward at times and could have used some editing.The book is of textbook quality with a durable cover and binding and high quality paper.I was a bit disappointed when I first received it because I unrealistically expected it to tell me which species I could keep together. Although I wish it gave more details such as the life expectancy of each species and their behaviors in an aquarium, I've been thumbing through the book constantly as I try to figure out how to stock my tank. Unlike some of the information on the net, one also gets the sense that what's in this book is authoritative. As the back of the book notes, the author has spent over a thousand hours in Lake Malawi learning about these amazing fishes. If you keep cichlids or are considering doing so, this book is probably required reading.Note: All measurements (such as recommended tank sizes, length of fish) in book are in metric units.

Over a couple of days I read this book, cover to cover. In the past I have bred various fish, but just recently I started to raise mbuna and peacocks. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to know the basics of setting up a lake malawi aquarium, understand their diet and diseases along with some high level information over the most common peacocks, haps & mbuna's. If I would have read this book prior to purchasing my lake malawi cichlids, I would have possibly saved a few fish I lost due to bloat. Many of the lake malawi cichlids need a diet that is highly digestible. Overall, this is a really good book. If you are looking for a book with more details in general of lake malawi cichlids and pictures, then I would recommend Ad Konings "Malawi Cichlids in thier natural habitat 4th edition".

This is a great little book. It’s super informative. I just wish it had the more common names for each species. I bought it used and was hesitant, but it was in great shape.

Great book. I only wish it had more quality pictures of each type of cichlids and their mates.

I wish the book had more in depth information on each listed fish for the aquarium owner. For instance, I would like to know more about each fish's aggression level and compatibility with other fish. It was interesting to see the fish in their native habitat--I was hoping for more practical information on the keeping of Malawi Cichlids.

Exactly as described tons of cichlids.

I really like this book and I have used it for a reference numerous times. I sit it out on the coffee table for people to look at the beautiful pictures.

A great introduction to the many different varieties of Cichlids. Very helpful for someone like myself who has never kept them before.

Very good guide to keeping cichlids. Of course you can find all the information online but this a good book for a quick reference. It also helped me identify my fish. There is a lot about their natural habitat and it makes good reading when sitting by my fish tank, something I probably wouldn't be researching online otherwise. For the price it is good value for money.

very useful in helping me choose what fish to keep in my newly set up Malawi set up

Perfect. Contains all the information you could need.

Good book for starting malawi fish keeping all you need to know