Baensch presents an excellent series of species profiles, with information no one else has approached in terms of breadth. If it's a paper book, expect the nomenclature to be out of date. The format fell out of favour with major publishers between 2005 and 2010 after all.
Innes is a book to have for historical purposes, but in which you can find valid information for the keeping of the fish. Likewise with Baensch, but there is infinitely more information about individual species in his work.
The older texts may make you do a quick google search with the old name to get the new one. All of the now old books and magazines have that flaw, brought by time and further research. Our forum posts from last year no longer have the valid names of Corydoras group fish, and tetras are under the microscope now with big changes incoming. But the well researched info in the forum posts remain valid, even if the species names have been modified.
What they lack in up to date nomenclature is offset by their practical use. They'll give good information on the fish themselves, as aquarium fish.
I've looked at volume 4, but to me, volumes 1,2 and 3 are essential. Often if there's no info on a fish I encounter online at Seriously Fish, I'll find a good starting point in Baensch.
The disagreements on research will always be there. And they often take national lines, or linguistic ones. In the killie world, American hobbyists hold to some old names the rest of the world has moved on from. With other fish, it'll be the other way around sometimes. Humans, you know...
Innes is a book to have for historical purposes, but in which you can find valid information for the keeping of the fish. Likewise with Baensch, but there is infinitely more information about individual species in his work.
The older texts may make you do a quick google search with the old name to get the new one. All of the now old books and magazines have that flaw, brought by time and further research. Our forum posts from last year no longer have the valid names of Corydoras group fish, and tetras are under the microscope now with big changes incoming. But the well researched info in the forum posts remain valid, even if the species names have been modified.
What they lack in up to date nomenclature is offset by their practical use. They'll give good information on the fish themselves, as aquarium fish.
I've looked at volume 4, but to me, volumes 1,2 and 3 are essential. Often if there's no info on a fish I encounter online at Seriously Fish, I'll find a good starting point in Baensch.
The disagreements on research will always be there. And they often take national lines, or linguistic ones. In the killie world, American hobbyists hold to some old names the rest of the world has moved on from. With other fish, it'll be the other way around sometimes. Humans, you know...
