MR Book Club

[digitalreefer]

We're all newbies and the good information today could be the bad or debatable info tomorrow. To me, that is the point... research and reviewing different ideas.

 

[jhale]

Ok Leslie. Back in your lap as our own Oprah:biggrin: . How about a poll between Fenner, Reef Aquaium Vol. III, and ??? (you're Oprah, so you get to pick a third choice:biglaugh: ).

We are going to have to put the Reef volume 3 aside, for a first choice it's too expensive, and it's much too long. If that was chosen it would become an advanced course on reef keeping. that would not be bad, but it might be beyond what the book club idea was initialy. I like the idea of reading something that is a bit of a mix, some science, some husbandry, and some ethics. that might be hard to find but it would allow for some interesting discusions.
I like all the ideas that eric, leslie, lissa, sarah and henry have taken the time to write about. this thread will not only serve the purpose of choosing the first book but it has helped define what the book club will represent for us.

 

[jhale]

how about we agree on a book by this friday, I will then speak to some vendors and find out the best deal we can get on buying them.

 

[prattreef]

I think the "Modern Coral Reef Aquarium Vol. 1" by Fossa and Nilsen fits most of these criteria. It is truly intermediate, some very practical info with good pics, and some pretty technical stuff --chemistry etc. The 1st 100 pages deals with natural reefs and their ecology and the next 250 deals with system, design and husbandry. There is also a small chapter on the hobby and conservation. I think this encapsulates most of the expressed interest in a manageable enough presentation for a wide range of people. Not sure about price though.

Randy

 

[daisy]

jhale,

I think that the Fenner speaks to husbandry, science, tech and ethics! It's a great first book but also a great book to return to and I think a few people already have it... seems like a natural choice.

I have taken a few courses on-line in grad school. Thanks to that experience, I can help with ideas as far as "administration" of the club goes if you want. You can pm me on this if you wish

I am an educator by training, and I heartily agree that before we begin, we have to all agree on and know the goals of the club so that everyone who begins knows exactly what to expect. This way, we will also know when we are succeeding, and with each success, we will feel good and be encouraged to learn more!

It sounds to me like some possible goals are:

create a learning community
learn science (biology, chemistry, biochemistry) of the reef and its inhabitants
learn the technology of remote reef-keeping
learn and discuss ethical issues of keeping a remote reef

It seems to me that we should revise and agree upon this list of goals before we begin.

 

[Harif87]

I view the book club as a way to put together all those bits and shreds of info that we know so we can see the bigger picture. Then once we all see the bigger, general picture, then we could delve into detail.

Im all for the Robert Fenner book as the first, but it might be best to get a poll here (if possible)

 

[prattreef]

One more thing. There seems to be some notion that this can be run as a kind of on-line course and while I love the idea, I do not think it is possible at this time, largely because no one is being compensated to develop, organize, implement and moderate the course all of which is no small task if it is to be done right. If someone with the appropriate background ( BTW I'm not the guy) is willing to step up to the plate and do this minus the usual multiple thousand $$$ compensation ( typical college level course) fantastic, but barring this, we are going to be talking about a book and the issues it raises... period.

Randy

 

[Harif87]

I thought this was just a gathering of people who chose to read the same books...

 

[digitalreefer]

I don't think it needs to be run like a course... in fact I think it would be a negative to do so. I want to learn for the sake of my tank, not for any recognition or a test at the end. The test is the health of my tank!

 

[jhale]

Randy, "modern coral" looks like a great book. I'm not sure the series is still in print, I checked on amazon and only saw it available as used copies.

we have not established how much people would be willing to spend on a book, does anyone have a limit?

 

[jhale]

I don't think it needs to be run like a course... in fact I think it would be a negative to do so. I want to learn for the sake of my tank, not for any recognition or a test at the end. The test is the health of my tank!

i think randy picked up on my advanced course comment. I did not mean to sidetrack the conversation. let's just stick to reading and discussing.
and picking a book :lol:

 

[Harif87]

Maybe we could start low (around $15-$25) then go higher if we can. Im up for starting with books at like $50 or less, as long as theyre quality books.

 

[Henrye]

It seems to me Fenner is a good first book. It covers many areas that are important to any reef tank, yet has some depth to it so you have something more than a simple introduction to skim through. The book is available as a soft cover for under $30 from Amazon, which should make it an affordable choice. If Reef Aquarium III is out of reach and feels to technical to start with, Fenner seems like the best solution. After Fenner, more focused books on corals, fish, and advanced techniques will be easier to approach.

I enjoyed it the first time I read it, and even went back to specific sections after the first read. Rather than a poll, but just a general consensus, even a simple yes/no should be able to move things along.

Henry

 

[russianmd]

Please sign me up for the club as well. -Arkady

 

[Domboski]

I am a yes on Fenner

 

[daisy]

I'm in on Fenner

 

[ellebelle]

Has anyone read this book?

Reef Secrets by Nilsen and Fossa (http://www.amazon.com/dp/189008767X/?tag=reefs04-20)

Looks interesting AND discusses the idea of biotopes.

 

[prattreef]

Fenner is fine with me, if I can just figure out who has my copy ( not a MR member)!!!!! RD

 

[Henrye]

That's OK. I need to convince my dog to buy me a new copy after he ate the first one.:banghead:

 

[TUGBOATBRUCE]

I'm in

I'm in on Fenner -- Gonna order it. Is there anyone elso that would like to order?

Thanks
Bruce