Here I am going to present some of my favorite betta books in my collection. Having good, solid resources to fall back on is the best way to up your betta game! The internet is not always the most reliable source of information. It is always better to go to serious hobbyists that have tried and true knowledge.
One of my good betta friends just recently published his book, the Betta Bible. Here is me being entirely too excited to acquire it:
The next book was also written by a good friend. Peter was so sweet to give me a copy of his book while I was at the Area 2 convention in Friedrichshaffen! Every day I kept saying that I wanted to buy his book, and he kept saying that he was waiting to get the copies in to sell them at the show. I was so close to buying one at one of the other book vendors! Luckily I held off and he presented it to me the final night of the show. I was so touched by his gesture and I will never forget it.
The next book is another German book. This book is absolutely AMAZING to look at. The photographs by van Horst Linke are FANTASTIC, and even though I can't read the text, I've spent several hours just thumbing through it and reveling in the beautiful imagery. It's another major motivation to learn German, because there is clearly tons of information here, not just about bettas, but of wild betta species, paradise fish, and pretty much every labyrinth fish that has been kept (or tried to be kept) in captivity.
Bettas by Robert J. Goldstein The last book on my list is simply called "Bettas". It was written by PhD Robert Goldstein, and contains really great information for the beginning betta keeper or advanced betta breeder alike! I love the characteristics of the genus section in the beginning, where Goldstein offers several explanations on the mysterious melano betta infertility problem. His attention to detail is repeated throughout the book and is bolstered by simple diagrams and beautiful photographs. There is also an extensive wilds section, that details both bubblenesting and mouthbrooding bettas. This book is both simple and effective in its explanations. Although the amazon reviews say that this is a more advanced book, I think that it still addresses beginning betta husbandry techniques and commong pitfalls, with plenty of additional information that appeals to a crowd that is eager to learn about their pets. Definitely a keeper! This book can be found on amazon here. |