Review: Aquarium Plants by Peter Hiscock
If there are people out there just grabbing plants, throwing them in substrate and successfully growing lush aquascapes on their first try, we need them to start writing books. But that probably doesn't happen, which is why newcomers go hunting for information and how-to's.
One of the first books I read on the subject was Peter Hiscock's Miniencyclopedia of Aquarium Plants, and within 10 pages I was discovering critical information that changed my methodologies and though process about these underwater gardens. Complete, easy to understand diagrams accompanied by, but not overpowered with, paragraphs digging more so into the details, I haven't encountered a book on Aquarium plants and how to grow them as articulate as it is brief as this one.
The encyclopedia portion itself is jam-packed. Profiling plants on everything from the region of origin to growth rate, lighting and temperature. There are hundreds of species presented here. In so far as the plants I have been able to grow, I have not been let down by the accuracy of the information presented in this 200 page workup.
For new aquarists hunting for a package deal of information in the general notion of aquascaping, as well as looking to get into the nitty-gritty details, this book presents both in a thoughtful, easy to understand manner. It's affect on my little corner of this hobby escalated my understanding, improved my skillset, and even though I'd like to tell you this book is a much appreciated piece in the rearview mirror of my mind, I still find myself skimming through it for forgotten or overlooked bits of wisdom before every aquascape.
