GEAR GUIDE

FOR THE LOVE OF FISH AN AQUARIST’S JOURNEY

This month Nathan takes a look at Robert Porter’s first fishkeeping book ‘For the love of fish’, while Gabor Horvath checks out an Aquael complete aquarium kit.

Author: Robert Porter Price: £14.99 paperback on Amazon Reviewed by: Nathan Hill

Robert’s background isn’t from some high-flying fish career, and what he presents isn’t necessarily an instructional tome. Rather it’s a mix of lived experience, anecdote, argument, fact and trivia, all rolled up into one enjoyable package.

The cynical, pedantic reader will prickle at the occasional mislabelled fish or plant. I’d advise looking past these errors. Beyond them, there’s plenty to entertain and fascinate. Robert invites the reader to share two halves of a long journey with an almost childlike, idyllic excitement; less about him and more about the things he has witnessed. As an old hand aquarist myself, I was thrilled by several reawakening moments as seen through the author’s eyes — bygone publications, and the cavalier ‘hope for the best’ approach to aquaria that prevailed throughout the hobby in the 1980s

There is also much contemporary content, with modern insights from a man thoroughly invested in his return to the hobby, and determined not to make the mistakes of his past. Many parts of the book read as an honest (and helpful) guide that the newcomer to fishkeeping will find useful. Robert has navigated such complex areas as the nitrogen cycle and establishing a tank with diligent research. In writing up his findings in a way that’s clear to himself, he in turn clarifies to the rest of us much that is often peddled as deliberately confusing. He delivers his own testimonial: this is how I did it, this is what worked for me, and perhaps it will work for you.

Then there are the digressions. I never imagined I’d be as entertained as I was reading about fish related poetry or classical music, but hey. Perhaps most fascinating to me is the writing found in one of the appendices. Appendix II, on the illegality of fish-in cycling, remains one of the best-constructed and accessible texts on the matter that I have read to date. Here we see Robert’s legal roots at work (the author is a former barrister and solicitor), in assembling, piece by piece, a definitive argument on exactly how the use of fish to cycle an aquarium can constitute a violation of the Animal Welfare Act 2006.

The back-and-forth nature of the writing, at times flitting between the likes of hardcore fishkeeping and bagpipe playing (it works, it really works), provides an engaging long read with such broad appeal that even non-fishkeepers will enjoy it. Robert has managed to write in a way that deftly walks a narrow line: never excessively complex, while never being so simplified as to be boring.

Robert makes it clear early on that his intention is to deliver something that is fun, and in reading it, I have to agree. This book is a hoot interspersed with moments of clarity and sincerity. A real gem.