# Aquarium plant ebook



## caliray (May 6, 2011)

Hi everyone. I just joined this forum and already need to ask a favor. I'm in the process of writing a ebook for the beginner aquarium enthusiast who wants to make their aquarium the best environment for their fish and the most beautiful aquarium for bragging rights among their friends.

I plan to give this ebook away to anyone who wants it because I like the idea of promoting the use of real plants over the synthetic one. More than anything, I need good photos of aquarium suitable plants to include with the general plant information.

I've contacted some plant sellers with this request, but haven't gotten a favorable response. In fact, one site was ready to let me use their images, but at a price of $25 for each one. For an ebook that I'm giving away, that was out of the question.

If anyone wishes to give me access and permission to use your planted aquarium images, individual plant photos, etc. I will be more than happy to give you credit in the form of watermarks with your name, business or website both on the images and in the credits area of the ebook.

Thanks for reading and I hope to hear from some who are willing to contribute to this project that I hope will help the beginner aquarium enthusiast.


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## juantoro (Feb 25, 2010)

It is refreshing to see someone taking it upon themselves to respect other people's intellectual property when it is so easy to just pretend it doesn't exist. 

I wish I had some decent photos to give you but my tanks are not worthy! Anyway, best of luck with your book! Are you very far along?


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## niko (Jan 28, 2004)

I'm interested to hear what are the things you will write about in your book. I feel very strongly about the lack of knowledge in this hobby. I hope that you do have useful information, not things like "low light helps you avoid algae" and such.

Also keep in mind that if the book is free the majority of the people that get it will not value it.


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## caliray (May 6, 2011)

juantoro said:


> It is refreshing to see someone taking it upon themselves to respect other people's intellectual property when it is so easy to just pretend it doesn't exist.
> 
> I wish I had some decent photos to give you but my tanks are not worthy! Anyway, best of luck with your book! Are you very far along?


I want to be helpful with this book and basing parts of it on stolen intellectual property doesn't seem like the best approach. The effort to organize and publish this material is a reward in itself as I am learning lots about plants.

So far, I've settled on an outline, collected lots of open source material about various plants along with a few open source images.


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## caliray (May 6, 2011)

niko said:


> I'm interested to hear what are the things you will write about in your book. I feel very strongly about the lack of knowledge in this hobby.  I hope that you do have useful information, not things like "low light helps you avoid algae" and such.
> 
> Also keep in mind that if the book is free the majority of the people that get it will not value it.


I'll address your last comment first. It's certainly true that much free information goes unused and unappreciated. That's just a reality of life that comes under a category known as the Pareto Principle also known as the 80-20 rule.

As for the content, I plan to restrict the number of plants covered to the more commonly available and easily kept. I hope by doing this the information will be pretty exhaustive as well as give the user the best chance to find and successfully use real plants.


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## niko (Jan 28, 2004)

I read about this "new" (for me) Pareto Rule. If I understand it right all I can say in this hobby the rule is skewed toward a fraction of the 20%. About 1 maybe, at least in the US. Have no idea about other countries.

Seems to me that this will be a plant only book. Like a reference. Not explaining how to start and run a planted tank properly. If that's so you are right - you need a lot of visuals. Very nice photographs.

For what this is worth you have my permission to use the Java Fern picture that I took about 10 years ago and still is the most beautiful image of that plant. You can find it from many places. I don't have it any more. Here's one:
http://okcplantguy.webs.com/JavaFern1.jpg

Also whatever pictures in the plant finder here on APC have my name - use them all if you want.

--Nikolay


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## caliray (May 6, 2011)

niko said:


> I read about this "new" (for me) Pareto Rule. If I understand it right all I can say in this hobby the rule is skewed toward a fraction of the 20%. About 1 maybe, at least in the US. Have no idea about other countries.
> 
> Seems to me that this will be a plant only book. Like a reference. Not explaining how to start and run a planted tank properly. If that's so you are right - you need a lot of visuals. Very nice photographs.
> 
> ...


Thanks for your offer to allow me to use your image(s). If you want attribution for your pictures, what would you want to use as your signature/watermark on the images?

I checked the link above and the picture is stunning...well done!

You're right about the book's intent. There are some books about starting and running a planted tank, but I haven't seen much in the way of a primer about how to choose plants that need similar conditions. By that I mean the books I've looked at aren't organized in that way.

If all goes well, this could be the first in a series that cover more areas. Initially, I hope it's enough to get some people interested in using live plants once they see that some plants work well together, aren't difficult to find and make for a beautiful aquarium.


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## Michael (Jul 20, 2010)

On the subject of e-books, last year one was released on rainbowfish, _Rainbowfishes; Their Care and Keeping in Captivity _by Adrain R. Tappin. It is stunning, obviously a labor of love and extensive research. And you can download it for free!

Freud and Niko are right, people tend not to value things that are free. But this book is one example of an excellent publication that is free. I downloaded it and I don't even have any rainbowfish, just to look at the wonderful photos. It one of the few books that shows numerous photos of the natural habitat of each species, as well as the glamour shots.


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## Tex Gal (Nov 1, 2007)

You can use any of my pxs you want. I've kept and sold a lot of pxs. Perhaps you should list the plants you plan to cove and people can come forward with the pxs and/or info you need


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## caliray (May 6, 2011)

Michael said:


> On the subject of e-books, last year one was released on rainbowfish, _Rainbowfishes; Their Care and Keeping in Captivity _by Adrain R. Tappin. It is stunning, obviously a labor of love and extensive research. And you can download it for free!
> 
> Freud and Niko are right, people tend not to value things that are free. But this book is one example of an excellent publication that is free. I downloaded it and I don't even have any rainbowfish, just to look at the wonderful photos. It one of the few books that shows numerous photos of the natural habitat of each species, as well as the glamour shots.


Michael, thanks for the recommendation. I downloaded and scanned through the first 118 pages. I'll get back to it as time allows. At 400 pages +, it will take a while.


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## caliray (May 6, 2011)

Tex Gal said:


> You can use any of my pxs you want. I've kept and sold a lot of pxs. Perhaps you should list the plants you plan to cove and people can come forward with the pxs and/or info you need


Hi Tex Gal. Good suggestion to post the list of plants I intend to cover and I'll do so as soon as the list has been created. I'm looking through over 300 plant varieties and trying to reduce this to a short list of no more than 30 of the most commonly available as well as easiest to grow and propagate.

I can't help but notice that Niko, Michael and you are all from Texas. Not to ignore juantoro from Chicago. I also a native Texan, but currently don't live in the U.S.


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## Tex Gal (Nov 1, 2007)

Yeah we are all members of the local plant club DFWAPC. We have a great club in the dFW area. We are doing. Joint club meeting with the Houston area club this month at San Marcos River. Wish you could join us. We're gonna have a great time!


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## caliray (May 6, 2011)

Tex Gal said:


> Yeah we are all members of the local plant club DFWAPC. We have a great club in the dFW area. We are doing. Joint club meeting with the Houston area club this month at San Marcos River. Wish you could join us. We're gonna have a great time!


Unfortunately, I no longer live in the U.S. at this time. I retired and moved away to a less expensive, not so hot climate.


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