Re: Anemone what is it, NMA book series    6/23/09
Bob,
<James>
You are definitely the "Ace Of The Water World". I would like to have about 10% of your knowledge in this field.
<Mmm, you'd likely very much miss the huge amount of useful information that you would crowd out... on more useful subjects>
After reading, and very much enjoying "Reef Invertebrates", I am wondering if you are going to have a Volume II. If so, any idea when it will be available?
James
<Well... AnthonyC and I had written the first few fish family chapters, and I had/have most all the image work... but he quit... And I had asked JasonC to "do" the remaining three volumes (two on reef fishes, one on Cnidarians), but he's been otherwise encumbered... So... no "finish", release date currently. BobF>

Re: Anemone what is it   6/23/09
That's too bad, start a worthy project and have Anthony C. crap out on you.
<Unfortunately he and EricB have entangled me in commitments and then just ding dang flaked out! Arggghh!>
Just doesn't sound like Anthony, but I guess all one has to do is look at what he had done to you regarding "Reef Invertebrates".
<There are a bunch of incidents of poor reports re his behavior that I've been told of in recent times... Best to have him sort out his life on his own>
I need a newer coral reference book and I'm likely going to purchase Aquarium Corals by Borneman, have heard nothing but praise about the book.
J
<This is a good book, as is Antoine's "Coral Prop." effort... BobF>

Natural Marine Aquarium Series?  1/3/09
Hi Crew - I've been patiently waiting for the next installment of Bob Fenner's (& Anthony Calfo's) excellent books "The Natural Marine Aquarium Series". The first volume on reef invertebrates is like a bible for me, and I refer to it often. I've been waiting to buy other guides to reef environments (especially on the cnidarians - which are painfully missed in the first volume on invertebrates...)
Any news on when we can expect further installments from The Guru?
Thanks in advance
<I do wish either AnthonyC would "come on back"... now he's off to helping James Lawrence with the re-launch of Coral Magazine and some "co prez" pos. with... ? Or JasonC who had said he'd do the two fish vol.s w/ me could find the time... The reality is there's insufficient return to produce these works presently... Perhaps they can be made and simply sold as serialized articles, posted on the Net afterwards. Thank you for your interest. Bob Fenner>

Attention Bob Fenner; Trapping a Damsel and A Query (NRA V.s 2,3>  8/21/07
Hi Bob
<Kerry>
Please let me begin by apologizing for sending this through the FAQs. It seems that the link to email you directly doesn't work.
<Yes>
Thanks again for your assistance with my Lawnmower Blenny/Feather Duster issue. All is well and they are in our display tank now (with no interaction to date; we are keeping an eye on things).
A story to share if I may (nothing new to you I'm sure, but interesting to us) and a query after that;
Two years ago, my-then-boyfriend-now-hubby and I got into the hobby, setting up a 20 gallon marine tank. Being rookies, we made the typical mistakes and lost corals for making them, but we have been successful (to date) with our fishes and Corallimorphs and we have learned as we've gone along. We chose 2 small Perculas, a Regal Tang (who was so small he could hide behind a quarter if there had been one in the tank) and a small Three Stripe Damsel. Nine months after starting out we moved and "moved up" to a 90 gallon tank (the 20 is now one of our quarantine tanks). For two years the fishes have gotten along wonderfully. The Damsel and Tang have shared sleeping quarters almost from day one. We thought we had the Damsel who was the exception to the rule regarding Damsel attitudes. We should have been so lucky!!
<Things... e.g. Damsel beh., changes>
Recently, we decided to add some new "critters". Being (somewhat) wiser, this time we did our research. We attempted to choose our new pets wisely, trying to ensure that they would not occupy the same areas as our current fishes and that their "personalities" would be compatible. We quarantined them. We rearranged the rocks. We acclimated them with water from the display tank; the lights were dimmed while we did so. We added them to the display tank with the lights dimmed. We had approximately 20 minutes of peace and then our exceptionally calm Damsel became possessed and gets worse daily. From the time that the lights come on until they go off, he chases the new fishes (a Firefish and a Canary Wrasse; the Blenny has been left alone as he didn't react the first time he was charged). Neither of them has been driven into hiding but the Tang appears to be stressed by it all. He has been spending the day frantically swimming back and forth behind the rocks. He is a "fraidy fish" with a nervous disposition but this is atypical behavior for him. Hubby had to make a tough decision (the Damsel was one of his choices when we started out), opting to get him out of the tank. We looked for suggestions of how to accomplish it; almost all saying that we would have to take the rock out in order to net him. For a while it seemed we would have to.
We ended up using a twist on an acrylic barrier. We had a relatively large piece of "eggcrate" left over from making a shelf to use when cycling live rock. I (half) jokingly suggested making an "eggcrate" barrier to trap him; hubby cut it so that it just fits inside of the tank (front to back) and cut notches for the frame at the top of the tank so that it goes from in the substrate to protrude above the water level by a few inches. He moved most of the rock to one half of the tank (an awful pile, but it stayed submerged) but was unable to get the Damsel to go to the other end of the tank. He was becoming frantic and getting "creative" with ideas of how to trap the Damsel (I could see my life degenerating into an aquatic "Caddyshack"; the ideas scared the beejeebers out of me...if only the Damsel knew!!). Yesterday, I moved two rocks which made up the "roof" of the hidey hole the Damsel and Tang were in (more through good luck than good management) and much to my surprise they bolted to where we wanted them. I put the "eggcrate" barrier into place, got out the net and the Damsel and I went to battle. (The Tang went to hide behind a pump; a wise choice considering that "net work" is not my forte). The Damsel immediately recognized that he wasn't going to be able to get through the middle of the barrier so he swam up and down the edge where it met the front glass. After about 5 minutes, I managed to net him. I spread the rocks out again, gave the Tang about half an hour to come out from behind the pump and peace is reining supreme.
For a fish the size of the Damsel, the "eggcrate" worked wonderfully. It was easy to cut to the exact shape, light enough to be able to manage with one hand and the Damsel was too large to fit through the grid (but saw it so he didn't smash into it thereby injuring himself). I had recognized some time ago how bright the Damsel is, but this experienced has certainly confirmed it. His behavior changed with ours and he certainly knew where to look for a potential escape from behind the "eggcrate" barrier. It saddens us that he isn't in that tank any longer but again, we've learned (his nature won out over his nurture and we've moved one more tiny step up that darned steep learning curve!!).
Now for the query...
We are (finally) adding a sump and small refugium to the display tank. Out came our "invert" bible, Reef Invertebrates, Natural Marine Aquarium Series, and we both read the refugium and "plant" sections. Doing so reminded me to search online for Volume 2, 3, etc. (I bet you're shaking your head by now). I managed to Google my way back to WWM and found a letter/reply posted some time ago about this very thing. Is Volume 2 still "stalled"? If so, please add my voice to those clamoring for it!!
<Is still stalled... I am wont to produce the last volumes by myself... JasonC has stated at times that he is working on the layout of the fishes (V.2)... it is timely IMO... for the market... and I've penned the ancillary pieces on Selection, Quarantine... and Antoine and I did about half the articles... some years back...>
In all seriousness, thank you so very much for all you do for the hobby. Collectively, "The Crew" provides much insight and has a wealth of knowledge that benefits hobbyists and their pets all over the world.
Again, with many thanks and appreciation!!
Kerry
<Welcome my friend. Re the Dascyllus... I might try adding two more of this species (will spread aggression, attention...) or ultimately give this one fish away... there are other settings where it will co-exist more peacefully. Cheers, Bob Fenner>

A comment for Bob on the NMA Series... – 06/27/07
Hi Bob (and Anthony),
<Scott>
I recently read the message titled "NMA series Reef Fishes" here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/WWMAdminSubWebIndex/bstinvertbk.htm , and I was saddened by your comments regarding the probable fate of the series. I can only imagine the effort and time involved to create such an amazing book as the first volume, but I wanted to say that the effort is not wasted on me, nor would it be in further volumes.
<Mmmm>
One of the things you cite as going against continuing the project is that there have been "a few excellent works on shallow tropical marine fishes for captive use" published in recent years.
<Yes>
I certainly understand why this is discouraging, but at the same time, I don't think it's a reason to give up the project. Sure, there are some good books out there, and great websites, too (like WetWebMedia), but none of them contain a clear and concise synthesis of the experiences that you and Anthony have had with each species/group -- and I think that's what people are looking for (and get!) when they buy your books.
<Thank you>
This hobby (like many others) is full of contradictory information; you've always advocated drawing one's own conclusion after considering all the "sides". Can I get away with two Ecsenius blennies in an 80G?
Are all Salarias fasciatus over 3" bullies? Is that puffer reef safe!?
(Just kidding on that last... ; ) I, for one, have always been happy when I can factor your opinions and experiences into the decisions I make, and that's why your books grace my shelves.
<I see>
Here's hoping that the NMA series is completed, one day. The thought of three more volumes is sufficient to make me restless with anticipation.
Sure, I've got other fish books on my shelves, but should further NMA volumes be announced, you could count on my preorder... and I'm betting I'm not the only one.
Cheers,
Scott Baker
<Thank you for this input. Am going to send on to the folks who helped put together the first one... and the project/series is definitely not dead (reminds me of "The Princess Bride" line that "He's only partly dead"...). Cheers, Bob Fenner>

NMA Books/stocking 20L nano-reef    5/16/07
Hi all,
<Alex>
First - I really enjoyed the RI book - when is the sequel due out?
<Indeterminate... JasonC is working on the two fish books/volumes... but don't know at this point... maybe later this year>
Secondly - I'm trying to settle on fish for my upcoming 20L ("L" for long, not liter) nano-reef (with 10 gal refugium).  I would like to have a group of very small fish, and am liking the idea of a group of conspecific gobies.  I understand that this will work with Elacatinus sp -
<Mmm, maybe... really only with very closely related ones... best from the same "batch", tank-raised... see your dealer re ordering from an outfit that produces these if this is the route you're going>
what about Stonogobiops, e.g. yasha or nematodes?
<Can be done... in pairs here>
  Also, for the latter and for shrimp gobies in general, how necessary is the shrimp commensalism to their happiness in captivity?
<Not... though makes for far more interesting behavior, viewing>
Will they thrive without a shrimp if all other parameters are OK?
<Yes>
I am thinking to avoid Gobiodon clown gobies as I would like to grow some SPS frags and they can apparently be hard on such.
<Yes... and each other with crowding...>
Also, I would like to have one small "active" fish to complement the more demersal/passive behavior of the gobies.  My thinking is leaning toward one of the smallest of the Flasher or Fairy wrasses (e.g. P. carpenteri or C. filamentosus), or possibly a six-line,
<Mmm, no... not enough room here>
but am wondering whether this would be too large/active a tankmate for the gobies, and whether a lone male Flasher would look good, or if they only color up/display in the presence of conspecific females?  
<This latter really>
Other possibilities for my "active fish" would be a small Basslet (Gramma brasiliensis?  Or a Swissguard or Candy Basslet?  Blue Assessor?).
<Again... really too small a volume for these>
  Really don't want Nemo (or any other damselfishes), and am cool at best to firefish (would love to have other Dartfishes if I had a larger tank, but I don't).
<Correct>
Thoughts on the above and other suggestions welcome!
Thanks in advance
Alex
<Mmm, have you read here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/smmarsysstkgfaqs.htm
and the series linked above? Have you seen Scott Michael's "Reef Fishes" pocket guide book? Bob Fenner>

Reef Invertebrates book: Wild live rock collection  12/30/06
Hello Anthony/Bob and Crew,
<Eric>
I have been reading the Reef Invertebrates book you wrote in "The Natural Marine Aquarium Series". Great Book! I am enjoying the extra time you take on each subject covered. I picked it up mostly because I was interested in exploring the use of Refugiums. I'm glad I got it as it will save me time and money having done this reading. Any estimated dates when the other books on Corals and Coral Fish will be rolling off the press?
<They're still on indefinite stand-still... Now Antoine, in addn. to his new mag., re-doing his coral prop. book... is fixing up a piece of land in PA... a barn and greenhouse... and more!!! If there is much more insistence however, I am going to finish at least the one volume in progress, and put it out for sale... I swear>
I did want to ask a sincere question which resulted from reading the first section on live rock collection. Under the title Conservation Concerns: Be Concerned But Don't on page 28 you stated that most of the "wild" live rock collected is the result of storm debris or removed by natural causes.
<Mmm, I don't recall this statement... It is NOT factual. The vast majority of LR is collected by hand in near shore environments... in situ... but is of extremely low consequence in overall effect/impact>
I think this is great and a responsible means of harvesting. I like "wild" live rock more so than aquacultured rock. But is it possible that the rock debris, if left littered around the reef, would result in larger and growing/scattered reefs?
<Yes>
Or does it result in doing harm to the existing reef or is it just a moot point?
<If there is carbonaceous material in the sea, it will be colonized... in short fashion>
Much Obliged - Eric
<Thank you for your note, prompting. Bob Fenner>

NMA Vol. 2 & 3  6/1/06
Greetings and salutations, Mr. Fenner.  I hope this letter finds you well.
<Sleepy to the point of somnambulance, but physically okay, thanks>
I know you're a busy man, and I appreciate your time regarding this matter.  As the store manager for Big Al's Aquarium Services in Newmarket, Ontario, Canada I have a vested interest in the industry both for work and as a hobby.  Your work on "Reef Invertebrates" is phenomenal, and is included as recommended reading in our reef tank set-ups for our customers.  To that end, I was merely wondering when we might look forward to the publication of volumes 2 & 3 in the "Natural Marine Aquarium Series"?  
<Mmm, thank you for your kind words and prompting. This project is at a standstill as of now... AnthonyC, my erstwhile co-writer is on a tear of new projects that are absorbing all his available resources. There is a good chance the other volumes (two on fishes, one on cnidarians... with our usual desired throwing in of "extraneous"/though desirable subjects on selection, acclimation, quarantine... will still see the light of publication... Perhaps with JasonC's help... but when I know naught>
In closing I would like to issue the usual praise as it has been well earned!  Your articles, books, and web-site have been a tremendous help to many hobbyists, and I look forward to reading your future works.  Keep up the great work!
Thank you kindly,
Chuck Cherrett
Aquarium Services Newmarket
Newmarket, ON
<Again, thank you for your kind, encouraging words. Bob Fenner>

Natural Marine Aquarium Series   03/9/06
Bob, Anthony, good day!
<And to you Robert>
It's been awhile, and I hope all is well with you and the rest of the crew. I do have a question for you, and hope that this is not an inappropriate place to ask.  I have your first book of the Natural Marine Aquarium Series and was wondering when the second would be released.  I thought it would be released quite some time ago, but I do remember you saying that this book
was coming together much slower than had been anticipated.  Any updates available?
<Mmm, how to put this. Seems like the project has gotten lost, swept under a/the rug... other projects by Anthony taken precedence. I may finish what we have thus far, might not>
Will we be able to order signed copies such as the first time?
:)
<Likely so... if someone wants to "pick up the gauntlet" re>
Thank you, as always, for all of your generosity and time!
Robert V. McCarthy
<Thank you for the prompting. Cheers, Bob Fenner>

Natural Marine Aquarium Series, Volume 2 10/11/05
Please provide an update on this book? Any information would be appreciated.
<Uh, Antoine? BobF> 

When is the next Calfo/Fenner book coming out?
I am just so excited about Reef Invertebrates, and now that I've read it cover to cover several times I'm dying to see the next couple of books. < Me too. > When are they scheduled for release? < I know Anthony and Bob are working on a book for this fall. It is the first in a series on Reef Fishes. > Can you point me to a website where I can check for updates regarding these books? < I think www.readingtrees.com is probably the best place to look for this info. > One suggestion I would like to make is that you consider offering these in a hard back edition (maybe a collector's edition including the entire series in hard back.) < I'll pass this along. >  Just a suggestion!  Thank you both for your contributions to our wonderful hobby.  
Thanks,
Raul Roman
< Blundell  >

The Natural Marine Aquarium Series, Volume 2... when? 3/8/05
Can you inform me when Volume 2, "Reef Fishes" is scheduled for release? 
<later this year hopefully (likely!). Jason is laying out chapters as we speak and Bob is threatening to duct tape me to a chair to finish edits/writing contributions :)>
I'm thoroughly enjoying Volume 1, and want to add the other two volumes to my library. Please advise. 
Thanks, Bryan - Goose Creek, SC
<I'd really like to see this by the end of summer. I'll do my best. Thanks for your kind words and interest my friend. Anthony>

NMA V2, 3...
Bob,
This is a message from someone wanting to know when your new book is coming
out.
Mike
Hey I sent an email in Jan. checking on the status of the 2nd book in
the Essential Guide series.  I have been terribly out of the loop the
past year or so and was just wondering when this 2nd installment would
be released, and when you might be taking pre orders for it.  Any
signed copies like the first time?
RVMcCarthy
<Will eventually see the light of day/print... turns out there are just too
many fishes, supplementary items we want to include (cursory chapters on
selection, quarantine...)... so now there are two fish volumes... the first
should be out in about four-six months from now... about same cost, size... and
we'll gladly sign most anything for a sale! No pre-orders as far as I'm
aware. Cheers, Bob Fenner>

Next volume of The Natural Marine Aquarium Series? 10/27/04
I very much enjoy the first volume "Reef Invertebrates". Since I'm new to reef hobby I refer to it all the time.
<thanks kindly for stating so... it is very redeeming to read>
When can I expect the next volumes? I am especially interested in the volume on corals.
<we are presently working on a two part volume for Fishes, the first will be released sometime next year... early I hope/suspect. Then I'm going to sneak off briefly and finish my nearly complete second volume of the "Book of Coral Propagation". Then come right back to Bob for part 2 of Reef Fishes. Hard to exactly say when for the Corals volume, but 2006 sometime I suspect>
Is there another reference work by Anthony Calfo I can use in the meantime? Thanks in advance. Sue Tarr
<please do check out comments and reviews of my first book, "Book of Coral Propagation" (2001) on Amazon.com or any of the big message boards, etc. Best regards, Anthony>

Re: NMA Vol.2 : Reef Fishes
> Hello Mr. Calfo,
> I'll keep it short, as I'm aware of your many duties
> and tight schedule.  I
> bought Mr. Fenner's Conscientious Marine Aquarist,
> NMA vol. 1, and your Book
> of Coral Propagation (#4108) after a friend of mine
> steered me towards
> WWM.com when I decided to build my first SW tank,
> (40g reef).  I bought them
> mid-way through 2003, and read them in the order
> listed above.  After
> finishing them, and spending hours reading the FAQs
> and articles at WWM, I
> built my 40g in Jan/2004.
> I know you've heard it before, but I want to say it
> again:  Thanks!  It's
> because of you and 'Bob' that I have had nothing but
> success and enjoyment
> from this hobby, (as I write, my male Banggai is
> holding eggs! Wish me
> luck!).  Many people told me how 'difficult' salt
> water aquariums are, and
> that I should 'graduate' from freshwater first...
> pschaw!  With the unreal
> amount of information provided by these books and
> your online efforts, an
> aquarist would be hard pressed to run into a problem
> that couldn't have been
> avoided by following your advice.
> Anyway, what I would like to know is when can I
> expect you and Bob to finish
> NMA Vol. 2?   If possible, I would like to pre-order
> a copy 'hot off the
> press' as it were.  Is this possible?
> In fact, even if it is not expected until next year,
> I would be more than
> willing to pay for my (signed?) copy now.
> Please let me know, when you get a chance.  Sorry
> about the Hotmail, I'm in
> the process of switching ISPs.
> Sincerely,
> Robert Smith
cheers, Robert
thank you so much for your very kind words. Indeed,
our collective efforts in books and articles and
especially on the WWM website are for the very purpose
and success you have realized. Thanks again for
mentioning it... its inspiring, mate.
As to NMA v. 2, we do not have any pre-order plans
yet. The body of the work will be off to the layout
editor this month... but its release is not likely
perhaps until early next year. Do check in again if you
like.
with kind regards,
Anthony
<Well done Antoine... now, back to work (sound of whip in the backgd.). Bob>

Re: Scorpaeniform piece NMA RF
Cheers, Mike :)
the pics came through on this account (does seem like
there is a problem on the WWM server... that's why you
could not attach yours from there).
Bob was not kidding... some absolutely fabulous
photos!
And wow... the egg mass looking like a comb jelly.
Could I trouble you to collect pics of your
Scorpaeniformes and drop them on a CD to send? They'll
compliment Bobs very fine. Any photos of reproductive
activities in particular would be nice :)
My addy is:
Anthony Calfo
Pittsburgh PA 15239
Grazie for expanding on the feeding freq. issue...
I'll be sure to weave that into the coverage before we
send the first pass out.
You are a real treasure to know and have on our WWM
team. Thank you my friend.
Anthony
<Antoine, if you have time, interest, please incorporate Mike.D's pix and input into the piece and I'll sell it about to the marine mag.s with credit, payment to all of us. Bob F>

Funky mail troubles, checks, and mail-cheeked fishes/NMARF
hey, Bob
<Hi Antoine>
I've been trying to send you the Scorpaeniform chapter
today and its getting kicked back at me from both your
hotmail and WWM crew mailboxes.
<Man, when it rains... am having other big computer prob.s as well... I sent a msg. to Zo and Jas.C re the Webmail... I do hope this all corrects soon>
I'm gonna go take a
snack break and then come back and gut all images from
the file to try to resend... else I'll send you a CD
or wait for a less grumpy server day
Antoine
<Hotay. Oh, did you get a check from Aq. Sys? They sent me one for @280... for SS? Make known if they're really spending the big bongo bucks nowadays or I'll send you a check for half. Bob>

Re: WWM crew mail and Aq Sys.: Bob
> <Man, when it rains... am having other big computer
> prob.s as well... I sent a msg. to Zo and Jas.C re
> the Webmail... I do hope this all corrects soon>
aw... sorry to hear it bud. Frustrating indeed. There
really does seem to be something screwy or sensitive
about the WWM crew mail as you know/I think... been
too many complaints as of late from various people.
sheesh... always something
<Yepster... with Jas' help am buying restore CD's from Sony Vaio... coming today>
> Oh, did you get a check from Aq. Sys? They
> sent me one for @280... for SS? Make known if
> they're really spending the big bongo bucks nowadays
> or I'll send you a check for half. Bob>
I haven't the foggiest clue as to what you are talking
about here mate. But no worries regardless... I'm
officially decided to go on he Crispy Creme diet
while I finish NMARF, then gonna sell my body by the
pound as a man-whore like Deuce Bigalow afterwards.
<Yay! You'll be in the big bucks soon, and big everything else! Was/am referring to SeaScope... didn't we send some pieces from NMARF to Tim for consideration? Will check my records, maybe send him/them a note re... but when getting about to make deposits (like WWM, only do once a month), will check and make sure it's not your moolah too>
ewwwww. Sorry if you got any visuals there :p
Ant-
<Really like Krispy Kremes, Bob F>

Next book from Bob and Anthony? 5/31/04
I've been really busy and unable to read your website lately.  I did search, but was unable to find the answer.  I was just wondering when the new reef fishes book was due to be released, and will it be available for pre-order? Thanks
<thanks kindly for your interest my friend. We are progressing slowly but surely on the book and still have hopes to finish/release it by the end of the year. I'm looking forward to seeing it complete myself <G>. Our goal is to complete one book per year at this point. I'll be delighted with anything close to it :p Anthony>

Next NMA book from Bob and Anthony 5/21/04
Hi Bob: When is the new book on corals due out? Hope its soon.. loved the invert book and am looking forward to the newest one. Thanks, Brian
<volume 2 of the NMA series is "Reef Fishes" and is in progress currently with hope of completion by year's end. vol 3 will be Cnidarians and may be completed by the end of next year. Thanks kindly for your interest and inspiration :) Anthony Calfo> 

NMA book series 1/14/04
My wife bought me your new book for a Christmas present and I couldn't be happier with it.  
<outstanding to hear my friend>
In my excitement I realized that this is only the first in a series of three books and I'm thrilled.  My question is when do the next books come out?  
<volume two is "Reef Fishes" and we have plans to release it later this summer. Working on chapters literally as we speak/write this>
I know that a lot of work has gone into the current book  but I just can't wait for the next one!!  Thanks for all the great
information and hard work you have done. Scott Whitmire
<thanks kindly my friend. I can tell you true that several of us have earmarked the first 2 quarters of this year for a concerted effort to finish the work. Please check back with us this summer for an update and do tell a friend about our books and website especially. With kind regards, Anthony Calfo>

NMA RF and Pocket Guide equivalents
Antoine, Scotter, pls. find attached my re-do of Anthony's magnum opus (dude, you don't have to re-write, treble or more my verbage...). Did make numerous proof changes, altered some (at least according to moi) mis-statements of fact... but it is indeed a winnah! A couple of further notes... let us be careful re the tendency for these chapters to enlarge (greater and faster than an antennariid buccal cavity)... as this sucker (family catostomidae) must need fini under 500 pgs.... and yours truly would dearly (still) love to slip in a few tens of pages on selection, acclimation, dips/baths and quarantine... 
And, met (and Anthony will re-meet) one Steve Miller on the most recent trek up north... he has come fwd with the magnanimous offer to proof-read our works... so's, if we feel the need (not to breed), we will cross that Rubicon when/if we come to it.
Oh, and a note. Am offering to... to out-do, un-do, the Shimek invert. work/pocket guide companion to M/TFH's stolen Michael do of marine fishes (with an option to make the next NMA titles into same... i.e. a Pocket Guide to the RF, Cnid tomes)... any objections? If not, will likely commence. 
In the meanwhile, let us indeed make haste on this title. I would dearly love getting this work out preliminarily at about the NMA RI anniversary mark (late Spring, early Summer) and saving up the moolah for the further (3d printing of RI)... for the following (may seem like a long way off, it's not) big Xmas season.
Bob

Corals & Fish (NMA series titles... upcoming) 11/12/03
Hello,
<Bonjour>
I am curious when your Natural Marine Aquarium "Corals" and "Fish" will
be available?  I have "Reef Invertebrates" and love it.  I can't wait to
read the others.  If I can be put on an email notification letting me
know when the books are out would be great.
Thanks
Jean-Paul
<The "fish" book is about half done... so maybe another six months to availability... the cnidarian tome... about a year after that. Thank you for asking... and keep "goosing us" please! Bob Fenner>

Scott's First Pass- Dartfishes/Wormfishes
Date: Tue, 28 Oct 2003 20:03:43 -0800
Hi Anthony and Bob:
Here's my first pass at the Dartfishes/Wormfishes chapter.
<Well done Scotter. Anthony, if it's all right with you, I say (and have stored) that this is fine as our final for the group>
On the whole, a very interesting chapter, which did the whole group justice by highlighting some of their special needs, which are not usually mentioned in most hobby articles/books. I liked that!
It was also neat that you highlighted some of the lesser-seen species and their suitability. The use of refugia for providing supplemental food for these fishes is a great idea- I'm sure that you'll suggest this for other families, too. I don't believe that this topic has been addressed before in a book!
I also liked the mention of the "slow attrition" aspect of keeping these fishes...We get lots of questions on WWM that concern this phenomenon, and it happens all too often.
As a minor suggestion, I think it would be cool to mention a bit more about a dedicated "biotopic" display for these fishes, perhaps even with a photo or diagram or two. This would really set this book apart from the usual hobby "fodder" on these fishes...They seem uniquely suited for such setups, and it would be a great opportunity to suggest this in NMA Reef Fishes.
<Maybe we can/should change our "tank" heading per group coverage into "Biotope" and add more such leaned notes>
Hope this is of use to you!
<Indeed, yes. Bob F>
Scott

Next NMA book from Calfo/Fenner
Anthony, Bob or whomever...
<Antoine at your service>
I moved and have a new e-mail address.  <duly noted my friend>
I was on a mailing list for information on when the next book in the Natural Marine Aquarium Series would be released and would like to be placed back onto it.  
<tis done>
Is there any new information concerning this series?
<we are well into volume 2 (Reef Fishes) and hope to have it available for sale this summer or close to it. The goal is one new book per year>
Thank you! RVMcCarthy
<thanks you for your interest and support my friend. Anthony>

Re: Bryozoa
Thanks for the response Bob. A group of wastewater professionals are meeting in the Phoenix area next month to discuss Bryozoa and other treatment challenges and we are hoping some of the legwork may already be done and available to us.
<Me too. Ah, reminds me of happy meetings with friends in organizations like the "Aquatic Plant Management Society"... a great mix of "old-timer" scientists, technicians, folks who "did" the work... very enjoyable and great learning, sharing experiences>
Love your new book and really enjoyed meeting you and Anthony at our Desert Marine Society meeting.
<Ahh! Now I remember!>
Can't wait until the others in the series come out. Any idea on the release dates?
<Perhaps a year in-between each... Poor Anthony going over my poor initial drafts, my poring through his verbose re-writes (he actually has an advanced degree in literature!?)... then poor Christine doing the layouts!!! Sheesh, amazing they get done at all. Thank you for asking. Bob Fenner>
Thanks,
A.J.

Re: NMA books upcoming (?)
Date: Fri, 29 Aug 2003 16:57:32 -0700 (PDT)
Bob... are you suggesting I/we start scanning hunting for pics before we even finish the first pass at the text?
<Yes! Am thinking this will greatly speed up, make more enjoyable the process. Know I could NOT do the layout w/o some idea of BOTH the text and graphics... ALSO may well help us to discern what pix we're "missing" and hasten the search for same>
No doubt, the majority of pics to be used are in SD and not copied in the low/med res catalog sent to us on HD.
<Agreed>
But few of those/any pics are going to change what we write about a given family or group of fishes. Just the captions and layout.
<Do you think so? I suspect that we're going to be challenged for space (badly) and need to cut species, genera, hopefully not whole families... but that we should be restricting our choices by our feelings/thoughts re how important their inclusion is AND whether we have graphics for them (Yes, unfortunately I WOULD leave out what we can't picture>
I'm thinking scan time is after the first pass and before the second pass/push of raw matter to Chris.
<Okay... if I understand that by first pass, you think my first go... I do NOT think we should wait (serially) for you to go through (no offense) AND then go over pix THEN give to Chris... Methinks this will likely double, treble the time to completion. Instead, if we get a jump on the graphics, and give sections/families (?) to Chris as we're about done with them text-wise, she can be working, completing the layouts in measure>
I'm simply focused right now on getting into a groove for finishing the writing, but can see a visit to Cali for scanning after just a couple months here.
<Sounds about the right time frame. I do know you to be a super-focused individual who can/will "crank out" the text (Please don't ruin your health in this practice)>
What say ye?
<Keep the proposition in mind... Christine, what about your point of view? Would you like the whole enchilada (so to speak) at once (text and graphics) or a bit at a time? Do you have in mind some time frame that your schooling, other obligations will allow your more full-time attention? Bob>
Antoine

NMA books upcoming (?)
Anthony, have been thinking re the undone titles of the NMA series and have a growing concern with the (as yet unstated) process we are apparently on. It dawns on me that we're going to "do" these works in a "serial" effort way, that is, produce the text THEN the graphics THEN the layout... am concerned because I can't see how Chris can possibly do the Elton John/Bernie Taupin gig (put tog. the text and graphics) w/o having both (Know I couldn't) on hand... AND that we can't really produce any final draft of the work w/o having both either... AND that the current "scan set" that you, Chris and I have very likely includes less than half of the images we'll likely settle on from what is here... AND that what we have here will likely be the bulk of the image work in the books... SO...
am proposing that you (soon!) come out and dedicate at least a week (two or more even) to 1: going through the physical slide files here, 2: making at least cursorial scans of what you think we might use... and 3: send these and our second or third (near final) drafts of text to Chris for layout "as we go"... RATHER than working on aspects serially... WHICH I strongly feel and think will severely reduce BOTH the profitability potential AND (Yikes!) the fun potential of the projects (a real bummer).
Anyhow what do you (Anthony and Christine) think? Can/will you come out Antoine and start the scanning/cropping/saving and sending image process?
Thank you, Bob

WWM Help... with slide id, scanning...
> I need to bail from active duty on WWM mail to
> hunker
> down on vol. 2 of our next book. Bob has got a
> fantastic jump on the draft and I need to catch up.
> <And... I've got's to stop sorting these slides
> (though it IS so much fun)
> and get on to finishing the first drafts>
What's involved with the slides?
Marina
<Whoo whoo, ha ha, ho ho! Let's see... I do the first pass (after coming back with them) at tossing the bad (out of focus, poorly lit...) ones (am better than Bruce Lee at tossing two by two's... can stick them like shirkens into the drywall... besides he's dead), next sort by group (invert.s, fishes, above water...), next re-sort to family, genus, possibly species... Then, maybe scan some of the better ones for WWM/WWF (mainly landscapes, but a few verticals that might get sent out as cover submissions), save on HDs here, and place in hanging folder files by group... THEN, when someone calls, emails or we have a desire to re-do for book et al. use, go back through the group/files... and re-scan at whatever resolution... NOW, imagine friends of yours having a few tens of thousands of not-so identified stinging-celled animal slides... and a title in mind that IS the cnidarians... MANY slides "just" identified as "hard corals", "soft corals", gorgonians et al. in bulging folder files by geographic region... AND a need to identify to at least the genus... THAT's what's really involved... Now, how to do about the specific identification process? For the cnid.s, get out Veron's three vol. effort (careful not to drop them on your toes!) and other recent pet-fish efforts, the whole bunch of slides (e.g. Montiporas, Pacific)... and try to id them a bit better... then, why not? re-scan them to your best ability... Sound easy? It is, sort of... but TIME CONSUMING YOU BETCHA!
Bob, enjoying the first pass at the forty five rolls (times 36 exposures each) just back from the last trip>

Upcoming Books by WWM: Fenner, Calfo, Chodakowski
Thanks for the reply Anthony.
<all good my friend>
What this about 3rd volume in the set?
<lots of wheels in motion here at WWM <G>. "Reef Invertebrates" was volume one of the Natural Marine Aquarium series. We are in the thick of volume 2 presently: "Reef Fishes" (2004 release). Then onto volume 3: "Reef Cnidarians - Corals, Jellies, and Anemones". Our Jason C and Bob are also researching on a book about Marine Diseases. Hmmm... then Bob and I finish the Garden Pond Book... many possibilities <G>>
The only thing worse than an aquarium junkie is an information junkie. Tell me more. Thanks, Ken
<very good to hear. Learn, share and grow. Anthony>

Attention Bob: part 2 of 3 from Anth
Thanks for the feedback, bub... will press on with
resolve now.
<Good>
Do you have a preference what order I work over your
passes in?
<Front to back is best... but feel free to skip around if you want. Maybe esp. for the sect. we hope to use as our "example chapter" on WWM, Amazon...>
Do let me know when its all good to jump back up on
Tuskfish again... would be nice to have one place fore
the current finals of all to work on as before.
<Oh! Did upload and amend (added croakers) last night... took hours, but it's up there now>
Also have attached part 2 here
<Very nice, and lots of good ex. pix of your bro in laws heterodontids. We'll definitely NOT be able to offer such extensive coverage of all 30-40 families covered, but the sharks and rays definitely (note spelling) warrant such coverage. Bob>

Book Comments - 7/31/2003
Bob/Anthony:
Any word on the next book installment, Reef Fishes, like when you expect it
to ship ;)?
<"If wishes were fishes..." we'd really like to have it out before next year... but more likely some six months from now>
I am still reading Reef Invertebrates, so no rush!  I just have
to say that with all the compliments you receive, including mine, that you
need to keep an eye on the person(s) in charge of typos (Publisher/Editor?).
<Yes. Thank you>
I am no expert by any stretch, but I have noticed some obvious mistakes that
should have been caught by this "clean-up crew".  You may wish to keep this
in mind when it comes to printing up some new copies of RI.  
<Again, my thanks to you. Anthony and others have accumulated quite a few corrections and we are even re-doing, replacing some images>
I am sure you
already know this, but I haven't read about it on your site, so....Rich
Ps: please don't "black-list" me for my comments, your site is too important
to me :D!
<We will never abandon you my friend. Bob Fenner>

A request for your writing a foreword (NMA RF)
Chris, Anthony (Calfo) and myself are writing to ask for your
consideration
in penning the foreword to volume 2 of our Natural Marine Aquarium book
series (Coral Fishes). We should be "done" with the basic text in a few
months, and would really appreciate your "once over" the general
content,
and concise ideas on the whole of the topic and our treatment. Quality
Marine is (along with TMC in our opinion) the premiere source for marine
fishes and we would like to have your, your company associated with our
good
works. The pay is dismal (there is none), but if the works have merit,
do
sell, your foreword will go the trade and QM good in promoting "best
practices", best choices in livestock selection, husbandry. Please think
this potential commitment over and make it known if you are interested.
Bob Fenner

RE: A request for your writing a foreword
Hi Bob,
What an honor! I'd be more than happy to employ my rusty eloquence.
<Yay! Am sure you'll enjoy the experience, and thank you>
You do know my major was literary criticism don't you? 
<Yeeikes! I hope not!>
I'm not kidding. Odd
that I ended up in the fish business rather than law, no? I guess you
do what you love.
<Yes, hopefully>
In any event I hope I can come up with something that is fitting,
informative, and motivating. Ideally it would tie in nicely with your
body of text, so I'd need to know the context of the book, it's focus
etc. I'd love to browse the content when possible. 
<We will be definitely sending you along the "second draft" for your review as soon as we're that far. Then likely the lay-out and (re-)scanning of images, other graphic work will being worked on concurrently. If all works out (ha!) within 2-3 months from now>
Any idea of the
time frame from the point I could begin work on it to the point you need
it from me for review?
<Ah! I should have read through your response first. If you can get to the review once we have the copy for you within a week or two that would be great>
Thanks again for your consideration.
All the best,
Chris
<Again, thank you for taking on this task and your input. Bob F>

NMA RF Beryciform fishes (what's next after NMA series?)
> <Or two... what's next after NMA Cnid? Bob>
Something different/non-marine would be nice. The/A pond book would be great fun to write. Overdue in the industry, a good seller, fun to create. Definitely near the top of the list for me.
<Then let's tentatively settle on this as "next">
My two pond faves are Dawes' "Book of Water Gardens" for construction tips/raw info (not a pretty book per se, though) and Allison's "Water in the Garden" for the aesthetic. I see ours as a solid blend of the two, but smashingly illustrated with your/amazing photos. Pics of beautiful koi and installations to knock ones socks off <G>
<Keep snapping those pix! Bob>

Jas, Zo, Chris: future WWM/RT pubs... laying the cards out
Date: Sat, 7 Jun 2003 13:24:25 -0700 (PDT)
Bobster... the following is a reply to Chris from me
that seemed like an open door to address our issues re:
NMA RF and how to proceed... confirm
interests/participation and expectations/terms.
Please review all (spoke for "us" in some cases) and
then forward to Jas, Zo, Chris if/where you agree and
see fit.
<Have read, looks fine. Informative, tentative, desired to inform and inquire>
I'd like to take advantage of the slow summer to hash
out a good bit of RF before fall travel/barnstorming
for holiday sales of NMA RI.
<Agreed... have restarted the lophiiform fishes (anglers and bats) today>
If Jas and/or ZO&Chris elect not to continue for any
reason, I'll say again that I have no reservation
about self-editing and paying for the scanning/layout
work to be done. Still, I have hope that the team
wants to stick together and adjust from the growing
pains. We just might get really good after a few
titles <G>
<Undoubtedly. Bob>
_____________________________________

> Hey there bub,
Hey, bubette :)
just thought I'd drop you an e-mail
> and see how you were doing.
Heehee... aside from health issues, pretty cool.
Caught me some Poison Oak (3 week run at present- gone
systemic) to compliment some scary back activity...
full spasms, no walking a couple days this week. Doh!
Hope you are very well though. Not too stressed
post-NMARI <G>. Better yet, rested!
>I hear the book is going to be out in print
> on the 13th? That's SO
> cool. I'm excited to see it.
Well :p... Kneppers is waffling a bit on the date now,
they went from the 13th, to the "week of the 16th".
Ack! Bastards :p Hell or high water, I'm gonna ask
them if it is at all possible to FedEx Zo a copy for
Father day/B-day <G>. If so... he might officially be
the first to lay eyes on it :)
The VP (Ted) thinks they can have it ready for ship to
Cali now by the 18th at the latest (barring no
troubles from the bindery). As of two days ago, they
were through 16 of 25 sigs and have it slated for the
press.
There's also talk that you're helping Bob
> write the fish book? Really? Guess I just thought
> things got so weird that other considerations were
entertained. What do I know?! ;-p
Nope... you were correct in your
perception/assumptions. Dismayed/disappointed at the
whole NMA RI difficulties, I intended to take a
working pause from NMA to complete my SMA and BOCP2.
Bob started sending out several sketched chapters for
RF with pasted FAMA/WWM/etc content as before- a bit
disappointing, but by his admission from HI without
references to scour for forging original content. And
so, before my silence/no reply became a vote of
consent... we had a couple long communications trying
to hash out what was (RI) and what will be (RF, RC,
CRA, etc).
Very productive for us (I'm content/happy at least
<G>) yet still we are short on answers. One of the
last and lingering questions is what/where you, Zo and
Jas want to be with the work (if at all).
On the Gonzalez side of it, we believe as Zo recently
stated that you (both?) are still interested in layout
but not editing. I have stated to Bob (he agrees I
believe) that I/we adore/admire your artistic skills
at layout in the superlative. However, we still fear
issues of lack of communication or realistic budgeting
of time: Zo needing to take care of his primary job,
indeed... yet us not wanting to delay projects too
long for their relegation to part-time/lax scheduling.
Frankly... I hope that you both want to work layout on
each of the next titles, if we can all work out the
bugs (taking responsibility for our duties and
honest/realistic reckoning of abilities/deadlines).
The whole lack of an index and glossary (a plagiarized
one at that from Marina) weeks before turning the text
over to KP really took the wind out of my sails. And
the realization so late too that no crew of
proofreaders had reviewed the text just blew my mind.
Bob and I wanted the proofreaders to stop editing
whimsically, preferentially and at all. We expected Zo
to edit and them to simply proofread... instead, they
were fired and we had no proofreaders! Wow... my
repetitive and fatigued reads near the end were truly
inadequate. Just overwhelmed. We could have had any
number of sets of eyes proofing the content in
March/April if we had only known of the need. As such,
the text has slipped though with more than a few
simple typos or inconsistencies.
From the Jas side of it... he has requested to edit
the text. Bob, Jas and I have all chatted separately
about my concern for working with Jas (which truly is
separate and distinct from our friendship). I have
been mulling it over for about a week... and don't
really even know for certain what Bob wants to do
regarding Jas. My instinct to not work with Jas
honestly has not changed. I see compatibility problems
between our personalities in a work environment that
would hurt the work and could taint a friendship. Case
in point, I feel that come crunch time, Jas will not
handle a stressed author <G> with the same
grace/patience that Zo did (incredible, and I thank Zo
sincerely for it). The problem with Zo was/has been
the difficulty even reaching him at times, as we know,
to get that calm, lucid reply <G>.
Where we stand now with the editing: I'd rather give
Jas a shot than a new face/stranger. We just need to
lay out the groundwork for expectations and heed them.
I realize that self-editing at least takes away from
time Bob and I could use to keep writing new titles
(beyond the pitfalls and inherent flaws of
self-editing).
Bottom line... we need to air out the laundry, clearly
define the working environment and above all...
preserve and protect our friendships.
The last issue to be discussed is the disbursement of
earnings for the next book. Looking back on lessons
from NMA RI and time spent/needed by all parties to
produce NMA RF, there needs to be a new schedule for
fair remuneration of services rendered. Bob and I have
discussed this a bit and at least have a clear idea
regarding.
The proposal is that if Jas edits the text and scans,
and Zo and/or Chris do the layout, the profits earned
will be .50 per book (each). The plan is to run at
least 10k books. Indeed the expectation is that far
more books will be produced/sold in time. If
Jas/Zo/Chris decide not to work on NMA RF, etc... then
$5K plus futures is more than anybody else we hire to
do the work would make (its more than Bob ever got for
the same duties on Microcosm titles... hell, its more
than they are paying him now for CMA in royalties!).
For perspective/disclosure/reminder, our earnings on
NMA RI for the four-way split (including WWM) is about
$1.50 per book: just over $10 to print (extra pages
plus freight to Cali), small cost of repackaging
books, etc.... leaving about $6 from the majority of
books sold wholesale at $17.50 each.
All- please speak up on desires, agreements, concerns
and lets move upward and onward :)
kindly,
Antoine

NMA RF chapters
Hey, bub
At a glance of the shark, eel and catfish chapters,
let me suggest/ask/beg <G> you to provide your content
more formally within the frame of our NMA series
template ('twill be much easier for me/us if you scribe
so from scratch):
overview
SELECTION
CARE
COMPATIBILITY
summary/special notes
[then a gallery for some/most groups... more so
addressed later with layout. The best of/worst of pic
series essentially]
<Okay. Just working in/out the bugs at this point... will adopt this format going forward... and in our reviews, re-dos will... uh, re-do>
With eels, for example... do you wanna chat a bit
more about Compatibility with the best of (groupers,
anglers, lions versus nippy trigger, puffers, big
Angels) and worst of (natural prey... ornamental
crustacea, Cephs, etc)
<Oh yes! Definitely>
Also under overview or Selection: the diffs between
the "tooth-types": fish eaters vs crustaceans eaters
<Yes... as you might guess, I wrote these passes "off the top of my (flat) head"... much more to be added>
And in passing, since you are in HI <G>... would
you keep in mind in the coming months to get a pic
(even at a HI wholesaler) of the Hawaiian dwarf moray
(gold and brown varieties, if possible). Such a
wonderful and hardy fish... so underrated, yet has a
niche following with nano and micro-reefers for its
small adult size (20-25 cm). Gotta find us some wicked
Dragon moray pics for half and/or full page sized
images! Yaay!
<Will try... sorry to be so daft, but don't even know this fish. Do you have a scientific name, URL like on/to fishbase that I can refer to?>
For the marine cats... do they not occur in more
narrowly defined niches? (Not so "reef-iniquitous").
If so... perhaps you can pen a brief description in
more detail of their typical habitat (soft/sandy
substrates... no hard reef surfaces?) and the how-to
of setting up a biotope display to achieve this.
<Not too narrow as far as I've seen underwater>
Thanks bub :)
<Thank you Anthony. Bob, going on to antennariiform fishes unless you want me to revisit the groups thus far>

NMA - Guidelines from the layout team.
Gotcha... much thanks for the guidelines. Agreed too that we should finish all in Word first. More than a few words I wanted to do whole text searches for (to correct or change) but had to work through chapter clusters. The lack of proofreaders and our harried efforts at the end to do so is my biggest regret/concern for the book (missed typos and inconsistencies). I'd like to invite several people for certain to proof next text. Mike Bloss did a smashing job on the BOCP once I revised it. He was very objective, thorough and fast (well read on aquaristics too). Returned a proof with a bazillion color coded post-it notes <G>. I also think Scott Fellman would do the same (intelligent, knows the matter well, industrious, etc). For a "professional" proofreader, I'd like to ask Lee Finley. Has done the work before (Scott Michael's work, etc), knows and lives the book selling/publishing biz for decades. Great guy if he has the time. Some administrative bugs to work out for certain: Without a professional editor in mind (no desire to give the job away to a new person, and no money to pay for a professional <G>) Bob and I have chatted about taking the extra time, as needed, and doing this ourselves. I have the time and interest to do so. We really need to be clear on who's working on the project from Go, and what they are responsible for, rather than making things up as we go along. Ciao, bubs

NMA RF team?
Hey, Bobster... long one... grab a Snickers bar :)
Zo's e-mail regarding "the team" and guidelines
prompts me to ask if you have a decided notion of who
you/we want/need to work on this next book.
<No... at least as in "nothing's decided till it's done. Have you?>
My nerves (yours too I suspect <G>) really need to
be clear from Go as to who's on the project, and who
is responsible/accountable for what. I'm inclined to
be shy/passive here but feel the need to speak up. I
really would be disappointed/put off to have the cast
of characters changing fluidly/unreliably as we go
along. Let's set it in stone early and with mindful
preparation to make a change later less likely.
<Agreed. Oh, me too>
Hmmm... OK, we know the authors :p
<That I am sure of>
We have chatted/agree, yes?- that there are plenty
of casual and professional colleagues available to
review/proofread the text gratis. Leaving that job up
to Zo was a mistake in hindsight. We got caught
without. Ughhh. Must address early and with many eyes.
<Agreed>
Building the glossary and index really is no sweat
for us/me as we write, read, and re-read the chapters
as we go along. Just like tagging the bibliog. to the
end of each. I will do/help here.
<Only if you insist. We (you and I) are best at picking out the terms... but a competent editor or assign could do the same>
Case in point, we left the Glossary up to Zo... Zo
appointed Marina to do it, and we were frightfully
close to letting it slip through plagiarized (you
passed over it and I was minutes away from signing off
to Zo when I realized more than a few entries were cut
and pasted verbatim [punctuation and all] from one of
the big Internet dictionaries!
<Wasn't party to this much of the above near-fiasco...>
What it really comes down to at this point is... do
you want Jas to scan and Zo to layout?
<Okay with me>
I'm still not comfortable with Jas' eye for
trueness of color making scans. As we discussed
before, he simply has not seen enough of these animals
to know what is natural or unnatural color. Several
pics on WWM recently and several for the book that he
has done have just jumped off the page and grabbed me
by the collar as being way off.
<He knows enough, sees enough>
Zo... what can I say. Love what he and Chris have
done artistically, fear getting let down/burnt again.
<Me too>
Ultimately, I'm willing to take a chance on both Zo
and Jas if you prefer. But I'm just as inclined to use
alternates for either or just do it ourselves and take
longer if necessary.
<Have any names?>
If we do continue with Jas and/or the Gonzos, I'd
like to speak up frankly regarding distribution of
profits. Truly no regrets on NMA RI... we all
approached with an open mind. On this next title
though, the authors will have thousands of hours into
scribing it, but scanning will not take but a few
hundred hours(1000 pics, not all are slides to be
scanned... 5-10 minutes per scan on good scanner...
100-200 hours). 
<Ha hahhhhahhh ahh, you're killing me... Ooooh hooo! If there were only "the scans" to do... looking through the choices, eating, going to the toy toy... If we have just a thousand pix... times 5-10 minutes... that's 5 to 10 thousand minutes... multiply that by sixty... it's much more time Antoine... I assure you>
Not sure about the layout, but with an
NMA template that we can and want/need to match...
less time invested I suspect (10 hours per chapter...
less than 30 chapters... say even 500 hours).
<... I'd say this estimate is low... at least twice this much time to do the job... even by me!>
I wish I was independently wealthy enough to
disregard levels of effort/time spent and an equal 7
way split <G>. But... I do need/want my writing to be
profitable enough if we succeed in banging out 3 books
in 2-3 years.
<I suggest a dollar a book, split between Zo and family and Jason...>
I recall your suggestion/advice for me to pursue
BOCP2/other works for profit if needed... but I'd
prefer to write and work with you primarily for so
many reasons (friendship, comfort/compatibility,
professional compliment of styles/experiences, maximum
impact of our content).
<And... I will gladly help you in whatever way I can in your endeavors... pix, editing, what have you... for free. No worries>
What is your impression on the matter for NMA-RF?
Indeed an equal split for the authors,... not sure
about the size of WWM take to match or not for
some/any financing (pending WWM profits from NMA RI
share to fund future projects... time will tell). Then
we have the layout and editing.
<If we can meet printing costs otherwise (pre-sales, sales of NMA RI) I say nada to WWM (what are "they", us doing for what anyway?>
Airing out the laundry on a Sunday :)
<It smells wunderbar>
Ciao, bub
PS- having fun with the shark chapter, will have to
you soon. Managed to write on it without a nazi
uniform so far too. Ha!
<Good, Lieutenant Houndzer... keep it in civvies. Bob>

Re: NMA RF team?
> <<Something... doesn't seem right about this
> "issue"... if we're paying Zo to be the "editor", he
should be doing the editing work>>
I know, I know :( ... agreed. And I don't think Zo
will claim to be the editor in confidence on this next
one... but I'm not sure how he will respond to the
loss of official title nonetheless. Same for the
adjusted pay... I'm not sure that he fully gives Chris
due credit... at times it seems so, other times he has
a lot of pride/ego. More than me I think <G>
<<... I intend to send his/their money in both their names>>
> G'night, my friend
> <Hey, it's only going on six PM here!
Hmmm... yes. 5 hour diff from EST, I think :)
Why am I so sleepy? Oh, of all things
> did get to see/photograph... a male Whitley's
> boxfish... in HI!
OMG... how cool is that!?!
<<A first for me... Even Dr. Randall has only seen males here once or twice!>>
>but a mind-blowing diving/photography day... some
> bicolor anthias at about 120 feet (while looking for
> Tinker's), two-spot floral/splendour/Maori wrasse...
Love those Maori wrasses. Che bella.
>Oh! How to "sell" the offered pay to the editorial
staff? Bob>
Hmmm... frankly and soon/ASAP before any/all progress.
Give them time to consider, and us time to adjust if
either decline. The $1 per book certainly is not
written in stone (I realize/suspect that is how you
feel/felt too).
<<Should be a tidy sum in time... Unless Svein and Alf or Jules and Charles come out with a "reef fish" volume, this should sell well... even if only 10 k copies in a few years... fifty cents each will be five thousand dollars... more than I've ever gotten paid for the same work>>
I think you and I first really need to sit down and
consider more accurately just how much work is
involved and what that is worth. Even then... paying
twice what that is worth on a successful endeavor is
fine among friends that we love, work well with and
pull their weight. But tossing 15K, 25K, or whatever
$K to an editor that doesn't edit, or a scanner jockey
just is not sensible for the long term hopes/plans.
<<Agreed>>
Its a charity at that point that is draining funds
from other possibilities (bigger runs on pressings,
paid help that works well/as needed, etc). Really...
its an uncomfortable blurring of friends and business
then.
So... I'm not really sure what to say or when to say
it just yet. Let us sleep on it, yes?
<<Good idea>>
Happy diving bud... and please keep your eyes open for
a quite little bay that I can shore dive from to get
re-acquainted and over fears <G>
<Really, can't wait to share with you. In the (is it sixteen days?) we've been here, I went out (on a double tank dive) only once on a boat, and for two shore dives... much time, effort into "setting up house"... thank goodness the area is growing... has a Home Depot (and soon a Lowe's), Costco, Wal-Mart and K-Mart (have become a blue-light shopper)... furniture is hard to "decide on" (expensive)... and so lots of driving, yard sales... but lots of fun doing with Di, shopping about for other properties with Pete... and the property, weather and folks here are muy simpatico. See you soon, Bob>
Ciao, bub

NMA RF cartilaginous fishes
Sometimes we really are on a scary wavelength <G>. I
just put Scott's Sharks and Rays on the top of my
casual re-/reading pile yesterday :)
Thanks for the pass bub... didn't look too close.
Quite sleepy today :) Pulled an all nighter last night
(reading/writing... but no mathematics)
<Take it easy big boy. You've gots to last!>
Will you be adding more to any/all sections? Hoping.
<Yes, plan still to write first drafts then to you for input, revision, back to me if you'd like more... then on to whoever we get to do the overall editing/layout>
So much more to address even without trying to
persuade folks to keep 'em. Interesting to describe how
some are collected (hooked juveniles, subadults, eggs
where applicable, gutting gravid females, etc)
<Think we ought to leave ought some of the more gruesome details>
, water
quality (DO levels, stray voltage effects on
behavior/sensitivities), tank shapes (ponds,
cylinders)... high bio-load filtration aspects (Fenner
koi pond technologies slid in here <G>)?
<Do agree with the shape issue for sure... add what you want>
whadya say? :)
<When in doubt, "keep writing". Bob>

NMA Book/s
Date: Thu, 15 May 2003 11:01:32 -0700 (PDT)
> Tonester! Am out of here in two days...
Bobster... I am tres happy for you <G>. Beautiful
Hawai'i :)
shall I leave a blank check with Jas
> to mail along?
Actually, bub... that would be very cool/convenient. I
will try to reach you by phone tommorow after I meet
with Ted to catch you up to speed on all things NMA RI
Do you have a/the word from the
> publisher re what they want
> to do re payment?
<<Will hold off till I hear from you/them>>
Mmmm... nope. Ted may have returned my call this
morning though, but I haven't checked the phone
messages yet. Checking my e-mail on a lunch break
though. Ha! Getting some way overdue
yard work/grass cutting done before the thunderstorms
roll in today :p
> And... to pump you up... have you given thought to
> our having a three book,
> boxed set for the NMA books? What sort of price
> point?
Wowee zowee... of all things, that I had not
considered/given thought too. Way cool/exciting. I
have no idea about the price points though... lets
compare like titles (Humann, Svein and Alf's?, etc of
course). Perhaps the box set could/would be the
limited run hardcovers? Or do you think that is not
profitable/necessary? (some hardcovers)
<<Mmm, interesting possibilities>>
> And on a related note, when are we starting on the
> next title? I suggest you and I take each
topic/chapter ONE AT A TIME (Man, that's bright)...
and get going soon. Your bambino, Bob
Definitely... I'm all for systematics. What a surprise
<G>.
Lets me suggest that we start with the fishes
families/groups first (as opposed to aspects/front of
book)... the meat of the text, per se. Follow the
selection, care and compatibility format of course...
get a flow and some stream built up.
<<Okay, you choose the group... want to include a short chapter on sharks, true eels... in this text? If so, maybe we could start with one of these>>
Since that will be the most photo intensive section of
the book... lets get that done first... so that
we/others can set to the yeoman's task (as you knew and
I recently became painfully aware of :p) of scanning
for that beefy section.
<<Good point>>
Then... after having written/completed our surveys of
the fishes (selection, care and compatibility)... we
can return to the front of the book to write/discuss
feeding, diseases, husbandry, etc with a broader
perspective of all fresh in our minds.
<<Hope we don't run out of room... had a dream re the wrasses... that chapter alone will likely run 50-60 pages!!!>>
What say ye?
<<Hotay>>
If that's good enough for you... let me ask you to
flesh out (perhaps done already) the hit list of fishes
you want to cover and list them in the proper order to
be addressed.
<<Let's take them systematically... as in least advanced groups on up>>
Do start each section and I will follow right behind
you.
<<Okay... sharks it/they are>>
Ready to roll :)
Ciao, bub
<Bob>

NMA RF
Cheers, bub
> Antoine... so, when do you want to start on the reef
> fishes book?
Sooner than later <G>... been spending most of my days
editing NMA chapters though. Will be for next couple
of weeks with you :) (my first and then second passes)
<<Will do my best to blast through>>
My optimistic mind wants to say "Go" on RF as soon as
NMA is fully in the printer's hands... but the truth
is that we will do some hard PR in the beginning. I
really expect that we will have to reprint the book
before Christmas :p
<<Wow! Good enthusiasm, Greek, en thuus for "the god in you">>
At any rate... lets see how Zo delivers. And then
decide specifically on the team we will have/recruit
and each of our responsibilities and expectations, to
be clear. The whole process has really given me/us all
a bad taste for working as we did. It all rattled me
something terrible... Steve coming up with nada by
Christmas (!), Zo and Jas going at each other... then
Jas and I going at each other... just ugly. And I'm
partly/largely upset with myself for going into it all
without a clear plan.
<<... okay. In semi-retrospect (I've distanced myself by not looking at every day, taking into consideration the ages of the parties, their apparent experience levels... not so surprising or bumming>>
I'm wondering how much if at all you want to work with
Zo. I really like his layout flavor and would readily
work with him again. He just doesn't/can't edit.
<<Agreed... Actually think we have had Christine doing more of this... we could, can ask her to carry on IMO. The "business" or technique of using "other folks" to "edit" by having add (haphazardly) other words, sentences, paragraphs... a very poor idea>>
I suggest we take a longer timeline, edit it
ourselves, pass it through a lot of proofreaders to
make editorial suggestions... and revise it ourselves
(final edit). We simply do not have or know a
professional editor that we like and can afford. So...
we do it ourselves.
<<Very good idea>>
At the end of it all, Bob, I am honestly surprised how
easily I was able to write with you. Didn't expect it
to go bad at all... but didn't expect for me to be so
comfortable either. (Unlike the awful re-writes in
some parts of NMA from various editors we saw at
first/early).
<<Anthony, you have good ideas, know the fields... just are a bit rough in putting those facts, methods, attitudes into words, "simple" sentences... together we can fix all this>>
My only concern or worry about us on RC or RF is you
is of you having the time/desire to re-write your
pasted WWM and FAMA/TFH material. Original content
will flow easily for me with RC... but RF will be
hard-earned. Will you take the heavy on RF? 
<<The "heavy"? Can you explain?>>
I trust
figure you don't mind from our previous chats about
our respective desires and inclinations to lead the
scribe on invert vs. fishes topics. Just want to be
sure though.
Will you
> please look over the sample pieces I've placed and make a decision as to what sort of "scale", icons or system of rating for survivability in captivity, I'm thinking a wider scale... perhaps 5 units is enough (inclined to say more, but instinct says keep it simple... that fish is a 4/5... or a solid 1, etc
). I honestly think the scale of 3 is too narrow and open to wishful interpretation by the wrong aquarists on borderline species.
<<Okay>>
Some modifying icons I think would be a great idea...
for species that need mature tanks... species that need/benefit from natural plankton/fuges (anthias, pipefish, seahorses, dragonets, etc)... schooling species... burrowing species... whatever. Just a short and sweet tag with one of those icons spares the redundant address.
<<Yes>>
Perhaps even bypass much of the redundant feeding discussions individually for those without special needs with such icons (meaty/froz foods, greens, etc).
In fact... we should be able to easily come up with gut analysis for most/all of the major groups and can actually give a generalized weight (%) to our dietary/icon recommendations (25% greens, 75% meaty fare). Maybe a warning/highlight icon for species with very specific needs to draw attention to a group with a special feeding mention in the text for readers skipping though fast (90%+ copepods, obligate cnidarian tissue, etc)
what have you we want to list per species, groups?
> Bob
My first instinct in the narratives/overviews is to address by groups and only make mention of genera (or species) when/where they are distinct in husbandry/needs.
<<Yes, a great advantage in covering whole families versus a "page" review of species (ala Michael, MCRA)>>
In some cases the groups/families are homogenized in husbandry well enough (triggers)... in others we will of course fragment the chapter into sections (like Wrasses: hogfish, Tamarins/Anampses, fairy wrasses, Thals, etc)
I would like to first re-acquaint myself with other popular references to borrow, avoid or enhance various notable elements as we form this template for the chapters.
<<Good... and we may want/need to vary approaches even... per family, group>>
I'm guessing that I would/could start writing on RF in earnest May at earliest.
If you will start sooner... perhaps start with a pass at text in the "Selection, Care and Compatibility"
format? We'll sweep through later with the rating/icon overview to lead in to each group/section?
<<Hopefully, these areas can be covered quickly as in brevity... this book could be... VERY large.>
Ciao, bub :)
<Be writing, Bob>

Something of an introduction
The Best Fishes for (Marine and) Reef Aquariums
An introduction to a book is generally difficult to compose… so hard to sum up what the work is about, its content, purpose and demonstrable “style”… to the prospective buyer/ reader; you. It is important in very few words to assert the credentials, worthiness of the tome, its utility in your application.
    In the case of this printed work, there were no such impediments. In your hands are our hearts and minds regarding the topic at hand: selecting the best species and specimens of marine fishes for aquarium use, and keeping them healthy. We are well-matched to this task as this field is well known by our assemblage. We have vigorously lived the field as consumers, academics and industry professionals for all the modern history of captive marine husbandry, in all capacities (establishing gathering stations, collection, wholesale, culture, service, retail). 
    Our intent in writing is to aid you in seeking out the best available, most appropriate fish livestock for your use. In our almost daily interaction with aquarists on our website WetWebMedia.com and chatforum WetWebFotos.com we happily engage aquarists in their making lists of prospective desired additions to marine tanks, and too many other folks having made poor choices here… and their subsequent trials and tribulations in dealing with incompatibility issues. It is our desire to help you be successful in putting together your livestock assortment, avoiding losing these wet pets and the heartache that goes with their lack of vitality and loss.
    Way too many people miss the chance to experience the aquatic world as a consequence of a lack of useful, timely information; either avoiding the hobby altogether on hearsay or dropping out as they “couldn’t find help”. As “old-timers” in the hobby, science and business of ornamental aquatics, we earnestly will assist you here in keeping your livestock live from the get-go; by directing you to the best species to purchase, picking out the best specimens of appropriate size, number, determining and establishing their living spaces, and providing them with care.
We can and will help you.
Anthony Calfo, Steven Pro, Bob Fenner, WetWebMedia, 2002