Excerpts with permission from Jeffrey C. Howe

            Another area of confusion based on the amount of email I receive, is water hardness and how it relates to the chemical composition of water, the aquarium, and most importantly, fishes. And what about all those terms associated with water hardness such as DH, GDH, KH, non-KH, GH, and THT; it’s enough to drive anyone bonkers.   In the first three sections of chapter three, Water Hardness, the author presents these issues in a down-to-earth manner, hopefully ending the confusion for a lot of aquarists….

            …Dr. Ruff has done a fine job in presenting a great deal of technical information in an easy-to-read format.  His use of diagrams and chemical equations further support the text.  I especially like the Chapter At-A-Glance sections that appear at the end of chapters one through four.  These sections provide the reader with a brief summary of each chapter….

            …The ability to search Dr. Ruff’s book by keyword, etc. is very convenient.  Also, because it isn’t terribly long (100 pages), I might consider printing out a hardcopy providing me with a copy easily accessible from my bookshelf.  Yes, my copy will be highlighted throughout owing to the amount of valuable information.  For the price, you won’t find a better book dealing with water chemistry for the freshwater aquarist….

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