One of the great things about how technology has evolved is the portability of references. I recently bought a small Andriod tablet, and one of the first things I did was to find a tropical fish guide app so I don’t have to lug heavy books to the store when I’m trying to stock a tank.
Enter Tropical Fish Guide, Pocket Edition from Darxide Apps. i bought it for $1.99 at the android market.
The positive:
- The app has a good selection of common tropical fish that you can find in most pet stores.  The information on each fish is comprehensive enough to help make wise selections for stocking a tank.
- The guide is searchable and there is an advanced search option.
- There are a number of calculation tools.
- Included is a decent-sized list of aquatic plants and their needs.
- 8 articles aimed at beginning aquarists help educate on proper fishkeeping.
- An extensive glossary of terms means there is no excuse for not understanding the articles.
Each fish entry includes taxonomic and size data, preferred water parameters, compatibility and temperment, tank requirements, and additional notes.
The negative:
- Some details in fish descriptions are not completely correct, and in one instance the photo is not a good representation of the of the fish.
- There is no alphabetic list by genus/species, only by common name.
- Some important information is omitted, the most grievous is the failure to mention that fish tuberculosis can be transmitted to humans, so proper care must be taken when handling such illnesses.
- Species list is somewhat thin. Mollies are listed, but only P. sphenops, which incorrectly includes sailfin mollies. P. latipina (sailfin molly) is not listed at all. Almost no killies are listed.
Overall impressions: This app has the potential to become the best portable fish guide, catering to beginner and expert fishkeepers, but it isn’t there yet. The developer claims to allow two species article requests per revision of the software, so I expect the species selection to improve as time goes on.
The disease list needs to be more complete and handle treatment better. There is no mention of dropsy in the list, nor of nematode infestation, and a few more.
In order to meet the needs of aquarists of all skill levels, more information on breeding is needed.
Most calculators allow both metric and English units, but one is limited only to liters.
Despite all the problems I can see, these are all minor problems. Overall, the guide is well worth the price paid. Most of the information is good, and certainly will be useful while standing in the fish aisle wondering if those blue rams will be compatible with your angelfish.
I give the guide 3-1/2 of 5 stars, mainly due to what is not (yet) in the app. The developers have been responsive to me, and because they take suggestions on species to include, I expect that rating will go up over time.
