Tropical World Vs Pfk

[BigC]

I suppose nowdays we really ony have PFK, It came out when The Aquarist and Ponkeeper reigned supreme. Glossy and larger format it quickly took over. IMO Aquarist and Pondkeeper was a much superior mag for that time with regards to interesting content. Nowdays I dont buy any mags PFK, TFH or TW. I do buy the odd Marine World mag but I have a look at the contents first. Many modern day mags rely heavily on advertising and reviews on new kit and offer hardly any usuable info on practical fishkeeping. Look and see.
Regards
BigC

 

[cheesy feet]

PFK is good, but after a few issues (as others have said) you realise only 1/6 of the mag has anything useful in it...The problem I see would be finding enough descent information to write articles with expert advise.Another thing which annoys me is the best information you can find is on pfk's website anyway.

I usually buy PFK but the main reason I like it is for the pictures. The most recent issue had 5 "Trop Idols" each put together a biotope tank and I thought that most of them were pretty disappointing.

You can google fish pictures if you must
I think most of the 'trop idols' were pretty appauling for 'the best fish-keeper'...O well
Still 1 very useful article crops up once in a while.

 

[Arfie]

I've never read PFK seeming as I'm from the state...Only mag I've ever seen over here is Tropical Fish Hobbyist...It's alright, not really the best of mags, but it does have a few interesting bits and pieces in it.

Is there any way I can get PFK over here? Or am I doomed to read regurgitated forum posts over and over?

I wouldn't bother if I were you I've had TFH and there is not that much to choose between them to be honest. PFK does have more planted tank articles than TFH and has more coldwater articles, but other than that they are much of a muchness. You'd also find the problem we brits have with TFH, that there are pages and pages of adverts for stuff you can't buy.

I've got a PFK subscription from the Nano offer and when it expires I won't renew it and I won't miss it. It is too biased as other have said towards marine and now planted tanks. Whilst I am not likely to go down the oddballs and tankbuster route, I would be more interested in reading about them than marine or plants.

Nothing against PFK, but it is trying to be all things to all men and it doesn't work for me. Though as TFF has at least 2 regulars on the PFK staff (Farmer and nmonks) perhaps CFC and the rest could join them and write some interesting articles of his own, maybe make it worth reading

Arfie

 

[andywg]

I have had PFK bought for me a couple of times and found it fairly awful both times. Very little of actual interest, and the marine section was very poor and it seemed that the only way to keep a FW tank is to have plants in it.

The US does produce a couple of good SW mags. I purchased an old copy of one on ebay (it was focussing on frogfish) and was most impressed at the articles in there (such as an investigation into the levels of nutrients in the water of frozen food, or discussion of recent scientific journals). Far better than yet another story about someone setting up a tank with a huge number of plants for tiny fish, or the umpteenth nano reef journal.

 

[Gill]

I Cancelled my Subscription as it is not very good anymore.
This and Other sites i use has more resource

 

[SuperColey1]

As stated above. I have read PFK a few times and only found the planted bit interesting. You can read this on their website anyway.

The rest is New genus here, new genus there. WOW. This info will be found on most forums at the same time as it is in the mag.

As another poster above says. I may consider it if there is a decent offer for a Nano or something on there but most of the offers are rubbish. I was going to do it for the Tetratec when it was half price with subscription but then I bought it from zooplus for £2 more than the subscription cost. lol

Equally The Nano could've been bought for about the same as a subscription so I think I'm talking myself out of that one now. lol

I would have to leave the computer to read a magazine so its a no go.

Andy