diff --git a/docs/index.md b/docs/index.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c1a83b7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/index.md
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+# How to use the fish book
+
+## Requirements
+* Python3.5+ only
+* [datajoint](https://datajoint.io) to connect to the database and to map python objects to table entries.
+* [nixio](https://github.com/g-node/nixpy) to read the relacs-flavored nix files
+
+
+## Installation
+
+1) clone the repository
+
+```
+git clone https://whale.am28.uni-tuebingen.de/git/jgrewe/fishbook.git .
+```
+
+2) installation
+..a) for development, install for the current user, install as "editable"
+  ```Shell
+    cd fishbook
+    pip3 install fishbook -e --user
+  ```
+  b) just for usage
+  ```
+  pip3 install fishbook --user
+  # or
+  sudo pip3 install fishbook
+  ```
+
+3) connecting to the database
\ No newline at end of file