Saltwater Vs. Freshwater
The Great Debate
Prepare yourself for the greatest product debate since PCs and Macs.
Which is better? The PC (freshwater tank) that happens to be less expensive and generally hardier? Or the Mac (saltwater tank) that is generally more expensive but looks prettier?
Seriously though, don’t think that your computer preference really has anything to do with picking out a fish tank other than being an oddly good metaphor.
The tank
The feel of freshwater tanks and saltwater tanks is often drastically different, largely because of the fish that are in the tank, but also because of the objects that live in the tank with the fish. Saltwater tanks open the option to create a reef tank with live coral.
The tank itself is the same glass or acrylic box for either water type, but the accessories that go in the box vary drastically.
Freshwater tanks accessories are fairly cheap to purchase: gravel or sand, filter, light, test kits, food, water pump, net, etc. The chemicals that balance the water are not terribly expensive either (for a full explanation of what goes in the fish tank, visit firsttimefishtank.weebly.com).
Saltwater tanks, on the other hand, need most of the same things the freshwater tank needs plus a protein skimmer, salt mix, live rock and power heads for water movement. This may not sound like much, but it increases the starting costs by approximately $350. Keep in mind that transforming your salt water tank into a coral reef can DOUBLE your overall costs.
The fish
As with the tank accessories, saltwater fish are generally much more expensive than freshwater fish. When I say more expensive, I am not talking $10 more here; I am talking about a $10 fish versus a $75 fish.
With some pretty awesome exceptions (I own several of these exceptions myself), freshwater fish are less colorful than saltwater fish. Freshwater fish usually have more earthy tones to them, while saltwater fish are often a collection of living color in a tank.
In addition to generally being less colorful, freshwater fish are often more aggressive, but it depends quite a bit on which fish you pick and who they are going to be living with. I tend to prefer less aggressive fish because for some reason I don’t like it when my fish kill each other.
Because they often come straight from the ocean, saltwater fish can be harder to keep alive simply because of their eating habits. If you do go with a saltwater tank, be sure to wean them slowly to regular aquarium food and keep in mind that some saltwater fish need specialized diets.
For the beginner
It is strongly recommended you do not start out with Nemo or his friends. Sorry if that bursts your bubble (BUBBLES!!!). This isn’t to say that you should never find your own Nemo, but freshwater tanks are considerably easier to begin with (this is kind of a scary thought for those of us who had a hard time keeping our freshwater fish alive).
Prepare yourself for the greatest product debate since PCs and Macs.
Which is better? The PC (freshwater tank) that happens to be less expensive and generally hardier? Or the Mac (saltwater tank) that is generally more expensive but looks prettier?
Seriously though, don’t think that your computer preference really has anything to do with picking out a fish tank other than being an oddly good metaphor.
The tank
The feel of freshwater tanks and saltwater tanks is often drastically different, largely because of the fish that are in the tank, but also because of the objects that live in the tank with the fish. Saltwater tanks open the option to create a reef tank with live coral.
The tank itself is the same glass or acrylic box for either water type, but the accessories that go in the box vary drastically.
Freshwater tanks accessories are fairly cheap to purchase: gravel or sand, filter, light, test kits, food, water pump, net, etc. The chemicals that balance the water are not terribly expensive either (for a full explanation of what goes in the fish tank, visit firsttimefishtank.weebly.com).
Saltwater tanks, on the other hand, need most of the same things the freshwater tank needs plus a protein skimmer, salt mix, live rock and power heads for water movement. This may not sound like much, but it increases the starting costs by approximately $350. Keep in mind that transforming your salt water tank into a coral reef can DOUBLE your overall costs.
The fish
As with the tank accessories, saltwater fish are generally much more expensive than freshwater fish. When I say more expensive, I am not talking $10 more here; I am talking about a $10 fish versus a $75 fish.
With some pretty awesome exceptions (I own several of these exceptions myself), freshwater fish are less colorful than saltwater fish. Freshwater fish usually have more earthy tones to them, while saltwater fish are often a collection of living color in a tank.
In addition to generally being less colorful, freshwater fish are often more aggressive, but it depends quite a bit on which fish you pick and who they are going to be living with. I tend to prefer less aggressive fish because for some reason I don’t like it when my fish kill each other.
Because they often come straight from the ocean, saltwater fish can be harder to keep alive simply because of their eating habits. If you do go with a saltwater tank, be sure to wean them slowly to regular aquarium food and keep in mind that some saltwater fish need specialized diets.
For the beginner
It is strongly recommended you do not start out with Nemo or his friends. Sorry if that bursts your bubble (BUBBLES!!!). This isn’t to say that you should never find your own Nemo, but freshwater tanks are considerably easier to begin with (this is kind of a scary thought for those of us who had a hard time keeping our freshwater fish alive).