2 years, 1 month ago
How difficult is it to maintain a saltwater fish aquarium
I have only dealt with freshwater tropical fish in the past, but I have a long time desire of having a saltwater fish aquarium. I don't have a tremendous amount of free time, and I am terrified that I will upset the balance of the aquarium. Are these type of fish difficult to care for? Are saltwater aquariums hard to maintain? What type of maintenance is generally acceptable to keep this functioning? Some said there was a way to have an aquarium for both tropical and saltwater fish. Is this possible?
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Really the difference between a saltwater and freshwater tank is effort. A freshwater tank is very very low maintenance but you're stuck with the same bland fish as everyone else you know.
A saltwater tank relies heavily on a couple factors. The first one is temperature. Salt water fish aren't as tolerant to changes as freshwater fish. Even a 5 degree drop or rise could spell disaster. Filters are also more expensive and require more attention.
You'll want to check the water temperature every day but really, most of the maintenance issues you've heard about are usually non-specific. People will say "oh they are too hard to maintain" but if you ask why, they won't give you an answer.
Basically you'll want a big tank (55gal at least) and choose some hearty tropical fish to start with before you get too exotic. It's some trial and error at first (I sadly killed off about 20 fish my first time) but once you get the hang of it, it's actually a fun hobby because you have so many more options than a freshwater tank.
It's 2010 and I guarantee setting it all up and keeping it running isn't as expensive or as difficult as you think. Also, it's so cool to have an aquarium with really unique stuff in it, it's worth the extra time.
A few years ago I actually got a sea anemone to thrive in one of my tanks (I took the rock it lived on from the beach). It was amazing!
A saltwater tank relies heavily on a couple factors. The first one is temperature. Salt water fish aren't as tolerant to changes as freshwater fish. Even a 5 degree drop or rise could spell disaster. Filters are also more expensive and require more attention.
You'll want to check the water temperature every day but really, most of the maintenance issues you've heard about are usually non-specific. People will say "oh they are too hard to maintain" but if you ask why, they won't give you an answer.
Basically you'll want a big tank (55gal at least) and choose some hearty tropical fish to start with before you get too exotic. It's some trial and error at first (I sadly killed off about 20 fish my first time) but once you get the hang of it, it's actually a fun hobby because you have so many more options than a freshwater tank.
It's 2010 and I guarantee setting it all up and keeping it running isn't as expensive or as difficult as you think. Also, it's so cool to have an aquarium with really unique stuff in it, it's worth the extra time.
A few years ago I actually got a sea anemone to thrive in one of my tanks (I took the rock it lived on from the beach). It was amazing!
images:
You can leave an optional "tip" with Mahalo's virtual currency, Mahalo Dollars. If you are asking a difficult question that might require some research, or if you'd like a wide variety of feedback, a higher tip often leads to more answers to your question.
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