Saltwater vs Freshwater

blanquita

blanquita

Member
Originally Posted by OceanKid
http:///forum/post/3245348
yes Dicus are sweet!
If I'm new to aquariums, is it advisable to go for saltwater? I have a fish tank but don't know much about it...

I dont think you really need freshwater experience to be able to do saltwater. I did FW for a long time and it didn't help much for starting SW. There is a lot more to learn! do a ton of online research. I have a few books but they dont really help I use the internet for everything so dont waste money on books. Haha I know im from the Millennial generation.
 
pezenfuego

pezenfuego

Active Member
Originally Posted by blanquita
http:///forum/post/3245963
I dont think you really need freshwater experience to be able to do saltwater. I did FW for a long time and it didn't help much for starting SW. There is a lot more to learn! do a ton of online research. I have a few books but they dont really help I use the internet for everything so dont waste money on books. Haha I know im from the Millennial generation.

Conscientious Marine Aquarist is a wonderful book that I highly recommend you buy and read. Yes, most books you will find about saltwater are close to worthless, but that doesn't mean you should rely solely on the internet.
 
chrisnif

chrisnif

Member
I can say Fresh is easy, and some of them can be pretty, my "failed reef" is now a 56 gallon african cichlid tank with 50 pounds of "premium base rock" and they are happy (and base rock keeps my pH in the 8s) but that tank doesnt hold a candle to my 20 gallon reef that isnt even 1/10 done.
Just do your research first, I've probably blown 500 bux on stuff I didnt need or wasnt compatible...
 
noah's nemo

noah's nemo

Member
FW is alot easier,IMO.and IME....Well,maybe depends on the fish.I have kept red belly piranha's for years(easy),and currently have a black piranha,going on 11+ years.I never did a water change and change the media every couple months,thats it!Yes,he is boring and kinda ugly,but was once the center of attention,now at 11+ years old, i just keep him going.He now lives in my basement.
 
oceankid

oceankid

Member
Originally Posted by Noah's Nemo
http:///forum/post/3247543
Yeah,poor guy,he has no friends,mainly because he would kill and eat them

Hes fine though,i have heard of them living 20+ years......

Oh that is sad, and he has no girlfriend too...If you put one with same size like him, would it be fine?
 
handbanana

handbanana

Member
Ive had a FW tank for about ten years. many actullay. now I have a 20 gal long planted tank with a few platys tetras a pleco and some algae eating catfish. That tank is setup with co2 and a compact. havent touched it in about 2 years asides from top offs and feeding. my water is crystal clear wnd absoutly swarmed with plant life. to a point where the fish are cramped. I also have a 20 gal tall with a convict ciclid and a gsp puffer. also red clawed crabs and ghost shrimp. that tank takes more care but is still childs play it seems compared to SW. both tanks are planted and I use amazona soil. or somesuch.
I used to watch these tanks as well as my 55 gal turtle aquarium for hours while not much happened inside. now their pretty much ignored compared to my SW tank. and theres nothing in it barely. It is such a more diverse enviroment. countless possibilities. Its cool to be able to have both :D
 
ocean4life

ocean4life

Member
I am not the best to ask this, since I am about to enter the saltwater fishkeeping realm. Although, I have had a freshwater tank for around 10-9 years (Im 12). I (still) save my allowance just to get the cool, new fish. I have wanted a saltwater tank for some while but I have researched a lot. Holy mackrel the variety! No more lame, brown snails or cheap, bitesize rosy reds. Corals are much cooler then any freshwater plant. The downsides: Cost and electricity. I hear the aquarium will break down ecologiclly and everything will die if a lightbulb burns out! Im gonna have to do more chores for the pay of 1 clownfish...
 
dingus890

dingus890

Member
^Well I have had bulbs go out for a week in my reef and never lost anything. It not always sunny on the reef with storms and such. Corals can go days without light. More delicate corals may not fare as well though.
I think freshwater and saltwater are both beautiful. Saltwater IMO is more beautiful but freshwater is very nice also. I don't thnk it is fair to say freshwater is less complex than saltwater. They are both very complex systems. IMO saltwater fish interact more with their keepers and have more personality in some ways than FW. After having 3 saltwater aquariums, I tried a small guppy tank. Both Guppys died. I found freshwater to be more hard the Saltwater..lol weird I know.
 
ibanez

ibanez

Member
In my opinion it doesn't get more complex than high tech freshwater planted. Try keeping a tank algae free when you fertilize it daily. There also into the kind of information there is out there for reef tanks. But reefs are far mar satisfying in my opinion. We will see if I still feel that way the next time my tank crashes.
 
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