Freshwater vs Saltwater Aquarium

Something else not mentioned is the monthly electric bill. A salt tank with multiple pumps and powerful lights will use lots of electricity. These pumps and lights also generate heat that will affect air conditioning your home. This may sound a little extreme but did happen to me.

Water chemistry is way more critical in a salt tank versus a fresh water tank. If the wrong equipment is used or you slack off on water changes and lab testing you will lose fish and corals. This is very costly and frustrating.

Salt tanks can be much more expensive than fresh water tanks.

But salt tanks are very gratifying.

Good luck,
Rick

 

thank you guys for all the replies. I underestimated this a bit

maybe I'll just get a kit from a pet store to get started. I want something really minimalistic just to get into this. It seems like there's way more stuff to worry about than with freshwater.

 

can't do anything big right now but yeah, I know that bigger is easier (at least for sure with freshwater).

 

Saw you were thinking of starting a salt tank.. I just recently put one together myself. No fish yet, but it's almost ready. Anyways, buying all the equipment separately from commercial stores can definitely be overwhelming. Keep an eye out on craigslist. There are PLENTY of ppl on there unloading complete systems for wayyy cheaper than buying it all brand new. I ended up getting a 40 gallon with stand, canister filter, protein skimmer, lights, and a few lbs dry rock for $200.. After that I spent another $250 (more or less) buying my live rock, sand, water, a heater, and a few other things. Not bad at ALL! Compared to paying $1000+ for the same thing brand new. Everything works perfectly and I couldn't be happier on how it's turned out so far. So check out your local craigslist/classifieds!!

 

you guys are way off , your going to scare Aquaqua right out of the hobbie, there all right though, saltwater can be pricy , but you start up dirt cheap , you dont need all that stuff right now. for instance i have a 30 gl with hand caught fish, hermits, blue crab, snails. and sand from the ocean , few pieses of live rock, hang on filter (bio wheel), one 100 watt 65k fl bought at lowes , sitting in my garage all i do is feed them and add water,of coarse i maintain the filter. there all growing and healthy. almost no cost .

 

i also have another low buck system (accually 2), one is a marsh tank, mud sand bed, mangroves, hermits ,snails, horseshoe crabs, no filter and one 100watt 65k fl bulb, one small power head to move water , i add water change out (old water ) to the system and thats it the mangroves are about 2 ' tall just got done pruning them. the other is at afreinds house , hand cought fish ,hermits, snails, dead corals he got from around and sand from ocean, magnum canister, and nothing fancy on light , doing well for now.it helps if you live close to beach lol........i have low buck systems working even if you dont live near ocean, you dont need to start at the top.. good luck

 

Not everyone lives in Florida where they can go scoop stuff off the beach and out of the water for free. Although I'm sure the collection licenses cost $$...

 

yep the fl thing works good BUT a lic is the same as a fishing lic, certain things you cant collect , like live rock, corals, and others, a comm., lic enables you to collect more but the same restrictions
lets say your in the middle of the states thers alot of cheap fish you can start with.......and hang ons work from fo, to folr, and some corals, used wetdrys are cheap cause everyones going to fugs and heck fugs are cheap to start. you dont need high dollar lights for fo systems. i started alot of freinds on low buck systems, then they graduate and upgrade .... good luck