Is a saltwater aquarium a lot harder to maintain than a freshwater?

Question

I have a freshwater aquarium (10 gallon), and it's nice and all, but I'd like to try an aquarium with some really beautiful fish. A lot of the colorful ones are saltwater. I take care of my tank, and it's not a big hassle. I change the water, add some chemicals, feed them, make sure everything is ok every day, and that's about it. Is a saltwater tank significantly harder to maintain? And besides for what I just mentioned I do to take care of my freshwater tank, what additional things do I need to do to support a healthy saltwater tank?

Or would you recommend just buying a bigger tank and purchasing aggressive fish? Those seem to be really nice too. I was thinking cichlids and some others, maybe an eel too. Can peaceful fish such as my australian rainbow be put in with fish like those? Thanks, any ideas/help/comments would be appreciated.

In answer to how much I want to spend, not too much, but I don't have a set limit. I want to make sure I get good equipment. The size I'm planning for is 55 gal. Is that a good size that will allow me some diverse fish, or is that too small? Also, as someone mentioned the lighting, is that for the coral etc., or fish? In my current freshwater tank I rarely have the lights on.

Answer 1

-Fill a tank with salt water ( specific garvity should be around 1.021 - 1.025 and a new filter (you need somthing that moves at least 10 gallons/hour for every gallon of salt water. Use only Reverse Osmosis cleaned water, regular water (even dechlorinated) will cause huge slime and algae blooms.
-Add a few inches of crushed aragonite, shells or sand
-Add at least 10 pounds of live rock (cured is best, you can tell if it isn't if it has a stong smell) for about a 40 gallon tank
- You will need to have floescent lights (one floescent and one actinic tube is better and you channge one every six months so that niether is ever more then one year old)
- A heater is probably a good idea depending on what fish you have
- Test the water daily, Like a freshwater tank the ammonia nitrite and nitrate levels will all take a turn at rising, then subside to normal levels. When the levels are no longer spiking, it is time to start slowly adding fish. This can take a few months to a year - depending on how lucky you are.
- Maintaining a fish-only tank isn't too hard once it is started. You do weekly salt-water changes of about 10% of the water, and replace evaporated water with water only (salt doesn't evaporate). Feed whatever is appropriate to the fish in the tank. Other then mixing the salt water, it is as much work for me as my tropical tanks.
- Corals are what makes it a huge expense and challenge as they need metal halide lights, skimmers, refugiums, chillers etc. not too mention the supplements and feeds.
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Answer 2

yes yes yes . a saltwater tank is definately harder, & more expensive. You have to keep everything balanced perfectly, or you could lose your whole tank, & when your fish die, you dont lose a $6 fish, you lose a $50 fish (that's on the cheap side). Not only that, but by the time you buy the salt, the crushed coral or sand, the proper filtration, & a bigger tank (a 10 gallon is too small, the temperature would fluxuate too much, you want at least a 30 gal) you've spent a couple hundred dollars. We have a 185 gallon, 2-125 gallons, 2-60 gallons, a 30 gallon, a 24 gallon, a 20 gallon, a 10 gallon, & a 2.5 gallon & they are all freshwater because it is Easier & Cheaper. We have always wanted to try salt, but the first time a $50 fish died, that would be it. LOL Go with the cichlids. They are beautiful, they have personalities, & your choices are endless.

Answer 3

They are as difficult as you want them to be. It depends on what types of creatures you get and how fancy you want your equipment to be. I switched my 10 gallon into a saltwater tank, but eventually I turned my 37 gallon lizard tank into an aquarium so I could get more than 2 little fish. My 10 gallon housed a bicolor pseudochromis, a blue damsel, a Valentini pufferfish, and several little hermit crabs and snails. All I needed to change it over was coral sand, some "live rock", salt mix, test kits, and some brine shrimp and saltwater flake food. I let it run empty for a week, tested the water, then added the damsel. I waited a month, then tested the water every week or so and added another fish when there was no ammonia or nitrates. I changed 10% of the water every week and added top off water as needed due to evaporation. It was really easy, but a set-up like that is temporary because you really should have a protien skimmer. Just make sure you educate yourself as to what types of fish are for beginners, what foods they eat, and how big they get. The pet store employees are not always very knowledgeable (I was one, I should know!) If you would rather save money and stick to freshwater, you can go with african cichlids, but keep them as a "species tank". They only get along with some catfish and will eat or kill anything else. If you want cichlid as a community tank, get South American cichlids. They should get along with a school of rainbows and are very interesting and pretty. They get along with eel-like fish, too, like tire track eels, and loaches. Examples of South American cichlids are brichardi, severums, rams, and angelfish. I hope this helped!

Answer 4

Saltwater fish are usually brighter colored and more fun to watch... with that being said, saltwater aquariums require much more maintenance, but are not much more difficult than freshwater tanks. i have a ten gallon freshwater tank, and find it very forgiving. if the temperature in a saltwater tank is not correct, the tank will be drastically hurt, but in a freshwater tank, it will only be slightly hurt... saltwater tanks also require filtration which can also be a hassle, but freshwater (depending on the fish) only need slight water movement, if any. if you are up for the challenge, i would recommend a saltwater tank, but if you don't want to contribute too much time, i would consider a freshwater.

Answer 5

1000 x worse. Once you get the salt content right its not to bad. The water evaporates not the salt so you will not have to keep adding salt. My problem was lighting. When running a salt water tank you need 5x the light of a conventional fresh water tank. These canopys with that much lighting are hard to find and run you a lot of money. I had a 50 gal tank with 4 x 4 ft lights and still did not have enough light to keep coral rock and other such things

Answer 6

With the new filters that they have today it is just as easy as the freshwater. For a 10 gallon tank it has to be a filter with a bio-wheel (a constant spinning wheel). Also circulation is very important for salt water, a small square circulating pump with suction cups to gently move the water around the tank. And an air stone in the rear of the tank. And then you are good to go. If you want anymore free information you can email my husband at [e-mail] , he is the expert and has his own pet supply website. Good Luck!

Answer 7

Depending on what you want to keep marine does not have to be complicated. For a fish only tank you have a lot of varieties to choose from and you don't have to worry so much about the water as you do if you are looking to keep a reef tank. main thing on any tank is to keep up on the water changes and make sure your stocking levels fit with the setup you have.

A good place to start with marine tanks is find a copy of "The Conscintious Marine Aquarist" - has a lot of good information.

Answer 8

Most of those questions can be answered, at a petstore. A saltwater aquarium isn't hard to maintain, but the set-up is a little more difficult. You have to make sure the salt level is where it should be, along with the rest of the water testing.

Answer 9

they really aren't.i have had saltwater and freshwater tanks for several years.the most difficult thing about saltwater is to get it established.once it is established, it's really not too differant from a freshwater as far as maintenence is concerned.i spend about 5 hours a week it the maintenance of my saltwter tank and about 4 hours a week on my freshwater tank.

Answer 10

to answer 1st... 100 times harder
you have a long way to go...
get bigger first
how much you spending?
have 2 tanks, one salt
one fresh
go for it