I'm getting a 29 gallon tank, should I get freshwater or saltwater creatures?

Question

If saltwater, is it hard to maintain?? Iv'e never done saltwater yet

Answer 1

I would go fresh. Saltwater is very hard to maintain and is also very expensive in all aspects. Just check out the prices of things in your local pet shop...make your decision from there based on the work involved and the monetary commitment.

Answer 2

A 29 gallon tank is not too small for salt water....I have 4 saltwater tanks, 1 being a 29 gal and it does great for saltwater...clownfish or bangaai cardinal fish as well as several other small fish witll do wonderful in a smaller community tank....IT all depends on what YOU want and are gonna be happy with....I install and set up exotic saltwater tanks for a living and have had tanks from 1-1000 Gallons and more and any of them will host saltwater fish. Just remember that the smaller the tank the fewer the fish you can put in...Fish do not grow to the size of their tank, they will grow until they reach full size no matter what size the tank is...I am partial to saltwater becuz thats what I have, but I've done freshwater as well and nothing compares to saltwater....There is no more maintenace on a saltwater than freshwater....It only seems harder to do becuz the inital set up can be quite tedious...in the long run they are less work and much more fun to watch and see what odd things grown in the tank that freshwater would never see....They aren't just a hobby they are my passion.

Answer 3

I've done freshwater and saltwater and saltwater is definitely more difficult and requires more upkeep. And most saltwater fish are still much more expensive than most freshwater, so saltwater tanks make for a more expensive hobby. Also, the larger the tank, the better for saltwater because larger tanks have a more stable ph. You can do a 29 gallon saltwater, but it'll be more prone to ph swings that might harm your fish. You'll have to limit the number of fish you keep and have a really good filtration system.

If you go the saltwater route, especially if you're thinking about a reef tank, then buy a good recently published book on keeping saltwater fish and don't skimp on the recommended supplies. You don't want to pay over $50 for a fish and have it die two days after you put it in your tank, especially because most aquarium shops won't warranty saltwater fish.

Answer 4

I agree with the masses. 29 is better suited for fresh water, or a quarentine tank for large fish maybe. Bigger is ALWAYS better in tanks because they are easier to maintain water quality in.

If you do try salt, I suggest a straight fish tank with crushed coral substrate. Stick to the least expensive fish you can grab. Blue Damsels(Devils) are very bright, cheap, and tough (but mean). I would put a budget cap of $20 and go very light on numbers and bioload...

But really, I think it makes more sense to try your hand at some advanced demanding freshwater fish like keeping and breeding Discus before you jump into saltwater. If you have not kept African Cichlids you might go for that too, but focus on the water chemistry to get your tank exactly mimic ideal conditions.

Either Discus or Africans would be a good pracitce run to learn how to maintain specific water qualities and conditions that you could carry into your first saltwater tank down the road. Also, top quality Discus and Africans can be fairly expensive, and that will help train your fish keeping budget as well.

You can order Discus and Africans online and have them shipped to you via air freight, this will also simulate the kind of stresses a lot of the saltwater stock you purchase may have recently been through. Another thing to help get you ready for salt water is to set up a dedicated quarentine tank, I like 10 gallon tanks for this usually because they are easy to treat. Learning this good habit will help you stay ready to give your expensive fish the best medical care you can and get you experience in the medicating your fish.

Answer 5

29 gallon tank is too small for saltwater. (only can hold maybe 4 fish that's it) Saltwater is extremely expensive to start up (live rock, corals, etc, and don't forget the salt water fishes are 30+ dollars each.

Saltwater aquariums and filters require sophicate wet/dry filter system, it's not recommend to use bio-balls or other type of filter, it has to be live rock, etc.. It has to be modify to match salt water requirements which cost $$$ and time.

While with freshwater you have options... I've actually spoke with local big fish shop about "Oceanic Bio-cube 29" system it suits tropical fishes, goldfish, and african cichlids from Lake Tanganyika they're more peaceful than ---- (not from lake Mawali or they call Mbunas because they requires 55 gallon or more)

Let us know what you decide to go with :)

Answer 6

Freshwater is MUCH easier to maintain ! Get a larger tank if you can .. the larger the easier it is to set-up and maintain .. and the number of fish is very limited in a 29 gallon. Shoot for a 50 or 55 gallon tank if possible. Good Luck ! :)

Answer 7

id go freshwater saltwater is amazing beautiful colors lots of movement but in a 29gallon that isnt alot of room for saltwater fish and saltwater is diffacult in such a small areabaecause of the bio load... but if you could get a 50 gallon with a sump...... that would be a different story

Answer 8

A 29 gal. tank is really too small for a saltwater tank. They are harder to maintain and a tank this size would be really difficult, plus you'd be very limited as to what fish you could have.

Answer 9

Salt water tanks are very expensive and hard to maintain. The fish are much more colorful, but if you don't have the time or the money to maintain them, it's easier to go freshwater.

Answer 10

Saltwater creatures are way more exotic; eels, lobster, starfish, seahorses, etc. But it is very hard to maintain and it's hard to always balance the amount of salt and water. Takes a lot of upkeep.