Difference in maintaining a saltwater aquarium and a freshwater aquarium?

Question

What is the difference in maintaining a freshwater tank and a saltwater tank? I currently have a freshwater 20 gallon tank and in 4 months I am buying a 90 gallon tank. Right now I enjoy taking care of it, and I'm considering switching to saltwater when I get the 90 gallon. I hear from some people its A LOT more work than freshwater and then i also hear its not at all. Someone please help me make a decision! =)

**I plan on having a fish only tank.

Answer 1

Do some reading on this site.
http://saltaquarium.about.com/
Check out the MYTHS while you are there, Especially about cycling a tank.
I cycle my tanks in about 3 days with GOOD CURED Live rock and sand seeded from another tank.
DON"T let people talk you out of saltwater, It's not nearly as hard as it use to be and "I" find it easier if you start it right.
It IS more expensive but you can probably find some good used equipment in your neibourhood.
Good luck and be PATIENT.

Answer 2

The key is the startup of the tank. For freshwater, all you do is fill the tank up, bubble some air through the water for a few days, add a filter and you are ready to go. But for saltwater, you have to create a colony of bacteria in your filter before you begin putting your expensive ocean fish in. This requires that you put 1 small damselfish in your tank per 10 gallons of water for about 6 weeks or until they all die from ammonia poisoning. As soon as there is a build-up of ammonia in the tank, the bacteria will begin to form, and you will be close to putting your real fish in. But even after your tank is established, you have a lot of other work to do. DO NOT overstock your tank. For a 90 gallon, I would suggest no more than 5 medium sized fishes (like tangs, angels, etc.). Add all the fish in at once at the beginning, so they can all get used to each other and establish their territories. Ocean fish need lots of hiding places, as they are used to living in corals with alot of caves and tunnels. Don't underestimate the importance of this, fish stress is very real. The more vulnerable an ocean fish feels, the more stress it goes through. The more stress, the less healthy the fish. You also MUST test the pH every few weeks, and do a 25% water change every 3 weeks. This can be a pain for a 90 gallon tank, especially if you have to lug gallons across your house. DO NOT overfeed. This is even worse for saltwater because fungi and algae rapidly grow if you overfeed. This all may sound like a lot of work, but once you get used to it, the beauty of the fishes will make it well worth it.

Also, be prepared to spend ALOT. Salt mix is not cheap, neither are the testing solutions, fish food, and other supplies you will need to start it up.

Also, you need to be able to tell a good looking, healthy fish at the fish store. Some retailers will try to sell an unhealthy fish that has hole-in-the-head or some fungal infection. Do your research on how to look for a fish. Again, this is more difficult with ocean fish because they are more sensitive.

Good luck.

Answer 3

The only real difference that I have found between saltwater and freshwater aquariums has been the cost. Maintenance everything is pretty much the same.

To start with, you have to buy the salt mix, and the fish are generally more expensive.

The costs are involved in the setup. This all depends on what you are deciding to keep too. If you're going to do a fish only tank, then you need a good filter, just like a freshwater tank. Get the best you can. A protein skimmer would be a good choice, but not a necessity for a fish only tank. Lights and heater and anything else that you would want would be the same as the freshwater tank. (Live rock is also an option for a fish only tank.)

If you're going to go with a reef tank, that's where the extra costs start coming in. More than likely you will need more powerful lighting. You will want a good protein skimmer, and probably some powerheads to customize the water flow. Not to mention the live rock, which can add up on its own.

Maintenance is pretty much the same. You need to do water changes (the only difference is the salt), clean the filters and other equipment, do your water tests (if you do them) and vacuum or clean the substrate.

With a reef tank, you will need to keep an eye on the calcium and trace minerals, but that is just testing the water and adding the additives to the tank. You just have to keep a closer eye on things and make sure none of the readings on the ammonia and nitrates/nitrites build up. If you do the regular cleaning on your filters and water changes, and don't overfeed, it's nothing to worry about.

I have two saltwater tanks, one brackish and 6 freshwater tanks. I spend more time on my cichlid tanks than I do on the saltwater tanks, and I haven't lost any fish yet. (I haven't gotten too much into the invertebrates yet, but the only ones I have lost are a scallop and a couple snails).

If you want to do saltwater fish only or marine tank, go for it. It's well worth it if you can afford it. It's easier to do bigger tanks anyways, because with more water, you do have a bit more leeway/warning if something goes wrong. At the same time, there's more money at risk though. Unless you're going to go extremely high tech, it's no more difficult than a freshwater tank once you get it up and running.

Answer 4

I agree with jcrnr79 above. I have several of each type, and once you've got it set up, the only real difference is the stocking level. Saltwater fish are generally more aggressive and territorial (although there are some peaceful species you can keep in schools), plus they need very good water quality, so you can't keep as many fish in the tank - think "cichlid" personality if that helps), and you need to mix up the saltwater to the correct concentration for water changes.

And there's the price of the fish and extra equipment (hydrometer, salt, protein skimmer is advised, but not absolutely required if you're planning to keep invertebrates - corals, shrimp, etc.). You may run into extra cost in lighting as well if you plant to keep ant photosynthetic corals, anemones, or clams.

A good place to begin is with a good reference book. I recommend either The New Marine Aquarium by Michael S. Paletta. Microcosm Ltd. ISBN 1-890087-52-1 or The Conscientious Marine Aquarist – Robert M. Fenner. Microcosm Ltd. ISBN 1-890087-02-5. These will give you options for how you might want to go about equiping your tank so you get a functioning system that won't break the bank.

Another good website to start at is this one - http://www.apapets.com/MarineEcosystem/whatto.htm - it give a lot of practical things to consider when planning your first tank.

Possibly the difference in opinon regarding the difficulty in going marine is the amount of research and preparation you do before you set up the tank - I spent two years reading materials befor taking the plunge, and while I won't say I've never had a problem, I can say I had a good background in what to expect and some good resources to solve the problems as they came up.

Good luck with the new tank!

Answer 5

It is a lot more work. I asked the same question. You need to monitor it a lot more. The reason you might be switching is because of the beautiful fish you see, but you can't pair up that many together since in the ocean they eat each other. Saltwater fish also are much more expensive. Don't forget you need to add salt and have the correct level too.
I say if you have got the time and money go for it!!!

Answer 6

It's all in how you take care of it, and are you a patient individual? I have a 55 gallon reef tank, and it is gorgeous. I also had a 29 gallon fresh water tank about 10 yrs ago and never again.... I really appreciate the true beauty of a salt water aquarium. I hope you know how much money you'll need for that 90 gallon tank. I have roughly $2500 to $3000 in my aquarium. But it is enjoyable for me and everybody that sees it loves it. It takes me about 1hr a week to maintain it. Maybe you want to start with a 55 gallon aquarium to see about the maintainance part of it. Consider to live rock is a beneficial part and that is costly as well about $6.99 a lb. and you should have about 1 1/2lb to every gallon of water for a healthy tank. That is going to be around $944.00 to start in just rock....

Answer 7

You will need to take closer care to it than a freshwater tank. Always will need to have extra RO water to topoff. After a while, saltwater is way more satisfying than freshwater. Dont be discouraged by the cycle process in the first year.

Answer 8

Study up on salt water before you leap. Some salt water fish are tough to care for. Also the habitat must agree with your choices for fish. Reef fish in a reef setup for example. On the other hand I have known people to buy the tank set it up and they learned to care for it and the fish just fine.

Answer 9

Getting a salt water tank to acheive a good chemical balance is a lot harder than with a fresh water tank. The 90 gal size is ok, but you'll need special filters for salt water.
Good luck if you decide salt.

Answer 10

BIG DIFFERENCE!!!Believe me, it's not only MUCH more work, but the mistakes and starting your tank can be much more costly mistakes, as minnows and goldfish (starter fish) are much less expensive, albeit less eye catching.