I am getting fish soon, and I was wondering what are the pros and cons of a saltwater and a freshwater aqarium

Answer 1

I have a freshwater aquarium. They are cool and all. But saltwater is AWESOME!
in freshwater, only like plain fish can go in there.
but in saltwater, the coolest fish ever can go!
u can get like a sea horse which are cool an eel and multicolored fish which light up any room and make it have a better atmosphere
just get saltwater now
cooler fishies

Answer 2

Maintenance and cost of a saltwater aquarium can take more of your time and money than you might like, though good maintenance practice of a freshwater aquarium takes time, too.

I would propose that you visit a store specializing in saltwater fish and plants and ask them what it takes to buy and maintain the tank and fish.

You may need or want plumbing for your saltwater tank, thus you will need a permanent place for it. The tanks tend be larger and heavier, and the fish more expensive. You take the risk that the $150 you spent on one particular fish will allow you to keep that fish alive for a period of time.

Saltwater is for the more serious hobbyist with cash to spend. Freshwater, done right, is also for the serious hobbyist.

If you are new to fish, start with a small freshwater tank and get used to the cleaning, water conditioning, feeding, selecting fish, & etc. to see if you like it.

Answer 3

Having kept both types of fish for years, it's really hard for me to recommend *most* saltwater setups to beginners who haven't first had experience with freshwater fish. I say *most* saltwater setups, since most people associate salt tanks as reef environments--and those are by far the more challenging. There are some super-hardy saltwater fish such as triggers or damsels that thrive very well without having live corals and the like (in the case of triggers, keeping them in reef settings soon means that you only have triggers and a bunch of mutilated corals), so if you aren't necessarily wanting to make the jump into reef and minireef setups, these are worth considering.

For the intrest of brievaty, I'd recommend first cutting your teeth with freshwater fish first. Community tanks can be quite colorful, and the fish are a fraction of the cost of your more colorful saltwater varieties. I'd advise that you ignore the ten gallon starter sets so frequent in pet shops and aim for larger tank sizes--it's actually far easier to maintain a stable environment if you have more water to work with. That, and if you make the jump to saltwater later on, there's little need to buy lots of new equipment (depending on what type of salt tank you get). The tank size you get will of course depend on the space you have for it, but I wouldn't go smaller than a 55. I've kept a 29 gallon before, but compared to the 55 the larger tank was by far the easiest to maintain. All that water volume buys you a lot of time for correcting Ph problems or fighting ammonia when you very first add fish. More water=more dilution of toxins.

There are many good books availible to read through, and many "mom and pop" fish shops tend to be manned by the more knowledgeable people in the pet trade--so pick some brains! Most are happy to answer any questions you have.

Answer 4

Saltwater tanks are not for beginners. There are some very advanced requirements for a saltwater tank that even experienced freshwater keepers find daunting. The average cost of a saltwater fish is around $50. You don't want to be killing those because you are a beginner. Definitely start with a freshwater tank. Do your research and learn about cycling, proper cleaning and tank maintenance, fish-to-water ratios, proper feeding, diseases and how to identify and treat them before you actually get your fish. Good luck! Fishkeeping is fun!

Answer 5

One thing is for sure, the fish die just as often in the saltwater as they do in the freshwater, but u end up paying more for them. Saltwater fish are expensive and beautiful. The water for these fish needs constant care and accurate amounts of heat and proper phd and so on. Fresh water is a little easier and less pricey but the fish are not as cool.

Answer 6

Saltwater fish are easier to take care of because you don't have to worry about cleaning and treating fresh [tap] water as much, but they require the salt water which is harder to find. I've always had freshwater fish, and goldfish are the easiest, but they have so many diseases that are hard to treat! Both are very similar though, I'd get freshwater goldfish-they're the easiest-if i were you! :)

Answer 7

A Saltwater aquarium is all about research, research and research, before considering setting one up
The following liks explain the basics in detail
They are very hard to keep up, if you don't know what you're doing

Saltwater start up
http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?cls=16&cat=1837&articleid=2917
http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?cls=16&cat=1990&articleid=2931


Freshwater tanks are the easiest for beginner, even though that you need to do research as well, but are easier to mantain, and are also less expensive in maintaining it

Freshwater start up
http://www.peteducation.com/category_summary.cfm?cat=1977
http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?cls=16&cat=1979&articleid=2649


http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?cls=16&cat=1849&articleid=3285


Hope that helps
Good luck


EB

Any more questions feel free to email me

Answer 8

salt water fish are not for beginners, they require lots of care and maintenance. they also cost alot.

Marine fish are beautiful but you get some lovely fresh water fish 2 and they dont need as much care as marine fish