Is it expensive to setup and maintain a salt water fish tank??

Answer 1

It's typically more expensive than freshwater, but it doesn't have to be all that much more expensive. It depends on what you're interested in keeping, and whether or not you decide to buy every gadget you see in catalogs.

There are different "types" of saltwater tanks, too - fish only (FO), fish only with live rock (FOWLR) and reef. The FO is the cheapest way to go, and reefs are the most expensive. If you want to keep costs down (and gain some experience in marine fishkeeping) you might decide to start with a FO or FOWLR. There's nothing that says you can't change to a reef tank at some point in the future (as long as the fish you intially choose are reef-safe).

Saltwater generally uses a larger tank, since the species tend to be larger and have more territorial aggression (something like keeping cichlids), plus they tend to be more sensitive to water quality, so they either need extra water volume or lower stocking rates (depending on how you want to look at this). A 29 is the smallest I'd suggest for fish, but a 55 or 75 (or larger) is also okay.

To give a comparison of fresh vs salt, look at what would be different in setting up a 55 gallon FO for example. For either setup, you'd need a tank, stand, and properly sized heater(s), and filter, so the cost would be the same here. If you don't plan to keep anything other than fish, the lighting cost would also be the same. You should also have a master test kit for testing ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, and pH for either.

The "extras" you'd need for the FO tank would be substrate (a carbonate-based substrate is preferred to help buffer the pH, which should be 8.2-8.4). This typically costs a little more than the usual aquarium gravel (http://www.thatpetplace.com/pet/group/10862/product.web ), but is typically a one-time purchase. You also have the expense of the salt (http://www.thatpetplace.com/pet/group/11313/product.web ), an ongoing expense, and a hydrometer (http://www.thatpetplace.com/pet/group/11318/product.web ), another one-time expense, to measure the salt concentration by the specific gravity of the water. If the water pH is only around 7.8 (all you can realistically depend on the carbonate substrate for), you may beed to buy kalkwasser (http://www.thatpetplace.com/pet/prod/197873/product.web )as an additive to raise the pH. This will be another ongoing expense, but you should only need to buy this about every other year unless you water is extremely soft.

Then there are the fish. Yes, you can buy marine fish that cost $150 (and even $500), but you can also find some rarer discus and koi for more. While you won't find any under $1, green chromis damsels (one of the few peaceful, schooling marine fish: http://www.thatpetplace.com/pet/group/18178/product.web ) can be found for $4. I'd advise to be careful of other damsels, though, since these become very territorial and aggressive as they mature. Clownfish (you can keep a pair of any ONE species) start at around $15: http://www.thatpetplace.com/pet/group/2252/product.web , with $15-25 being an "average" price for some of the more common, smaller species: http://www.thatpetplace.com/pet/group/2093/product.web
http://www.thatpetplace.com/pet/group/2173/product.web
http://www.thatpetplace.com/pet/group/18136/product.web
http://www.thatpetplace.com/pet/group/18277/product.web
http://www.thatpetplace.com/pet/group/18296/product.web

So apart from salt and possibly kalkwasser, all the cost involved is in the initial set-up.

If you plant to go into corals and other invertebrates at some point, a protein skimmer is a good investment. These work along with your "regular" filter and remove dissolved organic particles from the water before they decompose to ammonia. Also, if you keep most corals, anemones, or giant clams, these require more intense lighting that you can get with the standard hood - typically, a T-5, compact fluorescent, or metal halide (or any of these in combination) are used for photosynthetic organisms. But if you start with a FO tank, these items can be added a few years down the road.

So while there is more cost involved in saltwater, it doesn't have to be as expensive as some people seem to think.

Answer 2

I don't spend much at all! Maybe $15 a month per tank on average. Startup cost thousands to get all the rock, the powerheads, the lights, the fish, the coral, etc, but long term maintenance is not much at all. They are harder and more expensive than freshwater at first, but with the different natural filtration methods, the marine tanks get more stable and easier in time! Just don't overstock. Use live rock, live sand, microalgae(all natural biological filters). Use some reef mud (don't have to buy as many chemicals as it naturally add the trace elements). Have a LOT of water movement. And buy power smart items, like low power pumps and energy efficient lighting. Skimmers don't have any media to replace and are a cheap filter to maintain! I buy my salt in bulk to cut back on costs. Most people that say they are super hard or expensive either never have had a tank, are not the ones maintaining the tank, are just starting, or have not set up their tank smartly. Some planning at the start will save you in the long term. To get an idea on some different setups, read "Ultimate Marine Aquariums" which is an awesome book that covers a ton of different methods and talks about long term maintenance, etc, per each setup. I love this book.

Answer 3

The initial installation--like any other hobby--is quite expensive--then again what is expensive--everyone has their limitations unless you are making twice as much as you need. Generally it is an investment and some of the fish--each--can cost upwards of $150.00 each--but you may not want to many in the tank--depending on the size--Salt water tanks are somewhat expensive to maintain--fresh water tanks are relatively inexpensive to maintain--good luck

Answer 4

Yes, it is very hard to maintain a salt water fish tank. I have one and you have to change the water and salt about every 3-4 days. It is very hard to keep track of because of my job and kids and husband! When we bought the tank, I asked the guy if they could help me set it up, but he said you have to do it on your own!

Answer 5

Have you ever looked at the price of salt water fish alone? They are like 4x more than regular fresh water fish so figure 4x the other costs too.

Answer 6

They are pretty pricey. If you get one, make sure it's bigger (which of course will be more expensive) because my roommate has one and it always gets really nasty. Also, when the fish die (which happened to my roommate a lot) it is more sad because they are quite a bit more expensive than fresh water fish.

Answer 7

maintain no but it is expensive for the tank and equipment, fish aren't too bad an neither is food but the initial gear is pricey, can be found used though.

Answer 8

oh yes i wanted to get one and just to get the setup without fish it was $200 to $400 dollars and the fish are moderately pricey.i would recommend a tropical tank first if you are planning to get one.

Answer 9

I have heard its lots of work! trying to keep the levels of salt in the tank exactlly where they are supposed to be.

Answer 10

yes.

The cheapest route is probably a nano cube and it will run you maybe $500 after you count live rock and livestock