Freshwater Vs. Saltwater Fish Tanks

When deciding to set up an aquarium, you'll inevitably be faced with the question as to whether you want to invest in a freshwater or saltwater setup. While both have advantages and disadvantages, they are both also vastly different. This guide will help you determine what's best for you.

  1. Basics

    • There are fundamental differences that must be taken into account when deciding on a fresh or saltwater setup. As a rule, less experienced fish tank owners (e.g. children) should shy away from saltwater tanks, which invariably require much more skill (and expense). With that said, the benefits of doing so are tremendously rewarding. While the differences are vast and could encompass large volumes of information, what follows are basic contrasts between the two systems.

    Fish

    • Ultimately, the only reason people set up aquariums is to admire their beauty. In the general sense, saltwater fish have an aesthetic that freshwater fish can rarely imitate. Most that are available are bright, colorful, and vibrant. Some of the most recognizable fish in the world, Clown Fish (known throughout the scientific community as Anemonefish) thrive in saltwater environments. While some freshwater fish tend to be colorful, they're usually far blander and not nearly as bright. In terms of quantity, both variations contain an enormous selection of fish to choose from, although saltwater animals are usually more difficult to obtain and far more delicate.

    Water Quality

    • Both types of water need to be properly conditioned with special chemicals to remove harmful materials like chlorine and ammonia. Both also need proper filtration. Saltwater filters, because their tanks sometimes contain corals, require special units called protein skimmers. In freshwater, pH levels revolve around 7.0, with some minor exceptions, which is much more manageable than the 8.0+ levels typically found in saltwater environments. Another consideration, obviously, is the salt content. Using special tools called hydrometers, marine salt (like Instant Ocean) must be added to saltwater setups in proper, precise quantities in accordance with the specificity of the fish.

    Costs

    • While setting up a (suitable) aquarium is not a cheap task regardless of the direction you choose, maintaining a saltwater environment is immensely more expensive than freshwater. Saltwater requires more specialized filters, which also means more expensive filters. The cost of the fish themselves is also far more than the cost of freshwater fish. A typical freshwater community fish, like a Tetra, may run around $3 at any given pet shop, while even the most inexpensive saltwater fish may cost $25 to $30. In fact, if you were to calculate the cost of all the fish from the Tank Gang in the popular film "Finding Nemo'," you're looking at somewhere in the neighborhood of around $200 to $300!

    Maintenance

    • There's no doubt about it, saltwater fish are easily more delicate that freshwater fish, and as a result require more observation, more regulation of water quality, and stricter diets. Many common freshwater fish are very hardy and are resilient to many different environments and pH levels, as long as none are too extreme. Saltwater fish, on the other hand, are very sensitive to light, temperature, pH, and salinity, and without constant regulation of those factors, they will quickly degrade in health and perish.