Saltwater Fish Vs. Cichlid Fish

Different fish species have unique requirements when it comes to the type of water that they call home. Saltwater fish require marine salt water in order to thrive, while freshwater fish cannot survive in water with a significant salt content. Cichlids, on the other hand, thrive best in brackish water, which is water that contains traces of marine salt but is primarily freshwater.

  1. Saltwater Fish

    • All saltwater fish require saltwater or marine water in order to survive. These are fish that originated in oceans and other bodies of saltwater, but have been breed domestically to survive in hobby aquariums. If the salt content of the water is not right, it can cause stress and other illnesses, putting the health of the fish in jeopardy.

    Cichlid Fish

    • Cichlid fish hail from locales where the water content is salty, but not nearly as much as the ocean. These fish thrive in what is known as a brackish environment, meaning that the water is between saltwater and freshwater in terms of salinity. There are more than 1,300 species of cichlids in existence, many of which have been bred in captivity for hobby aquariums. Cichlids are carnivorous fish, meaning that they consume other, smaller fish as their primary diet.

    Brackish Water

    • While a freshwater aquarium can have some freshwater aquarium salt in it for the prevention of parasites and disease, a brackish aquarium is a freshwater aquarium into which you introduce marine salt. A brackish aquarium should have between two and seven tablespoons of marine salt for every gallon of water. In converting a freshwater tank to a brackish tank, the amount of salt you introduce should be slow, and you should work gradually up to a higher level of salt as needed.

    Difference Between Salt and Brackish

    • The specific gravity of salt in the brackish tank should be between 1.005 and 1.015. For a saltwater aquarium, the marine salt content is much higher, and the specific gravity is at least 1.02 or more. Most brackish fish cannot handle a high marine salt environment, and most saltwater fish cannot handle the low marine salt content of a brackish tank.

    Warning

    • Most aquarium fish fall strictly into one category out of the three, and cannot survive or thrive in other types of tanks. Freshwater fish cannot survive in saltwater environments, and saltwater fish cannot survive in freshwater habitats. The same is true for brackish fish, which typically require a very strict marine salt level in order to be healthy. When choosing the type of aquarium you will create, make sure to consider each fish and what environment is best for them in order to create the best environment for your fish.