Saltwater Tank or Freshwater Tank?
If you are thinking about purchasing your first aquarium, you might be wondering whether you should start with a freshwater or saltwater tank.
Where to Find Discounted Aquarium Supplies
The option is yours, of course, but, if you want my advice, you may want to consider starting with a freshwater tank. There are several reasons you should maintain a freshwater tank before moving up to a saltwater tank. I say "moving up" because while a saltwater tank will certainly provide you with an opportunity to have a variety of interesting fish, it will not be as easy to maintain as a freshwater tank will.
Learning to keep and care for pet fish always has a learning curve, but it may take many months for you to become experienced with maintaining a saltwater tank. Of course, if you feel you are truly prepared for a steep learning curve, then you may prefer to start with a saltwater tank.
It's simply that a freshwater tank is easier to setup and maintain than a saltwater tank. It will also be less expensive as far as the equipment and the fish themselves are concerned. A saltwater tank will require you to buy marine fish. These are generally more expensive than freshwater fish. You will also encounter other extra expenses as well. For example, you will probably use live rock, which is fairly costly itself, as a biological filter in the tank, as this makes setting up a saltwater tank easier.
Live Rock And Lighting
Live rock is taken directly from a coral reef and has organisms still on or inside the rock. These organisms, such as algae, sponges, worms and urchins are an important part of the nitrogen cycle that allows for waste to be processed into a less toxic form. In a sense, you have to recreate the sea's environment in which the cleaning, the production of oxygen and the production of food is naturally taken care of. If you do use live rock as a filtration system, you will also need to buy a protein skimmer. A protein skimmer is used to remove organic waste from a saltwater tank before it breaks down in the water.
Setting up an aquarium lighting system for a saltwater tank is also more expensive than setting up one for a freshwater tank. Correct lighting is extremely important because it will affect the growth and behavior of the fish and other organisms within the tank. The lighting system will help with photosynthesis, which is nature's way of keeping the tank properly oxygenated.
Maintenance of Saltwater Tanks is More Difficult
Maintaining a saltwater tank is a bit more difficult than maintaining a freshwater tank. The main reason for this is because you actually have to create a complete and functional ecosystem within the saltwater tank to ensure the survival of your fish. In an ecosystem, the plants, animals and other living things depend on one another for survival and each one plays a role in the functionality of the environment. You will have to make sure you have the right plants, animals and living things to create the stable environment your fish need. Otherwise they won't survive for very long.
Go With The Freshwater Tank
So, if you are a beginning fish owner, you really may want to think twice about starting out with a saltwater tank. There are a lot of expenses and maintenance problems for saltwater tank owners that freshwater tank owners don't need to worry about. As you care for your freshwater tank, you'll become experienced enough with basic fish and tank maintenance to feel confident about beginning your saltwater tank adventures.
Want more information about saltwater tank?
Saltwater Tank News Headlines:
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