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Am really interested in having a fish tank i my house .. but for now am really confused and need some helps ..
which would be better ? fresh water tank or salt water ? could you plz tell me the advantages and disadvantages for both ?
and after i decide which one i will go with i will set up my tank and do it step by step .. btw I have betta fish in very small tank .. and i used to have guppies but i gave them to my friend ..
it realy depends on how big your going, what your looking for, how much your willing to spend and how much time your willing to put in.
i LOVE a nice saltwater tank, i dont think theres anything quite as stunning...BUT, saltwater is a little more upkeep, alittle more time intensive and alot more expensive.
fresh water tanks can be just as pretty.
general rules for saltwater, especialy for beginners...BIGGER IS BETTER...i dont think id suggest anything less than a 55 gal for someone just starting out in saltwater unless there serious fish adicts.
the bigger the tank the more water, the more water the less likely little fluctuations will crash your tank...if salinity is up or down a little in a big tank its going to be much less dangers than it would in a tank thats alot smaller...
nano salt tanks look lovely, but there difficult to keep perfect.
saltwater equiptment can also be alot more expensive not only to buy but run, between the proper lighting (especially if you plan on doing corals), chillers, protein skimmer, filtration, powerheads ect, your looking at quite a start up bill and then a nice electric bill to boot on the lights and fans...
saltwater fish are also typically alot more expensive and typically dont come with any warentes because they can be a little more delicate than fresh water fish.
top ups, water changes and maintence can be very time consuming and MUST be done regularly.
now on a freshwater tank youve still got equiptment but its not as intense as a salt tank...lights dont have to be quite so strong (even if your doing live plants) the equiptment is easier and cheaper overall, you dont need the chiller or the powerhead (though if you run an undergravel filter i do suggest a good powerhead), the fintration doesnt need to be quite so advanced and top ups and water changes are much less complicated.
if you LOVE the look of a salt water tank but dont want the maintence id suggest looking into building a cichlid tank, particularly peacock cichlids! you can do a sand bottom, use a blue antic light and do rocks only (cichlids are more than happy with a rock only set up) ive known many people add faux corals too)
go with an all male tank if doing peacocks to get the best show...male peacocks will color up and display even without a femal but unlike many cichlids they arnt typically highly agressive. they come in a vast aray of colors from reds and oranges to blues and even purples! and you cant beat cichlids for personality.
that being said, if i had the time, space and money...id have a full reef tank in a heart beat!
Freshwater tanks are much easier than saltwater tanks. There are plenty of colorful fish that can be had. You can go with simple community fish like guppies, semi-aggressive fish like angels, or more aggressive ones like cichlids. The other nice thing about freshwater fish is that many of them are born in captivity, whereas saltwater fish are often captured from the wild.
I would suggest considering the end result of what you want.
I currently have two 90 gallon tanks (both salt and fresh water) set up and my 210 gallon is just running a pump for circulation purposes.
THINGS TO KNOW:
Fish compatibility
Pet store fish usually get a LOT bigger than what they are in the store.
A 2 inch called semi aggressive is usually at very least SEMI aggressive.
Do not think you can take a fish like a little Flowerhorn and toss it in with a goldfish ... unless the goldfish is food for it.
African cichlids require different Ph levels from American cichlids
Gold Fish do better in colder water that tropical fish and those little fish called Koi in pet stores are tiny babies.
RESEARCH all you can about cycling your tank BEFORE you put fish in - do yourself the favor
Also know that little fish called Terror or Devil - that isn't a funny name for them ... my freshwater 90 has a single red devil in it - the little nearly 6 inch dood kills everything that hits his tank.
If you come across a Parachromis Dovii ... a 90 gallon tank will not be big enough when they grow up.
__________________________________
I am saying these things from experience ...
SALTWATER TANKS:
Like others have said - BIGGER IS EASIER ... but ...
BE REAL CAREFUL about infestations like Aiptasia, Bristle worm, red slime algae and other head aches.
They can destroy a nice tank and many solutions are not compatible with Corals ... I have personally lost several thousand dollars in coral because of problems in a tank with a lot of Live Rock in it ... moving live rock in a 210 gallon tank is a nightmare when an infestation breaks out.
Once you know something - quadruplecheck the facts
may things people will swear you can not do that can be done and there are a ton of other things that when said NO are really NO!
and also be aware that Brackish Water fish can be sensitive to slight water parameter changes.
Since you are asking that question, I suggest that you start with fresh water aquarium.
Perhaps 30 gallon is a good start. Remember, the bigger the tank, the more easy it is to correct your mistake.
And don't forget to decorate your aquarium with rocks and other ornaments.
I cannot stress this enough.
Bigger tanks are more forgiving.
I would even push it 50 gallons as a good starter tank.
would not start with a 30 gallon unless I was keeping a small group of fish that max out about 1.5 inches.
Bigger than 50 gallons gets tricky sometimes because they take longer to cycle.
but as to salt water or Fresh, you are right, if the OP doesn't know much about fish keeping the freshwater tank would be a better start.
saltwater tanks costs hundreds of dollars and require so much patience and fine tuning.
anyway, my favorite freshwater fish are South American fish.
The SA cichlids are generally peaceful (rams, angels, discus) and can be mixed with fish of varying sizes (although a tank filled with just angels or discus is tricking.
If you go with live bearers you may need an exit plan, especially if you have a planted tank as livebearers are prolific breeders.
I love planted tanks because they purify and oxygenate the water and give he tank a natural beautiful look.
if you go for a planted tank check to make sure your fish are not plant eaters.
silver dollars are beautiful but they love eating plants
Be real careful on fish selection - sometimes a generic class like America or South American or other combo names are confusing ...
Parachromis Dovii is a South American cichlid which can get to about 20 inches long
Also; those little red belly South American buggers called Pacu are also called Tank Busters - they get massive and spook easily
Here is a video of my dearly departed and awesome Midas Bubba (YOUTUBE LINK)
Here is a variety of the SW and FW fish I have had in the past youtube.com/AquariumFishNC
so I forgot a small detail - splitting a hair ... I used to have a breeder pair
Never checked their visa
BOTTOM LINE: not a fish for a NOOB - Point was more of an emphasis of not getting sucked into buying pretty fish without any understanding
easy dude. Just giving advice here.
no need to get upset at a simply correction.
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