More
The Fish Life: How to Choose Between Freshwater and Saltwater Aquariums
Fishing for a new pet?
Just like you can be a dog or cat person, there are freshwater and saltwater aquarium people. To help you figure out which one you are, we defined what kind of aquarium would best suit you based on maintenance work and your ideal pet fish.
Before You Dive In: Aquarium Basics
Whether you’re a freshwater or saltwater aquarium person, you’re going to need:
• A fish tank (preferably one with some sort of cover like a hood to prevent rapid water evaporation)
• Substrates for the bottom of the tank (e.g., gravel or sand)
• A filter that processes water five to ten times an hour
• Test kits that measure temperature, ammonia and pH levels
• A heater to maintain and control water temperatures
Both freshwater and saltwater aquariums need to have 25% of their water changed at least every 2 to 4 weeks. You should also stir the substrate and use a gravel cleaner when changing the water.
Deciding Factor #1: Maintenance Level
Almost all aquarium maintenance work revolves around the water. To help recreate and maintain conditions found in an ocean or the sea, saltwater aquariums require equipment and supplies such as:
• Powerheads (creates an underwater current throughout the tank)
• A protein skimmer (removes organic waste)
• Hydrometer (indicates how salty the water is)
• Saltwater testing kits
• Marine salt (to mix in with tap water)
• Live rock (a porous, substrate rock inhabited by microscopic organisms that help with filtration)
In other words, saltwater aquarium people don’t mind doing a little extra work to keep their fish happy. But we’re not suggesting freshwater aquarium people love their fish any less.
Recreating the conditions of a river or lake doesn’t mean you can just pour tap water into a fish tank and be done. Freshwater aquariums need to be dechlorinated (via dechlorinating agents) and the ammonia levels can’t get too high. Nevertheless, if you want to keep things low maintenance, you’re probably a freshwater aquarium person.
Whether you choose to go freshwater or saltwater, smaller fish tanks require more work in terms of maintaining consistent water quality. A larger fish tank is more forgiving when it comes to slight variations in water conditions, so a newer fish hobbyist might do better with a bigger tank.
Deciding Factor #2: Your Idea of a Pet Fish
Do you want hardy fish that can deal with your growing pains as a pet fish parent? Freshwater aquariums may be your thing. At Pet Supplies Plus, our most popular freshwater fish include:
• Tetras
• Danios
• Platies
• Guppies
• Angelfish
• Pleco
• Clown Loach
• Gourami
In addition to artificial aquarium décor, you can also add live freshwater plants to your aquarium. Just remember, plants need light to survive so make sure you have appropriate aquarium lighting.
Do you want fish that come in more vibrant colors and interesting shapes? Even as a rookie hobbyist, are you comfortable taking on a few more fish care responsibilities? Then you may be more of a saltwater aquarium person. Some of the more popular saltwater fish you’ll find at Pet Supplies Plus include:
• Clownfish
• Damselfish
• Green Chromis
• Tangs
• Goby
• Dottyback
Another nice thing about saltwater aquariums is you can include corals and sea anemones; however, if you do decide to add corals to your fish tank, you need specific kind of lighting (to imitate natural sunlight) and protein skimmers. Plus, you must follow different feeding schedules as well as maintain magnesium and calcium levels. In addition, not all fish are compatible with coral. As for adding artificial aquarium décor to your tank, just make sure it’s safe for saltwater.
If you’re just starting out as a fish hobbyist, you need to consider how much work you want to put in your aquarium and your style of pet fish. Whatever you choose, Pet Supplies Plus is ready to help. We love freshwater and saltwater aquarium people equally. And that’s no fish story.
Get more info about your Pet Supplies Plus questions.
CALL
Contact your local store for assistance.
Email Us
Fill out a short form and we'll get back to you!