what are the ups and downs of having a saltwater aquarium?
i want to get a saltwater aquarium, what are the biggest hassles with it, like how much do you have to clean it, are they hard to maintain, stuff like that. i would also like to know any suggestions on kits for under 500 bucks and any books that could help me.
The biggest "hassle" about saltwater is that you have a lot less room for error. You MUST keep up with your water changes and make sure that the parameters match. Also, unless you have very filtered tap water, you will want to buy and install an RO/DI kit (for big setups) or run down to the grocery store and buy RO/DI water to mix with your reef salt.
Also, it takes a lot longer to do a saltwater than a freshwater. In freshwater, most people cycle the tank with a hardy fish, whereas in saltwater, people usually cycle the tank with live rock. Cycling in saltwater takes longer than in freshwater, and also goes through more algae blooms. It takes about 6 months for the system to stabilize enough for you to add the delicate fish.
The worst thing about saltwater, though, is the price of things. Not only do you need more equipment, you need better equipment. A fish only with live rock setup is the easiest, but you can’t keep corals or anemones. Then, in addition to the tank and filter, you are looking at powerheads to keep the water moving (~$15-40 each, depending on size, and you usually need more than one) and a protein skimmer ($80-200 for a good one, not nano). Live rock, itself, costs ~$8/lb. and you need ~1.5/lb/gallon of water. Most people recommend live sand, too, which is not cheap if you need to get many pounds. Lastly, you need fluorescent light, which isn’t TOO costly, but for a 40 gallon, you’re still looking at spending ~$100 for 2 light strips and 80W of light. If you ever want to upgrade to a reef tank, you will be putting in hundreds–if not thousands–of dollars for a nice T-5 or metal halide light, because the corals need light.
The fish and shrimp itself are not too expensive, but still 2-3 times the price of freshwater fish. The most common false percula clownfish (aka Nemo fish) are widely available and can be tank bred and still cost ~$25/fish. A mated pair usually costs ~$100. Frags easily cost $70-150 for a small piece.
If you are looking to spend under $500 TOTAL, then I would suggest a nano FOWLR system. It’s not easy, and you would need to do research and put in a lot of time and attention into the tank. Try to get good deals on used items (such as on craigslist.com) and you can probably get a 10 to 20 gallon system setup. However, make doubly SURE that you know what you are getting yourself into, as nano is even harder than the bigger sized saltwater setups. And if you mess up, it will be costly anyways.
A popular book (of which I own, too) is The Conscientious Marine Aquarist by Robert Fenner. Start there, and visit lots of different internet forums. Talk to people about what you’re planning (i.e. setup, equipment, livestock, maintenance schedule) and those with much more experience will be able to tell you what are good ideas and what will not work.
What is the best way to change substrate in a saltwater aquarium?
Hi. I love fish, and have had aquariums for most of my life.
I would love to have a salt water aquarium, however they require much more involvement than a fresh water aquarium.
The set up itself is more expensive, as are the creatures you will place in it.
That’s not the major deterrent. The big thing is the maintenance, and the fact that you have more factors to deal with in a salt water aquarium.
The bonus is, the sheer, astounding beauty of a healthy salt water tank. They really are spectacular.
But I still love my goldfish.
References :
the biggest problem in salt water aquarium is the water itself. is quite more expensive to replace it than plain water. otherwise if you live next to the sea where u can get clean salt water for free. The good side of having a salt water aquarium is that salt water fishes are more colorful and cheap. you can also put a wide variety of corals and weeds.
References :
I used to keep cichlids but after having them for yrs and yrs and always wanting saltwater I did the switch and have never looked back! Saltwater is not alot harder it just requires you to be more precise as you are effectively mimicking nature and coral reefs etc are alot more complex than a simple freshwater "goldfish" set up….
There are a whole range of books you can get which are great for references but I found the best advice came from my local aquaruim shop "Vebas" I live in Western Australia.
The trickiest part I think is coral as they are very complex creatures but like everything once you understand how they work are relatively easy to look after. I’m not goin to go into great length in this answer but if you would like to ask me any specific questions you can email me and I will answer as best i can from my own personal experience..I’m not sure if u can get my email from here but here it is just in case [email protected]
For under 500 bucks you will be pushing it as in my experience the bigger the aquarium the easy it is to monitor and look after.
References :
Personal experience.
The biggest "hassle" about saltwater is that you have a lot less room for error. You MUST keep up with your water changes and make sure that the parameters match. Also, unless you have very filtered tap water, you will want to buy and install an RO/DI kit (for big setups) or run down to the grocery store and buy RO/DI water to mix with your reef salt.
Also, it takes a lot longer to do a saltwater than a freshwater. In freshwater, most people cycle the tank with a hardy fish, whereas in saltwater, people usually cycle the tank with live rock. Cycling in saltwater takes longer than in freshwater, and also goes through more algae blooms. It takes about 6 months for the system to stabilize enough for you to add the delicate fish.
The worst thing about saltwater, though, is the price of things. Not only do you need more equipment, you need better equipment. A fish only with live rock setup is the easiest, but you can’t keep corals or anemones. Then, in addition to the tank and filter, you are looking at powerheads to keep the water moving (~$15-40 each, depending on size, and you usually need more than one) and a protein skimmer ($80-200 for a good one, not nano). Live rock, itself, costs ~$8/lb. and you need ~1.5/lb/gallon of water. Most people recommend live sand, too, which is not cheap if you need to get many pounds. Lastly, you need fluorescent light, which isn’t TOO costly, but for a 40 gallon, you’re still looking at spending ~$100 for 2 light strips and 80W of light. If you ever want to upgrade to a reef tank, you will be putting in hundreds–if not thousands–of dollars for a nice T-5 or metal halide light, because the corals need light.
The fish and shrimp itself are not too expensive, but still 2-3 times the price of freshwater fish. The most common false percula clownfish (aka Nemo fish) are widely available and can be tank bred and still cost ~$25/fish. A mated pair usually costs ~$100. Frags easily cost $70-150 for a small piece.
If you are looking to spend under $500 TOTAL, then I would suggest a nano FOWLR system. It’s not easy, and you would need to do research and put in a lot of time and attention into the tank. Try to get good deals on used items (such as on craigslist.com) and you can probably get a 10 to 20 gallon system setup. However, make doubly SURE that you know what you are getting yourself into, as nano is even harder than the bigger sized saltwater setups. And if you mess up, it will be costly anyways.
A popular book (of which I own, too) is The Conscientious Marine Aquarist by Robert Fenner. Start there, and visit lots of different internet forums. Talk to people about what you’re planning (i.e. setup, equipment, livestock, maintenance schedule) and those with much more experience will be able to tell you what are good ideas and what will not work.
References :