How Does a Tropical Fish Tank Differ From a Freshwater Fish Tank?

Coke or Pepsi?

Coke or Pepsi? Burger King or McDonald's? Chevy or Ford? These are some of the choices that people make when it comes to shopping for cars or food. They are fun choices because they are similar items with different personalities, quirks, and miniature details. The same can apply to buying an aquarium. Fish lovers must choose straight from the start: freshwater or salt water? They each have pluses and minuses.

Filters, water and rock bedding are pretty easy to come by. You just have to make sure that your tank isn't in a place where there is a lot of sunlight; otherwise, you'll have an algae tank instead of a fish tank. Once you get the water and all the parts in place you just have to let the water cycle out any of the "bad" chemicals and keep the water at the right temperature. Saltwater tanks, however, can take at least three weeks to be prepared for any fish. You also have to get triple-filtered water since the chlorine and other minerals in tap water can kill fish in an instant. There also has to be a proper mix of salt-to-water ratio. Filtration is also important to saltwater tanks because there have to be proper levels of good and bad bacteria. The more natural filtration with live rocks and live sand, the better. The basic cycling can take two weeks to get going, and you should get some hearty, disposable fish such as damsels to "dirty" up your tank and give it a natural bio-load. After one or two weeks you should finally be able to put in your "real" fish or plants.

Maintaining a freshwater tank mostly requires keeping the algae out of the tank and doing regular water changes. A freshwater tank should get at least a 10 percent water change every week, or 25 percent every two weeks, and a 50 percent water change every month or so. If you don't, your freshwater fish will swim in their own muck, since they tend to be dirtier fish. To do maintenance on a saltwater tank can be easier and harder at the same time. By just using a basic filter and basic sand, you can find yourself working hard by changing several filters and gallons of water every week. But if you have lots of natural filters, such as one pound of live rock per gallon of water and copepods, the bacteria levels can be maintained. Power heads that create water currents in your tank can keep the water from collecting a film at the surface. And having a protein skimmer instead of a regular filter adds yet another maintenance tool. In fact, some owners find that saltwater tanks are just as easy to maintain as freshwater tanks--once the tank gets past the long initiation phase.

The biggest differences between saltwater and fresh water tanks are the fish and plants. Freshwater tanks have beautiful fish options such as angel fish and some of the South American cichlid breeds. There are also a few plants you can keep in a freshwater tank. However, saltwater tanks have an even wider variety of fish that can easily match all 64 colors in a Crayola box. There are also abundant plant options from sea anemones to corals. But the more color you have in a fish or plant, the higher price you tend to pay. This really comes down to an either-or choice. If you want an easily set up, easily maintained and low-cost tank, the freshwater aquarium could be for you. If you are willing to put in the work and a little extra money to set it up to get more colorful fish, a saltwater tank is your best option.