|
|
Your Own Under Water WorldMay 13 '01 Write an essay on this topic.
Popular Products in Nutrition
The Bottom Line It depends on how much time and money you are willing to invest. Both types can be beautiful aquariums.
I have read several of the articles regarding this issue and found many contained inaccurate information. I hope you find this information addresses the question at hand and provides some helpful/accurate information. Many people love the look of exotic salt water fish, but fear that a salt water aquarium would be too difficult to keep a float. I have had several different types of aquariums over the years; everything from a small 2 1/2 gallon tank to a larger 58+ gallon salt water/marine aquarium. I have found any type of aquarium brings much joy and relaxation to me personally and I would encourage anyone who is interested in investing in a hobby of this type to give it a shot. So What's the Difference?? Fresh water fish come from streams, rivers, & lakes. These fish are accustom to their environment changing. All of the natural changes/fluctuations that take place in their habitat have made fresh water fish quite adaptable. Fresh water fish can adapt to change in their aquarium environment quite well. Salt Water/Marine Fish on the other hand do not adjust to change very well. The ocean reef is very stable and there is not much change or fluctuations in the conditions. Salt water fish are therefore not as flexible when it comes to changes in their environment. The greatest challenge for the marine aquarist is to keep their ‘reef’ system as stable as possible. This includes everything from the temperature to the salinity levels. Differences in Equipment All aquariums require adequate heating and filtration. If you are going to have a reef tank that includes not only fish, you will need to add a protein skimmer for best results. A protein skimmer is not needed with a fresh water aquarium. Excellent filtration systems are need no matter what type of aquarium you choose to have. Power heads are also used in both types of systems for water flow and filtration purposes. Marine aquariums usually run more expensive than a fresh water system. If you choose to have a fish only tank the cost is a little less expensive. I would say most marine aquarist like to have a complete reef system as the fish do thrive much better in this type of environment and you are able to have all different kinds of marine life. I suggest using only R/O (reverse osmosis) water for either type of aquarium system. You can purchase your filtered water from your local pet store or you can buy your own R/O system. This is more crucial when dealing with salt water. I believe with some chlorine remover type products, depending on the water quality where you live, you may be able to get by using tap water for some fresh water fish. I would go for the better filtered water myself, as water quality is the most important thing. Never Use Tap Water in a Marine Aquarium. Lighting is also a big difference between fresh and salt water aquariums. Lighting for salt water tanks is going to be quite a bit more expensive. Depending on what types of marine life you want to keep; the price of your lighting system for a marine tank can run between $300 - $500+ !! (Again in a fish only tank the lighting does not have to be as intense) As far as testing the water conditions both fresh and salt water aquariums require test kits. There are more conditions to test for with salt water so the cost may be somewhat higher than with fresh water, but there is not a huge difference. You of course have to check the salinity with salt water tanks, but you use a hydrometer to perform that simple test. A hydrometer is a one time very inexpensive purchase that does not require any special chemicals, etc… Other Costs One of the most expensive components to the marine aquarium that differs from the fresh water aquarium is Live Rock. Live Rock is VERY expensive when purchased locally. I have found it is MUCH less expensive to order the Live Rock via the Internet. (flyingfishexpress.com is the best site I have found so far) The average local price for Live Rock is $9.50 per pound. The average cost on line is about $3.50 – $4.50 pound (this price included the shipping cost). It can be more expensive depending on what type of live rock you purchase. You can even purchase pre-cured live rock on line as well. (This is what I purchased most recently and it was excellent.) You can also order Live Sand on some of the Internet sites. I have not ordered any myself. Live sand is also a bit on the expensive side, but is not necessary for a marine tank, but it is nice to have it you like it. Crushed coral is used as the substrate in most marine aquariums. It is not that much more expensive than the rock used in fresh water tanks. Some choose to mix some of the live sand along with the crushed coral. The cycling of a new marine or fresh water aquarium is pretty much the same. You can use a bacteria product like Cycle in both types of tanks. Live Rock will also help to cycle the marine aquarium quite nicely. The Fish! There are many varieties of both fresh and salt water fish. There is a great difference in the cost of fresh water vs. marine fish. Marine fish are quite a bit more expensive than fresh water, but the colors are much more vibrant and exotic. Most marine fish have to be caught where as many fresh water fish are able to be captive raised. (There are many concerns regarding the way marine fish are captured and the possible effects to the environment. I will not go into that here as that is a novel in itself!) Both fresh water and marine aquariums have plants. There is a much larger selection of marine life to choose from that includes invertebrates, clams, corals. The different types of marine life also come with all levels of price tags. There are several different types of plant life for fresh water tanks as well, but the prices are much more easy to swallow. The Wrap Up In my opinion having an aquarium is a great hobby. It takes patience, practice, time, and money. I personally prefer marine tanks to fresh water, but they are both beautiful. Before starting up either type of tank I would highly recommend reading as much information as possible. Make a plan and be sure to use adequate equipment. There is really no way to cut corners when having an aquarium if you want to be successful. If you do not start off on the right foot; you will only end up frustrated and broke! There is so much more to fish keeping than I was able to share in this article. I hope some of this information has been helpful. I like to use WetWebMedia.com for a reference along with FlyingFishExpress.com. I also have some books I use on a regular basis regarding what types of fish are compatible, fighting diseases, etc…  |
| Read all comments (1)|Write your own comment |
