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Freshwater or Saltwater?: The common question

© Winston Vaughan Schoenfeld

Almost every aquarists that I know has found themselves asking the question "Freshwater or Saltwater?" This is the point where you have decided to start an aquarium, and are deciding on either going the freshwater or saltwater route. In this article, I hope to provide you with a little insight about what the major differences are, and how you can make a wise decision.

First, I want to get one thing straight...saltwater aquariums DO NOT require a long history of aquarium keeping. In fact, you would be surprised at the many simularities in what needs to be done to take care of saltwater aquariums relative to freshwater aquariums. The main reason that saltwater aquariums are generally considered to be for experienced aquarists is their cost. Not only are saltwater filtration systems more expensive than freshwater ones, but the cost difference between fresh and saltwater fish is huge. As a result, it is quite expensive to make a mistake with saltwater aquariums, because it can easily put you out $200 for new fish alone. The bottom line is that saltwater aquariums are for anyone, aquarium veteran or not. However, you must be serious and commited to the aquarium.

Freshwater aquariums are also a little more tolerant to lack of cleaning. I know of people who change their water once a year in a freshwater aquarium. Do this with a saltwater setup, and you will be lucky to have fish in two months. What I have learned is that most people find water changes annoying. While water can easily be added to a freshwater aquairum, saltwater aquariums require you to mix the water with salt first. Amazingly, this small difference is all that it takes to make people get too lazy to do regular water changes for their saltwater aquairum.

While there are many beautiful freshwater fish, I would bet that most aquarists would agree that saltwater species, on average, are more brilliant and colorful. This is probably the single most common reason for aquarists to prefer saltwater aquariums over freshwater ones. So, the question still remains...Freshwater or saltwater. My answer is this...if you plan on doing regular water changes, about every two weeks, and are willing to spend a little time trying to understand the biological cycle and needs of an aquaiurm, then it is not such a big step to set up a saltwater aquarium. However, if you are not the regemented type of person who can stay true to your commitment of cleaning your aquarium regularly, then you are better off remaining with a freshwater aquarium. You can always upgrade to a saltwater aquarium in the future, but beware that the cost will still be large.

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