Five Different Kinds of Saltwater Aquariums.

When starting a saltwater aquarium there are several things you need to know. In this article I will go over the five main types of marine aquariums. Before we get into each type in detail, here are a few things to keep in mind. Typically saltwater aquariums have less fish than a freshwater tank of the same size. This is because saltwater fish tend to be larger than freshwater fish. Pet stores usually get their fish from breeders and aqua-farms or they are caught in the wild. Whenever possible you should by captive bred fish as opposed to ones caught in the wild. Generally captive bred fish are easier to take care of and hardier. Also it is difficult for wild caught fish to adjust to life in an aquarium. For example fish that are used to eating live prey don't adapt well to eating flake food.

As with freshwater fish, saltwater fish can be from cold water or warm tropical regions. You cannot keep these two different kinds together for apparent reasons. Mainly because of the differences in water temperatures. Since the tropical variety of fish tend to have beautiful and colorful markings which make them more desirable to hobbyist, they are more available than their cold water cousins. Most people are more familiar with a number of tropical saltwater fish whether they know it or not! Everybody knows what a clownfish is especially after the movie "Finding Nemo." But have you ever heard of the Shanny or Tompot Blenny? Those are some examples of cold water species.

Fish Only Tank

There are five main types of saltwater aquariums that you can choose from. The first type is referred to as a fish only tank. Because of its simplicity, this is the easiest to care for. In this type of system you only have fish, no corals or invertebrates.

Invertebrate Only

The second kind of saltwater tank is an invertebrate only tank. In an invertebrate only tank you will find shrimp, prawn, hermit crabs and possibly even a sea cucumber! An invert only tank may house only corals, especially the kind that have special requirements or are too delicate to place in other types of marine tanks. These tanks can be more tricky than fish only systems because of certain requirements of the inhabitants and because inverts tend to be less tolerant of fluctuations in water conditions.

FOWLR Tank

The third type of marine tank is a Fish Only With Live Rock tank or FOWLR for short. FOWLR tanks have inverts, corals, fish, and also live rock. This type of tank requires yo to do some research. The research should include: which kinds of fish and inverts can live together peacefully, the specific requirements of each species, and whether you can meet those requirements. Can the two fish you are thinking of get along or will one become a meal for the other one? FOWLR tanks are harder to treat if you have a disease outbreak such as saltwater ich because some medications will kill inverts. So you have to have room for a separate hospital or quarantine tank for medicating purposes. Don't get me wrong this type of tank is amazing to watch the different fish and inverts interact and with a little preparation they can be very successful.

Reef Tank

The fourth type of aquarium is called a reef tank or coral reef tank. These tanks house not only fish and inverts, but also corals.

Some hobbyist take it a step further and try to create a reef scene from a specific part of the world, such as the Red Sea coral reefs or Great Barrier Reef. They would plan out the tank's inhabitants using only species found on that coral reef. Once again, know the requirements of any creature you plan to include. Some corals may need high intensity lights to produce algae they need to survive. Or certain breeds of fish may eat certain types of coral, or other fish!

Species Tank

Lastly, you have what is called a species or specialty tank. A species tank houses one specific breed of fish or sometimes only one fish because of either the nature of the fish or the nature of the breed. Sea horse would be an example of a species tank because sea horses have very specific needs which would be hard to meet in a reef tank. They are slow eaters so they couldn't be housed with aggressive fish who would eat all the food before they had a chance to get any. Sea horses swim vertically and not horizontally so they need a tall tank rather than a long shallow tank. Other examples of fish for a species tank could include sharks, rays, lion fish, and octopus. These would be best kept in their own tank.

So there you have it, five different types of tanks to consider. No matter which one you decide to model, always research the types of fish, corals, and inverts you think you want to have first. This is the most important thing you should do before you purchase anything! You don't want to stock your tank only to find one fish terrorizes all the others or that your angel fish made a snack out of the expensive corals you bought last week! Be sure you can provide for all the requirements of your tanks inhabitants. If you do these things, you'll be on your way to a successful tank!