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!

Starting a Saltwater Aquarium - FOWLR - Fish Only With Living Rock.

Fish only with live rock (FOWLR) aquariums can be an amazing and beautiful addition to your home. Besides seeing it on T.V. how else can see such colorful and amazing marine life? Saltwater (FOWLR) aquariums contain saltwater fish and living rock. Other creatures that can live in this type of tank are snails, crabs, and urchins. The great thing about a FOWLR tank is that the rock filters the water naturally. These aquariums are also much easier to setup and maintain compared to a coral reef aquarium. There are basically two types of FOWLR aquariums that you can setup: one for aggressive fish or one for peaceful fish. We suggest not mixing the two.

Aggressive Fish

These creatures are beautiful, but are really the bullies in a coral aquarium. They do however live peacefully in a FOWLR aquarium. Here are some of the most popular ones:

Large Angelfish 

Large Angelfish are a vey unique and striking fish. They dart all over the aquarium and help keep the tank clean by eating algae in the rocks.

Surgoenfish (Tangs) 

Surgonfish have scalpel-like spines on both sides of it's tail. This is a defense mechanism. They like to hide and prefer a large tank.

Triggerfish 

Triggerfish have a rectangular shape and sow in several different colors. They are called triggerfish because their dorsal fun has a strong bone that is used to help hold their position in the rocks.

Pufferfish 

Pufferfish look like they have a beak and have really strong jaws that they use to eat crustaceans. It is common for pufferfish to even eat out of someone's hands!

Peaceful fish

Dartfish 

Dartfish are small and colorful fish. They have a long and elegant look. They are an active fish and even like to jump, so make sure you keep the lid on your tank

Cardinalfish 

Cardinalfish are also very elegant. They have very interesting color patterns. They like to live in groups and are not too hard to breed in your tank.

Squirrelfish 

Squirrelfish do not like acorns and have fluffy tails. They are red and bring some color to your FOWLR aquarium. They are also a very social fish.

Are Saltwater Aquariums Hard? - Five Things That Can Make Keeping a New Saltwater Tank Difficult.

Are saltwater aquariums hard? That is a question that many people interested in marine tanks often ask. It is also a question that has many answers depending on many things, things that are often controllable by the person planning the tank. Below you find some of the things that make saltwater aquariums hard to keep and are easy to avoid.

Things That Can Make Saltwater Aquariums Hard To Keep

Buying Small Tanks- If this is your first attempt at keeping a marine aquarium you should bu a tank that is at least 30 gallons or larger. Anything smaller will require more attention to detail and water quality and be less forgiving to a beginners mistakes.

Unknowingly Keeping Difficult Fish- One huge and common beginner saltwater aquarium mistake is to buy marine fish for your tank that will not survive in captivity or fish that are very delicate. To avoid this stick with some good common beginner saltwater fish like clown fish, damsels and other easy to keep fish.

Setting It Up Like a Freshwater Tank- Many people think they can setup their new saltwater tank just like a freshwater tank. Many use an under gravel filter and just like in their freshwater tanks. This is a recipe for disaster and sick fish. Instead use a good canister filter or a sump style filter with a good protein skimmer to filter your water properly.

Constant Tinkering With The Tank- Another common mistake many people make with a new marine aquarium is to always have their hands in the tank re arranging the decoration and things like that. That is one sure way to stress your fish and make them sick.

Adding To Many Fish To Fast- Overstocking is a sure fire way to have saltwater fish that are stressed, fighting and dieing. As a good rule of thumb start off keeping only one clown fish sized fish for every ten gallons of tank volume. Add the new fish slowly waiting about a week between new additions, adding them to fast can over whelm a new aquarium system and an ammonia spike could occur and kill all of your saltwater fish.

Four Easy Tips To Make Your Saltwater Tank Thrive!

Food

The most important need that any creature has is the necessity for food. It is important to mimic the kind of food that a fish would usually eat in the ocean. Before buying a fish, find out what it usually eats in the wild. Some fish are used to eating live prey. Some have very specific dietary needs that you may not be able to provide for, such as if the fish only eats a specific kind of sponge coral. Most fish, especially if they are tank raised eat flake, frozen, or freeze dried food. These varieties are readily available at your local pet store. The cool thing about fish food, especially if you have a small tank, is that they don't go through it the way that dogs or cats go through food. A 2.2 ounce container of flake food can last upwards of a year for a small tank! In addition to food, there are vitamins that may be added to the meals to replace any nutrients that may have been lost in the freezing or drying process.

Just as we humans do not prefer to eat the same thing every single day, neither do fish. If possible, keep several varieties of food on hand. For my clownfish I keep flake food and freeze dried brine shrimp. These two types of food are available at my local pet store and quite cost effective being as a meal to them is only a few flakes at a time.

Do not overfeed!

Watch out to not over feed the fish. This can cause a build up of debris with in the tank. Only feed an amount that can be consumed within the first two to five minutes. Attempt to remove any excess food after feeding time in order to keep the tank tidy. Keep in mind how much was consumed previously and attempt to replicate that on the subsequent feedings. Over feeding fish is a common mistake, especially among new aquarium owners.

Provide a natural habitat

Have you ever heard the saying that a happy baby is a healthy baby? Effectively, the same is true for fish. Fish must be made to feel as safe and secure as possible in their new home. It is best to try to recreate their natural habitat. Research to seek out what kind of particular corals, sponges and plants the fish have in their open water environment. If a particular fish lives on a coral reef, attempt to incorporate that into the grand scheme of the aquarium. Also consider the swimming habits of the fish you intend to keep. Regal tangs and tangs in general like wide open swimming spaces. Other species are shy and need a lot of hiding spaces. By providing a natural environment stress will be minimized by offering ample opportunities for fish to behave normally.

Don't overcrowd!

Avoid overcrowding the tank. Overcrowding occurs when there are too many fish in the tank. This is a frequent problem that cam be easily avoided. A general rule of thumb is one small fish per every ten gallons of water.

Goldfish Care 101

There is a lot of ignorance when it comes to goldfish keeping, and this leads to the reduced life of these wonderful fish. Most of the time, people get goldfish because they do not want to commit to keeping a 'real pet'. We generally assume that they are going to die soon anyway and therefore don't think twice about getting one or two from the pet store. Before you can go and buy a goldfish, stop and first read these care guidelines and spare the poor creature its life.

When it comes to goldfish care, three areas need to be considered and these are the tank, the water and the fish itself.

The Tank

First of all, fish cannot survive in a bowl. Not only are they tiny, but they also have poor air quality and needless to say the fish really has nothing to do except swim around in circles. Bowls provide terrible homes for fish and if you must keep a goldfish, invest in a large tank or aquarium. One of the most important things you can do for your fish is to ensure that its home has a gravel floor. Gravel does not affect the water's pH and is great for hosting good bacteria.

The Water

Goldfish are not weaklings, and contrary to what most people think they do not require heating. The main problem comes in with changing temperatures and as a general rule do not let the waters go under 54 degrees F (12 degrees C). Large water changes are always more suitable than small water changes. Goldfish tend to produce a lot of waste which then combines with the decaying plants and uneaten foods, consequently increasing the levels of ammonia and nitrates in the water. Ammonia is especially toxic to the fish and you need to encourage the growth of good bacteria by changing water weekly and having a good filtration system in place.

The Goldfish

How you care for the fish matters. These fish get stressed easily and factors such as overcrowding, insufficient space, low water levels and sudden changes to light and temperature are just some of the things that lead them into shock. It should come as no surprise that the fish love to feed but as you may have noticed they don't stop feeding, so be careful not to over feed them.

Keeping goldfish is not rocket science, caring for them is rather easy. If you are thinking of getting a goldfish because it's pretty and cool then by all means do so but give the fish the care it deserves.