Differences Between Saltwater and Freshwater Aquarium Care
Fish can be generally divided into two distinct categories: freshwater fish and saltwater fish. The former can be found in lakes, rivers and streams, while the latter are found in the wide open oceans and seas of our earth.
Very few freshwater fish can survive in salt water; likewise, very few saltwater fish can survive in fresh water. It’s essential that you understand the differences between freshwater and saltwater aquarium care.

This requires a certain degree of discernment between both types of fish tanks, and both have different needs and requirements. If you want to keep your fish alive and facilitate proper tank care keep these important differences in mind:

Breeds of Fish – Before buying any breed of fish, make sure to ask the fish store vendor or clerk what specific water your fish will thrive in.

This may sound like simple common sense, and it really is just that, but many a fish owner has made the common mistake of making false assumptions when it comes to the fish that can and cannot survive in fresh or salt water. Over-enthusiasm or pride clouds the judgment, resulting in a loss of a hundred dollars or more.

Expertise Required – Starting out in fish care is not particularly easy, whether handling freshwater fish or saltwater fish. Freshwater fish tanks, though, are a little less technical to deal with, and are recommended for those starting out in learning the ropes of aquarium maintenance.

But if you have a competent and reliable source of first-hand information in handling fish tank care, or are confident in your fish-raising skills, then you can try your hand at taking care of saltwater fish.

Fish Tank Maintenance – As mentioned earlier, saltwater fish tanks a bit trickier to maintain than freshwater fish tanks. Changing the water is one of the biggest differences between them, as well as the varying equipment needed to keep saltwater fish alive.

Preparing a saltwater tank entails mixing prepared salt mixes with pure, de-chlorinated water while testing the water with a hydrometer or refractometer, making sure the its gravity is between 1.021 and 1.024. An important note here: you cannot use common table salt in preparing saltwater for the fish. Table salt usually contains chemicals and substances lethal to fish, so do not even think of using it to prepare a saltwater tank.

Fish Tank Equipment – It was mentioned earlier that saltwater tanks need more equipment to keep them properly maintained. This makes them particularly more expensive to keep and maintain.

Such equipment particular to saltwater fish tanks are protein skimmers and power heads. Protein skimmers are a type of water filtration devices that clean up dissolved organics, while power heads keep the water inside the tank moving. You would also need a saltwater test kit to check the water’s salinity and nitrogen cycle in the aquarium.

Costs – This basically sums up the main difference between fresh and saltwater fish tanks. Are you willing to spend more time and money for the fish care needed by more exotic fish? Or does the convenience and affordability of freshwater tank appeal to your budget and time?