by Heidi Carroll

Created on: January 24, 2010   Last Updated: January 25, 2010

Setting up a fish tank for the first time is a lot of work. A saltwater tank can be very expensive and hard for a beginner to maintain. For that reason I would recommend starting freshwater. A freshwater tank can easily be converted into a brackish or saltwater tank. If you don't mind trading your livestock down the road. Or you can get fish that can be converted slowly into saltwater.

If you start out with a saltwater tank and the find it is to much work. It will be much harder to convert the tank into freshwater. Although it can be done. Spending the time on money on a saltwater tank and ending up having to get rid of it is really hard.

A freshwater tank requires less money for start up as all you will need to start it up is:

Water

A  live bacteria that dechlorinates tap water and reduces nitrates, cycles your tank and provides slime coating for fish. 

Heater

Aquarium salt

filter

rock or marble substrate

Freshwater test kit

Basic decorations

Your local fish store can easily help you pick out everything you need for your freshwater tank. They can also recommend great starting fish.

A saltwater tank on the other hand is going to require much more money and items to get it going. Here are some of the thing you will need to get started:

Reverse osmosis water

a live Bactria that dechlorinates tap water and reduces nitrates, cycles your tank and provides slime coating for fish

Ocean salt

Power head

Hydrometer

Saltwater test kit

A live sand or crushed aragonite substrate

Great lighting

Protein skimmer

Live rock

Strong filters

Heater

These items will just get you started. Many of these items are very expensive and can not all be bought from your local fish store without costing you quite a bit of money. It is best to research everything you need thoroughly to find the most effective products for the best money.

You mu t research the fish you decide to keep very thoroughly as some saltwater fish require very specific water parameters. Certain fish will require you to add more items to your tank depending on what their needs are. Care needs to be taken not overcrowd your tank and always make sure the fish are compatible with each other!

It is because the expense I will always recommend starting our freshwater. saltwater fish are beautiful and so much fun to keep. But they require a lot of care, research and money. A freshwater tank will give you the chance to see if you are willing to invest that much time and money.

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