Saltwater Aquarium FAQ

What is the difference between saltwater fish and freshwater fish?

In rivers, ponds, streams, and lakes is where Freshwater fish are found. On the other hand, Saltwater fish, are collected from the seas and oceans which enable them to have a much more stable environment. They do not adjust easily to major chemical or temperature changes. Since most saltwater fish are collected right from the ocean as apposed to their freshwater cousins that are tank or pond raised, saltwater fish are more expensive due to the shipping and collecting costs.

How big does your tank need to be in a saltwater aquarium?

Virtually all saltwater aquariums are between 30 and 55 gallons. Just about any size tank can be used but, it is simpler to keep a larger tank chemically balanced and it allows more options for fish compatibility. But, a medium sized tank is more expensive due to the requirements of adequate equipment.

How many fish can I put in my tank?

The Rule of Thumb is one inch of fish (measured from the nose to the base of the tail) per 5 gallons of system saltwater. You could however house more fish in a marine aquarium than the Rule of Thumb allows but, most saltwater aquariums, particularly new tanks with minimal filtration, lack a really good biological filtration system that can process the fish waste. This might be able to raise the ammonia, nitrates, and phosphates to toxic level. Saltwater fish are a lot more sensitive to tank toxins than freshwater fish. Overcrowding can cause territorial problems with aggressive fish. In small tanks, it is better to be safe then sorry in this case.

How Often do I need to Feed My Saltwater Aquarium Fish?

Owners ought to feed their saltwater fish about twice a day.
Making sure that the fish are consuming the food within a couple of minutes. You do not have to feed the fish all of the food at once, rather spread out the length of feeding time. Make sure that all of the fish are have food to eat including bottom dwellers. You should stop feeding them if the food is reaching the bottom and is not being eaten.
In the wild fish look for food almost constantly, especially herbivores. They always look like they are grazing. Carnivores just cruise around, passing up easy meals. Carnivors have a shorter digestive track than herbivores so it takes the herbivores longer to digest algae in order to draw out the protein needed for the fish to survive. However, Carnivores have a shorter digestive track because it doesn’t take as long to extract the protein from the flesh of another animal. Algae that develops in your tank will provide a certain amount of a constant food source for herbivores. When you spread out the length of time that fish can eat that will provide both, herbivores and carnivores with the right conditions for ample nutrition.

Can fish and invertebrates live in the same tank?

Whether or not they want to do this It is up to the aquarium owner to decide. It ought to be left to the extremely novice, aquarium owners. Even though there are lots of truly beautiful reef fish to choose from, some of them are carnivores and will feed on invertebrates or live coral. Additionally, diseases like ich can be very hard to treat since the cell structures between parasites and invertebrates are similar enough that the effective treatments for ich will also kill the invertebrates.