first timer

kalaofkona

hi, im looking at getting a 55 gal tank (used) and im not sure which to get, salt or fresh....i love the salt water fish but how difficult is it to take care of? im open to any and all advice...the more the better. thanks guys!

jeffwee559

The best thing would be to go down to a local fish store and they should be able to help you decide what you really want and also help clear up any questions about the care and maintenance of a salt tank. my experience i would say if you've never had salt, start off simple with a fresh tank and then work your way up to a salt tank. It helps get your basics down and your feet wet.

Good luck.

onefish2fish

i agree this is good advice, however in my experience sadly some fish stores will lie to make sales rather then the safety of the livestock.

i am going to suggest starting fresh water as it is easier to maintain and less of an expense. If you are heart set on saltwater id say start with a FOWRL (fish only with live rock) My personal opinion is that 55 gallons arnt the best to aquascape live rock. Regardless whichever direction you choose, do as much research as possible and you should be sucessful.

veganchick

I am starting my first saltwater soon, and it is gonna be alot more work than my freshwater tanks!

Pasfur

I would offer you this about saltwater. If you are the type of person who enjoys learning new things, has a ton of patience, and won't become frustrated by conflicting advice from different sources, then you can achieve success in a saltwater tank, regardless of your FW experience.

On the other hand, if you tend to take all advice "with a grain of salt", are the type of person who generally does the minimum level of what is acceptable to get by in a given project, and you want immediate satisfaction in this aquarium, then go freshwater.

onefish2fish

lol, well put.

Kellsindell

[quote=Pasfur;163728]I would offer you this about saltwater. If you are the type of person who enjoys learning new things, has a ton of patience, and won't become frustrated by conflicting advice from different sources, then you can achieve success in a saltwater tank, regardless of your FW experience.quote]

Amen!

You'll also need to do research on your own. Yes forums are great, but without the general knowledge of how to start it gets real difficult. You'll ask questions that you should have found many times in personal research. Pasfur can give you book names to get you started in the right direction. There's a lot of knowledge here as well as wisdom. The key to success is Research REsearch RESEARCH. There's really know other way.

Now, with a FOWLR tank, it's a bit easier to get away with less research. there aren't as many checks as there are for a reef tank, but there are fish you need to be aware of such as the person in this thread, 6-line soapfish, is learning. Impulse buying just wont do the trick. Paitients is truly the Virtue of the hobby and if you don't have any... you will.

Pasfur

A great point there Kells.

One thing to realize about the marine hobby, it is a lot like buying a used car. Well over 50% of the fish you see for sale at the local LFS have a HORRIBLE track record. Regardless of your efforts, many many species simply do not live well in an aquarium. You need to ask questions BEFORE you buy and HAVE A GAME PLAN for what species you intend to keep. Buy them in a pre-determined order and DO NOT deviate from your plan.

Patience pays off in this hobby, directly into the pocket book.

dylan94

If I were you I would go with a freshwater tank first unless you really want a saltwater tank and your willing to put a bit more effort into maintaining a healthy tank.

Kellsindell

LOL nice!

It's not difficult to keep a great tank, it just takes work, just like FW. i started FW and SW at the same time, but i didn't do my research as i should have and made many errors. I kept listening to my LFS and buying what he was telling me would work... that's a good way to spend money btw, get a fish that is sick and have the LFS to tell what he thinks will work... and i still lost hundreds of dollars of fish along with any confidence i had. I almost backed out of the hobby altogether. I love the hobby and i'm glad i didn't. Just learn and start with small and easy fish and move up as Pasfur said. I'm not saying buy 20 damsels then get rid of them and get somthing else. I'm saying start with the easier fish and move up. Get a Clown or 2, then move to something a bit more diff. Then get something a bit more diff, but stay within that plan you have laid out. You don't want to get a Maroon clown then say, "oh look a True Percula, i'll get that too"... that never works out in the benifit of the fish or the hobbiest.