Question:
I have a freshwater aquarium (10 gallon), and it’s nice and all, but I’d like to try an aquarium with some really beautiful fish. A lot of the colorful ones are saltwater. I take care of my tank, and it’s not a big hassle. I change the water, add some chemicals, feed them, make sure everything is ok every day, and that’s about it. Is a saltwater tank significantly harder to maintain? And besides for what I just mentioned I do to take care of my freshwater tank, what additional things do I need to do to support a healthy saltwater tank?

Or would you recommend just buying a bigger tank and purchasing aggressive fish? Those seem to be really nice too. I was thinking cichlids and some others, maybe an eel too. Can peaceful fish such as my australian rainbow be put in with fish like those? Thanks, any ideas/help/comments would be appreciated.

I don’t want to spend too much, but I don’t have a set limit. I want to make sure I get good equipment. The size I’m planning for is 55 gal. Is that a good size that will allow me some diverse fish, or is that too small? Also, please tell me about the lighting.

Answer:
-Fill a tank with salt water ( specific garvity should be around 1.021 – 1.025 and a new filter (you need somthing that moves at least 10 gallons/hour for every gallon of salt water. Use only Reverse Osmosis cleaned water, regular water (even dechlorinated) will cause huge slime and algae blooms.
-Add a few inches of crushed aragonite, shells or sand
-Add at least 10 pounds of live rock (cured is best, you can tell if it isn’t if it has a stong smell) for about a 40 gallon tank
- You will need to have floescent lights (one floescent and one actinic tube is better and you channge one every six months so that niether is ever more then one year old)
- A heater is probably a good idea depending on what fish you have
- Test the water daily, Like a freshwater tank the ammonia nitrite and nitrate levels will all take a turn at rising, then subside to normal levels. When the levels are no longer spiking, it is time to start slowly adding fish. This can take a few months to a year – depending on how lucky you are.
- Maintaining a fish-only tank isn’t too hard once it is started. You do weekly salt-water changes of about 10% of the water, and replace evaporated water with water only (salt doesn’t evaporate). Feed whatever is appropriate to the fish in the tank. Other then mixing the salt water, it is as much work for me as my tropical tanks.
- Corals are what makes it a huge expense and challenge as they need metal halide lights, skimmers, refugiums, chillers etc. not too mention the supplements and feeds.