Should my first fishtank be a Saltwater tank?

[JasFish]

Or should I start freshwater? A guy down the street has a massive amount of saltwater (its all nice too) gear for sale, because he had a 150 gallon saltwater tank.



He wants ~300 for it, I could get him down to 250 most likely, and I was wondering if it would be worth going down the saltwater route.



I'd eventually like to have a saltwater tank, however I do not know if they are harder to keep than freshwater for a beginner.




Thanks.

 

[TurbineSurgeon]

It's not that saltwater is necessarilly harder than freshwater, it's that saltwater is a lot more expensive, so any mistakes are much more costly.

With that in mind, I would suggest freshwater for the learning curve, and also to help you decide if fishkeeping is really something you like and have time for.

$300 for a 150 gallon setup is a great deal. For the most part, a tank is a tank, and most things that are required for a saltwater setup are also applicable to a freshwater tank. In fact, my planted 75 gallon tank was originally purchased used and was saltwater. I had it set up that way for a couple of years until a disease outbreak wiped out about $300 worth of fish in one day (see what I mean about what I said earlier?).

Any of the saltwater specific things it might include such as a protein skimmer, actinic bulbs, etc. could be stored in case you decide to take the salty plunge later.

 

[JasFish]

So basically the powerheads... sand filters, wet/dry filter, heaters, etc etc will all work with freshwater too?

 

[S.Reef]

Equiptment can be used in freshwater.

 

[1979camaro]

i say get the tank either way...its a good deal

you can certainly start with SW but as TS mentioned it is a lot bigger investment if you aren't sure it is something you want to do

 

[dbacksrat]

wow turbine surgeon--i cant imagine losing that much in just one day--wow

freshwater is definetly easier than sw--a good way to get into the hobby

 

[Brockway]

... Saltwater is a neat word when you read it 50 times.

 

[ecotank]

Aside from money, saltwater does require a bit more research and learning. Aside from that I see no reason your first tank couldn't be saltwater as long as you have the extra money and willingness to read and learn all you can before starting. I do think that freshwater is a good stepping stone though, and it does let you know how much you enjoy the hobby.

 

[LadySarah]

Saltwater is a lot more expensive. Especially just when talking about the price of the fish alone. It would suck to be all set up and then not be able to afford any fish. I would probably take the time to research fish for both and see what you really like and how much it would cost you.

 

[S.Reef]

Yes...you have to plan a budget and stick to it or else it will suck you in.(the hobby)

 

[dbacksrat]

a word of warning--entering the sw hobby will definetly impact your social life-- i devote every penny towards my tank, and i am unable to do things like go to the movies, go on dates, drive, buy new cds, etc

 

[dbacksrat]

a word of warning--entering the sw hobby will definetly impact your social life-- i devote every penny towards my tank, and i am unable to do things like go to the movies, go on dates, drive, buy new cds, etc