About Starting a Salt Water/Marine Aquarium

Saltwater aquarium fish are among the loveliest of animals to be found anywhere in the world. Many different saltwater aquarium fish can be housed in your marine tank provided you will know the things they need in regards to care, that include feeding, environment, competitors and space to grow.

Any marine enthusiast strongly believe that setting up a marine tank is difficult hence is selecting the most appropriate saltwater aquarium fish! This is because it’s easy to make mistakes with the kinds of fish you prefer. It’s usually preferable to start your marine tank which has a few hardy and affordable fish. The vast majority of saltwater aquarium fish are collected from nature as an alternative to captive raised so don’t waste that gift by making mistakes that result in the death of your fish.

Damsels absolutely are a great saltwater aquarium fish to start off with. Damsels are hardy little creatures and that can survive in poorer water conditions than many other marine species. They aren’t fussy about their food and won’t cost you the earth. Unfortunately damsels are also quite aggressive. You are able to keep just one or two of these tough saltwater aquarium fish in a tank but don’t try any more than that.

Its best to start with damsels and after that add extra aggressive fish later, If you would like to house saltwater aquarium fish that might be more shy, it is important for you to take your damsels out before adding more timid varieties of saltwater aquarium fish. Blue and yellow damsels are two species that are generally less aggressive compared to others.

Mollies are an alternate starter saltwater aquarium fish. Mollies that are used to salt water allow you to start with cheaper fish while you learn how to make sure the salinity of your tank is correct for more sensitive creatures. Alternatively mollies are raised and bred in captivity this means you won’t get much real experience in keeping them. Make sure you get them used to the tank by allowing saltwater to drip into the bag for approx 6-8 hours. In the event the bag becomes full remove some water. As the tank cycles you may put the fish in the tank.

Clownfish are cousins to damsel fish and are a relatively hardy saltwater aquarium fish. They are not that easy to acclimate to a marine tank, though. They’re also quite territorial but aren’t more likely to be aggressive to other species. They don’t have to have an anemone to survive. Say you do get one consider that they would need water that’s very clean and superior quality lighting.

Blennies or Gobies are fairly hardy and small and shouldn’t really become a problem for the other saltwater aquarium fish inside the tank. They’re character fish but they are little and so might get lost in very big tanks with bigger saltwater aquarium fish. They’re really a good choice that will help control algae however if you have a fish only tank they may not be easy to keep fed.

Tangs undoubtedly are a hardy saltwater aquarium fish which could be a little bit sensitive and have an inclination to contract marine ich (also know as “White Spot”). They eat algae so as soon as you grow some you could possibly make an attempt to introduce some tangs.

Triggerfish or Lionfish are an ideal saltwater aquarium fish to create a tank that might eventually contain large aggressive fish. However they can be costly if you make mistakes. It might be a good idea to ‘practice’ on fish that are generally both cheaper and easier. You need to provide them a large amount of shell fish as well as other sea creatures to keep them healthy.

Angels and butterflies are extremely sensitive and difficult saltwater aquarium fish to keep. They should get special diets much of the time so they typically are not that easy to care for within a tank. The same goes for Batfish.

As you gain more experience in keeping conditions in the tank stable you have the option to put a few other varieties of fish. Select from Hawkfishes, Grammas, Dottybacks, Basslets and wrasses. But remember to learn how you can take care of them properly because some are not as easy as others. However they are a much easier bet that angels and butterflies.

So which saltwater aquarium fish should beginners avoid? You should not attempt angelfish, butterfly fish, Pipefish, seahorses, long-nosed Filefish, blue ribbon eels, Stonefish, and Moorish Idols as well as mandarin fish until you really know what you are doing.

And what about invertebrates? Contrary to popular belief invertebrates are well suited for mini or micro-reef tanks. Many invertebrates do good in non-reef tanks. For the novice aquarist the hardy species are best. Some of the more common are shrimps like the cleaner shrimp, blood shrimp or peppermint shrimp and coral banded shrimp. As is the case with saltwater aquarium fish, stick to the hardier shrimps to start with.

Anemone crabs are another option you can possibly try along with saltwater aquarium fish. And why don’t you add some sea urchins and starfish which are very well suited to beginners with a couple of month’s experience? They differ in size, shape and color and many are poisonous so be mindful! Sea urchins and starfish eat detritus and algae along with other small bits of food which means they’ll help in keeping your tank clean and your saltwater aquarium fish healthy.

Anemones aren’t really suited for beginners. They are in need of special lighting and top-notch water conditions therefore if you can’t foot the bill for the lights refrain from it or you’ll live to be disappointed. Invertebrates you ought to avoid include tridacna clams, flame scallops, Octopi, Nudibranchs, or any hard or soft coral and sea squirts. Much like the saltwater aquarium fish listed previously these invertebrates have special feeding and living requirements.

When you select saltwater aquarium fish, you have to take into account that they are a bit more expensive than the freshwater varieties. Because of this you ought to be very careful with them and try to keep them alive. When fish are captured and moved from the store to your current home they actually are liable to get stressed, especially since the majority of of them have been taken from the ocean mere days ago. So be sure you can properly care for your new friends before you bring them home!