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3 Responses to “What types of fish tanks are better and cheap Marine or Tropical?”
For a 35 gallon saltwater tank kit at my local petco is something like 400-500 dollars. You still need the gravel and the stand and a few other things. The live rock is something like 5$ a pound, and you need about a pound per gallon. So theres another 175 dollars. Now you need to get the fish… Most fish for saltwater are above 10 dollars. Cardinals are about 18$. Clown fish are around 25$. Wrasses are around 25$. Its alot more expensive.
Tropical, you could buy a 65-80 gallon tank and stand for the same price you just paid for the 35 gallon saltwater kit. You can stock tropical freshwater fish differently than saltwater. Saltwater needs to be a stable enviroment, so you cant stock the tank anywhere near its potential.
Just got to a few pet shops in your area and look at the tropical freshwater fish. There are some very beautiful ones. You could look at community fish which are peaceful, and most of them are very colorful. Or, you could look at the African Cichlids. These fish are very aggressive, but very colorful.
If this is your first tank, I do recommend the freshwater setup. Saltwater requires quite a bit more work when it comes to water chemistry. Because the ocean is such a stable enviroment, the saltwater tanks need to be kept just as stable. Saltwater fish in general are much more sensitive than freshwater fish.
Which is better is all a matter of opinion, but marine is more difficult and expensive to setup and maintain, If your a beginner i would recommend tropical because the fish are alot less fragile and water conditions dont need to be as spot on. For help and guides have a look for some books on amazon.com or visit you local pet store and ask them.
The site i use for fish info and forums is
When you come to setup an aquarium their are handy tutorials on the site to show you how:-
April 25th, 2009 at 6:59 pm
Alana Ellenburg
For a 35 gallon saltwater tank kit at my local petco is something like 400-500 dollars. You still need the gravel and the stand and a few other things. The live rock is something like 5$ a pound, and you need about a pound per gallon. So theres another 175 dollars. Now you need to get the fish… Most fish for saltwater are above 10 dollars. Cardinals are about 18$. Clown fish are around 25$. Wrasses are around 25$. Its alot more expensive.
Tropical, you could buy a 65-80 gallon tank and stand for the same price you just paid for the 35 gallon saltwater kit. You can stock tropical freshwater fish differently than saltwater. Saltwater needs to be a stable enviroment, so you cant stock the tank anywhere near its potential.
Just got to a few pet shops in your area and look at the tropical freshwater fish. There are some very beautiful ones. You could look at community fish which are peaceful, and most of them are very colorful. Or, you could look at the African Cichlids. These fish are very aggressive, but very colorful.
If this is your first tank, I do recommend the freshwater setup. Saltwater requires quite a bit more work when it comes to water chemistry. Because the ocean is such a stable enviroment, the saltwater tanks need to be kept just as stable. Saltwater fish in general are much more sensitive than freshwater fish.
April 26th, 2009 at 5:52 am
Ernest Faust
Which is better is all a matter of opinion, but marine is more difficult and expensive to setup and maintain, If your a beginner i would recommend tropical because the fish are alot less fragile and water conditions dont need to be as spot on. For help and guides have a look for some books on amazon.com or visit you local pet store and ask them.
The site i use for fish info and forums is
When you come to setup an aquarium their are handy tutorials on the site to show you how:-
April 29th, 2009 at 3:12 pm
Brandon Gove
A properly set up marine tank may look VERY impressive. But it costs a LOT more to set up, and takes a lot more work to maintain.
My advice, get a Freshwater tropical (as opposed to a Marine tropical). Everything about the freshwater is cheaper and easier for a beginner.
Ian