Building A Happy Environment In Your Saltwater Aquarium

If you have had a freshwater aquarium for a while, you might be considering an upgrade to saltwater. You might have heard horror stories about what a nightmare saltwater fish tanks are to maintain, but actually, they are not so different from freshwater tanks as long as you do the proper research before making decisions. One of the biggest mistakes people make when starting a saltwater aquarium is buying fish that do not belong with one another. When fish cannot coexist, one of them usually ends up losing the battle. And you certainly do not want to learn from trial and error, especially with how much saltwater fish can sometimes cost. You can save yourself money and headaches by simply understanding the four types of fish and their basic needs.

Carnivores: Carnivores are unlikely to care how much money you spent on another fish if they themselves are hungry; fish such as the puffer and the dottyback will eat smaller fish, and will also eat invertebrates and crustaceans. If you want one of these fish in your aquarium, make sure you put them with fish who can hold their own.

Herbivores: Herbivores, of course, eat plants; this might seem harmless, until you put a live plant in a tank with a herbivore such as a tang. You may as well flush your money down the toilet as spend it on these live plants, as the herbivores will gobble them up right away.

Omnivores: Omnivores are generally content to eat what you feed them without ruining the rest of your tank, but you better make sure you remember to feed them regularly. Your omnivores will end up destroying your coral and eating your crustaceans and plants if you forget to feed them.

Filter feeders: Filter feeders do not cause any damage to your tank, as they gain all their nutrients from organisms suspended in the water itself. These filter feeders - such as coral, sponges, and starfish - are great to have in your tank; but of course, you will probably want to add fish alongside them!

Take a bit of time to make sure you know which fish and plants you can add in your tank together, without worrying about these fish and plants disappearing. A little extra time will go a long way in making your saltwater fish tank a happy experience.

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