Why is saltwater Better?

[vetteguy53081]

Going to an LFS, I often hear why is saltwater better than freshwater or is it better?

Saltwater is unique and brings a piece of the ocean into your home. It offers various forms of life, unique colors and a challenge as many of us are up for a challenge.
Many think of us as crazy for getting into the hobby and perhaps so but we have our reasons for pursuing this great Hobby.

What is your take on FW Versus Saltwater?

 

[Northern Flicker]

Where I live, most of us will never see a reef close up. So there is a novelty/uniqueness to a reef. The colours are very striking and the movement is hard to look away from.

The most important thing for me is that most fw tanks are set up then it’s basically autopilot. Reefs require constant attention, and I like that about them.

 

[RoanokeReef]

I think they both have their places and neither is better than the other. There are some truly beautiful planted tanks with just as much if not more planning in the aquascape. Both hobbies can be as easy or difficult if you want them to be.

 

[JayM]

I started with freshwater back in the late 80's and was over it in less than a year. Freshwater fish just seemed so boring and bland compared to saltwater fish.

 

[i cant think]

Going to an LFS, I often hear why is saltwater better than freshwater or is it better?

Saltwater is unique and brings a piece of the ocean into your home. It offers various forms of life, unique colors and a challenge as many of us are up for a challenge.
Many think of us as crazy for getting into the hobby and perhaps so but we have our reasons for pursuing this great Hobby.

What is your take on FW Versus Saltwater?

I find Salt best for if you want fish with true personality, and also Inverts are everything in saltwater. In freshwater I find inverts are still in low numbers and not a huge thing even now.

Freshwater is great for an easy, low maintenance tank if you have other very hard going pets like parrots or dogs and you just want a relaxing tank that’s easy to just watch.

 

[eliaslikesfish]

saltwater has the color that freshwater just doesn’t.

 

[yury88]

Freshwater is just too easy.
Saltwater(reef) aquarium combine on the edge technologies and complicated chemistry.
This hobby force you to use your brain, I'm a nerd and I like how many incredibly smart persons in this hobby

 

[Manpeckz]

It’s unfair for me to say because I never kept FW.

Although when I walk into a store it’s certainly the diversity of saltwater or the unique animals that draw my attention away from the freshwater section.

 

[Paul B]

You have the opportunity to throw away a lot more money with salt water.

 

[Reefer Matt]

I think the main thing for me is coral. Not gonna find any freshwater coral, so saltwater is where it’s at.

 

[rhitee93]

Certainly unfair to say one is better than the other. However, what attracts me to saltwater is the cool animals and that, once established, the system is a more complete ecosystem that I feel is lower maintenance.

The down side is it is expensive, and that complete ecosystem is much more complex to maintain in a lot of ways.

There are also some cool freshwater fish that catch my eye from time to time...

 

[Readywriter]

Going to an LFS, I often hear why is saltwater better than freshwater or is it better?

Saltwater is unique and brings a piece of the ocean into your home. It offers various forms of life, unique colors and a challenge as many of us are up for a challenge.
Many think of us as crazy for getting into the hobby and perhaps so but we have our reasons for pursuing this great Hobby.

What is your take on FW Versus Saltwater?

I had about every flavor of fresh water tank that there is outside of the very large species. Every sort of community, tons of cichlid tanks, piranhas, planted and unplanted, you name it I probably had it. Really enjoyed them. And then I got bored. Fresh simply cant come close to the abundance of life that a reef tank will have, or that absolute need for diligence and balance. There arent very many fresh water set ups that you can't put together and then forget about for weeks on end and everything will be perfectly fine.

 

[Skep18]

I've heard it described as general freshwater fish-only tanks are an easy intro to the hobby. Water parameters are forgiving and easy to maintain via large water changes using mostly water you get from your tap. Saltwater is certainly more complicated than that, employing all kinds of crazy gear and differing philosophies on water chemistry to maintain the target inhabitants. Finally, while I've not done this, I heard a freshwater planted tank is the final boss, requiring similar complexity with equipment and management theories but requiring much more husbandry thank a reef tank. Clipping plants, as I understand, is a weekly requirement and nothing short of time-intensive.

That said, I think they all look great! Each hobbyist is obviously best pursuing whatever grabs their interest the most. If you enjoy something, you tend to do it more. If its something you don't enjoy, like an unwanted shore, over time you will fall off.

 

[RichReef]

It's the challenge for me. I walk into a LFS as a FW hobbyist and say "I wonder if I can do that?" And it turned into a self challenge. First was the Lionfish challenge. Then the community fish challenge. Then the sea anemone challenge. Then the coral challenge. Now it's the Christmas Tree rock challenge.

It has nothing to do with anyone else but me. Even though other people enjoy it and get the wow factor it's just me against myself.

Starting out with a goldfish at age 5 to minnows, crayfish, sunnies, bass from the creeks and ponds around me where else was this going to go? I'm an all or nothing kind of guy and I'm n ot sure if I will even stay in the hobby once I reach all my goals. I may just go back to FW.

So no. I don't think one is necessarily better than other. Just higher challenges. It's not like I look at my friends FW tanks and say to myself my tank is better. I stare at their tanks with interest as much as my own.

 

[Cthulukelele]

I agree that I don't think one is better than the other, but for me the more colorful, personality-filled fish, the absolutely alien looking inverts, and the massive array of corals and anemones that before entering the hobby some I would have thought were from a science fiction novel make the saltwater hobby more rewarding to me

 

[Dburr1014]

Freshwater colors are all blah.
All the algae is green for the most part.

I just like the colors you get with fish/coral.

 

[TheFunnyFarm]

Different approach to this…

Freshwater aquatic livestock are becoming heavily restricted in some states, compared to saltwater.

I know that this is an issue in Maine, so much so that a Maine family owned aquatics store had to open a sister store 54mi south in NH in order to better serve its freshwater clientele.

 

[WalkerLovesTheOcean]

None is better than the other, and they all have their own ways of being unique and fun.

I prefer saltwater way more though. The colors are just unbelievable. And, who knew you could have a shrimp that cleans your hand whenever it's in the tank, or a urchin, or crabs? It's truly amazing what we can put in our tank. In fresh water, I believe there is really only snails and neocaridina shrimp.

I am also very much a nerd, and I love learning. This hobby, teaches me something new and amazing every single day. Freshwater, I am not to sure.

I also love all the fun pieces of technology you can put in, like a protein skimmer.

 

[Sophie"s mom]

Going to an LFS, I often hear why is saltwater better than freshwater or is it better?

Saltwater is unique and brings a piece of the ocean into your home. It offers various forms of life, unique colors and a challenge as many of us are up for a challenge.
Many think of us as crazy for getting into the hobby and perhaps so but we have our reasons for pursuing this great Hobby.

What is your take on FW Versus Saltwater?

I have had both, I don't really think any one is better than the other. I think it is a matter of preference, personal taste, and financial ability. They both have quite a bit to offer, my preference, having had both will always be saltwater due to color and critter availability. I also like the science needed for saltwater.

 

[yanetterer]

Saltwater has lots of striking colors and everywhere you look is life you may not have noticed before. I also find it really fun watching corals grow out to see the color patterns that come in and the shapes they form.

I have noticed that I actually find myself staring at my little 5.5 gallon lightly planted freshwater tank with a betta and loads of cherry shrimp. For some reason seeing dozens of shrimp scurry around is relaxing. But I think the biggest reason it is easier to look at for long periods of time is that the yellow light is so much easier on my eyes.