Freshwater vs Saltwater fish, which one do you like better?

[Deadeye]

Life started in the seas. Most freshwater species are way cheaper in money and time than saltwater though. You can get that cappuccino snail i posted for under $5. Something similar in saltwater would be 10 - 20 times that. Same thing goes for fish. You could get a jewel cichlid for around $10, in saltwater you might be spending $100 or more.

Its not that you couldnt setup a freshwater tank with live rock and a refugium for various miniature invertebrates as a food supply for the fish; or that you couldnt setup a reef like structure with sponges, bivalves and various filter feeding crabs and shrimp, its just that almost no one ever does it. Which i think is a shame. A tank like that would function a lot differently than your average freshwater aquarium.

My reef actually inspired me to do that with my 36 gallon bow front.
I turned the tank from some rocks and driftwood to completely planted and plan on ordering freshwater amphipods (scuds) to take care of algae and detritus better than a gravel vac ever could. I’m gonna have predators, scavengers, and dithers all mixed together.
Centerpiece will be puffers, and the amphipods are half a test to see if I will ever need to clip their teeth if I provide as close to their natural diet as possible.
So far it’s been going well, I just need to locate some of the fish I want.

 

[Joshuakahan]

Life started in the seas. Most freshwater species are way cheaper in money and time than saltwater though. You can get that cappuccino snail i posted for under $5. Something similar in saltwater would be 10 - 20 times that. Same thing goes for fish. You could get a jewel cichlid for around $10, in saltwater you might be spending $100 or more.

Its not that you couldnt setup a freshwater tank with live rock and a refugium for various miniature invertebrates as a food supply for the fish; or that you couldnt setup a reef like structure with sponges, bivalves and various filter feeding crabs and shrimp, its just that almost no one ever does it. Which i think is a shame. A tank like that would function a lot differently than your average freshwater aquarium.

That’s a myth that saltwater fish are way more expensive, They can $100 plus but so can freshwater and the number and variety of inverts in saltwater absolutely blows freshwater away. Many inverts are also free in the form of hitchhikers. I prefer fresh but we’re only fooling ourselves if we say we can do anything that can be done with salt

 

[mattybecks]

I keep both and find I like freshwater for the larger predators (Arowana, Piranhas, snakeheads etc) and their feeding habits/just watching larger fish.

But saltwater wins in my opinion for mid to smaller set ups. Marine fish are very personable and in general seem to be more intelligent and have better appearances. There is also always so much going on in saltwater system, even a small one. I dont keep corals or anything, but collecting rocks or seaweed off the beach and adding them to my tank, you just see life explode seemingly from no where. There is always something moving somewhere.
I havent added anything new to my tank for over a month now, and this week I discovered sea slugs, and had two mussels attach themselves to my back wall (I dont remember adding muscle either). I didnt even realise mussels and clams could walk as fast as they did until you see this happening. and the antics/activity of crabs is always entertaining. I have about 11 in my tank now (that I can see) ranging from bigger stone crabs to smaller filter feeders that sit atop the rocks.

I always assumed SW to be more time consuming/expensive/difficult which I have found not to be the case. My SW is less maintenance than my freshwater. But this may be because I keep fish and the above mentioned stuff only. I think with corals it is a whole different ball game and can get expensive/time consuming.
I tried corals before, but I find the above a bit more interactive and interesting. Although I have enjoyed my anemone and clownfish tanks. I dont think anyone cannot enjoy those.

 

[tlindsey]

I keep both and find I like freshwater for the larger predators (Arowana, Piranhas, snakeheads etc) and their feeding habits/just watching larger fish.

But saltwater wins in my opinion for mid to smaller set ups. Marine fish are very personable and in general seem to be more intelligent and have better appearances. There is also always so much going on in saltwater system, even a small one. I dont keep corals or anything, but collecting rocks or seaweed off the beach and adding them to my tank, you just see life explode seemingly from no where. There is always something moving somewhere.
I havent added anything new to my tank for over a month now, and this week I discovered sea slugs, and had two mussels attach themselves to my back wall (I dont remember adding muscle either). I didnt even realise mussels and clams could walk as fast as they did until you see this happening. and the antics/activity of crabs is always entertaining. I have about 11 in my tank now (that I can see) ranging from bigger stone crabs to smaller filter feeders that sit atop the rocks.

I always assumed SW to be more time consuming/expensive/difficult which I have found not to be the case. My SW is less maintenance than my freshwater. But this may be because I keep fish and the above mentioned stuff only. I think with corals it is a whole different ball game and can get expensive/time consuming.
I tried corals before, but I find the above a bit more interactive and interesting. Although I have enjoyed my anemone and clownfish tanks. I dont think anyone cannot enjoy those.

It depends on where you live the prices of Freshwater fish and Saltwater fish varies.

 

[Joshuakahan]

I think one other difference is with most of the freshwater fish that rival saltwater as far as color need to color up and have the right conditions, age, breeding dress, place in the pecking order, diet etc.. to show good color whereas most saltwater fish have their color regardless although some go through a morph. I’ve seen saltwater fish at petco in horrible conditions covered in ich still showing great color. But I still like my rifties more ?

 

[Backfromthedead]

As far as color goes, freshwater is simply different. If you want vibrant colors that pop, marine fish win in a landslide. And please dont embarrass yourself by showing me a colored up Male jewel or zebra acara in breeding dress. Freshwater colors are beautiful in their own right, consisting more of pastels and dusky hues, striking asymmetrical blotchy patterns or often iridescent, shimmering blues and greens that likewise have no rival in marine fish.

 

[Joshuakahan]

As far as color goes, freshwater is simply different. If you want vibrant colors that pop, marine fish win in a landslide. And please dont embarrass yourself by showing me a colored up Male jewel or zebra acara in breeding dress. Freshwater colors are beautiful in their own right, consisting more of pastels and dusky hues, striking asymmetrical blotchy patterns or often iridescent, shimmering blues and greens that likewise have no rival in marine fish.

+1

 

[Joshuakahan]

As far as color goes, freshwater is simply different. If you want vibrant colors that pop, marine fish win in a landslide. And please dont embarrass yourself by showing me a colored up Male jewel or zebra acara in breeding dress. Freshwater colors are beautiful in their own right, consisting more of pastels and dusky hues, striking asymmetrical blotchy patterns or often iridescent, shimmering blues and greens that likewise have no rival in marine fish.

One other difference is the smoothness and how clean the color patterns are with saltwater fish. Even a $5 basic 3 stripe damsel puts the $200 clean bar datnoids pattern to shame as far as clean lines and color separation

 

[Backfromthedead]

One other difference is the smoothness and how clean the color patterns are with saltwater fish. Even a $5 basic 3 stripe damsel puts the $200 clean bar datnoids pattern to shame as far as clean lines and color separation

Haha you're right and your critique is starting to sound like an ink masters episode lol.

 

[Joshuakahan]

Haha you're right and your critique is starting to sound like an ink masters episode lol.

Lol