Thread: Setting Up My First Tank

I'm looking to buy an aquarium but i have very little knowledge about them. Would you recommend i begin with a freshwater tank or would it be ok to jump straight into buying a saltwater tank ? I would prefer a saltwater tank as i prefer the species of fish though i know very little about them.

I think most people would recommend starting out with a freshwater aquarium, if anything, the fish that may die from improper care would not be so costly. Here's some info on this page for beginners, just follow the links...http://freshaquarium.about.com/

I agree. Start with a freshwater tank, and get used to the amount of work it takes. The saltwater tank will take even more. I agree some of the salt water fish are much prettier and flashier, but there are cool freshwater fish also. You only need to find a few cool ones to populate your tank.

Saltwater aquarium is a lot more complicated and more expensive to maintain than a freshwater aquarium. Saltwater fish are also much more expensive than freshwater fish in most cases.

No beginner should be directly having a saltwater tank without at least a few years experience in freshwater aquarium first. Unless you really have a lot of money to burn.

Losing fish is unavoidable even for experienced fish keepers. Beginners will just have a much bigger chance losing everything before they start learning. In fact, the average life span of aquarium fish after sold is only 3 weeks. It is due to the fact most people have no idea how to take care of them.

Fish keeping might look simple, but in fact it is quite difficult. For example, do you know the term "aquarium nitrogen cycle"? Or "New tank syndrome"? "Fishless Cycle"? If not, I suggest you to start reading on them before even get a freshwater tank. I spent months research myself before finally started my first freshwater tank correctly. These are extremely important knowledge every fish keeper must know before getting started.