In this section of the articles library you will find general information about saltwater fish keeping, as well as detailed articles about the keeping and breeding of particular saltwater fish species. We also recommend you to take a look in one of our other library sections: “Marine Aquariums”. In that section you will find information that is not only valid for marine aquarium fish keeping, but for the keeping of all marine species, including anemones and other invertebrates. In “Marine Aquariums” you will also find information about how to set up a marine aquarium.
Saltwater fish is found in all of the three basic types of saltwater aquariums: Fish Only saltwater aquariums (FO), Fish Only with Live Rock saltwater aquariums (ROWLR) and Reef Aquariums. The first types of saltwater aquariums were however not fish aquariums. The Romans liked to place beautiful anemones from the ocean in glass jars as decoration. The life of an anemone in a simple glass jar is however extremely short. Keeping fish in saltwater aquariums didn’t become popular until the 1950s, even though a handful of scientists and saltwater enthusiasts attempted to keep saltwater species earlier.
Keeping saltwater aquarium fish will typically involve more work, time and equipment compared to the standard freshwater aquarium. There are naturally exceptions to this rule. Some freshwater fish species are very delicate and can be extremely tricky to keep in captivity, especially if you want to breed them. There are also saltwater fish species that are quite sturdy and once you have understood how to correctly maintain your saltwater aquarium and established a routine they will not require a lot of additional pampering to do well.
The immense size of the ocean makes rapid changes in water quality, temperature etcetera unusual and saltwater species are therefore less resilient to rapid changes. Creating a stable environment in your saltwater aquarium is therefore one of the key factors behind successful marine fish keeping. If you purchase a large tank for your saltwater aquarium it will be easier for you to keep the environment stable, since there will be more water to dilute any potentially harmful compounds. The larger surface space will also make the aeration of the water better, since there will be more room for gas exchange between the water and the air.
One of the main advantage of a saltwater aquarium is that you will be able to keep a vide range of extraordinary beautiful fishes that can not be kept in freshwater aquariums. Examples of popular saltwater fish are Damsels, Lionfish, Clownfish, Triggerfish, Blennies, Butterfly fish and marine Angelfish. When you set up your first saltwater aquarium it is advisable to begin with some of the sturdier marine fish species. Damsels are good beginner fishes since they are tougher than many other marine fish species. They are also comparatively inexpensive. Damsels are frequently used as cycling fish by experienced saltwater aquarists when setting up a new aquarium. You should however keep in mind that Damsel fish are quite aggressive and unsuitable tank mates for a wide range of other saltwater species.
