Those who don't do freshwater tanks, why?

[bmeily]

I think it has to do with how your exposed and lack of knowledge. Growing up my mom had a freshwater tank a couple times and they didn’t impress me. She wasn’t enthusiastic about it and the fish were like gold fish and suckers you get from the hardware store down the street. They were dim and not colorful. I swam in my plenty of rivers and lakes and nothing really catches your eye. Years later I went to my supervisor’s and he had a saltwater tank and we stood there for hours. That was it I had to have one. I never even looked up how cool freshwater could be. Not mention the ocean is generally viewed as exotic

 

[Sharkbait19]

What kind of algae do you have? (This depends on my recommendation for treatment)

Pictures will also help.

Cyano

12 hours is a lot but my sword does not do well out of high light.

 

[James_O]

Cyano

12 hours is a lot but my sword does not do well out of high light.

I would manually remove all the algae that you can and then leave the lights off for 3 days straight.

Start by scrubbing the glass, decor, etc.

lack of knowledge.

Why does everyone keep saying “lack of knowledge”?

There’s a really good freshwater forum on the internet...

 

[tehmadreefer]

Cos they are boringgggg

 

[Sharkbait19]

What is boring about this:

 

[FBAA]

Saltwater creatures have more variety and can even be deadly if you dare.

 

[Sharkbait19]

Saltwater creatures have more variety and can even be deadly if you dare.

So can freshwater.
There is just as much variety in freshwater as saltwater, you just have to look for it.

 

[Calm Blue Ocean]

I'd actually really like to do a freshwater tank. There are some absolutely beautiful ones out there and some species of freshwater fish that seem every bit as wonderful and exotic as saltwater fish. Of course it would have to be a tank in addition to my saltwater tanks. I still love my saltwater.

 

[Sharkbait19]

I don’t think I’d ever trade one for the other, I’d just keep adding tanks.
Freshwater seems to be better for many predators (with some exceptions), but for color and gracefulness saltwater will almost always win.

 

[brandon429]

ive never heard of bucktooth tetras in about 36 straight years of keeping aquariums.
nice shoal on prior page

 

[Sharkbait19]

ive never heard of bucktooth tetras in about 36 straight years of keeping aquariums.
nice shoal on prior page

They are awesome. If piranhas were only 3 inches and not a bunch of cowards.
I’d very much love a shoal one day.

 

[kaylajoy]

All the freshwater fish I like need a bigger tank. There's some really neat fish that fit in a 10 gallon saltwater. Most freshwater fish are boring really.

I am setting up a freshwater tank for shrimp (Cardinal sulawesi).

 

[elorablue]

I've been seriously considering adding an fw tank after I saw some of the Japanese planted tanks. They are simply stunning and its a style I love. However after doing much research I found that to maintain a tank in that condition is basically a full time job
I've got enough to learn as a new reefer and id be spreading myself waaaay too thin.
So, I will continue to admire them from afar

 

[NashobaTek]

When I got to the point of breeding a lot of the fresh water fish 30 years ago, I switched to saltwater because I wanted a challenge and fresh water was blahzee to me.

 

[krash7172]

I switched to reefing 4 years ago and I love it but I still keep a 32g biocube freshwater next to my desk. It's not planted and it's super low maintenance. I just love the water feature and a couple fishy friends.

 

[dani5]

So can freshwater.
There is just as much variety in freshwater as saltwater, you just have to look for it.

While I agree with you freshwater is as diversed as salt, in the aquaria environment there is just no debate that SW is much more diversed. Tell me how many FW critters you can put in an average 40 gallon tank?

 

[dvgyfresh]

Because I can only have one tank lol else I would have another tank just for fancy goldfish or maybe ghost knife fish

 

[reefinatl]

Saltwater just looks amazing and I jumped right in. Freshwater can be cool but to do it right it is nearly as challenging and not as appealing to me.

 

[James_O]

Tell me how many FW critters you can put in an average 40 gallon tank?

Depends by what your definition of “critters” is.

Snails? Shrimp? Schooling fish? Shoaling fish? Monster fish? Nano? What?

 

[Sharkbait19]

While I agree with you freshwater is as diversed as salt, in the aquaria environment there is just no debate that SW is much more diversed. Tell me how many FW critters you can put in an average 40 gallon tank?

I meant more along the lines of rare and beautiful fish.
But as for stocking, it depends on what you want to keep (same as salt). At its least diverse, single specimen (like a red wolf), but a carefully planned freshwater tank can have all of the biodiversity (think microorganisms...there are plenty of freshwater ones out there) and much more fish as in a reef. I wouldn’t put more than 6 fish in a 40 marine, while on freshwater, if keeping smaller fish, you can do much more as the behaviors allow for it. Of course larger or meaner fish changes that rule, and can dramatically change biodiversity. The major thing marine has to add is that the things you buy comes with the extra life, you usually have to go searching for it in freshwater (which I have done in an attempt to create a bio diverse freshwater tank...but puffers eat a lot).