Anyone Here Also Into Freshwater?

[WvAquatics]

I have 3 freshwater tanks and just started my first 130g reef tank. Here's my 29 gallon. The plants have grown in slot more since this picture.

 

[Keen4]

Just kind of wondering what sort of overlap there is from the saltwater and freshwater aquarium worlds? Like, who keeps tanks of both, anyone started with one or moved to the other?

Me, I started by looking after the salmon fry my workplace raises every year, onto buying a house with a fishless pond that I stocked, making the jump straight into saltwater aquariums. Though I have often contemplated setting up a freshwater tank for a couple of green terrors.

I love my fresh water tanks but I have to start reducing the tanks in my house- I have too many. I had an Indonesian datnoid tank and a koi and gold fish with a black moor 50 gal.

 

[Squidward]

Used to breed African Cichlids. Had a beautiful colony of Kitumbas(Frontosas) among other sweet Malawis. Sold them all and got into SW. I definitely missed the breeding aspect and all but don't miss the weekly water changes.

 

[Waters]

There is actually a bunch of really good freshwater threads here in the Lounge. I didn't come from freshwater, but I have kept multiple high tech planted tanks as well as piranha tanks

 

[brandon429]

 

[brandon429]

It turns out to be .75 earlier I'd forgot the decimal

 

[Sipec]

Besides saltwater I have goldfish and a walstad tank that I still haven't added any fish to

 

[BrandonS]

Besides saltwater I have goldfish and a walstad tank that I still haven't added any fish to

Dirted tanks are the way to go!!

 

[Sipec]

Dirted tanks are the way to go!!

Amen

 

[newave]

I've been a freshwater gal since just about day one, but I'm feeling much more drawn to saltwater now. As a newbie, I'm totally captivated by this hobby - it's a whole new world! Keeping saltwater has always been on my bucket list.

Currently, I have a 1 month old LR/hitchhiker pico and N American native species only tank.

That's super cool that you had a hand in raising salmon fry!

Why not give freshwater a go? I'm partial to cichlids myself; their behaviors can be both entertaining and challenging at times.

 

[Hugh Mann]

Expense mostly, I still have to restock and acquire some equipment for my saltwater tank, let alone setting up an entirely new ecosystem. It's definitely in my plan though. In the meantime I will have to enjoy watching my goldfish pond for my freshwater fix.

 

[tjclapp]

Just kind of wondering what sort of overlap there is from the saltwater and freshwater aquarium worlds? Like, who keeps tanks of both, anyone started with one or moved to the other?

Me, I started by looking after the salmon fry my workplace raises every year, onto buying a house with a fishless pond that I stocked, making the jump straight into saltwater aquariums. Though I have often contemplated setting up a freshwater tank for a couple of green terrors.

I am definitely considering converting my 5 gallon nano into a freshwater tank.... think it would be cool to learn some new stuff

 

[Hofstadter]

I dont have freshwater, my mother does though, she went a little insane and now theres like...eight tanks in one part of the house. I dont really like them though, the only freshwater fish i really like are hatchetfish and gouramis

 

[Krzydmnd]

my 10g with FW Dwarf Goby, Pakat Betta, white tip tetras, a few oto cats, and some snails.

 

[Scottmac]

Mostly rock of reefs?? Lol not a mature reef. There’s really no comparison IMO

Visually true, but with a planted freshwater tank you can do it on a tiny fraction of the price you would pay for a fully stocked reef tank (which I think is insanely overpriced) and a planted freshwater tank is pretty much instant. Most importantly, you don't have to go through the horribly long 'ugly phase' of a reef tank, esp if you have an under gravel filtration system which IMO is a must.

Plants are a very strong positive of freshwater tanks, but in my experience the best thing about freshwater are catfish. Not only does a shoal of Corys and a Plec or two mean you don't have to worry about algae again, Corys are perhaps the most characterful fish i've ever had. You just need to be careful with other species though. I once lost a shoal of about 16 cardinals/Lemons/Glowlights over a period of a week when my Syno cat grew large and gulped them down!

Scott

 

[blasterman]

I used to breed African cichlids; mostly Kenyi, but occasionally Auratus, Elongatus, etc. African cichlids breed like rabbits and 20 years ago pet stores paid well for them.

Long tanks with rockwork and mixed African's are pretty spectacular. They are as pretty as any saltwater fish and super active. Some male African's are flat out psychotic and will attack people walking by the tank, golf balls, etc.

Also kept south american cichlids, my favorite being the highly personable Severum. Severums are smart and have a lot of personality, can be taught simple tricks, etc. Also raised black lace angels, and a tank full of them is a jaw dropper. The problem with cichlids though is no plants.

Plus, when you gravel vac a freshwater tank you can use the water for plants.

 

[taylorn13]

I’m new to saltwater and came straight from freshwater. I currently have a 5g planted tank with just a betta in there. I originally started out with a 2.5g tank with just a betta in there because for whatever reason my high school had a thing where they would “fish” people. Basically I heard my doorbell ring, opened the door and saw nobody (thought it was a ding dong ditch), I looked down and saw a betta fish sitting in those tiny persmart containers and was so confused. I later found out that that had also happened to a bunch of people in my grade/high school. I put him in a small vase with conditioned water (I kept some bettas when I was little, so I knew the basics). My mother and I drove to the petstore and grabbed a tank and heater, gravel, and a little hide and set him up. I was intrigued by my betta and began looking more into them. About a year later, I bought him a 5g after realizing he was not in an adaquate home with only 2.5g. Set up the 5g and then began watching aquascaping videos on youtube and fell in love with planted tanks. I’ve had him for 2 years now and he’s in a nice 5g planted tank with all the essentials! Now, rewind to about 4 months ago, I began to fall in love with saltwater tanks and did about 2 months of research and prep before deciding to set one up! I decided to de a budget build because I just recently graduated high school and I was not working due to covid (covid graduate whoot whoot!). I bought a 10g tank from petco and did a little diy AIO peninsula tank. Basically I bought plexiglass and aquarium safe silicone and spray paint and went to work. I cut and painted the plexiglass to fit my tank and made 3 areas in the back divided by a smaller piece of plexiglass: 1 for filter media, 1 for a heater, and 1 for the return pump. Siliconed everything into place and tested it (it worked). I can’t say it’s the nicest looking tank, but hey I was on a budget and it works great (spent $40 on making my tank instead of $120 on an already built AIO tank)! Next, I set up the whole tank and began the cycling process (fishless w bottled bacteria and ammonium chloride). 10 days and the tank was cycled and ready for livestock. Bought 2 juvenile clownfish (I will sell them back to lfs once they become too big to keep in my tank anymore) and some nassarius snails. Everything was doing great so a month later I added some softies and everything is still doing great! I love both of my tanks. They look so drastically different, but in a good way. I have a freshwater planted tank and a saltwater reef tank. It’s the best of both worlds. Freshwater definately helped me though the cycling process of saltwater because I had already done it before. It also helped me keep corals because they’re basically more tempermental plants. Some like high flow/light, some like low flow/light. Some need more nutrients than others and yadda yadda yadda. But yes I don’t regret any of my decisions. So crazy to think I just got out of high school and My room looks like an aquarium/zoo (I also have a crested gecko). I love it and it’s a good party trick for friends to come over lol.

 

[taylorn13]

Wow lol I didn’t even realize how much I actually typed!

 

[Fishurama]

Yes, I rescue them and then try to rehome them. My last rescue was 3 fire eels, down to one left, huge, easily 2 feet, hard to find those with 300+ gallon freshwater tanks though. Thought about giving him to a aquarium place since his growth rate is on pace for about 4 feet(the largest they get) It eats so much squid.

 

[taylorn13]

Here’s all my animals/tanks!