Saltwater Fishes

These are the fishes from the ocean.  There is a fair amount of salt (not table salt) in the water (about 3 pounds per ten gallons) and a pH between 8.0 and 8.3.  They tend to be more sensitive to changes in the physical and chemical parameters of the water, but there is a small variation in what they can handle.  Saltwater animals tend to be far less resilient than freshwater fishes and are usually much more expensive to replace.  This is why we recommend keeping far fewer fishes in a saltwater tank than you would in a freshwater tank of the same size.  If you are interested in keeping a saltwater tank, we recommend getting at least a year of freshwater experience under your belt first.

 

Saltwater Invertebrates

As with freshwater, the invertebrates tend to me more sensitive to the aquarium conditions than the fishes are.  There tend to be a much larger selection of filter feeding organisms and invertebrates that depend on light for their existence.  There are also many more organisms that are available that prove to be near impossible to keep alive in captivity.

Keep in mind that many of the medications that will cure fish diseases can be toxic to the invertebrates you may have in your tank.

 

Brackish Water Fishes

Brackish water fishes come from areas that are naturally highly variable in terms of the water parameters; mainly estuaries or coastal wetlands.  The salinity usually sits somewhere between freshwater and saltwater but can vary depending upon many factors such as: location near the ocean or the river mouth; presence of an ebb or flow tide; whether there have been heavy rains or a drought upstream.

It is very easy to maintain a tank for Brackish water fishes, but the selection is much more limited than what you may find in freshwater or saltwater.  Also, there are very few invertebrates regularly available for brackish water.