Fish Freaks... Salt or phresh!

[Xtasia]

Are Saltwater fish freaks more hardcore?? do they have to be at these prices?

I've had Freshwater and saltwater Fish freaks over at my place.. and regardless, the results are the same...

A breif glance at the other type of tank, but HOURS spent scrutinizing the tank type of their preferenace...

I've personally noticed a difference in how the community interacts with each other....

The Freshwater community sells stuff at ROCK BOTTOM Prices (pretty much only covers cost to raise livestock, or gas) to each other.. one would argue that a planted tank is just as much work as a reef tank.

The saltwater community sells stuff at slightly below Market value... BUT are always willing to share/trade frags... also salties are more aware of what is in each other's tanks, and are always helping improve each other's tanks by keeping an EYE open... perhaps due to scarcity of quality livestock.

Any observations? I'm sitting on the fence.

[christyf5]

Ya know, from reading some of the freshwater bulletin boards, I'd say that both are pretty hardcore. With saltwater, yes things are more expensive and there are a million types of electronic gadgets for the tank and people are always building stuff to make it better but I find with freshwater people are just as hardcore with finding the exact plant for their tank or constantly trimming it back to make it look "just so". I dunno, I always thought that saltwater people were a bit more "addicted" than freshwater but some of the freshwater threads get a bit intense.

Christy

[BMW Rider]

I think that the fanatacism can be equal on either side of the hobby. There are freshwater fans that go just as overboard as us reefers. I know someone who is currently building an 800 gallon ciclid tank that is 72" x 72" x 36". The glass alone cost more than all my hardware. The majority of us though are somewhat more moderate with our dedication and determination, whether due to means or to desire. There are of course a lot more people who keep simple freshwater systems mainly due to the cost and the ease of care. Usually once you commit to a saltwater system, you have a somewhat greater dedication to the effort.

[SeaHorse_Fanatic]

Went from 7 fw tanks (sm to med) that required almost no money or effort to 4 sw tanks that require most of my $$ & time (mostly because I'm a beyond-help addict). When I did fw, I could save lots of money. With sw, I now spend waaaaay too much every month.

Just in the last month I've spent well over a grand to upgrade the new place with 2 big tanks. And yeah, we moved to a bigger place so I can have bigger sw tanks. I guess that's proof of my insanity/addiction. Fortunately, my wife likes both new big tanks.

At least now we're almost neighbours, eh Xtasia (1.5 blks away).

Also, I've almost never heard any sw people say, "Hmmmm, one day I'd really like to try a fw tank." (prob. because that's how they started with fish) while I always hear fw people say, "Wow, I really have to try sw one day."

And in terms of prices, have you seen how much fancy Arrowanas are going for on the BCAquaria board. The only thing comparable in price would be species like Hawaiian Dragon Morays.

Bottom line, I vote for sw as more addictive.

Anthony

[Xtasia]

I consider myself a "small potatoe" in the sw community at a 65g tank... but I've had people people who have seen my 33g, 20g, 10g, and 35g fw tanks and they seem to these little tanks are a BIG DEAL.....

do you think that FW tank owners tend to have smaller more moderate tanks, whereas SW, due to the requirements of the fish... have larger tanks??

I rarely see a 20g SW (go big or go home!)... but I see 20g FWs all the time...

[danny zubot]

I got bored of my freshies and thats why I'm here, thats why most of us are here. I had a 70 gallon African tank before with about 40 different species in it. They were all beautiful and active but nothing compares to a live reef IMO. Now I can boast more knowledge and diversity than ever before. I think a person can be just as gung ho about a freshy tank, but I don't think they are as challenging to keep.

[Xtasia]

Are you saying FW is to SW

a.) as Apples are to Oranges..
b.) as Marijuana is to Heroine?

[SeaHorse_Fanatic]

Heroin = nasty drug made from Opium poppies (I believe)

Heroine = Xena Warrior Princess or Buffy the Vampire Slayer

[Cap'n]

I voted FW.

How many people you know with more than 20 SW tanks? There are many more dedicated FW fish-rooms than SW and a lot more basements with dozens of gurgling airstones than multiple skimmers.

As for cost, I think they are very comparable. Wildcaught cichlids are commonly sold for $100 more or less, and usually in quantity. Even the G1 fry are worth the same as an ocean fish or coral.

And that brings up the breeding, a commitment many FW freaks also take on, which means more tanks, etc...

The "I should try SW someday" is part of the fascination and appeal of SW that doesn't really exist in FW. You could, within reason, easily keep pretty much any FW fish you want, so you really have to want that fish in order to pass on the extra excitement of trying something you may have thought impossible.

Finally, have you met the fresh water freaks? These are the people who hang out at the fish stores talking for hours about a single species of ugly 2 ft catfish that they have 12 of in their bedroom. Don't get me wrong, I'm a borderline fish geek myself, but I consider most of you that I have met "people with marine tanks", and a few real "reef geeks". But the freshies are hardcore. They have fish and that is what they do.

[Funky_Fish14]

I say its alot easier to have 20 freshwater tanks than 20 saltwater tanks just because of the cost factor. Im not saying you cant get into high $$$ with Freshwater, but its alot easier to spend all the money with SW and there is money you need to spend. Consider setting up 20 x 20g Nano Reefs, and 20 x 20g FW Planted Tanks, IMO its alot easier, and potentially cheaper to do the FW planted tanks than SW reefs. Yes, there are different factors that can be weighed in but on average, IMO, its cheaper for FW. Most plants grow much quicker than corals, you can take one plant IE: Java Fern, simple plant, and it will fill a tank quite quickly whereas with most corals, even thin-barred or pulsing xenia, which grow quite quickly for corals, would likely take longer to fill the tank.

Chris