Fresh Water -VS- Salt Water

[revhtree]

Let's keep this thread civil, and free from direct criticism of FW or SW. I am moving this to the lounge, but I dont know how long it will stay unlocked unless we all can behave ourselves...

I have a SW tank and love it! On the other hand a beautifully planted FW tank is so awesome. I like them both. I prefer SW, but they are both nice in my book.

PS. Clownfish = $20 Here.

 

[X the Outsider]

As far as Clowns around here they are anywhere from 13 to 22 dollars for small Clowns. Most people who see Finding Nemo, and want to get Clowns find out how much work it is change their mind. I on a daily basis tell people how much work, and money it is on SW; they of course change their mind.

I've had both FW and SW tanks. I love my SW tank. It's hard work, but very rewarding when you have symbiotic relationship with all of the creatures in your tank. I could list so many fish that have a personality in SW, and recognize you when you walk by the tanks. My clowns eat from my hand, and my peppermint shrimp climbs up my arm when I'm algae wiping. So if I had to chose; I would chose SW.

 

[megos1]

SW all the way!! They are both great, don't get me wrong....I just like how the SW fish are more colorful.

 

[fishfreek]

Now that we are in a more nutural forum im sure your responses will be a bit more even. Not many SW folks look in the FW forums.

I have had both types and I still do. When I had exclusivly FW tanks I wasnt bothered with learning more than the info I could get from my LFS. When I started a SW tank I was veryinterested in learning as much as I could. Mostly because of the economic commitment that is involved. Getting into SW has greatly increased my overall knowlege of the aquarium hobby as a whole.

Some comments that have been made here seem to be made 'off the cuff' with little real background into both types. To compaire the two one really needs to have a decent level of knowlege about the two. Other comments seem to imply a desire to see genetic enhanced fish in the SW hobby. The vast majority of SW hobbists are VERY interested in the natural reef systems and having geneticly engenered fish would be less desirable than having fish with a natural coloration.

Much less is known about SW fish than FW fish. There have been FW fish farms for decades to help make the FW side of the hobby very self sustaning where there is very little wild fish collected and used in the hobby. Regretfully SW farming methods have not kept up with FW so many more fish are wild caught and introduced into the hobby. Those of us SW folks whom are very serious about the hobby are very interested in purchasing captive breed fish/corals when possible as well as sharing 'frags' with other hobbists so as to lessen the impact on the wild reefs. The degree that conservation is important to SW folks and education in general to SW folks can be seen in the fact that the annual conference of SW hobbists thats being held in DC is going to focus exclusivly on conservation and education aspects.

Its unfair to comair the two as they both have their merits. There is no ONE tank that fits everyones wishes, and desires. I can tell you that every single person that walks into our house is drawng right away to our two SW tanks. Unless they happen to catch a view of my little girl first.

 

[malkore]

6 in one hand, half a dozen in the other. I voted SW simply because about once a week, I find some new organism living inside the tank that I never saw before.

 

[quarryshark]

I like both, but have only kept salt. For me its just my love of the ocean that I keep a tank at all. So for me salt.
I have seen some VERY attractive FW tanks however.

 

[ClamKnuckle]

I've kept both, and I loved my FW tanks, but for me it boils do to FW is a hobby to me SW is an obsession

 

[KenK]

I always thought freshwater was the best hobby in the world. Then I started a saltwater tank. Now aquarium fish SW and FW is the best hobby(obsession) in the world.

 

[Guest]

well me i like both eaqually once again but with your LR you can still have critters you have never seen come into your tank and you can have some really pretty fish

but with FW you dont get LR in you tank with new critters all you get is the fish you choose

so SW is more of a gamble

once again both are equally beautiful AND astonishing

 

[Clown Monarch]

well me i like both eaqually once again but with your LR you can still have critters you have never seen come into your tank and you can have some really pretty fish

but with FW you dont get LR in you tank with new critters all you get is the fish you choose

so SW is more of a gamble

once again both are equally beautiful AND astonishing

You must be a politician.

 

[Feeding_Frenzy]

FW gotta try to conserve my nations reefs and fishes. lets just those dynamite fishermen dont leave a pretty site(they blow up reefs for food and please dont let me go in detail) and also fishermen use cyanide to capture fish for the aquarium trade(which is illegal but they still do it). got to do my part in conserving my nations reefs.

fyi. used to live in the Philippines

 

[qwertie]

ohh, salt water just in the lead, come on freshies, u gottas hep us stay winning!!

 

[Jchillin]

Question: What do you like...apples or oranges? Comparing the beauty of each is futile. The question should be "What would you rather have if you had a choice"? I would think the responses would have been similiar, but with wholly different and objective reasons.

The main point is that both FW and SW people have something in common. Let's stop trying to separate us. I, for one, am truly impressed with both and I do enter converstations with salties to increase my knowledge of the subject.

 

[qwertie]

I like apples best

 

[zacdl]

HAHAHA its 50/50

 

[qwertie]

lol, come on freshies!!!! dont let the salties win!!!

 

[Clown Monarch]

Oranges are better than apples, no question.

 

[revhtree]

This is not a contest...is it????

I thought your original idea for this thread was to see what the prefrence of the community was. It's not a vote to see who can get more votes........

 

[fishfreek]

You just got this thread locked qwertie. Clearly this was never ment to be any more than a thread about why FW was beater than SW. Your final comments are clear on that.

If you wanted a sensable discussion as to why a hobbists would pick one over the other then you clearly went aganst that with some of your comments.