Starting Over - Fresh or Saltwater?

[BeaBo]

Hi - I'm new to this site, and have been reading in both the Saltwater and Freshwater forums. I have a 225 gal tank that I just emptied and cleaned.

We had 2 koi in it for 6 years, thinking initially that we would get a pond and move them outdoors. That never happened, and they grew from little 3 inch koi to about 12-14 in. We gave them to someone with a pond since 1) they're big messy fish, and 2) they deserved something better than being in an aquarium. Now they're in a big pond with other koi. While we had them we couldn't have anything "nice" because they would knock over and tear out any decorations, etc.

So at first I was assuming we'd go with a freshwater aquarium, and go with tropical fish and live plants. But I've also admired marine setups, so I'm trying to decide which direction to go now.

What are the pros and cons of each?

 

[Arklatex]

A reef would be really cool in a tank that large. Are you on a budget or do you plan to go "all out"

 

[Arklatex]

Also sw is a lot more expensive.

 

[BeaBo]

Arklatex - I'm not on a TIGHT budget, but I'd rather spend $100s rather than $1000s. Over time I can put more and more money into it, but not all at once up front.

 

[BeaBo]

By the way... equipment I already have is:

Eheim Professionel II 2028 filter
Aqueon HOB filter (I believe 200 gal/hr)
Marineland general purpose LED lights two 18" and one 34"
Two Eheim Jager 300w heaters
A sump filter that I've never really used - it's 28"L x 12"w x 15"h and has blue plastic balls in one section.
Bubbler - 45watt Optima

 

[Arklatex]

You should check out the AA user rivercats tank. It is the same size as yours I believe. She has it setup as a heavily planted fw. It is an awesome example of what can be done with a big tank like yours. And it can be done with the equipment you already have plus an upgrade in lighting and a co2 system. Or you could check out the chiclid forums on this site if your not into the aqua scaping thing.

 

[BeaBo]

Wow - I checked out Rivercats - very inspiring!