Huh?
You were under the impression that this website was all about the benefits of having a marine fish tank; if that was the case, then you must be wondering why on earth there would be an article giving reasons NOT to acquire one.
Simple. The installation of and upkeep for a marine fish tank are not simple tasks. In addition, the obligation is one that a great deal of individuals are unable to manage. This essay was created to assist you in determining whether or not purchasing an is something that would be beneficial to you. Instead of buying a salt water fish tank for your own home, you may choose to visit an aquarium or a fish shop to look at the tanks there instead for the following three reasons:
1. Cost
Putting up a habitat for saltwater fish may quickly become quite pricey. Although they do offer tiny all-in-one kits that claim to contain everything you need to get started with marine tanks, it is not recommended that you begin with a smaller tank than you eventually want to keep. To get started, you’ll need a tank that’s at least 30 gallons in capacity.
Things add up pretty fast when you consider the stand (unless you already have some robust furniture that you are prepared to sacrifice), salt, protein skimmer, heaters, sump, powerheads, test kits, live rock, substrate, fish, and so on. It is not unusual for the initial investment for a decently sized setup to be in the region of one thousand dollars or more.
Investing in a used tank is one way to reduce the initial financial outlay for your business. A lot of individuals have gotten themselves into the habit of keeping marine fish in an aquarium, but now they wish to get rid of it for one reason or another. You may undoubtedly save some money if you seek for used aquarium equipment on Craigslist, eBay, or any of the other sites on the internet. This is not to say that going this method does not come with its share of dangers.
In any event, maintaining an aquarium and its inhabitants is an expensive pastime, so you should ensure that you will have the financial resources required to do so before you get started.
2. Time
Setting up and caring for a marine fish tank requires a significant investment of both time and money. There is a temptation to want to hurry things in the beginning since you are so enthusiastic about your tank that you want it to be brimming with life as fast as possible. However, you will need some patience and to let the tank cycle (which may take up to two months), do daily water tests, and ensure that the water chemistry is stable and ready to sustain live things before you can add any inhabitants.
After it has been set up, the most of the time will be spent on the routine maintenance that is required for a marine tank. Monthly water changes, cleaning the glass, removing organic material from the substrate and rock, wiping the salt residue from the tank and the regions around it, cleaning the filter, and the list continues on and on. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by everything going on, but putting things off for even a few of weeks may have disastrous effects.
3. Environmental Impact
After addressing the concerns about your time and finances, we will go on to a more philosophical argument as to why you may not want to possess a marine fish tank. The pastime of keeping marine life in aquariums has, unfortunately, had a disastrous effect on reefs all around the globe.
It is not very difficult to raise freshwater fish in captivity; nevertheless, breeding marine fish is rarely very successful (at least not yet). Therefore, the majority of the specimens that you see in the fish markets were probably taken from their natural habitats. The methods that are used to harvest reef fish, such as the application of poisons to “stun” the fish in order to make them easier to capture, may have devastating effects not just on the fish but also on the reef and all of its other residents. These collecting techniques cause the deaths of a great number of fish, and many more fish perish after being captured and before they can be sold at your neighborhood fish market.
Not just the fish are affected either. The majority of live stones and invertebrates sold for use in marine aquariums are also collected from their natural environments.
Even if there are a lot of individuals working on it, there is still a long way to go before marine aquarium fish and other residents of tanks can be successfully raised in captivity.
Please take into consideration the effects that your hobby has on the surrounding ecosystem if you determine that you are able to commit the necessary resources, such as time and money, to maintaining a marine fish tank. In a subsequent article, I’m going to elaborate on this topic a little more and provide some links to sites that explain how to create a marine fish tank that is less harmful to the surrounding ecosystem.