There are so many articles dedicated to the aquarium hobby that I’ll try to keep this brief and to the point. There are three main types of aquariums, saltwater, freshwater, and brackishwater. Within those three categories, there are multiple subcategories classified primarily based on the types of environments they are trying to simulate. This article focuses on saltwater aquariums.
Saltwater Aquarium Types
- Tropical
- Cold Water
- Reef aquariums
- Fish Only Aquariums
- Fish and Live Rock Aquariums
- Coral Aquariums
- Algae Aquariums
- Species Only Aquariums
Tropical Aquariums
As the name implies, these types of aquariums house creatures from tropical latitudes. The water generally needs to be heated to maintain a comfortable temperature for the life housed within it. Most of the popular fish in the saltwater trade are tropical fish. Aquarium heaters are generally preset to the range that most tropical fish are comfortable at.
Cold Water Aquariums
Yet again, the name is highly descriptive of the needs of this aquarium. Cold-water fish cannot be housed with tropical fish because the heat of the water will stress and eventually kill them. Cold-water tanks usually require chillers to maintain the water temperature at the lower-than-room-temperature range preferred by cold-water species.
Reef Aquariums
This type of aquarium is generally accepted as being the most difficult type of aquarium to keep. Reef aquariums house fish, corals, invertebrates, live rocks, and a sandy substrate. They usually require higher lighting for photosynthesizing corals, a careful balance of species to prevent predation or damage, and extra tanks and pumps to mimic tides or high flow rates.
Fish Only Aquariums
Some consider this a relatively simple type of aquarium that consists of only fish in the aquarium often with fake plants and rocks. Sometimes there isn’t even a substrate or there is only a decorative non-functional substrate. All aquariums require biological filters that house nitrifying bacteria to help clean the water. Fish-only Aquariums rely heavily on their filters as they do not generally have assistance from bacteria that would ordinarily be housed in live rocks, on plants, and in a live substrate. For this reason, some consider fish-only aquariums to be more difficult to maintain than those with a deep biological live sand base and live rocks.
Fish And Live Rock Aquariums
As the name implies, this category of aquarium houses only fishes with live rock. Live rocks are rocks that are colonized with living nitrifying bacteria and are an additional (and sometimes become the main) source of biological filtration in their tanks. Live Rock Aquariums can be made with or without a substrate.
Coral Aquariums
Not necessarily “reefs” coral aquariums can consist of housing only one main category of coral with live rocks for it to attach to, or can consist of multiple categories of coral. There are three main categories of coral. Soft coral is the easiest to keep. Large Polyp Stoney coral has large polyps and small skeletons while Small Polyp Stoney corals have small polyps and large skeletons. The first two categories are easier to keep than the last category, requiring less specialized equipment and care.
Algae Aquariums
Also referred to as macro algae aquariums so as not to confuse these displays of live plants with the soupy liquids used to propagate single-celled algae. These simple aquariums can be tropical or cold water and are to saltwater tanks what a “planted tank” is in the freshwater aquarium hobby.
Species Only Aquariums
This type of aquarium focuses on a specific species of animal. This is usually done for a reason of necessity and not aesthetics. Some fish are too aggressive to be kept in aquariums below a certain size with other fish. Some animals, like jellyfish or seahorses, can be harmed by the typical aquarium shapes, tank residents, or tank accessories like high-flow filters. Whatever the reason, species only aquariums are designed to meet the specific care needs for a particular species of aquatic animal.
Can I Use Any Of These Types Of Saltwater Aquarium In A Paludarium?
Most people don’t think it’s possible to create a saltwater paludarium, but it is. Remember, a paludarium only requires a land portion and a submerged water portion. These two portions do not need to be equal in size. Plants that grow in the land portion do not need to be fully terrestrial and can be semi-aquatic like beach grasses, hearty algae, and mangroves. Animals in a saltwater paludarium do not need to be fully aquatic nor fully terrestrial and can be animals that spend time both in the water and out of it like limpets and crabs. Hermit crabs are a perfect paludarium animal as they require a terrestrial sandy area and the high humidity of an enclosed tank with water but not being submerged in water.
So, yes. It is absolutely possible to create a saltwater paludarium.
