Starting a saltwater aquarium is a task that can be fun and rewarding, or devastating. It all depends on if you put it together well where it provides a good ecosystem for your saltwater fish to survive in.

Unfortunately, a lot of clownfishes ended up in the hands of unsuitable keepers that weren't prepared to spend enough time, effort and money on their new pet. If you are a comparatively inexperienced aquarist, you can still become a highly successful saltwater aquarist if you are prepared to spend a lot of time and energy on learning how a saltwater aquarium really works.

Saltwater aquarium requires three types of filtration. One is the Biological filtration, which involves the removal of the bacteria, which is often created by the fish on its activities, and processes that it undergoes inside the tank. Second, the chemical filtration that is more on the removing of the discoloration and chemicals on the water that harms the fish inside the tank. Third, is the mechanical filtration, which deals more with the removal of the visible materials floating on the aquarium such as uneaten fish foods, wastes of the fishes and other squanders floating or at the bottom of the saltwater aquarium, and this job is commonly done by the net.

One of the reasons why saltwater aquariums are more difficult to maintain than freshwater aquariums is that marine species tend to be much less tolerant to organic waste products and other forms of pollution. The enormous water mass that constitutes the ocean will rapidly dilute organic waste down to very low levels.

Marine creatures are therefore not used to high levels of soluble waste and do not know how to cope. There are of course many freshwater species to be found that are also highly sensitive to organic waste and very difficult to keep in aquariums.

Generally speaking, it is however much easier to find sturdy freshwater species since freshwater fish can live in small lakes and even puddles where the levels of organic waste can reach very high levels. Compared to marine species, these fishes will also typically be more suited to cope with all forms of change.

Biological filtration removes ammonia, ammonium, nitrite, and nitrates (some) created by fish's biological processes and other activity in the aquarium. The process involves conversion of ammonia/ammonium to harmful nitrite. Then the nitrite converts to harmless nitrate. Live Rock which can support bacteria and Protein Skimmers are among top biological filtration systems. .

The overall chemistry and ecology are also different in a saltwater aquarium, since the presence of salt affects chemical as well as biological processes. This is however not only a problem, it is also a possibility. You will for instance be able to use a protein skimmer in a saltwater aquarium; a very powerful form of filtration that will remove tiny organic waste particles before they begin to decompose.