I kept a freshwater planted tank years ago with harlequin rasboras, a large population of cherry shrimp, and a few assorted snails. There were also a bunch of plants and rockwork. It was like maintaining a zen garden, but with more technical details - lightning, dosing nutrients and even a CO2 diffuser to keep the plants healthy. I definitely enjoyed fiddling with and studying it. The fish were peaceful and the shrimp were fun to watch. Check out "ADA nature aquarium" for some impressive examples.
Now my son has a similar sized saltwater reef tank with a couple clowns, a tail spot blenny, emerald crab, tuxedo urchin and soft corals. There's just as much to learn about and many similarities, but it feels like more work without the tranquil payoff. The fish look a little more stressed out trying to keep their territory and pecking order on the reef. At the same time, there's more going on and I can still stare at it for quite some time.
I kept a freshwater planted tank years ago with harlequin rasboras, a large population of cherry shrimp, and a few assorted snails. There were also a bunch of plants and rockwork. It was like maintaining a zen garden, but with more technical details - lightning, dosing nutrients and even a CO2 diffuser to keep the plants healthy. I definitely enjoyed fiddling with and studying it. The fish were peaceful and the shrimp were fun to watch. Check out "ADA nature aquarium" for some impressive examples.
Now my son has a similar sized saltwater reef tank with a couple clowns, a tail spot blenny, emerald crab, tuxedo urchin and soft corals. There's just as much to learn about and many similarities, but it feels like more work without the tranquil payoff. The fish look a little more stressed out trying to keep their territory and pecking order on the reef. At the same time, there's more going on and I can still stare at it for quite some time.