would saltwater or marine fish be better in an 8 gallon biorb?
31 January 2010
5 Comments
which kind of fish should i put in an 8 gallon biorb? i would like a colorful, lively, tank. I know that you can put more freshwater fish into a tank but is the saltwater fish more satisfying? give your opinion! thanks!
biOrbs are paltry tanks with pathetic filtration stock out of the box…. and I’m being charitable by saying this. Smaller biOrbs are designed about the concept of old school undergravel filter that create low to stagnating water flow, while their surface area is woefully smaller (meaning there is limited exchange between carbon dioxide in the water and oxygen in the air) They can make lovely tanks, but only with some crafty know how of DIY aquarium projects and a dedicated knowledge of pico and nano sized tanks.
Saltwater tanks are less forgiving than freshwater. Granted, they both require the same care concerns in regards to avoiding overstocking and overfeeding, buffering as appropriate, performing regular water change and topping off, etc. However, saltwater tanks require more conservative stocking as freshwater fish, as saltwater has a lower maximum dissolved oxygen saturation than freshwater. As such, saltwater tanks are not often the best fit for a newcomer to the hobby of fish keeping.
In addition to that, smaller tanks (in both freshwater AND saltwater) are very demanding. See, the smaller the volume of water, the less stable the water chemistry. Take, for example, the difference between a drop of ammonia in a coffee cup, in a bucket, and in a pool. Big difference in concentration. The same holds true for these nano and pico sized tanks. They have to be ultra-conservatively stocked and tended to near constantly (I’m a lover of pico reefs and have kept several pico installations, so I’m speaking from experience).
Anywho, what this all boils down to is that the only thing I could recommend for a biOrb of 8 gallons with any good conscience is the betta. The slow flow of the undergravel filter will not harass a male betta, allowing them to build bubble nests if the urge strikes, while the volume of water will be absolutely perfect for them. You may find other people will recommend tetras or danios, but these need to be kept in schools or groups too large for a biOrb’s overall volume, surface area, and filtration capacity.
The Biorb really is not suited for salt water systems. The filtration is not sufficient, unless you have a couple lbs of live rock with maybe one fish.
8 gallons is hardly enough water for anything but the smallest fish. You’re probably going to have to go freshwater. I imagine it’d be very difficult to establish a saltwater tank in something that small, if at all.
Salt water and marine fish are the same thing. However, a saltwater tank would not be a good idea for that tank because of its shape and size. If you are a beginner in saltwater, I would start with no less than a 30 gallon tank. If you still want to put saltwater fish in that tank, one or two smaller type gobies would work. Still, I would stick with fresh water because it can be very hard to keep saltwater fish alive in nano fish tanks. Only experts or people that have done tons of research should attempt these tanks. Instead, I would keep 5-6 male guppies, 6-8 white cloud minnows, or a betta. The guppies and betta will need a heater, and all fish will need filters. If you want some more unusual fish, try kili fish or endler live bearers.
Hope this helps!!
BioOrbs are very cool. What your asking is the same. Marine and salt water fish are one in the same my friend. Actually, marine fish are better in a bio orb. Just not too many of em.You can cause a bio overload real quick. When I had a 10 gal Bio, I had mostly live rock and some smaller fish, like clowns, and other inverts. Just be careful what fish you put in.
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