The day you get your first saltwater tank is an exciting occasion. You’ll have a lot of exciting options for fish species which you cannot keep in a freshwater tank. Keeping a saltwater tank can also be a bit of a challenge – are you sure that you have all of the equipment a saltwater tank needs? What are the best saltwater fish for beginners? Keep reading to find some tips for beginning saltwater tank hobbyists.

The tank itself should be your first consideration. You’ll probably want an acrylic tank rather than a glass one, since acrylic is better at maintaining temperature. An acrylic tank is also much stronger and less leak prone than a glass tank, as well as being lighter and easier to drill for filter installation. If the expense isn’t a problem, then an acrylic tank is a wise choice.

If this is your very first saltwater tank though, it’s OK to go with glass. You’ll probably start with hardy fish that require less care in this case. You might want to think about getting an aquarium kit if you are just starting out; these will come with all of the equipment you need to get started.

A kit will typically come with the filters, test kits, heaters and instructions that you’ll need to set up and maintain your first saltwater tank. You’ll usually get power filters, plants, fluorescent fixtures, water conditioner, fish food and more. The tanks in these kits range from 30 to 50 gallons in size.

If you’re looking for a tank which requires very little maintenance, you can get kits which need no external plumbing for their filtration systems. These kits will have filters attached to the aquarium itself – these are very easy tanks to maintain.

While you might be thinking big about your aquarium, if this is your first saltwater tank, it’s probably better to start smaller and get inexpensive, hardy fish for your saltwater aquarium instead.

The clownfish has long been a favorite. These fish are hardy and easy to take care of, but they can be aggressive – you shouldn’t keep more than three of them in your tank. Your clownfish will enjoy having some of their favorite anemones in the tank, so pick up a few.

Damselfish are another good choice. These small fish are very colorful – but they are often aggressive towards each other, so it’s best to only keep one in your tank.

For your first saltwater tank, tangs are also a good idea. You will need to have some algal growth in your tank however; otherwise, you’ll need to provide an alternate food source. Powder blue tangs are the easiest to care for. As with damselfish, these are aggressive fish, you should keep no more than one.

To add a finishing touch to your first saltwater tank, consider adding some other wildlife like anemone crabs, hermit crabs or cleaner shrimp. These are a nice addition to your tank, easy to care for and fun to watch.