By REBECCA SLOAN

By REBECCA SLOAN
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
othing is more relaxing than the sound of trickling water and the sight of colorful fish gliding to and fro through a curtain of sparkling bubbles.
And during the gray dreariness of a Mahoning Valley winter, an aquarium thick with tropical fish and spiky, sherbet-colored coral might be the next best thing to a Hawaiian vacation. Hey, it might even be the ideal Christmas gift.
But if you're thinking of shelling out big bucks for your own little piece of the ocean, experts say it's best to know what's at the deep end before taking the plunge.
Otherwise, you might end up with a bunch of dead fish and a lot of wasted money.
"The first thing people need to know is that there is a very big difference between having a freshwater aquarium and a saltwater aquarium," said Dan Zarlingo, owner of Saltwater Fish, Coral and Supplies in Austintown. "A saltwater tank requires a lot more work and is much more expensive to maintain."
Saltwater tanks
Zarlingo said getting started right with a saltwater aquarium can cost thousands.
"To start right with a 125-gallon tank, you'll need about $1,500 to $2,000," he said.
And that's not including the fish.
"It's a very expensive hobby. There are people who will tell you it will cost less, but there are also a lot of people who are just interested in selling something, and they don't explain how to really maintain a saltwater tank or what is really needed to get started," Zarlingo said.
Zarlingo, who has been in the saltwater business for about eight years, recommends starting out with a tank that is at least 75 gallons.
"It's best to start with 125 gallons, but 75 gallons will work," he said.
Zarlingo said a saltwater tank should be large because saltwater fish get big fast and can grow 2 to 8 inches in one year. If they don't have enough room, they will suffer both physically and mentally and eventually die.
If you're not a sentimental type, you might just say, "Big deal, I'll buy another fish."
You'll be changing your tune fast, however, when you realize saltwater fish are not cheap.
"You can pay up to $300 per fish. If the fish dies because something isn't right about your tank, you'll be spending a lot of money fast if you want to replace that fish," he said.
The right chemistry
Another reason Zarlingo recommends a 75-gallon starter tank is that it's easier to maintain the correct chemical balance with a larger volume of water.
And getting salt water just right can be tricky.
First of all, saltwater tanks must be filled with reverse osmosis water, not tap water.
Reverse osmosis water is water that has been stripped of all impurities. Some people have reverse osmosis systems in their homes, but if you don't have one, you can buy one at water companies such as Culligan or Gordon Bros.
After you've filled the tank with reverse osmosis water, you have to add the salt.
One 5-pound bag of salt will take care of 50 gallons of water, Zarlingo said.
Anytime you remove water from the aquarium, you will have to replace it with the correct amount of salt and water.
However, if the water evaporates naturally, you don't need to add salt; you can just add water, Zarlingo said.
The filtration system for a saltwater tank is just as important as the chemistry of the water.
A saltwater tank requires a protein skimmer, which removes fish waste and chemicals from the water. It will also remove medication, so if you are treating a sick fish, shut off the protein skimmer.
Healthy bacteria
Although excess waste matter and other impurities will spell trouble for a saltwater tank, having a tank that is "too clean" is no good either.
It might sound odd, but saltwater fish need certain bacteria to survive.
One way to get these bacteria is to buy something called "live rock."
"Live rock is rock that has been taken out of the ocean and has all the right kind of bacteria growing on it that the fish need to survive," Zarlingo said.
Live rock costs about $5 to $12 per pound and is sold in some pet stores.
You can also buy something called a Bio Ball.
Bio Balls are sold in pet stores and can be placed on the bottom of the aquarium just like a piece of live rock. Zarlingo said they cost about the same as live rock, but they have one disadvantage: It will take three to six months after they have been placed in the tank for the "right" bacteria to grow on them.
"With Bio Balls, you never know when they are ready. The bacteria could be incorrect, and you could put in your fish and they could die," he said.
The live rock or Bio Balls will sit on the bottom of the tank on a bed of sand. You can put gravel on the bottom of a freshwater tank, but for a saltwater tank, you'll need sand.
The light stuff
There are a few different lighting options for a saltwater tank, but Zarlingo said if your saltwater tank has live coral, you will need to supply intense ultraviolet light.
"Live coral requires an Actinic bulb, which gives off a bluish-purple light and has a higher wattage than other types of bulbs. Regular fluorescent lighting won't work. To emulate the ocean environment for the coral, you will need 4 watts of power for every gallon of water," he said.
If your tank doesn't have live coral, you won't need such a high wattage. Saltwater fish do need ultraviolet light, but it doesn't have to be as intense for them to thrive.
Saltwater fish and coral also need water that is at a consistent and warm temperature.
"Temperatures of about 76 to 82 degrees [Fahrenheit] are ideal," Zarlingo said.
Live coral costs about $20 to $150 apiece.
Dead coral can also be bought for decoration, but Zarlingo said dead coral tends to turn black over time as algae grow on it.
Zarlingo recommends snails or algae eaters to keep algae under control.
FRESHWATER TANKS
Freshwater tanks can be much smaller than saltwater tanks, but Kate Ferguson, manager of Tropical Pet House in Boardman, recommends buying a larger tank rather than a teeny-tiny one.
"It costs the same amount of money to run a 20-gallon tank and a 55-gallon tank because the filtration systems are the same," she said. "And it might be hard to believe, but a bigger volume of water is easier to maintain because waste builds up faster in smaller tanks."
You don't have to use reverse osmosis water to fill your freshwater tank.
You can fill it with city or well water, but Ferguson said algae will grow faster in tanks that are filled with tap water.
If you do use city or well water to fill your tank, you will need to buy some sort of product to neutralize impurities in the water. One product, called Start Right, promises to remove chlorine, neutralize harmful metals and reduce stress by "stimulating the natural slime coat."
The temperature of a freshwater tank doesn't need to be as warm as a saltwater tank, and about 65 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit will work just fine.
A submersible heater, which costs about $20, will fit the bill.
The filtration system is also less complicated.
Water is simply run through a charcoal filter and re-circulated through the tank. However, whe you go with larger freshwater tanks -- 100 gallons or larger -- more sophisticated filtration systems are necessary.
Decorations
Live plants or plastic plants can be used as decoration, but never put coral -- not even dead coral -- in your freshwater tank.
Zarlingo said that even dead coral has a salt content, and over time, this will be released into the water and will kill the freshwater fish.
Freshwater fish are much less expensive than saltwater varieties, and many types can be bought for less than $5. More expensive freshwater varieties - such as African cichlids -- are available as well
Getting started with a freshwater tank typically costs a few hundred dollars, depending on tank size.
SIMILARITIES
Although caring for saltwater tanks and freshwater tanks differs, the fish that swim in the tanks do share many common denominators.
Zarlingo and Ferguson said the No. 1 mistake people make when caring for fresh or saltwater fish is overfeeding them. Feed fish just once or twice per day, not three or four times per day.
"The excess food lies on the bottom of the tank and eventually turns to nitrates, which are toxins. And fish that eat more go to the bathroom more, and the aquarium quickly becomes a cesspool," he said.
Both freshwater and saltwater fish are also prone to some of the same types of ailments, such as ich.
Fish with ich display scales with a white film growing on them.
Fish also don't like to be scared constantly by human fingers tapping the glass, and they don't like constantly fluctuating temperatures.
When you buy a new fish, you should let the bag with the fish float in the aquarium for a while so the fish can adjust to the change in temperature. At intervals, add some of the tank water to the bag to let the fish slowly aclimate to the new water chemistry and temperature.
Getting along
Another important thing to remember is that some types of saltwater and freshwater fish do not get along, and if you put them together in a tank, they will kill one another.
When you are buying fish, make sure you haven't selected a school of bitter enemies.
And don't put too many fish in your tank.
"It is a myth that the fish will only grow as large as the tank it is in," Zarlingo said. "Fish do not grow based on the size of the container they are in."
In general, though, most freshwater fish will not grow as large as most saltwater fish. About 10 to 12 small fish will do just fine in a 30-gallon tank.
Keep in mind too that if you want to buy an extremely large tank, you might have to have to special-order it, Ferguson said.