- Location
- Garden city
Anyone ever use water from the ocean in their tanks the salt gets exspensive and the ocean is right there???
Water from ocean
- Thread starter Mattl22
- Start date
i used to do that before when i dont have a job ..what i do is i put the water in my 55 gal tank then run a skimmer for 2 days , check all the things that needed salt, etc..then i put it on my main tank . now that i HAVE A JOB i bought my own salt too much work . but i had a good exercise those days ....
fallenlordz
Cant hear you under Water
- Location
- Fresh Meadows, NY
- Location
- Staten Island
5 gallon buckets and a van I would think is easiest.
ryangrieder
Advanced Reefer
- Location
- Northern Jersey
yeah i would say to stay away from main beaches like WW, LIB, JS ect... you know alot of places that people treat the ocean like its a grabage can... people are so ignorient and throw there trash everywhere.
- Location
- long island
I know jo from alantis marine world uses salt water from river head but he has the water go throught processes for days before using it in his tanks. I would take the water leave it in a bin and have the water go through a uv and have a skimmer on it as well. Keep the water in pitch black room for 4 days to kill off any thing. after this is all over run it with carbon for another 2 days in a dark room ( keep in mind skimmer is always running) and then test and test some more.
I have been using water from the dock next to Shinnecock inlet for the last 5 yrs or more. I have been using the water for water changes as is on my Oceanic 58 for the last 3yrs .I also used that water to fill the tank initially. Sometimes I run the water thru carbon ,if I don't get down there right after high tide so that the water flushes out a bit but that's about it.
I have had no problems with my tank and the corals have grown to the point that I started another 20 gal .I had 3 mushrooms 2yrs or so ago , now I have over 30 and some are over 5 to 6 inches in diameter.I have a Devil's hand that started at 1/2 in. now it is the size of my fist .I could go on but my point is that the water is fine to use as far as I'm concerned and I love the fact that I haven't mixed salt water for a very long time. I do 10% every two weeks which works out to 7.5 gal with the 10 gal in my sump. I fill (4) 5 gal buckets and I have plenty for both tanks and some left over.I will post a few pics later when I get a chance.
I have had no problems with my tank and the corals have grown to the point that I started another 20 gal .I had 3 mushrooms 2yrs or so ago , now I have over 30 and some are over 5 to 6 inches in diameter.I have a Devil's hand that started at 1/2 in. now it is the size of my fist .I could go on but my point is that the water is fine to use as far as I'm concerned and I love the fact that I haven't mixed salt water for a very long time. I do 10% every two weeks which works out to 7.5 gal with the 10 gal in my sump. I fill (4) 5 gal buckets and I have plenty for both tanks and some left over.I will post a few pics later when I get a chance.
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- Location
- Montclair, NJ
Be careful not to introduce parasites. Local parasites will devastate a tropical fish tank quickly. I would take steps to make sure the water is "clean" before you use it.
Only warnings I've heard about using local NSW...
Use it right away to get the plankton benefit or let it sit for a while as the plankton will die off may cause a spike.
Our local waters have a lower SG than where most of us keep our tanks so adjust accordingly.
Collect at high tide when the weather has been nice for a few days, you don't want run of water from drain or boats in your reef.
Use it right away to get the plankton benefit or let it sit for a while as the plankton will die off may cause a spike.
Our local waters have a lower SG than where most of us keep our tanks so adjust accordingly.
Collect at high tide when the weather has been nice for a few days, you don't want run of water from drain or boats in your reef.
- Location
- East Stroudsburg, PA
I think I'll stick with my mixing- 30posts of just make sures for NSW- 1 post of just make sure for mixes- just make sure you let it aerate and mix to complete gas exchanges for 24 hours before you use it- pretty simple unless your scared of a measuring device. LOL
Here's a few pics.. For three years ..This tank has only used NSW. I understand concerns but where I get the water is very clean and again I've had no problems.Some pics are from my 58 and some from my 20 long , I took some corals out to do some work on the tank. The yellow pollups started about the size of a quarter. That's a 14 x7 in slab rock they are on. Some of The mushrooms fully expanded are around 5-6 inches.
Attachments
- Location
- Montclair, NJ
No one is saying it cant be done you just have to be careful. Your tank looks great but to be honest, most of those corals would thrive under not-so-great conditions. Not only that, there doesn't seem to be many fish that would be killed by paraistes.
- Location
- Overland Park, KS
my 2 cents - think of all the money you've put into your system, all the time you've invested in that pretty glass box... now imagine one colorless, odorless whatever-it-is in the oceanwater taking out all your livestock. ...that's what keeps me buying salt from my local "dealer."
when our ocean is so clean that we are all jumping into it when the weather gets warm, then I'll consider using that water in my tank.
...actually, even then I won't. I'll wait till I see the critters who live in my tank living in these ocean waters. (never mind the fact that we live at the wrong latitute for that anyway...)
...even then I won't because the parasites that live in nature live in balance with parasite-eaters, and I almost certainly do not have all the parts of the chain that keep those naturally-occurring parasites in check. My system is just not big enough or complex enough for that.
Seriously, though, I know there are folks who use "local" waters, but if I remember correctly, Paul goes off shore on his boat to insure that he is collecting truly "clean" water. As mentioned, Atlantis uses measures to clean their water. If I'm not mistaken, I think someone (probably Paul) did a cost-benefit analysis, and for most of us, it is cost-effective to just buy salt. If you are running a 20,000 gallon tank, then the equation changes somewhat!
when our ocean is so clean that we are all jumping into it when the weather gets warm, then I'll consider using that water in my tank.
...actually, even then I won't. I'll wait till I see the critters who live in my tank living in these ocean waters. (never mind the fact that we live at the wrong latitute for that anyway...)
...even then I won't because the parasites that live in nature live in balance with parasite-eaters, and I almost certainly do not have all the parts of the chain that keep those naturally-occurring parasites in check. My system is just not big enough or complex enough for that.
Seriously, though, I know there are folks who use "local" waters, but if I remember correctly, Paul goes off shore on his boat to insure that he is collecting truly "clean" water. As mentioned, Atlantis uses measures to clean their water. If I'm not mistaken, I think someone (probably Paul) did a cost-benefit analysis, and for most of us, it is cost-effective to just buy salt. If you are running a 20,000 gallon tank, then the equation changes somewhat!
- Location
- East Stroudsburg, PA
+1 most people talking on the web about NSW get their water collected 15+ miles off shore from what Ive read at least.
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