Daniel@R2R
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My Tank Thread
Good comparison. I know quite a few people are using IO and just maintaining the dosing. So far I think the biggest factor most of us are looking for in any salt is consistency. We can adjust for most other things, but inconsistency means changing other routines to accommodate. My only concern with using ocean water off of most any of our coasts is going to be pollution. I would think it would need to be collected from pretty far out or at least tested for uncommon parameters to avoid things like toxins and heavy metals.I was born and breed on RC.....and I can't remember why....probably because it was what the LFS was pushing at the time. I used this for a number of years, collecting many plastic 5 gallon buckets, while I learned about saltwater aquariums, dosing, testing and water parameters. In the mean time, I became discouraged about the deposits in the mixing bucket and the ups and downs of parameters within the tank.
As I became educated, I eventually came to the conclusion that all I want on a water change is ocean water.....ca 400 calcium, 7 dKH, and 1300 magnesium. What was closest to this that was inexpensive and readily available was plain old Instant Ocean. 200 gallon boxes came out and that is what I use now.....no more plastic buckets.
I live next to the ocean, albeit in New Jersey, and a stones throw from NYC, but I've now been kicking around the idea of collecting ocean water for water changes. Just need to figure out current levels and the logistics of collecting this water.