Follow along with the video below to see how to install our site as a web app on your home screen.
Note: This feature may not be available in some browsers.
Yeah Paul, you’re the go to guy for NSW!You should be surprised that people use fake water for their reef tank. All our fish come from NSW and none, unless they were captive bred came from ASW,
I have been taking it from the surf for 53 years. No problems yet. I just back up to the ocean and dump it in my Jeep. I don't do anything to it except filter out the floating gunk.
I am on Long Island NY so if it is green or muddy, I diatom filter it.
I have only ever used natural seawater,I am a commercial fisherman so collecting seawater is not a problem,15-20miles from any land the seawater is always crystal clear ,deep indigo blue.My first reef tank housed a good sized Gonni ,i still remember tipping two 5gal containers of seawater in the tank ,the Gonni would double its size and reach out for the nutrients.Softies were insane in size also.This was 15yrs back.Hey everyone so I was wondering if anyone took water straight from the ocean and used it unfiltered in their aquarium and if so what effects did it have on the aquarium I have seen results from a guy that I know that does that on his reef tank with everything looking great and was wondering if anyone else did this? And yes I have been to his house to see his tank in person and it looks amazing. That shocked me when he told me he did this and I would have never guessed that an aquarium can look that amazing of natural salt water dumped straight into an aquarium like that. He also have acros and other sps corals that look amazing and their growth is crazy they all have a lot of white around the edges in which the skeleton is calcifying he said that they have been growing like weeds since he started doing this. So I wanted to see if anyone else did that and how successful it was. All of his softies and lps look great as well and fish are looking like they came from the reef as well their colors are so bright and vibrant so it has me curious. And he does have tangs as well that look totally heathy and not a single tang flashing in all the time I was there.
Collect it and put it in a Brute trash can with an HOB skimmer for 24 hours. Raise the alkalinity and calcium, pH will raise on its own just from the aeration. You can even drop a pump in and run a UV on a loop.I live buy the ocean but was always worried id bring in pest by using natural seawater. This summer maybe Ill try it when I can get off shore and collect it.
Raise the alkalinity and calcium, pH will raise on its own just from the aeration.
By doing frequent smaller water changes, I don't usually worry about matching anything but temperature. Maybe I should, dunno, but have not had problems.Depending on the time of year I clean it as I described above and then try to match tank parameters.
No it's not from the depth it's been collected at. The research facility stores it in an underground tank with no light. I bring it home in 5 gallon containers and keep it still and dark for a couple more days. That kills/limits any microscopic flora and fauna that made it through the sand filter. pH drops to 7.4 and alkalinity is 7.4 - 7.8.That's interesting. Since I collect mine from the surface, the waves have already kept it well aerated. From 50' down it's not well aerated I guess.
When I did a 50% water change on a friends reef tank, he was running IO Reef Crystals, it was pretty dynamic. LPS swelled up, fish's colors got brighter, LPS put their polyps out more. That was last year and he switched to NSW only. Everything is growing great. Faster ? Not sure, it's not my tank so I don't know what growth rates were before.I have never noticed any adverse health impacts in my tanks but also I’ve never seen an explosion in growth as some other users.
Yes! I use a filter sock when getting it. Have been using it last 4 years with next to no issues. I get it at a university of Florida location an test it before adding to my tanks. They get it from a pipe located way out ,far from any beach contamination ( suntan lotions etc). I have " 0" issues an a great looking mixed lps an sps with fish tank(s). Lucky or otherwise it's works in my case.Hey everyone so I was wondering if anyone took water straight from the ocean and used it unfiltered in their aquarium and if so what effects did it have on the aquarium I have seen results from a guy that I know that does that on his reef tank with everything looking great and was wondering if anyone else did this? And yes I have been to his house to see his tank in person and it looks amazing. That shocked me when he told me he did this and I would have never guessed that an aquarium can look that amazing of natural salt water dumped straight into an aquarium like that. He also have acros and other sps corals that look amazing and their growth is crazy they all have a lot of white around the edges in which the skeleton is calcifying he said that they have been growing like weeds since he started doing this. So I wanted to see if anyone else did that and how successful it was. All of his softies and lps look great as well and fish are looking like they came from the reef as well their colors are so bright and vibrant so it has me curious. And he does have tangs as well that look totally heathy and not a single tang flashing in all the time I was there.
The University is getting it far enough off shore and deep enough that it's not going to have any surface contaminants. Wave action brings everything lighter than water into concentration at the shore and eventually on to shore. Suntan lotion is the least of your worries. Oil, cleaning solvents, anything and everything a bilge pump dumps into the sea arrive at the shore but aren't present in any significant amount below the first thermocline.Yes! I use a filter sock when getting it. Have been using it last 4 years with next to no issues. I get it at a university of Florida location an test it before adding to my tanks. They get it from a pipe located way out ,far from any beach contamination ( suntan lotions etc). I have " 0" issues an a great looking mixed lps an sps with fish tank(s). Lucky or otherwise it's works in my case.
This and salinity may be off. I want to use natural sea water but its always 1.023 when i tested it. May try a different area next time.I am not entirely sure that all seawater is equal. Some areas may be higher or lower in certain elements. However, the plankton is probably a nice edition.
According to Wikipedia, at the mean salinity of seawater around the world - "At a temperature of 25 °C, the salinity of 35 g/kg and 1 atm pressure, the density of seawater is 1023.6 kg/m3"This and salinity may be off. I want to use natural sea water but its always 1.023 when i tested it. May try a different area next time.
???? No video that I can see.Video added.
Sorry, don’t know why but it just would not load. I’ve stuck it on YouTube so I can add a link…. I’m ok with reef tanks not so great with technology. Lol???? No video that I can see.
I’m very lucky to live a right on a tidal estuary, yes it can be silty at times like today when the winds churned it up but my corals absolutely love nsw
I’ve used it for 10 years now and just throw a pump over the sea wall and pump it directly into my tank.
Marine parks and/or reserves may be prohibited
- Do not pull water near storm drains
- Do not pull water from a golf course or agriculture area due to pesticides
This is no different than diving or swimming on the beach.