Is it good practice to use ocean water in the tank?

[Wael El-Dasher]

I live very close to the beach, and wonder if it's common for those that also live close to the beach to use water in the DT from the ocean? Believe me the logistics are not that simple. There is the actual transporting the 8 or 10 five gallon water drums empty, then loading them in the car, finding access to take the drums down to the beach, filling them, then carefully loading them back in the car and finally getting back up to my apartment.

Performing this on a weekly basis will be back breaking, but if it's worth it, I'll do it.

When I asked my LFS about it he said it wasn't a good idea, there could be any kind of pollutant in the water and any kind of critter that can be introduced to the DT. But I normally take everything the LFS says with a grain of salt. After all, they're happy to sell me many bags of synthetic salt on a regular basis.

Believe me its much easier for me to have the water drums delivered to my door on a weekly basis and just buy the salt and mix it. But if there is a benefit I'm willing to try it.

cheers

Wael

 

[Innovator]

Beach water often has various pollutants and even open water public aquariums with open-systems will filtrate incoming water through several stages before using. Even then, many use incoming pipes located miles out. It's much safer to use a premade salt mix that is sterilized.

 

[BallinCrew10]

Your lfs was right on this one. Taking anything from the ocean is a bad idea.

 

[anarekist]

yeah, unless you can source water from the middle of the ocean or some ultra clear lagoons i wouldnt advise it.

 

[RYANLAWRENCE]

Exactly taking water from a beach wouldnt be good. Too much chance that you will pick up pollutants. If you went out on a boat maybe 10 miles or so, then maybe that would work. But honestly it isn't worth risking the death of your fish/inverts

 

[Wael El-Dasher]

Thanks folks. It seems there is too much risk involved so I won't try it.

Cheers

W

 

[melosu58]

I think it`s a good idea.

 

[Dary421]

If you had a long enough hose to suck in the sea water , filter it ,and then just as fast blow it back out , than it'll probably be great,..other than that it'll more than likely suck,....gotta go the safe route and mix your own water,...you just have to know what you got....

 

[kurtyboh]

i read a report on keeping anemomes alive and those that had the best luck in the survey used natural salt water, termed nsw. So it appeared to me that it was a common practice, although not shared as a good idea by everyone...

here's the link for the survey
Host Sea Anemone Survey Results - The results of the Host Sea Anemone Survey

 

[joy13]

There is a place Wilmington NC that actually has a place where locals can get water for their tanks. I have seen on the local forums where it has been shut down at times temporary because of water quality issues.

 

[Wael El-Dasher]

What really prompted me to think about this subject was an article I read on reefkeeping.com regarding trace elements and what I got out of it was we're not really sure how important trace elements contribute to the overall health of the reef. It was apparent that these elements are there, their percentages are known, but dosing wasn't exactly the same. It came close but there is much still to be understood how the reef health is affected by theses elements and what else in the ocean water that's present that we still don't know about which makes or salt mixes lacking in delivering what's needed for reef corals to flourish .

I know I'm young in this hobby but I see it no different than modern meds. For example there is plenty of evidence that vitamins in fruits and vegetables is important to our health but isolating the vitamins and taking them in tablet forms or in juices doesn't have the same effects as having it in it's natural form. There is proof that if one is lacking certain vitamins in great amounts then taking it in any form had immediate benefits but thats only up to a limit.

Overall modern medicine is simply based on action/reaction. When I take this, that happens, or on a cellular level, when this is introduced the cells react this way or that way.

For example it's well known that vitamin C is good for you, but drinking it in OJ has some disadvantages. For one, insulin levels react differently when the orange fiber and pulp are consumed along with the inner juice of the orange. Not to mention the benefits of the vapor that mists while you're peeling it. You short cut all this and just take it in as juice and your body is forced to produce insulin at a very high rate to combat the sudden sugar rush that comes along and there is also the time factor. As your body slowly digests the complete orange(pulp, fiber...etc) the vitamins and sugar delivery is at a very deliberate rate. So the pulp, fiber, vapor mist all contribute to along with the vitamins to a delivery to ones system that is at a natural rate.

I realize there are risks in using anything straight from the ocean but it was a question more towards finding out if this practice exists in this hobby and what precautions are taken in order to weigh the benefits to the risks.

Something like that...

Cheers

W.

 

[Codyheitmiller]

What if you took rock and sand? And just let them chill in a quarantine tank for a bit?

fish are friends not food

 

[ShawnMMcKenna]

I am fourtunate that I live on the Gulf Coast of Florida and we have a local aquarium and aquaculture facility that sells "Living Sea Water". They have a pipe that runs out into the Gulf of Mexico that supplies the aquarium with water, and they also sell the water to hobbyists for 50 cents per gallon. They run the water through a multi-stage filtration system. When we had the oil spill in the gulf, BP had to supply them with, and pay for an advanced filtration system that removes any chemicals/contaminants related to the oil spill. My tank is doing very well using this sea water, but you have to be careful taking water from the shoreline. The shore seems to be the "Protien Skimmer" of the ocean, hence the sea-foam.