Ocean water

[superdave07]

Ok the guy at the fish store told me with the Catalina island water which is 30-40 miles off in the sea away from Long Beach California, that you don't have to cycle the water is this true?

 

[Mrc8858]

What do you mean cycle the water? The nitrification cycle? If so that's a load of crap because your bacteria isn't free floating its on the decor/substrate/filter/rocks.

 

[superdave07]

What do you mean cycle the water? The nitrification cycle? If so that's a load of crap because your bacteria isn't free floating its on the decor/substrate/filter/rocks.

Yes the nitrification cycle. So I'm rebuilding my tank from scratch and last time I did my 39gl tank I cycled the tank and took about three weeks. So this guy at the pet store full of you know what?

 

[Mrc8858]

Ya the water does carry enough BB to make a difference.. the more live rock you add on the other hand the faster your cycle will go.. if transported correctly and enough used you can actually completely skip the cycle process.

 

[superdave07]

Ya the water does carry enough BB to make a difference.. the more live rock you add on the other hand the faster your cycle will go.. if transported correctly and enough used you can actually completely skip the cycle process.

Ok that's what I will do, but should I make my salt water with the RO water and salt or use the ocean water?

 

[Mrc8858]

I reccomend making your own with Ro/Di water but many tanks do well over many years on real ocean water so its up to you.

 

[superdave07]

I reccomend making your own with Ro/Di water but many tanks do well over many years on real ocean water so its up to you.

Say I use ocean water what do I do when the water evaporate do I top off with ocean water or RO/DI?

 

[Wy Renegade]

Top off has to be RO/DI, otherwise you keep collecting salt and put your tank into a hypersaline situation. In regards to ocean water, I'd be pretty careful, there is no mile limit on pollution or where it travels in the ocean. I'd hate to see somebody lose their tank because of something they dumped into it.

 

[superdave07]

Ok I think I'll stick to RO/DI

 

[obscurereef]

And just to add, the tank also wouldn't cycle b/c that bacteria is cold water which is obviously different from the tropical waters. I was thinking about getting sea water (filtered by Scripps Birch Aquarium in La Jolla) as I was close and this was convenient, but they are completely different climate zones and didn't want to mess that up (also read from books and online that the plankton will from the cold water when introduced to your tropical warm water system will die and cause waste or something to that extent).