please help about water

[Smarkalan83]

I was hoping someone can help me out....I have been running my saltwater 60 gal for about 8 months and I have always had other saltwater tanks bit recently someone suggested something to me and again I hope someone can help me out......I live in eatons neck ny which is right on the water between ny and ct...my house is on the water which is mix of long island sound and the ocean....I was asked why I don't try using the water from there as my top off water and water for changes instead of spending money all the time...I grabbed some water and checked all the levels and this is what I got....
Water is crystal clear
Sanity is normal
High ph 7.8
Nitrite 0
Ammonia 0
Nitrate 0
Phosphate 0
Ph 8.0
Alkalinity 2.0
Calcium 380
Almost everything perf

 

[Smarkalan83]

Sorry got cut off by hitting wrong button but I was saying water almost perfect except for calcium a little low....would I be able to heat this water and use it in my current tank or would it harm my fish invertabrates and coral....also if I wanted bigger tank can I use just that water....and last the snails that are in that water can I put in my tank to help clean...please if anyone has input please let me know....sorry if this is a stupid thread but I never thought of it....thanks in advance....

 

[mr_X]

we got the idea for foam fractionators (protein skimmers) from the ocean. we watched as the ocean expelled a lot of it's waste at the shorelines, via a white foam from waves crashing and mixing with air...etc.
this is why it's not good to take right from the shore. the water quality there is the worst.

 

[Krypt]

Copied and pasted from another thread I posted in:
Another big problem when using NSW is the inconsistency of whats in it. You may collect it one time and it works perfectly fine, then the next time you collect it, it destroys your tank. If it rains heavily prior to you collecting it, run off from the shores and sewage drains may contaminate the water.

There are just so many dangerous variables that it's just not worth using to save $60 on a bucket of reef salt every couple months. Controlling your water is one of the most important foundations for having a successful tank. If you surrender that control, you surrender your tank to the possibility of a disaster that, depending on what livestock you have, could cost thousands.

Personally, I would never use NSW, just too much to lose.

 

[Smarkalan83]

Ok thank you both for the info...I would much rather spend the extra money then have my tank crash...