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View Full Version : ocean water in reef tanks?


lockrookie
09-09-2010, 04:54 AM
this is probably a dumb thread for discussion i was just curious in my infinate boredom.

i was wondering if anyone (whom lived near the ocean being land locked in sask its not an option) has used actuall seawater to run thier hobby tank. you would think it would be the ideal water (given its clear enough to begin with) to grow the ideal habitat rather than mixing salts.

like i mentioned this may be a stupid idea thats popped into my tiny brain but if a company sold say hawian seawater in a bottle. would we as reefers buy such a thing to begin with? or do they actually sell such a beast already.

The Grizz
09-09-2010, 05:04 AM
OH I think someone is very very very bored :razz::lol:

It is something to ponder though..........

lockrookie
09-09-2010, 05:10 AM
i know really i never start random threads i just lurk like a (PET)afile drooling over everyones fish tanks. getting ideas and sending ppl links to the things they are looking for.. but i haad a thought for once. lol

globaldesigns
09-09-2010, 05:15 AM
I think the problem would be (as you stated) getting clean water. You would probably have to be quite aways from shore and also be deep enough to get the cleanest water possible. I would not know these details, but I don't think it would be feasible for anyone like us.

I guess if you have the location and the money, you can do anything.

Megalodon
09-09-2010, 05:28 AM
I know of people doing it. In fact that's what a lot of professional aquariums do, at least the ones near a shore, Vancouver Aquarium being an example. They don't mess with IO they get the real deal.

The main thing that would concern me are pollutants. Also, being from cold water here in Canada I wonder if parasites and bacteria would be a problem in a tropical environment or if it would all die.

Other than that, what better source of sea water than real sea water?

hillegom
09-09-2010, 05:39 AM
I think it would be a very good idea. But you would have to get the water from somewhere away from urban areas, away from pollution.

fkshiu
09-09-2010, 05:43 AM
The main problem is access. As you know, water is very heavy. Lugging huge containers of it from boat to shore to car to your house is a huge hassle even if you live right next to the water. Van Aquarium has the luxury of having a built-in pumping/filtration station on site. Not many people could afford to install something like that.

Raven34
09-09-2010, 05:47 AM
People live on the coast do it all the time, even if there is some toxins in the water it would be .000001 parts per million. LA fish guy on Youtube does all his water changes from the ocean.

lastlight
09-09-2010, 06:04 AM
If you search for "natural seawater" on RC you'll have more reading than you can handle. Seems to be many doing it with good results but many concerns are voiced over the source, pollutants and the consistency of the water over time.

daniella3d
09-10-2010, 11:40 PM
It will work as long as you don't live in the Golf of Mexico, or other very polluted places. I have read of people taking this natural water but a mile off shore to avoid pollution. I would think it's ideal water.

It's just very heavy and transportation would probably be a problem. If I lived near the ocean, right on the beach, I would maybe try to get a very long hose as much away from the shore as possible and pump it in with a powerfull pump but I would have it fully tested before using it.

this is probably a dumb thread for discussion i was just curious in my infinate boredom.

i was wondering if anyone (whom lived near the ocean being land locked in sask its not an option) has used actuall seawater to run thier hobby tank. you would think it would be the ideal water (given its clear enough to begin with) to grow the ideal habitat rather than mixing salts.

like i mentioned this may be a stupid idea thats popped into my tiny brain but if a company sold say hawian seawater in a bottle. would we as reefers buy such a thing to begin with? or do they actually sell such a beast already.

Wingin It
09-11-2010, 12:01 AM
i say, just build a hut over the ocean, and put in a glass floor. Problem solved! ;) lol

http://i616.photobucket.com/albums/tt241/cfforbes_photos/Nathans%20Tank/Tahiti-huts-L.jpg

mike31154
09-11-2010, 12:14 AM
....and there are hobbyists out there that use..gasp... natural sunlight to light their glass boxes. Search SolarTubes and see what you find. Up here past the 49th parallel, you'll still need some supplementation though, especially during the short winter days. Wouldn't need much extra for a FOWLR though.

Chipie
09-11-2010, 12:33 AM
I live right by the Atlantic Ocean and have used Natural sea water without any problems. Salinity is at 1.022 so i have to add a bit of salt to bring it to 1.026. There's quite a few reefers from the Maritime provinces that use it. Where i live, there's not much pollution so i just get mine off a fishing warf on Miscou Island(15 min from my house) Google map Miscou Island :)

Lance
09-11-2010, 12:56 AM
When I set up my first tank I tried it. Lugged 100gals of seawater home. Way too much work.

PoonTang
09-11-2010, 01:10 AM
Lots of guys on RC doing it. Some even take their water from New York Harbour. Some use it raw some sterilize with bleach and some just run it through some kind of a filter. Lots of different theories out there for sure.

BlueWorldAquatic
09-11-2010, 03:18 AM
Actually on of my largest suppliers use filtered ocean water.

The fish come to us suprising healthy too.

Ken - BWA

marie
09-11-2010, 03:57 AM
If I could figure out how to run a pipe up the hill without the city getting mad at me, I would use it.....definitely not into bucketing it home though

Veng68
09-11-2010, 04:17 AM
In Hong Kong the toilet water is salt water :)

Cheers,
Vic

petlaur
09-11-2010, 04:36 AM
When I set up my first tank I tried it. Lugged 100gals of seawater home. Way too much work.

That's like over half a ton of water that you've hauled Lol.:)

Mandosh
09-11-2010, 05:16 AM
. Van Aquarium has the luxury of having a built-in pumping/filtration station on site.

They do pump the majority of their water straight out of the Burrard Inlet, but the water in the one live-coral tank gets shipped from the Red Sea. Not sure how much of a difference that makes though considering my tanks look nicer than theirs using cheap salt and having very limited knowledge.

fkshiu
09-11-2010, 05:35 AM
They do pump the majority of their water straight out of the Burrard Inlet, but the water in the one live-coral tank gets shipped from the Red Sea. Not sure how much of a difference that makes though considering my tanks look nicer than theirs using cheap salt and having very limited knowledge.

Yeah, their coral tank is pretty sad looking for a public aquaria. Last time I checked it had pretty much been overrun by blue mushrooms. I've always wondered what kind of surge system they used in that aquarium.

banditpowdercoat
09-11-2010, 12:47 PM
Wow, all the way form the Red sea, that's cost effective for sure..

lockrookie
09-24-2010, 05:22 AM
after thi thought and startng this thread what does my local fish store bring in... but ocean water ina bottle go figure a little pricey mind you 30 bucks for 4.4 g i supose it would b k to helpjump start a system with all the micro organismns in the water. who knows

Rbacchiega
09-24-2010, 04:01 PM
I'll be using water from the ocean to set up....then bottled ocean water to maintain.

lockrookie
09-24-2010, 04:43 PM
I'll be using water from the ocean to set up....then bottled ocean water to maintain.

id stay away from the water in east river.... nothing will survive