I used ocean water! Whatcha think?

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7741649#post7741649 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Roadtoad
Good luck, I would seriously consider filtering the water using a 5-20 micron bag before you throw your local water into a fully stocked tank. That will get rid of the plankton which might be beneficial but will get rid of the parasites that can be problematic. [/B]

a 5 micron filter will take out the larger organisms, but bacteria and viruses will go right through the filter. So you loose all the plankton and perhaps some parasites that may or may not be a threat to your fishes (I heavily doubt that that they will be) but you leave in all the procaryotes. Do you really see that you will gain something from this treatment?

Jens
 
I use NSW during the summer, a little bit to cold in the winter for me. But, I've never had a problem with any water I collected. I wait till high tide, or a hour afterwards, go out on one of the jettis and collect 4 jugs full. Come home, and do a water change. I watch my fish and corals to see what the reaction, if any, is. Haven't have any as of yet.

I know alot of people that are just plain afraid to do this, I was too, till a friend of mines said he does it all the time. And his tank is absolutely gorgeous. So, I gave it a shot, and it works. ALSO, it's FREE, lol

Rev
 
You had to go and ask! During my undergraduate life stage I was a researcher in the field of fish parasitology before I decided to study immunology focused on autoimmune diseases for my graduate work.

Although not perfect, a small filter will remove protozoa such as Amyloodinium ocellatum (Oodinium), Cryptocaryon irritans, Brooklynella hostilis, Uronema marinum whic are probably the biggest killers in the tropical fish trade. Parasitic isopods, copepods, Turbellarians such as Paravortex, as well as parasitic Trematodes, nematodes and cestodes also are important causes of fish mortality and will similarly be trapped by a 5 micron filter.

While I agree that some of these require intermediate hosts and others may require fecal-oral transmission, cestodes in particular, and many of the worms, proper filtration will eliminate the risk of adding these eukaryotic parasites to your tank full of expensive livestock.

We aren’t really worried about bacteria or we wouldn’t add live rock to our tanks. I am not downplaying their role in disease. I don’t think we have any idea which viruses in salt water are important pathogens of the tropical fish we keep. If you are at all concerned about adding bacteria or viruses them to your tank you can use ASW, filter to 0.2microns (wont get mycoplasma or viruses) or run everything through a UV irradiator very slowly to maximize the kill (even that wont touch some bacterial cysts). They used to recommend filling a tank full of NSW and letting it sit in the dark for weeks to kill most obligate parasites before use (wont necessarily kill viruses or all bacteria). Aquaculturists will filter, add bleach and then run it through a UV filter.

Again, while not perfect for every potential pathogen, I am just saying that it is safer to use filtered water that is free of eukaryotic parasites than to risk their introduction into our tanks.
 
My friend

most people will not think of a bio, lower level pathogens that might attack and destory their tank. I see that you have a lot to share, please share your info. I know alot of people that use NSW, but we are not looking at levels at the level you are. We, NSW users, we look at salinity, ca, pH, etc. If there is something esle we should be looking at, please tell us.

RevClyburn
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7723886#post7723886 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by oama
No, ORA does not go off shore to get water. The hatcheries tend to not float very well. :)

ORA utilizes Saltwater Wells.

The Waikiki aquarium does the same. The really cool part about that is the concentration of minerals in the water.
 
I used NSW for a while collected from the Gulf. Can't say I saw good or bad effects. Not having a boat though was a major pain. I'd wade out waist deep, fill a couple of buckets, and haul them a 100 yards to my car.

Interestingly I often collected water at 1.030 salinity or higher and had to dilute it down.
 
allright im liking this alot, so if i were to use water from the gulf to will up my 75.. would i need to cycle the tank still or not? this is alot cheaper than buying all that salt!!
 
I am going to say that you do not have to cycle. the ocaen has had 100 mill years to cycle so were good. I have the 120 going with a 150 w/d and a nano on my counter. both used nsw from my beach and they are doing really good.

I think I will be able to put pics on within a few hours.
 
It's the rock that cycles, not the water. If you use NSW there'll still be some dieoff from the rock.

Even if you use water from the Gulf and have a boat I wouldn't plan on using it year round. I have no idea what red tide would do to a reef tank and have no plans to find out.
 
ohh yeah i forgot about red tide.. that would be pretty bad

hey agu where are you in venice.. thats where my business is, well we are in englewood.. ever hear or kirkey roofing??
 
red tide is the worst. You would know when there is a bloom .

You can't even go near the beach. tou said its the rock that cycles? I know that ready mix di h2o and salt has what it takes, but it is the biological aspect that you need to help maintain life. Like microorganisis and such. The live rock helps provide a certain bacteria level, same as live sand. I thought the die off would reflect as a negative thing in the bio load.
 
even though you can tell when red tide is around, what if you know it isnt around but you get just a little bit of the seed or particle of it in your tank, in a year or so it blooms and hundres-thousands of livestock all dies..im not so sure i am willing to take the chance
 
It forms a pod and sinks to the bottom of the ocean. when the water gets warm enough it spawns by breaking its shell and mulitplys quickly. its name red tide comes from the redish tint it can give waves.
 
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