Who knows, maybe one day these youngins may listen to the old guys who have been doing this for a year or two. 
I used ocean water! Whatcha think?
- Thread starter MPA
- Start date
Would you add anything to collected NSW like Kalk. or any other additives or it is what it is and has everything a reef needs in a closed system?
Testing for the norm I assume. Im wondering why I should be buying 2 part additives, multiple test kits, and various other chemicals when I can just go get H20 thats perfect allready?
Testing for the norm I assume. Im wondering why I should be buying 2 part additives, multiple test kits, and various other chemicals when I can just go get H20 thats perfect allready?
On my 400 G system, I have a calicum reactor. On my 72 G system, I add seachem's reef builder and buffer for calcium and alk. Your system will deplete these minerals by the corals uptake so you have to replenish them. That is unless your changing a large amount of water every week.
I actually do about 50% waterchanges on my tanks every couple of weeks but I still constantly does those two elements. My corals are growing great.
I actually do about 50% waterchanges on my tanks every couple of weeks but I still constantly does those two elements.
My corals are growing great.
Yea the gulf is a little different than getting from off the coast of the atlantic or pacific. It's kind of closed in. But then again, TBS farms their rock there. 
tigerarmy40
New member
so how about those pics?
Paul B
Premium Member
You do not have to add anything to NSW but you still have to add it to your tank. Calcium will get used up. If you have a test kit you could test the water you are collecting for calcium and salinity. You would only have to do it once, it should remain the same if you always collect it in the same place. My water here in NY is very low in salinity and calcium so I add those.
I will ask again, has anyone here had a problem with NSW? I am curious and would like to know.
The New York Aquarium also uses ASW for their coral tanks. I don't know why since it is on the Atlantic ocean. I guess they just don't know any better and they feel there is a danger. I think I will call them to see the problem.
Paul
I will ask again, has anyone here had a problem with NSW? I am curious and would like to know.
The New York Aquarium also uses ASW for their coral tanks. I don't know why since it is on the Atlantic ocean. I guess they just don't know any better and they feel there is a danger. I think I will call them to see the problem.
Paul
No problems here.
Our club recently got a tour of the NSW facility at the University of calif Santa barbara, the place where I get my NSW. Since we are a clubed foucsed on the Marine envirmoent, we got the head of the facility to lead our tour. He has a degree in marine biology from UCSb and has been running their system for years. They filter their water to 20 microns thru a giant sandbed and that's it. They add nothing to the water as it's an open loop system that dumps directly back into a lagoon on the property that drains back into the ocean. The water we get for our tanks is the exact same water they use in the research and labs. They do some amasing research there by the way. Their system runs 24/7 365 days a year, red tide or not.
After talking to Scott, the curator, for a few hours, we've found him to be very in tune with our needs and desires. Him and I talked about several things, one of whihc is that he has never had a case of Ich in any of his systems. And he collects his specimens right of the coast there. Also he has never had any crash or outbreak of any kind in his system. He actually has a female shark that has been producing fertile eggs in his system for over a year now with no male in teh tank. They raise the babies for research as well as provide them to otehr instatutions for research.
So that makes three of us now Paul, not counting the other club members who use it and have had no problems. Plus the countless other people in this area that use it yet aren't club members.
The salinity of the water here runs right at 1.025 give or take a point. Also the calicum is a bit low but that's Ok since I dose that for all my corals and clams.
Our club recently got a tour of the NSW facility at the University of calif Santa barbara, the place where I get my NSW. Since we are a clubed foucsed on the Marine envirmoent, we got the head of the facility to lead our tour. He has a degree in marine biology from UCSb and has been running their system for years. They filter their water to 20 microns thru a giant sandbed and that's it. They add nothing to the water as it's an open loop system that dumps directly back into a lagoon on the property that drains back into the ocean. The water we get for our tanks is the exact same water they use in the research and labs. They do some amasing research there by the way. Their system runs 24/7 365 days a year, red tide or not.
After talking to Scott, the curator, for a few hours, we've found him to be very in tune with our needs and desires. Him and I talked about several things, one of whihc is that he has never had a case of Ich in any of his systems. And he collects his specimens right of the coast there. Also he has never had any crash or outbreak of any kind in his system. He actually has a female shark that has been producing fertile eggs in his system for over a year now with no male in teh tank. They raise the babies for research as well as provide them to otehr instatutions for research.
So that makes three of us now Paul, not counting the other club members who use it and have had no problems. Plus the countless other people in this area that use it yet aren't club members.
The salinity of the water here runs right at 1.025 give or take a point. Also the calicum is a bit low but that's Ok since I dose that for all my corals and clams.
I got 2 coast to choose from here and some tributaries as well to pull from. So far this is 3 pages of debate with no one to actually say they had a problem. Im goin for it. I see advantages in the form of $$$ saved overall. i think the summary is that those who have used it enjoy benefits rather than problems that you arent getting in ASW. I can gther enough in one trip to save 2-3 buckets of salt and my tank will probably all the better for it int he end. I do run UV and test at reg. intervals. I cant wait to give it a shot.
Ill keep checking this sight for someone to negate the usage and report back my successesr failures Wish me luck. Ill be goin to Cocoa Beach to collect next week. Its $30 in gas to get there and back for me so that less than one bucket of I.O. at $48 a bucket allready. Besides Coconuts has a 2-4-1 draft special goin too lol...
Ill keep checking this sight for someone to negate the usage and report back my successesr failures Wish me luck. Ill be goin to Cocoa Beach to collect next week. Its $30 in gas to get there and back for me so that less than one bucket of I.O. at $48 a bucket allready. Besides Coconuts has a 2-4-1 draft special goin too lol...
Good luck. I beleive those who are naysayers are the ones who have never really tried it, only repeating what they heard from someone else.
I was even told by one of the so called "experts", who no longer is on RC, not to use NSW as well as it would crash my tank. But instead, my tank has flourshied and looks a whole lot better AND happier than when I used ASW. But that is just my opnion, your milage may vary.
I was even told by one of the so called "experts", who no longer is on RC, not to use NSW as well as it would crash my tank. But instead, my tank has flourshied and looks a whole lot better AND happier than when I used ASW. But that is just my opnion, your milage may vary.
You forgot to say "boiled using a solar oven in a carved rock bowl" :lol:
I've used NSW on and off since, well, nearly for ever (hah, well over a decade :lol: ) and I've never had a problem. Fish REALLy love it. I use it in several wholesale facilities I've worked at, we'd call it the "Wonder Tonic". It sure brings back freshly shipped fish to perfect health in no time at all.
I've used NSW on and off since, well, nearly for ever (hah, well over a decade :lol: ) and I've never had a problem. Fish REALLy love it. I use it in several wholesale facilities I've worked at, we'd call it the "Wonder Tonic". It sure brings back freshly shipped fish to perfect health in no time at all.
Agu
Premium Member
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7862932#post7862932 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by blown63chevy
Yea the gulf is a little different than getting from off the coast of the atlantic or pacific. It's kind of closed in. But then again, TBS farms their rock there.
They aquaculture several miles out. It's different than just off a key where the powers to be insist that golf courses on sand dunes have to be green
.
xxaquanutxx
New member
Back home in CI I get my water from the ocean.. but then again we dont have factories and a lot of chemical discharge.
That's the best for growing Macro's
On a more serious note, I used Long Island Sound (eastern end) water for many years. Salinity is typically around 26ppt and was never a problem, even for corals. I could do virtually complete water changes, and everything would be fully expanded and looking great with in an hour...never get that with IO. Currently I'm in the process of building a University wet lab in an old Oyster Hatchery, the salt water well comes in at 27ppt. I'm looking foward to being able to simply stick a hose into a barrel in the back of my truck and bringing home good clean NSW without having to lug buckets up the beach
reef krazee
New member
i've used nsw for about 10yrs the corals love it and i've never had any problems.i live in the keys which makes it very easy process to get water and do a change.i go out about 5 miles drop in the bilge pump collect about 50 gallons and head home to do the change.
one thing i have noticed is my skimmer loads up quickly for a few days.
:rollface: mike
one thing i have noticed is my skimmer loads up quickly for a few days.
:rollface: mike
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