Mr sea water
New member
Hi I am based in the United Kingdom and new to Reef Central. Do you use natural sea water in the USA, I have been using it for years in the UK and would not use any thing else? Steve.
Nsw
- Thread starter Mr sea water
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jared355
New member
Way to make it weird....
Pittsburgh
New member
Never thought of applying nsw that way before... any benefits?
Mr sea water
New member
Where we collect from the water is spot on in all respects (prams) and full of bacteria and food and free!! Been using it for years!
Mr sea water
New member
Yes we collect 1000l at a time it great, and you can set a tank up no need to cycle the tank! It's spot on! And free! Just test the water to make shaw it's good? Collect near high tide, some heat it first I do not just put it in? We have 60 fish in our system.
ReeferBill
New member
I use to use NSW but always had algae issues with it. Now using RO/DI water and no algae issues!
Pittsburgh
New member
Sorry guys/gals. I understand, was just being sarcastic as usual, in a good way. Mark's comment made me laugh very hard too early in the morning ^)
Mr sea water
New member
No it's fine no algae issues but I do run a commercial bank of UVs to control WS?
Mael
New member
the UV bank would definitely help in that respect, I think the heating you mentioned before is what some people do to help with that as well. I would think that if the NSW your collecting doesnt have high trates or phosphates it wouldnt cause more algae than anything else would, but I may be missing something.
Laura8088
New member
thats awesome! do you have any tank pics?
I think the biggest issue with using NSW is that you don't always know exactly what's in it. You may be able to test for all the usual params but is there any way to test for pollutants? By making your own you have way more control and some salt mixes contain higher amounts of certain elements that a reef needs. But if you can find a source that you know is absolutely clean then I don't see why not, especially when it's free.
Many people in the US use it, and we have a least one commercial company that collects it and resells it.
Whether you can use it, obviously, depends on your desire to lug water around (I don't) live near the water (I do), and whether you can find it to be adequately clean where you live (I do, but many do not). I've added it a couple of times, but do not make a regular thing of it since I think it unlikely to justify the effort.
Whether you can use it, obviously, depends on your desire to lug water around (I don't) live near the water (I do), and whether you can find it to be adequately clean where you live (I do, but many do not). I've added it a couple of times, but do not make a regular thing of it since I think it unlikely to justify the effort.
Mr sea water
New member
The NSW I collect nitrate 0 phosphate 0 so do not use remover only thing added is kalk 9pm till 7am At 185-200 mlph to surport PH and Bi carb?
Mr sea water
New member
Many people in the US use it, and we have a least one commercial company that collects it and resells it.
Whether you can use it, obviously, depends on your desire to lug water around (I don't) live near the water (I do), and whether you can find it to be adequately clean where you live (I do, but many do not). I've added it a couple of times, but do not make a regular thing of it since I think it unlikely to justify the effort.
I guess we are lucky with the high flow of the English Channel, it is spot on when tested, I fill the IBC in 2min 500l pm, the pump is petrol so it's good, I have stored it through the winter and used it after 5 months. The water is all ways clean and clear! No Luging of Water and if I need to take the IBC out the trailer I have a fork lift! Steve.
Green Chromis
New member
:fish1: NSW is the only thing I use. This is where all the creatures we put in our tanks come from and every time I collect it 1 or 2 times per month it's always the same. I collect my water from the Gulf Stream in the Florida keys using my boat and while I'm collecting the water we usually catch a fish or to for dinner and during the summer months lots of shrimp in the Sargasso weed to feed the tank. :fish1:
Mr sea water
New member
Green Chromis
New member
:fish1: Hi Mr. Sea Water, are you collecting your water from shore? :fish1:
Mr sea water
New member
Hi Green Chromis, yes, we pump it in a IBC, it is very clean and tests spot on? Just pick the weather, there is times in the year I will not collect. But just before hi tide is good. If you look on a chart of the English Channel there is a large vortex of tide so there is a large movement of water? So all good and in October the temp can still be 15-16c. Steve.
