UCSB Santa Barbara NSW Natural Sea Water...
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isseym328
Premium Member
I got a guy that's willing to sell me sb water for $2/5 gallon (to cover gas) locally, and I was ready to take up on his offer until I read you guys' post. So this water is no good for sps dominated tanks?
Ian do you also have a problem with high po4 levels in the water?
Ian do you also have a problem with high po4 levels in the water?
Hey carl,
I'm still here.
And yes I'm still using the water excluslively.
Funny thing is, I can grow just about anything in my smaller tank but not in the big tank. I think it's more the large fish than the water though.
I took down the 72G and moved everything into the 400. Well as luck would have it, I lost just about all of the corals, including some of my old bubbles that have been in the 400 for some time. Not sure exactly what went on. I know I haven't been keeping up with the 400 like I should but I'm starting to work on it again.
Fuuny thing in that tank is that I can keep dificult fish long term, ie moorish idols and copper banded butterfly's but I can't keep easy corals. Who knows. I've been working on my calicum reactor and getting it dialed back in so we'll see what happens. I'm also having a problem getting coraline alage to grow in that tank. That is my first goal before I start putting corals back in the tank. But the fish are doing great and I can grow sponges like mad in that tank. They are evreywhere.
I've recently set up a small nano to grow corals in again. Right now I just have a branching hammer and some monti caps. We'll see how it goes. I'm running this tank with no skimmer though, just frequent water changes.
I'm still here.
And yes I'm still using the water excluslively.
Funny thing is, I can grow just about anything in my smaller tank but not in the big tank. I think it's more the large fish than the water though.
I took down the 72G and moved everything into the 400. Well as luck would have it, I lost just about all of the corals, including some of my old bubbles that have been in the 400 for some time. Not sure exactly what went on. I know I haven't been keeping up with the 400 like I should but I'm starting to work on it again.
Fuuny thing in that tank is that I can keep dificult fish long term, ie moorish idols and copper banded butterfly's but I can't keep easy corals. Who knows. I've been working on my calicum reactor and getting it dialed back in so we'll see what happens. I'm also having a problem getting coraline alage to grow in that tank. That is my first goal before I start putting corals back in the tank. But the fish are doing great and I can grow sponges like mad in that tank. They are evreywhere.
I've recently set up a small nano to grow corals in again. Right now I just have a branching hammer and some monti caps. We'll see how it goes. I'm running this tank with no skimmer though, just frequent water changes.
Reefski's
Active member
Ray, maybe it is the water. how did they die. slowly, fast?
what have/had you been neglecting?
do you test the water when you get it?
what are your water parameters?
thanks for responding,
anyone else?
i am about to order some salt to rule that out as a variable in my continuing saga.
Carl
what have/had you been neglecting?
do you test the water when you get it?
what are your water parameters?
thanks for responding,
anyone else?
i am about to order some salt to rule that out as a variable in my continuing saga.
Carl
SBJim
New member
Been using UCSB NSW for years, do keep SPS, but just easy ones. 4 colors of Monti cap, 3 colors monti digi, and an acropora micropthalma. They are all doing well. In fact, I have grown the acro from a frag to a full colony four times (then sold and/or given away the colony and kept a frag for myself). All currently growing like crazy.
Had a blue-tipped tenius (so I'm told: was more purple-tipped in my tank) that did really well for a while. Did the same thing: gave away the colony and kept a frag. Frag however currently not doing well. Don't know if it's the water.
Had a blue-tipped tenius (so I'm told: was more purple-tipped in my tank) that did really well for a while. Did the same thing: gave away the colony and kept a frag. Frag however currently not doing well. Don't know if it's the water.
Carl,
It's not the water as I use/used nothing but UCSB NSW in both tanks. Matter of fact, they were both started with NSW and even my new nano was started with NSW.
In the 72G with NSW, I had a green w/ purple edge monti that grew like a weed. I think everyone in the club got a small colony from that and it was still huge. I also had a large assortment of zoa's along with some LE SPS corals. All doing good and thriving in the 72. But they didn't survive the move to the 400. I even had a large Superman monti that I found at the LFS. I split it and put half in each tank. It grew good in the 72 with nice colors but died in the 400.
About the only difference between the tanks besides fish load is the sand, flow and my maintenance. The 400 has Hawaiian beach sand that's been in there for years. The 72 I started with new store bought live sand. The rock in the 72 came out of the 400. I have a whole lot more flow in the 400 than the 72.
My calicum reactor on the 400 broke and was out for awhile. On the 72, I used Seahem's Reef Builder and Alakinity. Reef builder has calicum with some otehr goodies in it like magn and stroninum. Don't know if that was the difference or not.
Also in the 72, my coraline alage grew like a weed but I can't get it to grow in the 400.
I'm now working on trying to get the 400 up and running good so I can try some corals again. But it might be I have too big of a fish load for that. AS to what happened, I don't know. I had a 6 + year old pagoda coral that looke dgreat and was doing great in the 400 for a couple of years. When I added the new corals, it went down hill and I couldn't save it. About the only corals I have left in the tank is my large toadstool leather that's hanging in there, my two pearl bubbles, one of which had spawned in my 45 years ago and is not just barley holding on, and then I have a blue ridge SPS coral that's still growing.
As for water paramiters, who know, I haven't tested them in years. Last time I tested was just for calicum and magnisum and that was just a tad low. That was about 6 months ago and when I was trying to get my calicum reactor back up and running. I've also been adding kalkwasser to the tank on a drip system but don't know how much it really has been helping. But I'm still plugging away at it.
I'm trying to get back on a regular water change schedule. For about a year, I was just doing 50% changes about once a month. I'm trying to get into a 10% a week on water changes now to see if it helps any. I did do a couple of 75% water changes about a month ago. One because I did a gravel vac and the other because my out side filter broke and pumped out about that much water before I could get it secured.
But I'll keep plugging away at it. Just been really busy lately trying to get my bike painted so I can ride again. That's taking up a lot of time since I'm doing it all myself.
It's not the water as I use/used nothing but UCSB NSW in both tanks. Matter of fact, they were both started with NSW and even my new nano was started with NSW.
In the 72G with NSW, I had a green w/ purple edge monti that grew like a weed. I think everyone in the club got a small colony from that and it was still huge. I also had a large assortment of zoa's along with some LE SPS corals. All doing good and thriving in the 72. But they didn't survive the move to the 400. I even had a large Superman monti that I found at the LFS. I split it and put half in each tank. It grew good in the 72 with nice colors but died in the 400.
About the only difference between the tanks besides fish load is the sand, flow and my maintenance. The 400 has Hawaiian beach sand that's been in there for years. The 72 I started with new store bought live sand. The rock in the 72 came out of the 400. I have a whole lot more flow in the 400 than the 72.
My calicum reactor on the 400 broke and was out for awhile. On the 72, I used Seahem's Reef Builder and Alakinity. Reef builder has calicum with some otehr goodies in it like magn and stroninum. Don't know if that was the difference or not.
Also in the 72, my coraline alage grew like a weed but I can't get it to grow in the 400.
I'm now working on trying to get the 400 up and running good so I can try some corals again. But it might be I have too big of a fish load for that. AS to what happened, I don't know. I had a 6 + year old pagoda coral that looke dgreat and was doing great in the 400 for a couple of years. When I added the new corals, it went down hill and I couldn't save it. About the only corals I have left in the tank is my large toadstool leather that's hanging in there, my two pearl bubbles, one of which had spawned in my 45 years ago and is not just barley holding on, and then I have a blue ridge SPS coral that's still growing.
As for water paramiters, who know, I haven't tested them in years. Last time I tested was just for calicum and magnisum and that was just a tad low. That was about 6 months ago and when I was trying to get my calicum reactor back up and running. I've also been adding kalkwasser to the tank on a drip system but don't know how much it really has been helping. But I'm still plugging away at it.
I'm trying to get back on a regular water change schedule. For about a year, I was just doing 50% changes about once a month. I'm trying to get into a 10% a week on water changes now to see if it helps any. I did do a couple of 75% water changes about a month ago. One because I did a gravel vac and the other because my out side filter broke and pumped out about that much water before I could get it secured.
But I'll keep plugging away at it. Just been really busy lately trying to get my bike painted so I can ride again. That's taking up a lot of time since I'm doing it all myself.
Reefski's
Active member
Ray-
thanks for your reply. if i remember you have a big skimmer. what else do you have for nutrient export? refugium, macroalgae?
so i guess you don't test for PO4 either. the ucsb water has meaureable levels.
did you do big water changes as well on the 72 gallon system?
Carl
thanks for your reply. if i remember you have a big skimmer. what else do you have for nutrient export? refugium, macroalgae?
so i guess you don't test for PO4 either. the ucsb water has meaureable levels.
did you do big water changes as well on the 72 gallon system?
Carl
Right, have the oversized skimmer.
Other than that, I had a deep sand bed in the sump and on occasion, I'd run a filter with carbon. I also have a small ozone genrator but am looking at getting a bigger one.
Yep, I normally did 50% water changes on both tanks. The only thing I did different was heat the water going into the 72 as it would make a big difference in teh tank temp. I actuall lost a fish due to the temp dropping too low. But it never bothered my corals. They were always back open with in a few hours of a water change no matter what the temp. With ASW, it wuld take at least a day before they would open up.
Actually I've never tested for PO4. Only occasionaly checked amonia, nitrites, nitrates and PH.
Other than that, I had a deep sand bed in the sump and on occasion, I'd run a filter with carbon. I also have a small ozone genrator but am looking at getting a bigger one.
Yep, I normally did 50% water changes on both tanks. The only thing I did different was heat the water going into the 72 as it would make a big difference in teh tank temp. I actuall lost a fish due to the temp dropping too low. But it never bothered my corals. They were always back open with in a few hours of a water change no matter what the temp. With ASW, it wuld take at least a day before they would open up.
Actually I've never tested for PO4. Only occasionaly checked amonia, nitrites, nitrates and PH.
Reefski's
Active member
thanks Ray
i still have one of the urchins i got from you and it is huge now. the other one died when my sister in law forgot to turn the pump on after feeding in the tank it was in.
come on people, there must be many people using this water.
what is your experience?
Carl
i still have one of the urchins i got from you and it is huge now. the other one died when my sister in law forgot to turn the pump on after feeding in the tank it was in.
come on people, there must be many people using this water.
what is your experience?
Carl
Well Carl, you know what they say, What works for one tank may not necessarily work for another. Guess my two tanks were living proof of that.
DANNY G2004
Active member
I think I had the same problem with some sps not all but a few I still have alot of salt so all I need is a few blue tanks for storage I found some but off anyone here have any let me know PM me
Hey Carl,
I noticed something interesting last night. AS I said, I set up a new nano tank, maybe 2 months ago, also using nothing but NSW. Wel last night as I was cleaning the glass, I noticed that I have coraline alage growing everywhere. Nice pink and purple stuff. I also noticed that my monti cap has full poylop extensions almost all of the time.
This tank has nothing more than a carbon filter running on it. No skimmer, fuger or anything else. I don't even dose anything in the tank. All I do is about 50 % waterchanges once a week and that's it.
Just thought I'd throw that out there for you.
I noticed something interesting last night. AS I said, I set up a new nano tank, maybe 2 months ago, also using nothing but NSW. Wel last night as I was cleaning the glass, I noticed that I have coraline alage growing everywhere. Nice pink and purple stuff. I also noticed that my monti cap has full poylop extensions almost all of the time.
This tank has nothing more than a carbon filter running on it. No skimmer, fuger or anything else. I don't even dose anything in the tank. All I do is about 50 % waterchanges once a week and that's it.
Just thought I'd throw that out there for you.
29reef
It's all about the flow
Jim, good to hear your still around. Still using pc's on your 50? I wanna come take a look at your tank; and have you come do the same. I'm just down de la vina by chicken ranch. Starting up again with a real(small) tank. No more nano tank for me lol. Send me a pm and we'll connect sometime.
SBJim
New member
Thanks Brian. My Hamilton PC retro crapped out one day, and I used that as an excuse to switch to T5. I think I had a really good pc fixture, b/c frankly I have not seen much difference. Maybe a little better penetration.
Happy to do tank visits, though mine is suffering from lack of time to do all the stuff I'd like to.
To all, I did find that I had to dose a higher level of alk and CA than per B-Ionic's instructions to keep them at the right level with the NSW.
Happy to do tank visits, though mine is suffering from lack of time to do all the stuff I'd like to.
To all, I did find that I had to dose a higher level of alk and CA than per B-Ionic's instructions to keep them at the right level with the NSW.
I'm still using it.
I'm actually looking at sending some tank water samples off for testing and may just throw in a sample of NSW as well. I'll post the results when I get them back.
Speaking of which, does anyone have the website of the company that does the sample testing for aquariums?
I'm actually looking at sending some tank water samples off for testing and may just throw in a sample of NSW as well. I'll post the results when I get them back.
Speaking of which, does anyone have the website of the company that does the sample testing for aquariums?
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