Can I use natural sea water for my tank?

[Anonymous]

I got to thinking...I'm 5 minutes from the beach here in Myrtle...can I just get a couple 5-gallon buckets or water and do my water changes that way?

It seems too good to be true...

Peace,

Chip

 

[Chubosco]

I know I wouldn't, lots of bad guys floating around out there. Though I have heard of people doing it.

 

[ReefTiger]

You can, but I am pretty sure that you need to get in a boat and go out at least a few miles to get the water. Something about the water near shore being dirtier/more contaminated.

 

[Anonymous]

I knew it...too good to be true.

Peace,

Chip

 

[pcardone]

keep in mind the water crashing on the rocks is natures protien skimmer.

 

[Chubosco]

INTERESTING

 

[Raphael]

Personally, I don't see why not. I have heard of alot of people who have done it with great success.

 

[Unarce]

It feasible. Even the companies that supply NSW still put it through a filter process. So, you'll definitely want to run it through carbon at the very least.

The further from the shore you can collect it, the better. If you have to get it off the shore, do it at floodtide, after all the fauna has absorbed the nutrients and pollutants.

 

[Anonymous]

What Karl said, hit it through Carbon, hell i'd stick a UV filter on the thing too just to be safe, and if I had to do it submerge the bottle with your hand over the top and get from as deep an area as possible (might be hard since 5 gallons of water is a little over 40 pounds, and that much force will be pushing back up on your hand).

 

[Anonymous]

I have used it in the past - it is kind of a pain though. I would fill a trash can in the boat when we were fishing. If you can't get it from offshore at least get it off of the end of the pier or as far away from the river or inletts as possible. I never had any problems with anything spreading to my tank - maybe just lucky...

 

[Anonymous]

I used to up in washington, but you have to go out a ways. Like was posted above, the shores are natures filters, protein skimmers. The farther the better.

 

[Raphael]

I've seen fish stores that sell ocean water. The only reason why not to buy is the price, it's so expensive!

 

[Julius]

I used to live in Hawaii and never made artificial SW. I never had any problems and all my fish thrived. I did not have any invertebrates except a feather duster but I dont think there would be a great difference. Sometimes I even collected water from the harbor with all the boats everywhere. As I look back that was unwise and could have potentially intoduced some toxins from boat engines leaking oil
I would just test the SW u plan to use for No3 , PO4 to make sure. Even if the water u are collecting is a bit turbid u can always clean it up with a diatom filter.

 

[gregb1]

I pay $2 for 20LT of good off shore Australian water. Its so good you could just about drink it.

 

[Anonymous]

I would imagine it is very location dependant. We use natural sea water all the time, load up a cubic meter of the stuff with a pump and hey presto! Water change! But, that said, we wait for very clean water on the coast and pump from an area away from industrial outflows, sewage pipes and storm water runoffs. Also take the water from in a rock pool at low tide. I know that the new aquarium here pumps directly from the ocean just next to them but filters the water through sea sand en route as they need water 24/7 and cannot select their pumping days. Also they are close to the harbour outfall and a big river mouth.
Of the many private hobbyists I know here, I dont know one that mixes water.. that is the lot of the inland guys
Hope that helps!
I would take the earlier advice and test the water before adding, I know that I will be doing it from now on- it just makes sense!