Water from the ocean

[HManOne]

I am finally ready to add water (this is my first saltwater aquarium). I know I have to mature the tank but is it safe to get water from the ocean? Just curious, I live a whole 3 miles from the beach. I have a new wet/dry and protein skimmer.

This will be a fish only aquarium.

 

[Underwaterfragglerock]

Wow, that's a good question! Hm... I guess it depends on what ocean you live by and what part, right?? I have no idea, but I will ask around and let you know what I find if someone else dosen't answer first. 8)

 

[Eelzor]

Well, if your near the normal beach that is not a reef, I wouldn't really recommend it as there may be diseases in it, however if it is near a pure reef, it's different. I am not sure about that part.

 

[Max]

i would just buy some RO water just to be safe...

 

[Navarre]

It really depends what part of the world you live in. The comments made here already are correct to point out thats its location, location, location

I live in the UK, far southwest in Cornwall. I only use Natural Seawater (NSW) for all my tanks and the tanks thrive on this. Coral growth is good and polyps extensions are very pronounced. There are no reefs in the uK (not coral reefs anyway) so only getting water from this location isnt really a necessity.
However, i consider myself very lucky to be living in a location with such good water quality. The quality of water is not the same throughout the southwest and definately not the rest of the UK. I cannot answer for the USA of course but i would imagine they have similar areas where water quality s excellant and areas that i would not want to even try and test the water.

 

[Yano]

I have read in books about people doing this. But personally I would not try it

 

[Navarre]

As mentioned, you must be sure of the quality of the water. I am lucky where i live. A good spot on the atlantic ocean that is even used by large water companies who sell clean sea water to businesses (not sure why, conductivity i think). This cost is uaully £300 per gallon, (about $450 per gallon!).

Do your research, if all is well then try it with a small system at first and progress from there.


My large 130 UK gallon completely natural system. Natrual seawater, no skimmer, only liverock and mineral mud with macro algeas in the sump as a filter.

My 40 UK gallon Totally natural system. Natural seawater, Live rock only. (No sump) i have the juwel internal filter running for extra circulation and the dark conditions is an ideal environment for pod/sponge breeding. but its only filled with a few sponges. The skimmer can be seen in the top but its turned off and has been off since going natural (you can see there is no water movement from the inlet in this area)

 

[HManOne]

Well I've taken all suggestions into consideration. I will just play it safe and use RO water. I just thought it would be neat to use "real" water from the Atlantic.
Thanks for you opions!!!

 

[Max]

ok good use ro water (sorry bit late i was busy with other things) but navar can you show more pictures of your tank?

 

[Navarre]

Sure!

THis is one of my 40 gallon tank (UK gallons). Its an older photo than the one i have already posted as you can see thecoral growth is not as high. BUt this does show the halides that i use over the tank. The lights below this are T5s 50/50 white blue

This is the same tank at night.
I never run my tanks in total darlness, when the lights go out I have blue LED lights that give ust enough light to see by. This simulates a clear moonlit night quite nicely and is a fraction of the price of other "nitlight methods"

This is a fairly recent piccy of my 40 gallon tank.

Now my 100 gallon setup (with 30 gallon sump).

Initial design, this is the empty tank with reefrack installed.

This is the tank as it stands at the moment. Im afraid its not looking the way i would like it but its still early days for this tank yet (its only been runningfor about 6 weeks or so). The live rock is costing a fortune but slowly its getting there.
As you can see by the shadows on the cabinet. It sits right next to a window. The tank is 6 weeks old and no algea blooms (i scrap the glass every couple of days but not more than most other aquarists do for their own tanks). This reinforces my statement that algea needs 2 things. Light and nutrients. I have loads of light but very low nutrients (the algea bed in the sump is eating it all) so no algea growth (or very ver y low growth) in the main tank.

This is a slightly closer image of the central outcrop. My intention is to fill this area with acros and plating corals to give this a sort of mini atoll type outcrop. Then have a bay of liverock behind following the countours of the reefrack.

And finally, here are just a few of my fish.
I have got an emperor tang and a copperband butterfly as well but no photos as yet.

My Banana Wrasse and purple Firefish.

2 of my Blood shrimps

My male bluethroat, coarl beauty and Male lyretail anthias.

My Bluethroat and my Niger trigger.

And finally my fantastic pair of Wantanbae Angels.(Very rare to find a pair like this in the UK)

AS i have mentioned, I only use Natural seawater in my tanks and have never had any trouble. I do keep synthetic salt just in case of emergencies.


Sorry for hogging the thread but when im asked to show a few piccys i tend to get carried away )

Hope you like em.

 

[Discomafia]