Natural Sea Water

[Rocklefrag]

Hello all getting back into reefing soon and was wondering who is using NSW. I live in Jupiter, FL and have a boat and go fishing quite often. On any five day the Gulf Stream is 9-12 miles out and has some of the most beautiful blue water you have seen and obviously supports a wealth of life. Just wanted to here any input if anyone else is using NSW or success stories and horror stories. Thanks for your input

 

[Averhoeven]

I would be worried about the introducing of pests. Additionally, toxins may stimulate over time even if they are just in small concentrations. They would be my worries at least, I may be totally wrong though

 

[ZoWhat]

I would say contaminants that form a thin slimecoat on the oceans surface, like:

- tankers spilling oil, and whatever chemicals they are transporting,

- to cruise ships dumping human fetus matter and biogradeable food garbage,

- to pleasure boats leaving behind gas and oil,

- to random garbage being thrown overboard by commercial ships,

- to God knows what else is being dumped and pumped into the ocean

that I would NOT trust it.....

PLAN:
You could run setup a separate 100g rubbermaid trough to purify the NSW.

1) Run the NSW over and over again thru a micron filter sock

2) Skimmer the heck out of it using a separate skimmer just for this ongoing project

3) Use a UVC ultraviolet light

But do you really want to go to all that trouble?

Plus transporting even 20g is like 8.6lbs PER GALLON

 

[Rocklefrag]

I would say contaminants that form a thin slimecoat on the oceans surface, like:

- tankers spilling oil, and whatever chemicals they are transporting,

- to cruise ships dumping human fetus matter and biogradeable food garbage,

- to pleasure boats leaving behind gas and oil,

- to random garbage being thrown overboard by commercial ships,

- to God knows what else is being dumped and pumped into the ocean

that I would NOT trust it.....

PLAN:
You could run setup a separate 100g rubbermaid trough to purify the NSW.

1) Run the NSW over and over again thru a micron filter sock

2) Skimmer the heck out of it using a separate skimmer just for this ongoing project

3) Use a UVC ultraviolet light

But do you really want to go to all that trouble?

Plus transporting even 20g is like 8.6lbs PER GALLON

Thanks for the input. I have read very little Pros and much more cons on this subject sounds like RO water and salt mix is always best option and in all actuality cheaper when you add time, transportation, and cleaning NSW.

 

[lapin]

You should read the Paul B thread about him moving his tank. He sucks the water right out of a bay. If it was me, I would give it a try. See how it goes for 6 months. If you do give it a whirl let us know how it went.

 

[Rocklefrag]

You should read the Paul B thread about him moving his tank. He sucks the water right out of a bay. If it was me, I would give it a try. See how it goes for 6 months. If you do give it a whirl let us know how it went.

I may try when I start up tank with cheaper corals and fish to see how it goes since I probably don't want to dump too much money into a tank until it's been established for a while anyways and I guess it would be a great experiment to share here. Good idea Lapin. I'm always down to be a guinea pig.

 

[Fishfinder]

The water you are talking about is clean enough to run a tank

 

[cracker]

Hello Rockle Frag, I'd be all over collecting NSW from the Stream. The logistics is the issue. How much water would You want to bring home?How much room in the boat to store a container where it's out of the way for a days fishing? I have a 20 Proline here in Jax the stream is a good 40 miles east ! Too far for my boat. Now If I could bring it home to the driveway ,then transfer into what ever you have at home, I'd do it with no worries ! Let us know how it go's !

 

[Pat Clark]

I did collect from the shore in Port Richey fl for years no issues till Irma and power outage caused a crash and then I upgraded. Had some sps montis and a few acros but mostly zoas. We have a few people that do get there own nsw in the area here. Plus there is a few on teef2 reef. Yes you may add something bad but that can happen with a frag or a fish you add too. I try to collect on a incoming tide when it s almost high tide. If your collecting from a boat just make sure your collect below the water line. The added weight to your boat might make it more expensive to get them making yourself. That being said the micro organisms in the NSW is what corals feed off of. If I had a boat I would do it. But I don’t and still do. But again legal disclaimer at your own risk. Here is a pic before Irma

 

[Ronny Pena]

In my country we go to our national aquarium and we buy filtered NSW, the same they use for the aquarium's tanks. One of the most beautiful tanks in my country runs just with this water. At 0.50 USD for 5 Gallons, it's a bargain that has shown pleasant results.

 

[madweazl]

I was fortunate enough to use Scripps water in San Diego and then water right off the shore in Okinawa Japan. If I had access to NSW again, I'd use it in a heart beat.

 

[legionofdoon]

I know of people who collect it straight from Jupiter inlet. There used to be a guy called deep water Doug in North Palm who would bring it to your house.

 

[charged]

I live on the ocean in the Boston area and have been collecting NSW for almost 1 year. I only run it through a filter sock. Fish and corals are fine.

 

[charged]

I started using NSW in the Boston area about a year ago. Fish are fine and corals do better than mixing my own.

 

[legionofdoon]

Clean NSW is fine, for those of us who are near the gulf stream it's easier. If not as long as you go out beyond the tidal interface you are good. In fact as far as I am concerned you will get a ton more samples of the microfauna that will benefit your tank. That being said I started my new tank with synthetic water and dry rock, just to make sure.

 

[OrionN]

I used water out of the gulf of Mexico when I can easily get it. When I need large amount, I just borrow a friend's container and pump it myself. I did this when I first set up my 320. Need total of about 420 gals.

You need to either use it right away or aerated it until you use it. NSW are full of living organism and animals. If you don't aerated it for a few hours, these animals will died and foul up the water. If this is the case, you need to leave it for several days so that the mini-nitrogen cycle complete or else you will put ammonia laden water into your tank.

 

[legionofdoon]

I used water out of the gulf of Mexico when I can easily get it. When I need large amount, I just borrow a friend's container and pump it myself. I did this when I first set up my 320. Need total of about 420 gals.

You need to either use it right away or aerated it until you use it. NSW are full of living organism and animals. If you don't aerated it for a few hours, these animals will died and foul up the water. If this is the case, you need to leave it for several days so that the mini-nitrogen cycle complete or else you will put ammonia laden water into your tank.

Thank you for explaining what I did not think to state. My first tank was unfiltered tap water and synthetic salt. My second tank was rock from the first and NSW, my current tank is a new setup only about 3 months old and while it was set up with dry rock and synthetic salt water (plus RODI) I have been changing the water out a gallon at a time with NSW, just to get the good stuff. It's not every day but about once a week, and honestly I think it helped with my cycle. It was stalled as far as I could tell and because I have access to clean NSW and recently I have been able to go out I've noticed an improvement.

 

[legionofdoon]

As of today my nitrites and nitrates are testing at 0 with API and I fed two cubes twice today. However I have a pretty big refugium and a metric **** tonne of chaeto and hermits ( relatively speaking... I'd say about a hundred blue/red legs if not more which I collected locally and about 7 gallons of chaeto.)

 

[legionofdoon]

Lol just to let you know I'm going out snorkeling tomorrow morning.

 

[Zeal]

As of today my nitrites and nitrates are testing at 0 with API and I fed two cubes twice today. However I have a pretty big refugium and a metric **** tonne of chaeto and hermits ( relatively speaking... I'd say about a hundred blue/red legs if not more which I collected locally and about 7 gallons of chaeto.)

Where do you live that you collect hermits?