Safe to use ACTUAL seawater?

[1clownfish]

Hi all
So ever since I have set up my my 20 gallon nano about 4-5 months specifically for my over aggressive female clownfish who can not be housed with any other tank mates I have always mixed my own saltwater using RO from my fish store however recently starting a new job I have not had time so I started using premixed saltwater. I always assumed it was RO water they mixed salt into for you ( for a few extra cents of course ) and really it was a life saver. Now I can’t remember exactly when but I started having HUGE issues with algae and DAYS after I would do a water change lots of algae would just start growing! And they wouldn’t go away no matter what I did. The funny thing was it was different species every time!
So after a few weeks of this I went to my fish store to get some more saltwater and decided to ask the specific salinity since I never knew they told me ABOUT 1.025 I was confused and asked them why they weren’t 100% since this was supposedly saltwater they mixed and they told me it wasn’t and they got it strate from the ocean not filtered or anything! I was super confused since this water is CRYSTAL clear and they use it in their absolutely stunning tanks I mean their tanks have like won awards they are so healthy housing a range of different species not a sign of algae so I wasn’t to worried but thinking over the issues I have had with my tank using this water I wanted to ask… is it safe? Can it bring ammonia or other unwanted chemicals into my tank that may have been in the ocean? And is that why I am having issues with multiple different algae’s I can’t explain? I know many of you are going to ask my water parameters thinking it might be what is causing the algae I assure everything is in check they tank is fully established I have had it tested multiple times at my LFS

All advice appreciated, Thank you

 

[1clownfish]

Did a water change about a day ago this is the result
also please ignore the towel on top unfortunately my lid broke yesterday as I was cleaning I have it there to prevent her from jumping out

 

[Gumbies R Us]

BRS actually made a video in regard to this question so I'll link the video for you!!https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/content/post/faq-35-ocean-water-in-reef-tanks

 

[1clownfish]

Here

 

[1clownfish]

BRS actually made a video in regard to this question so I'll link the video for you!!https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/content/post/faq-35-ocean-water-in-reef-tanks

Thankyou will check it

 

[dedragon]

I guess it would really matter where its from, but what LFS are your talking about?

 

[1clownfish]

It’s called LAX aquarium the biggest in LA currently they are a huge deal

 

[TokenReefer]

They must use some sort of particulate filter I'd imagine to make it so clear; neither here nor there. The nsw will have whatever nutrients were in the water where they collected it from... Maybe drop a coral in there to see if it can mop up some of that (suspected) ammonia/no3/po4... just a thought

Edit: also, have you tested the water before adding it to your tank to see what the levels are?

 

[1clownfish]

Yes they’d have to
and yes I have all good

 

[TokenReefer]

Can it bring ammonia or other unwanted chemicals into my tank that may have been in the ocean?

So is it? What are your tests showing?

 

[1clownfish]

0ppm ammonia
0ppm nitrite
5ppm nitrate
8.3 ph
81f
1.028 salinity

 

[1clownfish]

Good?

 

[dedragon]

you can adjust salinity by adding rodi water (no salt) to the tank. What are you using to test the tank (wouldnt trust API test kits nor floating arm hydrometer)

 

[dedragon]

good quality test kits include salifert, hanna, and red sea pro kits among others. Good salinity checkers would be using a refractometer (with calibration solution) or precision hydrometer like fauna marin's one.

Salinity, temp, pH, nitrate and phosphate are most important for fish only tanks. For reef tanks, addition to those kits, you would need calcium and alkalinity regularly tested, with magnesium being tested less frequently. Nitrite and ammonia arent necessary after the cycle at all unless you were overstocking by a lot or using a qt aquarium that needs to be cleaned and re-cycled after each round of qt

 

[TokenReefer]

0ppm ammonia
0ppm nitrite
5ppm nitrate
8.3 ph
81f
1.028 salinity

Is this your display tank or the natural sea water from the shop?

To me it's an import export equation. Import can be from food/waste or added water; export in the form of coral/filters/skimmers/algae even. I don't know if your filtration is keeping up, etc. And then there is the question of testing accuracy as mentioned... Lots of variables for me to answer good or not tbh. I thought you were simply asking whether its possible there could be those things coming in with the water and I would say yes that's possible

 

[1clownfish]

you can adjust salinity by adding rodi water (no salt) to the tank. What are you using to test the tank (wouldnt trust API test kits nor floating arm hydrometer)

Yes when I go to my LFS for saltwater I also get two 5 gallon jugs of pure RODI just for topping off
I use a refractometer for salinity and yes I am using API I am aware they are not 100% accurate and tend to show trace elements in the results which can confuse but that is all I have at the moment
It is better than nothing I supose

 

[Tamberav]

I would use NSW if I could get it. Lucky!

The cause of algae is a bit complicated and not even always tied to nutrients. There are many higher nutrient tanks without algae issues.

I believe battlecorals runs higher salinity and he is a vender of acropora. At least he did in 2018.. I guess I have no idea now You can just add some RODI or distilled to what you are buying and bring it down.

 

[sixty_reefer]

Good?

Phosphates will be important to know to answer your question

 

[cww81]

A YouTuber named “simple aquariums” uses natural seawater collected from the ocean in her tank and there seems to be no problems, although, she does live in Australia if I remember correctly.

 

[1clownfish]

Is this your display tank or the natural sea water from the shop?

To me it's an import export equation. Import can be from food/waste or added water; export in the form of coral/filters/skimmers/algae even. I don't know if your filtration is keeping up, etc. And then there is the question of testing accuracy as mentioned... Lots of variables for me to answer good or not tbh. I thought you were simply asking whether its possible there could be those things coming in with the water and I would say yes that's possible

This is the natural sea water from the shop
I have a pretty sad filtrations system on this tank
all I have is a hang in back filter with some established activate charcoal and some sponge filter media
I also have poly filter and more activated media in the sand bed of the tank for more filtration
as well as a smaller filter that houses some seachem prime media