Ocean water
- Thread starter Tjmc
- Start date
You can use natural sea water (NSW) with out any problems, but there are some considerations.
The water needs to be collected at places where it is very clean and pure. This can mean that you need to go offshore in a boat to do it.
It is possible to collect some sediment, unwanted hitchhikers, and diseases. This can be resolved in several ways. You can store the water a few weeks before use, or you can use various methods of filtration to remove or kill anything in the water.
Before use, be sure to check the water parameters. You may need to adjust SG, calcium, alkalinity.
That's the major things you need to worry about as far as the water itself goes. The last consideration is the NSW is heavy. A gallon of NSW is about 8.6 pounds. That means each 5 gal container you collect is going to weigh close to 50 pounds each, and your going to need to lug it to you car or truck, and then into your home. That can be a lot of work that gets old fast.
The water needs to be collected at places where it is very clean and pure. This can mean that you need to go offshore in a boat to do it.
It is possible to collect some sediment, unwanted hitchhikers, and diseases. This can be resolved in several ways. You can store the water a few weeks before use, or you can use various methods of filtration to remove or kill anything in the water.
Before use, be sure to check the water parameters. You may need to adjust SG, calcium, alkalinity.
That's the major things you need to worry about as far as the water itself goes. The last consideration is the NSW is heavy. A gallon of NSW is about 8.6 pounds. That means each 5 gal container you collect is going to weigh close to 50 pounds each, and your going to need to lug it to you car or truck, and then into your home. That can be a lot of work that gets old fast.
Paul B
Well-Known Member
AS Dave said, it is heavy. I collect it a few times a year and if it were not so heavy I would use only NSW. It also seems to get heavier every year.
I have a boat but I generally just walk out here with a bucket to collect. If you are at an ocean, sandy beach there should be no problem, especially where you live. I did my first SCUBA dive there and your water is better than artificial.
I have a boat but I generally just walk out here with a bucket to collect. If you are at an ocean, sandy beach there should be no problem, especially where you live. I did my first SCUBA dive there and your water is better than artificial.
Thanks for the info Dave. I reckon I'll give it a go an monitor how the tank reacts.
Cheers Paul. Sounds as though it should be okay. At the moment, lugging the full containers shouldn't be a problem. Good workout....AS Dave said, it is heavy. I collect it a few times a year and if it were not so heavy I would use only NSW. It also seems to get heavier every year.
I have a boat but I generally just walk out here with a bucket to collect. If you are at an ocean, sandy beach there should be no problem, especially where you live. I did my first SCUBA dive there and your water is better than artificial.
It was a good workout for me for the first fifty years also. But the second fifty years, not so much.
I have to change the toggle bolts in my knee every time I collect water now. Pretty soon I will have to carry it in tablespoons.
Such is the price we pay for getting old. I don't think I could collect water like I did in my youth. However, getting old is better than the alternative.
Paul B
Well-Known Member
Yes it is. I worked construction for 40 years and there was a time I could carry a fifty gallon drum of water on my back. OK, maybe not fifty gallons but whatever it was, it was way more than I could carry now. I used to put my boat outdrives on my boat myself, now I need help to put them in my car and have the marina install them. I could probably still lift them up, but after five shoulder operations and four knees, the insurance company is no longer taking my calls.
