Using Actual Ocean Water - Pros/Cons?

[DAHansen]

After reading the article on ReefKeeping.com on "Reef Alchemy with Randy Holmes-Farley" I got to thinking. Yes, a dangerous past time, I know.

I live pretty close to the ocean here in Southern Massachusetts, and I have pretty easy access to Cape Cod Bay and Nantucket Sound/Buzzards Bay. For the past couple years that I've been "Reefing" I've used almost exclusively "Real Ocean" boxed saltwater for water changes. Now, I know that it would be cheaper in the long run to hook up an RODI system and mix my own water. This is something that I fully plan to do once we move out of our condo and into an actual house - where I will have the space and availability to set up a large(r) tank between 90 and 200 gallons.

In the article, it mentions that natural sea water has quite low concentrations of most of the bad stuff - phosphates, nitrates, etc. - and that's when I got to thinking (stand back!) that maybe I could just use natural sea water for water changes. I would make back the cost of a couple buckets on the first trip - plus I like going to the ocean anyway.

If I lived in the Bahamas/Virgin Islands/Florida Keys I wouldn't think twice about grabbing a bucket-full of Atlantic and putting it in my aquarium. However, I live just a bit south of Boston, Massachusetts - where you can't swim in the city's main river most of the time because of pollution. This means I need to figure out what to test for, and HOW to test for it before I can use the "free" water.

I'm guessing my biggest concern would be fertilizer (nitrates/nitrogen) and "organics" from run-off near the more highly-populated and well-manicured neighborhoods.

I may set up a small, 10-gallon test tank and just give it a go with some live rock - I try not to risk too many critters' lives if I can help it. I can let it run for a few months (6-8) with regular water changes and testing and see where it goes before mixing it in to the main display.

If you have any thoughts or advice, I would love to hear it.

Thank you,
David

 

[vdituri]

Unfortunately, there may be more in the water than you can test for.
If your natural saltwater had diesel or gasoline in it there is no test that would warn you.
Ammonia, nitriite, nitrate, or phosphates, it would be a different story.

It's a roll of the dice. Feel lucky? lol

 

[Frankie]

Funny that, I brought home water from the beach today and it tested out with the test i have perfectly. Everything was right, SG refractometer 35, PH 8.12, nitrates 0, ca++ 420, po4 0, MG was low not sure my test is working or good. I am going to collect some again and mail it into one of those labs for a more accurate test on everything and post my findings. But, I am a long way off from changing my tank water with it.

 

[Frankie]

OMG, diesel or gasoline, I' not even going to bother. Just thinking about it creeps me now. Thanks Vic, You ruined it for me

 

[vdituri]

I AM THE VOICE OF DOOM!!!!
DOOM!
DOOM!

lol. I'm just saying. There are more things in the water than we can possibly test for.

 

[SubRosa]

More of a problem with NSW is potential die-off of plankton.Try a little experiment.Take a clean white bucket and fill it with NSW.Cover it and wait a few days then check out the crud on the bottom.Then test your ammonia!If you ran the water through a micron filter and then carbon you could probably avoid these problems, but I guess it's a question of what's your time worth.

John

 

[glampka]

If you were to use NSW the best thing to do is to collect it from a few miles off shore since most of the pollution ends up along the shoreline.

 

[ThePuffLife]

Cons- The water is EXTREMLY dirty... wat with toddlers who have no bladder control swimming in it, uneaten food, etc.
Pros- Well, i cant think of any...

 

[funkpolice]

I don't think it's a good idea to put in the reef, but it might be different to start an "industrial run off" specific tank. You would have to buy a petroleum test kit, and dose when necessary.
bill

 

[reefsurf]

hmmm i fish offshore during the summer months here in sd and south into mexico. i've thought about taking a couple 5 gal. containers out and collecting water. not sure though that the gains outweigh the risks.

 

[mps9506]

You guys near the ocean may want to see if any universities near you have aquaculture programs that pump in NSW. I'm lucky enough to have one that pumps in NSW that is used for all kinds of aquaculture uses from breeding flounder and grouper to oysters and copepods.
they allow the general public to use the water as well, we get a choice of raw unfiltered NSW or water that has gone through ozone, UV, and a couple of huge sand filters. I generally use the filtered for my tanks, but have thought about setting up a tank using the raw, but with all the sewage spills in our area over the last few years...
Anyhow if the university can raise inverts and fish in this water I figured I can keep my reef tank going in it. Saved a bunch on salt over the years, but still go through the RO/DI filters for top offs.

 

[DAHansen]

You would have to buy a petroleum test kit, and dose when necessary.
bill

HA! :laugh:


MPS - That is AWESOME! And No, none of the universities around here would be willing to do that - at least none close enough to make it worth while.

 

[mps9506]

It is helpful for sure. Helps cut some of the costs on maintaining the tank since I don't have to order nearly as much salt mix. I still keep it on hand, but just don't use much.
That said it is a lot of working lugging the buckets of water in and out of my car. One of the other local guys uses it for his 180 and frag tanks. He loads the back of his truck up with big rain barrels to transport 100-200 gallons at a time.

 

[JT101]

I did it from June 2007 until December 2007. The reason I stopped was because I realized that in the winter around here winter = snow, snow = road ice, road ice= road salt, road salt = dangerous coastal runoff.

I have VERY easy access to clean OCEAN water (Jones Inlet) but I got nervous so I stopped.

I got a RO/DI system from Jack and I'm not at all sorry I went the RO/DI way.

I never realized how incredibly convenient it is to have pure RO/DI water virtually on demand.

 

[Wolfgang8810]

I have collected NSW before but i got it 5 miles off shore and 10 ft below the surface. it worked great but gas prices went up and that made buying SW form the LFS more economical.

 

[BigJay]

One thing I 've been told is some trace materials such as metals which generally don't build up in the ocean because of its vastness can build up in your tank as the metals bond to the stuff in your tank and you do a water change adding more etc etc etc. But you really have to question how much damage they could do.
If you can collect offshore I'd be worried about parasitic introduction , disease and trace metals. So I'd think if you ran sea water on activated carbon and a UV it you should be fine. Maybe even a filter material to make sure its silt free which with the beach renourishment fiascos here in Florida could be a real issue even several miles off the beach.
Of course as far back as I can remember all the LFS have said never use sea sand or sea water , which I have abided by. But you always have to question someone who is selling you something.

 

[Tonz of fun]

I would never do it. With that being said the very first aquarium in north america is in Wakiki Hawaii. They get there water from the ocean. They have a plumbing about 2 miles off the coast and they have a well underneath. The turnover for there aquariums is once per hour...

 

[rogbak]

When I lived in Ft. Lauderdale about 30 years ago, I would take my 20 or so empty milk jugs and go down to the beach and fill them up. I never had any problems and saved a lot of money. I even used beach sand in my tanks too. I would just let the jugs of sea water sit in the dark for a few days before I used them. Plus I got to see all the pretty girls on the beach. Ah the good old days! lol