Advice on using ocean water

[squarepant]

At the recommendation of my LFS I started using ocean water. The water is collected a mile off the NCal coast and filtered for pollutants. I have read mixed results on this as was wondering if anyone has any experience with this?

 

[ophiura]

I would use the water in a heartbeat, assuming it is "blue water" where collected and not in shipping channels or something Also check that your salinity is a good match.

 

[dragonboy]

Hmm... up norcal? The only water that I know of that are sold in cali are catalina water. I wonder why they don't start selling water from reef growing ocean. Just find out how they transport their water and treat it so it can safe for you tank.

 

[dogstar]

They collect and sell reef water localy in South Florida at LFSs but I dont think they ship because it cost too much. Waters heavy. It sells for .40 to .50 cents a gallon and you can do salt mix a lot cheaper if you consider shipping cost.

 

[murph145]

thats all i use here.... i live in sothern california and ive never mixed my own water.... ive never had a problem or anything with using the ocean water from my LFS.... all my levels stay where they are supposed to ... i do a 10% change every 10-14days in my 100gallon tank...
id recommend using just because its so much easier to just buy it and dump it in instead of mixing it up.... JMO

 

[teen]

i live on long island, but i think my boats too samll to go out a mile into the ocean to bring back a few buckets of wter. and i would never use water from the bay

my lfs sells water already made, but im not sure where its from.

 

[cougar]

I was going to try and take my boat out the other day and try the whole salt water collecting. Then I realized I lived in Iowa.
:hilarious

 

[acrylic51]

If the water test good give it a shot

 

[ctgretzky9]

The only problem that I have seen from posts I read is that you will need to watch your buffering for when you use top off water due to evaporation etc. Salt water alkalinity is at a perfect level in the ocean, but its buffering power in a closed system isn't very long lasting. You may want to keep b-ionic part 1 and 2 on hand to aid in buffering.