can i use ocean water in my tank

fishcurse

fishcurse

Member
uh i freaked up tonight. went and bought an existing 125 gal tank. was planning on keeping the water bringing it home in bins. didnt have enough room to bring it all. when i got home only had salt for 40 gal. it came with 70 lbs of live rock and i dont want it to die. my mom suggested ocean water since we live 20 minutes from the beach. is this something i can do? help
niki
 
promisetbg

promisetbg

Active Member
When ocean water is used it is taken from a far distance & depth. Think of the beach as the ocean's skimmer...all the pollution winds up there.
 
sepulatian

sepulatian

Moderator
Originally Posted by fishcurse
uh i freaked up tonight. went and bought an existing 125 gal tank. was planning on keeping the water bringing it home in bins. didnt have enough room to bring it all. when i got home only had salt for 40 gal. it came with 70 lbs of live rock and i dont want it to die. my mom suggested ocean water since we live 20 minutes from the beach. is this something i can do? help
niki
If you have a boat to go out to where it isn't contaminated you can. I would not recommend collecting water right off of a beach unless it is a rocky area where no one goes that you have to climb to get to. If you are in a real pinch and there are no fish in the tank then yes you can use the beach water. You should not be using water that you just mixed. Water has to mix for at least 48 hours. This is not a soft rule. There is a gas exchange that MUST take place prior to the water going into your tank.
 
promisetbg

promisetbg

Active Member
Wet down newspaper with the SW that you have and place it over it, then cover that with a couple damp towels.
 
sepulatian

sepulatian

Moderator
Originally Posted by fishcurse
both or just the LR or bio balls
The bioballs can be dropped into the water. Keep the rocks wet.
 
sepulatian

sepulatian

Moderator
Originally Posted by fishcurse
Can I leave the LR in salt water or should I wrap it up in the towels?
If you have enough water to cover the rocks then it should stay in the water. Tip tall rocks on the side to at least keep them covered.
 
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