Is natural ocean water better than making saltwater your self?

[ophiura]

Originally Posted by Coral Keeper
Is natural ocean water better than making saltwater your self for a reef tank and a fish only tank?

I have not read the whole thread. But as a general comparison, ABSOLUTELY POSITIVELY.
This is assuming you can get a clean source.
There is NO comparison whatsoever - natural seawater is the the best. Synthetic mixes have parameters that are way out of wack compared to natural seawater, and many animals (seastars as a good example) have issues adapting to the totally unnatural composition of synthetic salt mixes.
The gist of this argument will come down to whether you can get a clean source, and that is not the same question, IMO.

 

[teen]

NSW is the way to go if you have access to it. synthetic is still fine, but why not just use the real thing?
also, i definetly notice better colors in sps corals when i use NSW. the purples, oranges, and pinks just seem to pop.

 

[miaheatlvr]

Originally Posted by teen
NSW is the way to go if you have access to it. synthetic is still fine, but why not just use the real thing?
also, i definetly notice better colors in sps corals when i use NSW. the purples, oranges, and pinks just seem to pop.
Yes but teen please dont tell me you get yours out of the sound! LOL

 

[1journeyman]

Originally Posted by teen
NSW is the way to go if you have access to it. synthetic is still fine, but why not just use the real thing?...
For the reason Ophiura pointed out.
The ocean of course is what we are trying to replicate. That said...
The ocean is also full of diseases, parasites, algaes, planktons, etc. Unless you are distilling your sea water before introducing it to your tank you run real risk of introducing any one of these.
Not to mention many, many of us do not have access to "clean" ocean water. If you are gathering near shore you are taking a risk of all sorts of other pollutents, especially with the vast amounts of rain much of our country is dealing with right now.

 

[groupergenius]

Originally Posted by Oceansidefish
I would be careful using california ocean water in a reef tank. Florida is one thing where it is much warmer. Here you have to worry about red tide and other lovely california additions such as what I know and love to call the "hola flow". Water flows from mexico and makes its way north, lord knows its dirty and full of things a lovely coral frag from a nice warm sea would not like.
Red tide. We in Florida are familiar with that as well. A nasty algae bloom that wipes out alot of fish and reefs here. I have had good success with nsw but will avoid it when "red tide" rears it's ugly head 'round here.

 

[autofreak44]

california water has lots of little critters that wont survive at reef temp. if i were you i would get nsw from an lfs that gets it from warmer temp. places such as florida

 

[teen]

Originally Posted by 1journeyman
For the reason Ophiura pointed out.
The ocean of course is what we are trying to replicate. That said...
The ocean is also full of diseases, parasites, algaes, planktons, etc. Unless you are distilling your sea water before introducing it to your tank you run real risk of introducing any one of these.
Not to mention many, many of us do not have access to "clean" ocean water. If you are gathering near shore you are taking a risk of all sorts of other pollutents, especially with the vast amounts of rain much of our country is dealing with right now.
considering a lot of shallow reefs are exposed to water at low tide, im sure they have to deal with rain water. polluted or not.
how do you explain corals survivng that?

 

[1journeyman]

Not really sure what you are asking...
Some reefs are exposed to air, high temps, etc. during tidal events. Understand, however, that these reefs have been forming and acclimating for ten thousand years to do so.
Rain water does kill sea life. There are frequent die offs in estuarine environments when they are flooded with freshwater.