coral keeper
Active Member
Is natural ocean water better than making saltwater your self for a reef tank and a fish only tank?
Is natural ocean water better than making saltwater your self?
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miaheatlvr
Active Member
Originally Posted by Coral Keeper
Is natural ocean water better than making saltwater your self for a reef tank and a fish only tank?
This question has been asked and answered 1000times do a search in the search box, there are validated pros and cons of both.
Is natural ocean water better than making saltwater your self for a reef tank and a fish only tank?
This question has been asked and answered 1000times do a search in the search box, there are validated pros and cons of both.
sjimmyh
Member
I don't think so. Synthetic sea water is pretty well made. You may be a stickler for the minute details though. If thats the case then natural sea water is the way to go for you. Keep in mind, if you use products to treat it you are really just squewing it to be more like bought salt. Natural sea water will not have the alkalinity or quite the calcium levels normally recommended for an aquarium though.
There is a reason we choose to be a little higher in these respects than natural sea water. Most salts for reef tanks (oceanic, reef crystals, red sea coral pro, sea chem reef, etc.) address both these issues and make them higher. Almost any salt (anything known to have lower calcium levels which isn't as big a deal in a FO tank) is going to still have a higher alkalinity than NSW.
I doubt you will find anyone in the forums that thinks you cannot have an extremely successful reef or FO tank with synthetic sea water though.
There is a reason we choose to be a little higher in these respects than natural sea water. Most salts for reef tanks (oceanic, reef crystals, red sea coral pro, sea chem reef, etc.) address both these issues and make them higher. Almost any salt (anything known to have lower calcium levels which isn't as big a deal in a FO tank) is going to still have a higher alkalinity than NSW.
I doubt you will find anyone in the forums that thinks you cannot have an extremely successful reef or FO tank with synthetic sea water though.
reefreak29
Active Member
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 would consider it perfect since its successfully housed millions of creatures for thousands of years . the only reason i personally would not use it is that you may introduce something to your tank that you dont want
Is natural ocean water better than making saltwater your self for a reef tank and a fish only tank?
i would consider it perfect since its successfully housed millions of creatures for thousands of years . the only reason i personally would not use it is that you may introduce something to your tank that you dont want
miaheatlvr
Active Member
Originally Posted by reefreak29
i would consider it perfect since its successfully housed millions of creatures for thousands of years . the only reason i personally would not use it is that you may introduce something to your tank that you dont want
100% correct But I would say "Millions of species for MILLIONS of years" lol
i would consider it perfect since its successfully housed millions of creatures for thousands of years . the only reason i personally would not use it is that you may introduce something to your tank that you dont want
100% correct But I would say "Millions of species for MILLIONS of years" lol
reefreak29
Active Member
Originally Posted by MiaHeatLvr
100% correct But I would say "Millions of species for MILLIONS of years" lol
lol i was wondering if someone would catch that
100% correct But I would say "Millions of species for MILLIONS of years" lol
lol i was wondering if someone would catch that
miaheatlvr
Active Member
For the record, I have been using store bought NATURAL SEA WATER for the last 2 yrs with no ill effects. T.G.
larryndana
Active Member
i wouldn't use natural seawater for the reasons listed above. but if you do make sure its collected far out and not close to shore.
coral keeper
Active Member
I dont get water in the los angeles places i get water thats far far far far awway from there and the water is cristal clear, i did a little experiment. i got some salt from the LFS and made some salt water and got some natural sea water and the sea water was like 10 time cleaner! Im going to do a nother experiment, im going to go to the LFS and get a cup or natural sea water, and synthetic sea water and see wich is better. But im not going to tell them that the water is from the ocean. I wonder wich water is going to be better. I bet that the natural sea water is going to be better!
coral keeper
Active Member
Quote:
I don't think so. Synthetic sea water is pretty well made. You may be a stickler for the minute details though. If thats the case then natural sea water is the way to go for you. Keep in mind, if you use products to treat it you are really just squewing it to be more like bought salt. Natural sea water will not have the alkalinity or quite the calcium levels normally recommended for an aquarium though.
There is a reason we choose to be a little higher in these respects than natural sea water. Most salts for reef tanks (oceanic, reef crystals, red sea coral pro, sea chem reef, etc.) address both these issues and make them higher. Almost any salt (anything known to have lower calcium levels which isn't as big a deal in a FO tank) is going to still have a higher alkalinity than NSW.
I doubt you will find anyone in the forums that thinks you cannot have an extremely successful reef or FO tank with synthetic sea water though.
I dont add anything i just get the water to the same temperature of the tank.
I don't think so. Synthetic sea water is pretty well made. You may be a stickler for the minute details though. If thats the case then natural sea water is the way to go for you. Keep in mind, if you use products to treat it you are really just squewing it to be more like bought salt. Natural sea water will not have the alkalinity or quite the calcium levels normally recommended for an aquarium though.
There is a reason we choose to be a little higher in these respects than natural sea water. Most salts for reef tanks (oceanic, reef crystals, red sea coral pro, sea chem reef, etc.) address both these issues and make them higher. Almost any salt (anything known to have lower calcium levels which isn't as big a deal in a FO tank) is going to still have a higher alkalinity than NSW.
I doubt you will find anyone in the forums that thinks you cannot have an extremely successful reef or FO tank with synthetic sea water though.
I dont add anything i just get the water to the same temperature of the tank.
coral keeper
Active Member
The natural sea water that i get DOS NOT STINK!
coral keeper
Active Member
Natural sea water smells like natural sea water. If your getting sea watter that stinks that dosent mean that natural sea water stinks bad all over the world.
efishnsea
Active Member
I have used it for the past 12+ years without any problems
, I have never purchased a bag of salt. I just back up my truck and pump it in 32g garbage can drive it home and fill the tank via sump pump. Most of the time it is straight from the Jupiter Inlet just minutes before high tide and occasionally from the Gulf Stream
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ifirefight
Active Member
Originally Posted by efishnsea
I have used it for the past 12+ years without any problems
YUP, me too, from Boynton Inlet. Think about it...... WE are trying to duplicate Mother Ocean......pretty reasonable to use natural ocean water if you have access to it and collect it properly. I believe people from this site tend to poo-poo the ocean water users...but do a search and there are lots of people using live water in their set-ups.
miaheatlvr
Active Member
Originally Posted by ifirefight
YUP, me too, from Boynton Inlet. Think about it...... WE are trying to duplicate Mother Ocean......pretty reasonable to use natural ocean water if you have access to it and collect it properly. I believe people from this site tend to poo-poo the ocean water users...but do a search and there are lots of people using live water in their set-ups.
ONLY Natural sea water in my tank, My tank has never know SYNTHETIC SALT, not knocking it all for the people who HAVE to use it or have been using it.
YUP, me too, from Boynton Inlet. Think about it...... WE are trying to duplicate Mother Ocean......pretty reasonable to use natural ocean water if you have access to it and collect it properly. I believe people from this site tend to poo-poo the ocean water users...but do a search and there are lots of people using live water in their set-ups.
ONLY Natural sea water in my tank, My tank has never know SYNTHETIC SALT, not knocking it all for the people who HAVE to use it or have been using it.
coral keeper
Active Member
Ok thanks a lot thats what i was waiting to hear!
Hey MiaHeatLvr, ifirefight, efishnsea, how many gallons are your tanks? and send some pics of them?
Hey MiaHeatLvr, ifirefight, efishnsea, how many gallons are your tanks? and send some pics of them?
ifirefight
Active Member
Originally Posted by Coral Keeper
Ok thanks a lot thats what i was waiting to hear!
Hey MiaHeatLvr, ifirefight, efishnsea, how many gallons are your tanks? and send some pics of them?
130
gallon
Ok thanks a lot thats what i was waiting to hear!
Hey MiaHeatLvr, ifirefight, efishnsea, how many gallons are your tanks? and send some pics of them?
130
coral keeper
Active Member
WOW!!! It looks very very nice and cool!!!!!!!!! Keep up the good work!
coral keeper
Active Member
Can you list your fish, corals, and inverts? and how many time do you chage your water?