SW and Sand right off the beach

fats71

fats71

Active Member
Ok, so while talking to a few lfs here in florida it seems none of them mix any water it is all water out of the inlets from the Ocean. ( they sell it for a dollar a gallon too customers as well. ) I watched one of the lfs do it about ten feet out and they said they do not have to do it that far out but as the water was a bit stirred up that day they went out into 5 foot of water held the hose in and pumped several hundred gallons into their water containments.. I have been to their store and they have some of the most amazing stuff and the have only used real sw from the same place for over 20 years. I was amazed. I always heard you needed to go out a few miles where the water was cleaner blah blah blah but after seeing them do it and seeing their coral/fish I have to say the 2 mile rule is a myth unless your in some filthy inlet or something. My question is how many people do that and how many people get their sand that close or have tried it. I know the sand is essentially a filter for everything nasty washing onto it but what about grabbing it further into the water say 5 foot deep areas ?
I have no need for sand but was curious how many people do it.
I know at my new job at marineland we pump water in too the dolphins from just about 30 feet out via a large pump and pipe under the beach and well they have the oldest dolphins in captivity in the world so it cant be that bad..
The question is what are your alls thoughts on it ??
 
U

usirchchris

Guest
Originally Posted by Fats71
http:///forum/post/2849591
Ok, so while talking to a few lfs here in florida it seems none of them mix any water it is all water out of the inlets from the Ocean. ( they sell it for a dollar a gallon too customers as well. ) I watched one of the lfs do it about ten feet out and they said they do not have to do it that far out but as the water was a bit stirred up that day they went out into 5 foot of water held the hose in and pumped several hundred gallons into their water containments.. I have been to their store and they have some of the most amazing stuff and the have only used real sw from the same place for over 20 years. I was amazed. I always heard you needed to go out a few miles where the water was cleaner blah blah blah but after seeing them do it and seeing their coral/fish I have to say the 2 mile rule is a myth unless your in some filthy inlet or something. My question is how many people do that and how many people get their sand that close or have tried it. I know the sand is essentially a filter for everything nasty washing onto it but what about grabbing it further into the water say 5 foot deep areas ?
I have no need for sand but was curious how many people do it.
I know at my new job at marineland we pump water in too the dolphins from just about 30 feet out via a large pump and pipe under the beach and well they have the oldest dolphins in captivity in the world so it cant be that bad..
The question is what are your alls thoughts on it ??
This is one of those instances where I think many people pass the info. on without really knowing cause they have not tried it for themselves. I still personally would not try it. Even seeing them do it...I would not try it. My luck, I would scoop a bucket of oil that leaked from a boat or something. Synthetic salt is not all that expensive, and I can't imagine trying to transport the amount of water I need for water changes weekly...that would be a huge pain.
 
fats71

fats71

Active Member
I feel the same way about not being so lucky and probably grabbing something toxic lol. I am still wanting too try it in a small quantity though just too see. I mean their are puffers snails etc right there where I would go and tons of fish sharks etc I see them all the time and it is where I used to go get my shrimp. It can not be too bad if all that stuff lives there it seems but I am still scared too try it. I want to see how my stuff would do with the real thing ya know..
Anyone else ??
 
notsonoob

notsonoob

Member
Depends upon what beach you grab it from. Some sands might be replenished from other sources, while some beaches are replenished with dredged sands from the ocean floor.
I got some really nice sand up north of WBP. It was so good that my poor daughters couldn't even make a moat on a sand casle, because the water perkelated right through the sand. Very porous. Some sands are more silica based.
Salt water I haven't tried and probably won't, but for some of you out there, the sand is no different then the stuff you buy in bags.
 
sepulatian

sepulatian

Moderator
Ophiura is talking about offshore water though, not five feet out. That is still on shore. Waves are natures protein skimmer. Never get sand or water from that close to the shore.
 
fats71

fats71

Active Member
Originally Posted by NOTSONOOB
http:///forum/post/2849694
Hmmm...
Trip to the beach with the kids once a month for a water change?!?
Priceless.

I live about 3 minutes from the beach and 1 from the inlet. I have a large water container for about 200 gallons of water so would be one trip for several months although i am at the beach a few times a day and work right on the beach at marineland so maybe I should just use water they have seems like it works.
Originally Posted by sepulatian
http:///forum/post/2849698
Ophiura is talking about offshore water though, not five feet out. That is still on shore. Waves are natures protein skimmer. Never get sand or water from that close to the shore.
Here is one of the guys or ladies from that post
Originally Posted by chipmaker
http:///forum/post/1812277
Been usuing ocean water I collect now for years without the first problem. I sometimnes collect it close to shore wihtin wading distance of beach other times I use our boat and get it further offshore.It all works the same. In a pinch I do use IO, but my stock of drums of NSW usually holds me from trip to trip to coast, which is usually 3 times minimum a month all year round. Never have I ever had a problem using it or sand I collected from the coast. I just do not buy the theroies of potential problems it brings if a bit of care is used., Don't collect it at outlets into the ocean or near bay mouths and rivers etc. I just can not imagine how my corals etc could be any better than they are with what I use. And thats usually 100% NSW collected locally.
I am going out tomorrow and going to do some water tests just for something to do where I think would be a good spot.
I value your response and knowledge but am trying to find out what the real harm would be. I see dolphins/sharks/ puffers/shrimp/crustaceans etc there so if it is good enough for them why not our stuff ?? That is my real question ??
the waves are not in this area.
 
mboswell1982

mboswell1982

Active Member
as long as the tests come out right, i cant see how it would hurt man, so go for it, u never know, u might come up with some really cool hitchhikers by getting some sand from the beach LOL
 
sepulatian

sepulatian

Moderator
Originally Posted by Fats71
http:///forum/post/2849755
I live about 3 minutes from the beach and 1 from the inlet. I have a large water container for about 200 gallons of water so would be one trip for several months although i am at the beach a few times a day and work right on the beach at marineland so maybe I should just use water they have seems like it works.
Here is one of the guys or ladies from that post
I am going out tomorrow and going to do some water tests just for something to do where I think would be a good spot.
I value your response and knowledge but am trying to find out what the real harm would be. I see dolphins/sharks/ puffers/shrimp/crustaceans etc there so if it is good enough for them why not our stuff ?? That is my real question ??
the waves are not in this area.
That would be because they only come in for a short period of time. They have the billions of gallons behind them to dilute the pollutants. The shore is where all of the crud from the ocean skims off.
 
fats71

fats71

Active Member
Originally Posted by sepulatian
http:///forum/post/2849788
That would be because they only come in for a short period of time. They have the billions of gallons behind them to dilute the pollutants. The shore is where all of the crud from the ocean skims off.
I would not do it on shore. I was going to do it in the inlet. The area is about 60 foot wide where the ocean water comes in and goes into the inlets. I would be taking water from about 100 yards inside the beach where the wate is calm and clear.
 
U

usirchchris

Guest
Originally Posted by Fats71
http:///forum/post/2849755
I live about 3 minutes from the beach and 1 from the inlet. I have a large water container for about 200 gallons of water so would be one trip for several months although i am at the beach a few times a day and work right on the beach at marineland so maybe I should just use water they have seems like it works.
You are living my dream...Y'all doing any hiring?? lol... looking for awestruck smiley...
 
fish4rudy

fish4rudy

Member
I would be curios as to locatio/names the lfs that are doing this around here. I now of one store in South Daytona that does it. The one up here that im familiar with mixes his own. I think youd have to filter the you know what ^%$# out of the water of our coast. Not worth the risk. And the ocean has a dilution benifit going for it that you will never get in a closed system. I'll bet that Marineland filters that water before its put into the tank. But maybe not sicne that circle pond west of A1A has those 50 plus pound black drum fish swimming in it and I think thats the same water coming out of the ocean that feed that pond, but I could be wrong............
 
fats71

fats71

Active Member
Originally Posted by FISH4RUDY
http:///forum/post/2849931
I would be curios as to locatio/names the lfs that are doing this around here. I now of one store in South Daytona that does it. The one up here that im familiar with mixes his own. I think youd have to filter the you know what ^%$# out of the water of our coast. Not worth the risk. And the ocean has a dilution benifit going for it that you will never get in a closed system. I'll bet that Marineland filters that water before its put into the tank. But maybe not sicne that circle pond west of A1A has those 50 plus pound black drum fish swimming in it and I think thats the same water coming out of the ocean that feed that pond, but I could be wrong............
Amazing aquarium does it for sure on nova. Their stuff is unreal nice. The purple deaths too their sps look awesome so do their fish. I have been in at open and at close several times and never seen one sick or even irritated fish or coral.
 
aquaknight

aquaknight

Active Member
One of the LFS's back home in Boca Raton sells NSW. Though it's filtered and UV'ed for 33¢

You have a PM Fats
 
sepulatian

sepulatian

Moderator
Originally Posted by Fats71
http:///forum/post/2849796
I would not do it on shore. I was going to do it in the inlet. The area is about 60 foot wide where the ocean water comes in and goes into the inlets. I would be taking water from about 100 yards inside the beach where the wate is calm and clear.
Ah, well that is different then
 
fats71

fats71

Active Member
Originally Posted by AquaKnight
http:///forum/post/2850183
One of the LFS's back home in Boca Raton sells NSW. Though it's filtered and UV'ed for 33¢

You have a PM Fats

Read what you sent and I am going to load up tomorrow weather permitting. Thanks man was a good read
Originally Posted by sepulatian
http:///forum/post/2850226
Ah, well that is different then


Ya, I think pulling it off the beach would be bad but I wanna do it mid tide I think coming in of course.
It seems a lot of people take it right of the beach with no ill effect. I do not have the guts for that. I might try it in another tank with some extra pulsing xenia or something.
 
mboswell1982

mboswell1982

Active Member
let us know how it works man, and please do that experiment, id like to find out some more about it lol see if the sand itself is viable, not just the water :p
 
ifirefight

ifirefight

Active Member
I have never mixed a batch of water...however,I do know how to do it. I am fortunate to live less than 10 minutes from the ocean. If collected properly...NSW is obviously the BEST thing for you tank. I have seen EVERY Lfs/SW Maintence company in the yellow pages collecting water at the exact same place I get mine from. Zero problems...yeah,I know ..some of you nay sayers may be thinking...just wait ..you will see... I will take my chances...P.S. I met an older gentlemen that was collecting water...he said he has been doing it for over 30 years without a problem
...Who am I to argue with an old person...
 
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