The danger of NSW.

[mickeysreef <*))))<]

A lot of reefers will tell you Natural Sea Water is dangerous to use because of potential parasites. There is also the hassle of flossing it through pantyhose. Personally, I have never had a bad experience with NSW with nothing more than running out through a sock, and in fact many people I've spoken to about it, have nothing but good things to say about it. including some old timers who insist that they've been using it in their tanks for more than 30 years with no ill effects. Some said they get it from the inlet, some the beach and even one said from a very busy Marina where he sticks his hose 6 feet down.

My thought is this, well if you have a source of brackish water around, as I do right on my dock in my backyard, why not use that for water? Really -- brackish water is nothing more than saltwater at hyposalinity level. There have been scientific studies showing that ich will not enter the free swimming stage in hyposalinity, so if you are really worried about ich in NSW, you could always grab brackish water and add salt after.

Just a thought.

 

[mickeysreef <*))))<]

And as an after thought. You might also collect water from a fresh water source and add salt. I would say test, but it's probably safe if you know there are fish and other wildlife living in the water.

 

[amado]

Making your own water at home is the better choice.
Zero tds can only happen from a RODi.
Corals don’t grow in waters off the coast of New Jersey. So why would I add water from there. If I lived in Hawaii or Florida/ Australia maybe but nj has no corals.
I am making salt water as we speak I press a button and the water starts coming out of my RODi. It stops automatically when it’s done. I have two 45 gallon containers. I ch age 40 gallons of salt water in 10 min.
On a day like today it just doesn’t make sense to go out to the ocean to get salt water.
Making salt water at home is so easy. Why complicate it by getting water from the ocean.

 

[mickeysreef <*))))<]

Making your own water at home is the better choice.
Zero tds can only happen from a RODi.
Corals don’t grow in waters off the coast of New Jersey. So why would I add water from there. If I lived in Hawaii or Florida/ Australia maybe but nj has no corals.
I am making salt water as we speak I press a button and the water starts coming out of my RODi. It stops automatically when it’s done. I have two 45 gallon containers. I ch age 40 gallons of salt water in 10 min.
On a day like today it just doesn’t make sense to go out to the ocean to get salt water.
Making salt water at home is so easy. Why complicate it by getting water from the ocean.

Hey buddy, I always appreciate your advice and experience, but I'm going to go ahead and refute your arguments as they are misleading and ill-informed.

"Making your own water at home is the better choice."
This is subjective. Sometimes it is and sometimes it's not. I have a rodi machine at home and do make a lot for top off and the occasional water change.

"Zero tds can only happen from a RODi."
Try adding 0 tds water to your tank and see what happens. Aside from top off, you have to add salt and everything else needed for fish and corals to your 0 tds water otherwise you will crash your tank,

"Corals don’t grow in waters off the coast of New Jersey. So why would I add water from there. If I lived in Hawaii or Florida/ Australia maybe but nj has no corals."
Wrong about 0 coral reefs in NJ. a quick google search will reveal that there are coral reefs in NJ. but more importantly, whether there are corals or not in NJ has no bearing on whether you should or shouldn't add NJ NSW to your tank.

"I am making salt water as we speak I press a button and the water starts coming out of my RODi. It stops automatically when it’s done. I have two 45 gallon containers. I ch age 40 gallons of salt water in 10 min.
On a day like today it just doesn’t make sense to go out to the ocean to get salt water.
Making salt water at home is so easy. Why complicate it by getting water from the ocean."
I live 25 feet from the water, I can pump a hell of a lot more water from my dock into my living room than you can make with your rodi unit in the same amount of time.

 

[paintman27]

Well, i'm sure PaulB will chime in at some point.

 

[amado]

To each it’s own. I could live by the ocean and it wouldn’t make sense to use NJ water in my reef tank. I don’t even like Carrying buckets so I automated everything.
The reason you start with RODI water is so that you have the same base every time of zero tds. I have a 7 stage RODi.
With two tds meters. I use zero tds water to top off my tanks and make salt water.
If you think that’s a good idea go ahead and use salt water from the ocean.
I am trying to grow corals from Australia/ Fiji not NJ.

By the time we finish this post I have already changed 40 gallons of water.

 

[mickeysreef <*))))<]

To each it’s own. I could live by the ocean and it wouldn’t make sense to use NJ water in my reef tank. I don’t even like Carrying buckets so I automated everything.
The reason you start with RODI water is so that you have the same base every time of zero tds. I have a 7 stage RODi.
With two tds meters. I use zero tds water to top off my tanks and make salt water.
If you think that’s a good idea go ahead and use salt water from the ocean.
I am trying to grow corals from Australia/ Fiji not NJ.

By the time we finish this post I have already changed 40 gallons of water.

Again, not personally trying to attack you or anything. You have given me a lot of solid advice and I think you are a great reefer as demonstrated by your tank. In the spirit of philosophical discourse, that is: advancing observations, beliefs and knowledge into fact, do you have any scientific studies you can reference that states (aside from temperature or lighting conditions) that a coral from another part of the world could not grow in NJ NSW? Or do you have some personal experience where all of your corals died or stop thriving because of NJ NSW? I'm really just trying to get at what is driving your belief that NJ NSW is not OK for a reef tank.

 

[amado]

Again, not personally trying to attack you or anything. You have given me a lot of solid advice and I think you are a great reefer as demonstrated by your tank. In the spirit of philosophical discourse, that is: advancing observations, beliefs and knowledge into fact, do you have any scientific studies you can reference that states (aside from temperature or lighting conditions) that a coral from another part of the world could not grow in NJ NSW? Or do you have some personal experience where all of your corals died or stop thriving because of NJ NSW? I'm really just trying to get at what is driving your belief that NJ NSW is not OK for a reef tank.

I can show you pictures of sps frags grow to colonies under zero tds water. I can show you my fish that have zero ick.
The aquariums make their own water from salt mix not from the ocean.

I personally don’t care about what a few people do in this hobby. They only reason why I am replying to this post is the fact that someone will read it and think the way to have a reef tank is by using salt water from NJ.

Feel free to post pictures of your sps that are growing from NJ water.

 

[mickeysreef <*))))<]

I can show you pictures of sps frags grow to colonies under zero tds water. I can show you my fish that have zero ick.
The aquariums make their own water from salt mix not from the ocean.

I personally don’t care about what a few people do in this hobby. They only reason why I am replying to this post is the fact that someone will read it and think the way to have a reef tank is by using salt water from NJ.

Feel free to post pictures of your sps that are growing from NJ water.

Again, problematic arguments. And just to knock out the idea that I don't think you are a good reefer and your way does work, see my previous post where I praised your tanks. I think what you are getting hung up on here is that you don't like NJ NSW, and really that is OK - nobody is going to force you to use it. I'm just asking if you have any evidence (scientific or experience) aside from personal bias that NJ NSW is not good for reef tanks.

I can show you pictures of sps frags grow to colonies under zero tds water. I can show you my fish that have zero ick.
Nobody said using tds water mixed with commercially available salt wasn't a good way to maintain a reef tank containing SPS or other life forms.

The aquariums make their own water from salt mix not from the ocean.
Not true. Some aquariums and aquaculture centers do pump water in and out to the ocean. Check google.com.

I personally don’t care about what a few people do in this hobby.
Why did you respond to this thread? I wish a single thread from me could change the entire hobby, but it won't.

They only reason why I am replying to this post is the fact that someone will read it and think the way to have a reef tank is by using salt water from NJ.
Do you think people in Kansas will seek out NJ NSW?

Feel free to post pictures of your sps that are growing from NJ water.
I am not growing SPS at the moment, but it is really irrelevant to the discussion.

 

[amado]

Again, problematic arguments. And just to knock out the idea that I don't think you are a good reefer and your way does work, see my previous post where I praised your tanks. I think what you are getting hung up on here is that you don't like NJ NSW, and really that is OK - nobody is going to force you to use it. I'm just asking if you have any evidence (scientific or experience) aside from personal bias that NJ NSW is not good for reef tanks.

I can show you pictures of sps frags grow to colonies under zero tds water. I can show you my fish that have zero ick.
Nobody said using tds water mixed with commercially available salt wasn't a good way to maintain a reef tank containing SPS or other life forms.

The aquariums make their own water from salt mix not from the ocean.
Not true. Some aquariums and aquaculture centers do pump water in and out to the ocean. Check google.com.

I personally don’t care about what a few people do in this hobby.
Why did you respond to this thread? I wish a single thread from me could change the entire hobby, but it won't.

They only reason why I am replying to this post is the fact that someone will read it and think the way to have a reef tank is by using salt water from NJ.
Do you think people in Kansas will seek out NJ NSW?

Feel free to post pictures of your sps that are growing from NJ water.
I am not growing SPS at the moment, but it is really irrelevant to the discussion.

Feel free to post pictures of anything growing in your tank. Show us how your tank is thriving under water from Nj shore.
I have seen pictures of other refers in other forums and I am not impressed with their NSW tanks.
I learned from people on this forum how to make my own saltwater. We have also learned that consistency is key in this hobby.

I wish you good luck.

 

[myrjon]

contact PaulB on the site .He has been using saltwater off the coast (long island )area I believe . and has beautiful tanks .

 

[mickeysreef <*))))<]

Feel free to post pictures of anything growing in your tank. Show us how your tank is thriving under water from Nj shore.
I have seen pictures of other refers in other forums and I am not impressed with their NSW tanks.
I learned from people on this forum how to make my own saltwater. We have also leaned that consistency is key in this hobby.

I wish you good luck.

Thanks. Post pictures or threads that you are unimpressed with. That's actually what I was looking for.

 

[ecam]

Great discussions guys.
@Paul B we need you on this one

 

[ecam]

I’m in central Jersey. So I’m on ASW side of the ledger. But love to hear from the NSW crew

 

[DEL]

doesn't Paulie only use NSW straight from the ocean too ?

 

[Jamie S]

I’d be curious to test NJ NSW. I have a BRS carbon reactor new in the box with a sediment filter. Maybe over the break I’ll go get 30 gallons of ocean water and fun it through the filter. Then test the water the same as if test my aquarium water for the major traces and phosphates and nitrates. I wonder if anyone has done that in here? Of course we won’t know if there are any other elements unless it’s sent out for an icp test. Thoughts?

 

[mickeysreef <*))))<]

I’d be curious to test NJ NSW. I have a BRS carbon reactor new in the box with a sediment filter. Maybe over the break I’ll go get 30 gallons of ocean water and fun it through the filter. Then test the water the same as if test my aquarium water for the major traces and phosphates and nitrates. I wonder if anyone has done that in here? Of course we won’t know if there are any other elements unless it’s sent out for an icp test. Thoughts?

You'd have to use low range test kit as standard kit will come up 0 on ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and phosphate.

 

[ecam]

The pollutants in the water near the coast is my major hesitation for NJ water.

 

[amado]

The beach is the skimmer of the world. This the worse water you can use.
When you see natural reef in the ocean they are 3hrs away from the beach. I have snorkel the Great Barrier Reef and it was a 3hr boat ride to the dive site. Even in the Caribbean you have 1hr -2hr boat ride to see a reef

 

[mickeysreef <*))))<]

The pollutants in the water near the coast is my major hesitation for NJ water.

Agree. I avoid collection after rainfall and near the shore during the summer months. High tide is best, but I just grab it anytime during the winter.