natural oceanwater

radeon · 02/11/2007, 03:24 AM

Hi to all, just a quick question in regards of using natural seawater for my reef aquarium. I have bought this seawater from my local aquarium for $0.05/g where they took from the sea and then they filter it. They have used this seawater for their own aquarium without any problems and have been selling this seawater for the past 5 years or so.
So my question is do I have to do the nitrogen cycle or it doesn't need to? I have search everywhere with no success.
I have tested all paramaters such as Ph, Alk, Calc, Salidity, etc. And all of those is good.

old salty · 02/11/2007, 05:01 AM

Welcome to RC!!

I don't use natural sea water (not much to be had in Kentucky), so I'm not exactly sure about how to use it. I would imagine it would be just fine to add to a tank.

freemchr · 02/11/2007, 05:07 AM

I use sea water in my small tank and have no problems. Have been using it now for a long time with no problems.

MR PALM BEACH · 02/11/2007, 08:55 AM

Iv been buying natural sea water from my LFS for a year. For 2 bucks I get 5G worth. Havent had any problems yet. The only set back Is, the SG Is allways around 1.027-1.030, so I usually have to top It off with some RO to lower It. So ask them what the SG Is befor you get It and If Its to high have them top It off with some RO. Coming from the ocean Its allways a little higher.

virginiadiver69 · 02/11/2007, 09:17 AM

If natural sea water is 1.027 - 1.030 why do we keep our lower?

old salty · 02/11/2007, 02:07 PM

His may be higher from evaporation as well!

radeon · 02/11/2007, 02:21 PM

So, do i have to wait for nitrogen cycle to kick? Or it doesn't have any?

lakwriter · 02/11/2007, 03:12 PM

Generally speaking, all tanks will cycle at the beginning. It doesn't really have much to do with your water. It has more to do with your live rock (cured vs. uncured) and sand and how much die off you have - which is something you really cannot predict.

radeon · 02/11/2007, 05:41 PM

So you mean when my live rocks are cured, i don't have any nitrogen cycle? It's been 3 - 4 days since I use the seawater with no ammonia, nitrite and nitrate. So i can just add livestock in?

Zestay · 02/11/2007, 05:56 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by radeon
So you mean when my live rocks are cured, i don't have any nitrogen cycle? It's been 3 - 4 days since I use the seawater with no ammonia, nitrite and nitrate. So i can just add livestock in?

i added salt sand and a fish all the same day some will say its cruel but the lil guy cant be happier =)

either A ) wait a week longer with all 0 readings or B) toss ( i mean properly acclimate ) in a hardy fish and test for a week see if you get a spike / mini cycle

or you can add some fish food the frozen kind and see if that starts a a cycle or a peice of shrimp etc etc

mjm1969 · 02/11/2007, 06:49 PM

When I was stationed in Guam I used ocean water for the 55 I had set up. I just filtered it through cheesecloth and added it to the tank. The tank cycled just as if I had used any other water. I never had any problems, but the water quality is a lot better there than it is along most of the U.S. coastlines.

adnup · 02/11/2007, 08:13 PM

I've used NSW from the gulf of mexico a few times, everything worked out fine. Problem was that to be sure I'd get good quality water, I'd go out 20 miles, which really wasnt cost effective.

02/11/2007, 03:24 AM	#1
radeon Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Posts: 6	natural oceanwater Hi to all, just a quick question in regards of using natural seawater for my reef aquarium. I have bought this seawater from my local aquarium for $0.05/g where they took from the sea and then they filter it. They have used this seawater for their own aquarium without any problems and have been selling this seawater for the past 5 years or so. So my question is do I have to do the nitrogen cycle or it doesn't need to? I have search everywhere with no success. I have tested all paramaters such as Ph, Alk, Calc, Salidity, etc. And all of those is good.

02/11/2007, 05:01 AM	#2
old salty Genius Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: The Island of Misfit Toys Posts: 3,131	Welcome to RC!! I don't use natural sea water (not much to be had in Kentucky), so I'm not exactly sure about how to use it. I would imagine it would be just fine to add to a tank. __________________ "The man who reads nothing at all is better educated than the man who reads nothing but newspapers." Thomas Jefferson Current Tank Info: Out of the marine aquarium hobby

02/11/2007, 08:55 AM	#4
MR PALM BEACH Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Jupiter, Fl Posts: 802	Iv been buying natural sea water from my LFS for a year. For 2 bucks I get 5G worth. Havent had any problems yet. The only set back Is, the SG Is allways around 1.027-1.030, so I usually have to top It off with some RO to lower It. So ask them what the SG Is befor you get It and If Its to high have them top It off with some RO. Coming from the ocean Its allways a little higher. __________________ And I thought buying an puppy would be to expensive! Current Tank Info: 23" LCD with Windows Aquarium screen saver.

02/11/2007, 09:17 AM	#5
virginiadiver69 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Va. Posts: 4,400	If natural sea water is 1.027 - 1.030 why do we keep our lower? __________________ Semi-aggressive mixed reef w/ shallow sand bed 96x30x27 310gal custom acrylic w/ ext. "fail safe" overflow 125gal sump/cryptic fuge w/ 6" DSB 3 400w Plus Rite 20k MH in Lumembrights 2 250w Plus Rite 20k MH in spider reflectors VHO actinic supplementation 2 Tunze wave boxes 2 Tunze 6060 in Tunze Rocks 2 Tunze 6125 Reeflo 250 skimmer Hammerhead return on OM 4 way Aqua controller lll Leviton power panel Deltec Eco-Cooler Randy's Two part 6.5 kw generator

02/11/2007, 02:07 PM	#6
old salty Genius Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: The Island of Misfit Toys Posts: 3,131	His may be higher from evaporation as well! __________________ "The man who reads nothing at all is better educated than the man who reads nothing but newspapers." Thomas Jefferson Current Tank Info: Out of the marine aquarium hobby

02/11/2007, 05:07 AM	#3
freemchr Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: SYDNEY Australia Posts: 68	I use sea water in my small tank and have no problems. Have been using it now for a long time with no problems.

02/11/2007, 02:21 PM	#7
radeon Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Posts: 6	So, do i have to wait for nitrogen cycle to kick? Or it doesn't have any?

02/11/2007, 03:12 PM	#8
lakwriter Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Pittsburgh Posts: 562	Generally speaking, all tanks will cycle at the beginning. It doesn't really have much to do with your water. It has more to do with your live rock (cured vs. uncured) and sand and how much die off you have - which is something you really cannot predict. __________________ And this, too, shall pass... 29 g FOWLR 37# LR, 35# LS 2 green chromis 2 ocellaris clowns a very social peppermint shrimp and various snails and hermits

02/11/2007, 05:41 PM	#9
radeon Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Posts: 6	So you mean when my live rocks are cured, i don't have any nitrogen cycle? It's been 3 - 4 days since I use the seawater with no ammonia, nitrite and nitrate. So i can just add livestock in?

02/11/2007, 06:49 PM	#11
mjm1969 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Wasilla, Alaska Posts: 99	When I was stationed in Guam I used ocean water for the 55 I had set up. I just filtered it through cheesecloth and added it to the tank. The tank cycled just as if I had used any other water. I never had any problems, but the water quality is a lot better there than it is along most of the U.S. coastlines. __________________ Michael Current Tank Info: 120RR FOWLR Awaiting release from storage

02/11/2007, 08:13 PM	#12
adnup Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Spring Hill, Florida Posts: 2,025	I've used NSW from the gulf of mexico a few times, everything worked out fine. Problem was that to be sure I'd get good quality water, I'd go out 20 miles, which really wasnt cost effective. __________________ A HOUSE isn't a HOME without saltwater on the floor! Current Tank Info: 120 Starphire, I-Tech 200 Skimmer, Snapper, Tunze