ocean water

[brewski4u1]

i am going to have to fill my tank soon need like 70 gallons other then making 4 trips to the lfs, could i walk down the street and get the water right out of the ocean this might be a dumb question but o well

[philosophile]

generally yes.. You can walk right down to the ocean and get a bucket of water and put it in your tank no problem.... But, the water might be contaminated (especially if its close to shore) by all sorts of things including oil, pesticides, etc from runoff, water treatment facilities, etc.

Not to mention that there may be diseases, bad hitchhikers, etc in the water along with the good stuff.

But the likelihood of there being bad stuff in the water is pretty small. So go ahead and use the ocean water.

[username in use]

I use it and know others who do, including a large public aquarium. Just use your noggin' when collecting. Try not to do it for a couple of days after a rain. Try to find a place away from houses/buildings. Also, the tail end of the rising tide is the best time as you get the deeper water.

I collect from waist deep and have never had a problem when adhering to those guidelines.

[zreefs]

i would be carefull you never know whats in the water.

[brewski4u1]

im thinking this cause i'm walking distance to the ocean. in south Florida i figured i'd wait for a nice calm day w/ crystal clear water. its gonna be alot easier then loading 4 5 gallon buckets in my camaro and making 4 trips to the LFS thats 10 miles away and just do this once on first start up ! it might take me all day but saves on crazy gas prices(5.7 liter v8 not city friendly lol) i'll have a few buddys come over and get beer and we will be set.

after first fill i'll go back to the LFS for water as usual

[nanito]

And how come you don't get 1 RO/DI unit and make your own water ? It is cheaper than buying it from your LFS and safer (you don't know how often those guys change their filters) and that way you don't have to go to the LFS and usually when you go to the LFS you end up buying more than just water even when your plan was to go to get water only. Save gas, Have safe water, Avoid the risk of getting water from shore and Save money...... get an RO/DI unit.

[duncantse]

RO/DI is expensive. Where I live, there usually around $150.

[nanito]

In the long run it saves money. More money than GEICO.

[Scott B]

driving your car to the lfs @ $4 a gallon isnt exactly cheap and will add up to more than the price of a ro/di unit real quick! IMO

[stevie-o]

your better off just getting an ro/di unit you will save a lot of money in the long run you will have the reassurance of your water being safe plus you need it for top off. I would also consider what your putting in the tank if you are catching stuff from the ocean then go for it i know a handful of people who do this. especially in west palm there is some great reef, and you can just drop a line on the reef, and catch some triggers or shake some sea weed in your tank. Make sure you do go by fishing regulations if you do do this or you can get in a whole lot of trouble, also the reef is getting destroyed enough by the dang lion fish don't hurt it more. If you do want to have a healthy thriving reef tank buy an ro/di unit. Don't cut corners either this is not a cheap hobby, and it requires some dedication, and responsibility. Don't mean to sound like a jerk, but i've worked at a lfs in boynton beach, and i've seen plenty of people screw up there tank by taking sand, rock, and even water from the ocean.

[bnumair]

i am not an expert nor used ocaen water directly. but a suggestion would be to use a filter sock before dumping ur water into the tank just to keep some nasty stuff out. if any...

[rocking]

ro/di is the way to go i have had mine running now for 4 days now to fill my tank i have one more day to go thin need to fill atio tank up ! it much safer makeing ur own than takeing it out of the ocean right now with the oil spill in the galf of mexco

[PRDubois]

RODI unit will pay for itself in about 9 months of use depending on how much water you generate.

[username in use]

Originally Posted by brewski4u1

after first fill i'll go back to the LFS for water as usual

Id use ocean water for changes as well. Why pay for salt if you don't have to. With the money you will save on salt, buy an RO unit and use that for your top off water.

I understand everyone's concerns, but I have never put anything other than ocean water in my tank, and I am up on Long Island, without a reef in sight, down in florida you are actually close to reefs.

FWIW, this is my tank with natural salt water.

[IMG][/IMG]

[heckfire]

i do 20 percent weekly,, straight from the ocean,knee deep water,, and im very close to WPB