using saltwater from the ocean????

chighfield · 08/06/2014, 12:11 PM

so a few years ago i used to help my brother swim out with a few 5 gallon jugs and get water from the beach. We mostly used them for water changes. He never really did alot of testing so i dont really know the numbers. Any ways im starting a tank soon since im getting out of the army and going back to FL to start my life again. Any thought/ suggestions on fresh saltwater? Oh BTW we would swim out past the shore break to try and alleviate sand.

thegrun · 08/06/2014, 12:36 PM

I would get a few miles offshore before I would feel comfortable using natural seawater, there is too much polution both manmade and natural from die-off on the shoreline to trust water taken from the beach. You want to be far from any rivers or storm run-off and never collect after a rainstorm.

chighfield · 08/06/2014, 12:42 PM

awesome i appreciate the advice. Just trying to figure some things out, hopefully i will have a 150 up here in the next year or so.

Spar · 08/06/2014, 01:56 PM

my brother used to get his tank water from the ocean when living in hawaii. nearby his house, the city had a pump on the side of the road that goes 40 feet below the water surface. this ensured none of the floating pollutants would be an issue. perhaps melbourne has something similar that you could google or check a local forum?

chighfield · 08/06/2014, 11:28 PM

i wish they did but im pretty sure they dont. We use to use it for water changes almost once a week and everything seemed to do fine. Never had any algae problems or really any pests from it. There are a few natural reefs as well as some man made about a mile offshore

chighfield · 08/06/2014, 11:30 PM

its not really a big deal its just since i would usually go to the beach atleast once or twice a week anyways save alittle money on water, but there are plenty of LFS and suppliers within 30 minutes that already have good water parameters

Delandreefer · 08/07/2014, 06:29 AM

I used to live in ponce inlet (south of Daytona beach). I would do it all the time with my 30 gallon tank and had great results. Do it at high tide in an inlet if there is one near you. Just be careful no boats or anything are nearby and avoid getting any sand.

08/06/2014, 12:11 PM	#1
chighfield Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2014 Location: el paso tx, soon to be melbourne FL Posts: 6	using saltwater from the ocean???? so a few years ago i used to help my brother swim out with a few 5 gallon jugs and get water from the beach. We mostly used them for water changes. He never really did alot of testing so i dont really know the numbers. Any ways im starting a tank soon since im getting out of the army and going back to FL to start my life again. Any thought/ suggestions on fresh saltwater? Oh BTW we would swim out past the shore break to try and alleviate sand.

08/06/2014, 01:56 PM	#4
Spar Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Plano, TX Posts: 2,517	my brother used to get his tank water from the ocean when living in hawaii. nearby his house, the city had a pump on the side of the road that goes 40 feet below the water surface. this ensured none of the floating pollutants would be an issue. perhaps melbourne has something similar that you could google or check a local forum? __________________ 450g Mixed SPS/LPS Reef (MH/T5/VHO)

08/06/2014, 12:36 PM	#2
thegrun Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Garden Grove, Ca Posts: 17,023	I would get a few miles offshore before I would feel comfortable using natural seawater, there is too much polution both manmade and natural from die-off on the shoreline to trust water taken from the beach. You want to be far from any rivers or storm run-off and never collect after a rainstorm.

08/06/2014, 12:42 PM	#3
chighfield Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2014 Location: el paso tx, soon to be melbourne FL Posts: 6	awesome i appreciate the advice. Just trying to figure some things out, hopefully i will have a 150 up here in the next year or so.

08/06/2014, 11:28 PM	#5
chighfield Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2014 Location: el paso tx, soon to be melbourne FL Posts: 6	i wish they did but im pretty sure they dont. We use to use it for water changes almost once a week and everything seemed to do fine. Never had any algae problems or really any pests from it. There are a few natural reefs as well as some man made about a mile offshore

08/06/2014, 11:30 PM	#6
chighfield Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2014 Location: el paso tx, soon to be melbourne FL Posts: 6	its not really a big deal its just since i would usually go to the beach atleast once or twice a week anyways save alittle money on water, but there are plenty of LFS and suppliers within 30 minutes that already have good water parameters

08/07/2014, 06:29 AM	#7
Delandreefer Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2014 Posts: 2	I used to live in ponce inlet (south of Daytona beach). I would do it all the time with my 30 gallon tank and had great results. Do it at high tide in an inlet if there is one near you. Just be careful no boats or anything are nearby and avoid getting any sand.