nz_mitch Posted January 25, 2007 Report Share Posted January 25, 2007 Hi everyone, I got some great help from people in the Beginner's corner last year about setting up a small freshwater tank that's gone really well and I'm not thinking about doing a marine. The MTS I was warned about seems to have set in... I've read a lot around the internet and specifically this forum and just wondered if you could clarify a couple of things: - I live in Takapuna and it seems to be that it's a recommended place for NSW. When you get it, do you just go down to the boat ramp with drums and fill them with water then heat it/balance salinity etc. and add, or is there a neccessary filtration process? Also, is it feasible to just take a drum down to the ramp and fill it (provided the conditions are alright)? - Live rock: What's the best way to do this? I'm quite happy to leave the tank cycling as long as neccessary but I'm still not sure what the best thing to do with live rock is. Any help would be much appreciated! Thanks Mitch Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davidb Posted January 25, 2007 Report Share Posted January 25, 2007 best thing to do is buy the rock live. http://www.trademe.co.nz/Home-living/Pe ... 831396.htm make sure you know what you are getting yourself into... ontop of the increased prices for lifestock there is also costs involved in; skimmers, test kits, Metal halides, extra electricity, refractometers, sumps, powerheads, return pumps, RO units chemicals etc.... the day to day care and upkeep of a sw reef tank is also much higher than a fw tank too... Its a great hobby but just make sure you have the cash to give your fish and invertebrates the best possible home... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jetskisteve Posted January 25, 2007 Report Share Posted January 25, 2007 Depends on the weather i usually go around 1-2 hrs b4 high tide as long as there hasnt been heavy rain for a couple of days. I stand on the wall & dip 20L buckets in, I get 200L in about 10 mins. I take it home add 10% filtered freshwater & do a waterchange. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davidb Posted January 25, 2007 Report Share Posted January 25, 2007 don't you heat it up before doing the water change steve? At wook we have a 10,000 L holding tank with a big heater in it and one of those big eheim return pumps to keep the water stirred up. my boss does all the water collections at takapuna or south titirangi with his trailer rig. Quite cool... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jetskisteve Posted January 26, 2007 Report Share Posted January 26, 2007 not at this time of year, in winter i float the buckets in the spa pool Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IOU1 Posted January 26, 2007 Report Share Posted January 26, 2007 While on the topic how long can collected sea water be kept without being circulated around and still be Ok for useing? The reason I'm asking is that there are are a pair of coldwater seahorses I'm considering purchasing, i'm not close to the beach and so could only collect water once every few months, and put it all in a shed without power to store it all, I thought this wouldn't be an option as the sea water needs to be always circulated by an airpump to keep the salt and water mixed...Am I wrong?? :oops: :oops: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IOU1 Posted January 26, 2007 Report Share Posted January 26, 2007 Hope that made sense :oops: :roll: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jetskisteve Posted January 26, 2007 Report Share Posted January 26, 2007 U can store it forever? just airate a little b4 using, with most tanks with sumps the return pump does that job for us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bychineva Posted January 26, 2007 Report Share Posted January 26, 2007 i used to run a uv light on it before i do a water change..just to kill of any nasty parasite in nsw..and better water quality Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jetskisteve Posted January 26, 2007 Report Share Posted January 26, 2007 what parasites, i been using it for 15 years with no probs, crosses his fingers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nz_mitch Posted January 26, 2007 Author Report Share Posted January 26, 2007 Hi everyone, Thanks for the replies - just another question then. If I were to buy LR, how does one go about setting it in formations? Do you just have to buy peices that suit your tank or can it be safely arranged? Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zev Posted January 26, 2007 Report Share Posted January 26, 2007 You can stick it together with Sellys Aqua Knead It, I get mine from Mitre 10. If you want tall thin structures you could drill the rock and stick it together with some sort of plastic rod and superglue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dogmatix Posted January 26, 2007 Report Share Posted January 26, 2007 Ive got live rock avialable for $12.50 per kilo if you need it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reef Posted January 26, 2007 Report Share Posted January 26, 2007 used to run a uv light on it before i do a water change..just to kill of any nasty parasite in nsw..and better water quality Good idea, you see so many people use seawater and have so many problems, some importers use NSW and they have wiped out shops tanks with diseases, Rotorua and living waters have had major problems recently i was told. Did a microscope test on some NSW and you could sea all the parasites. The main problem with NSW is the bacteria in it, can cause serious losses to livestock. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jetskisteve Posted January 26, 2007 Report Share Posted January 26, 2007 Thats just NOT true, Jansens used NSW for years and still sometimes" Even u asked me to deliver u a 1000L a while back! The ONLY reason u dont use it is its INCONVINIENT as u live in the sticks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reef Posted January 26, 2007 Report Share Posted January 26, 2007 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jetskisteve Posted January 26, 2007 Report Share Posted January 26, 2007 whats your point? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reef Posted January 26, 2007 Report Share Posted January 26, 2007 Did a microscope test on some NSW and you could sea all the parasites. Have to quantify that ,as if you can get some NSW in a none developed area then it could be fine, however it still could contain high nutrients like silicate etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chikan Posted January 27, 2007 Report Share Posted January 27, 2007 I use NSW for a range of cold, temperate and tropical marine tanks with mechanical filtration on it only. Don't really buy into the theory that ASW can be any better. Use Uv sterilization on most small aquaria and ozone on the large aquairums. I think possibly in the long term the only thing in Auckland that may cause a problem cumulatively is the heavy metals in the water. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davidb Posted January 27, 2007 Report Share Posted January 27, 2007 with the reef tank at work we use NSW. there isn't even a skimmer in there- we can get away with it due to the relativley small bioload. Infact none of the tank at the museum have skimmers going at the moment- just trickle filters (filter wool and bio balls) and carbon filters. At home I use ASW simply for convenience. I bought a 50L plastic rubbish bin for $4 and just mix it up in there... i would prob use NSW if I didn't get salt wholesale... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
petplanet Posted January 27, 2007 Report Share Posted January 27, 2007 Did a microscope test on some NSW and you could sea all the parasites. The main problem with NSW is the bacteria in it, can cause serious losses to livestock. Have you had a look at the water from a fish tank? Is there any major difference in the bacteria and parasite count? What about the difference between a heavily skimmed tank and an unskimmed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shaneo Posted January 27, 2007 Report Share Posted January 27, 2007 some importers use NSW and they have wiped out shops tanks with diseases, Rotorua and living waters have had major problems recently i was told. What do you mean recently? thats the same dribble you PM'd me months ago! I guess who ever stocks HFF Albany uses NSW too ?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jetskisteve Posted January 27, 2007 Report Share Posted January 27, 2007 oh yeah Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chimera Posted January 27, 2007 Report Share Posted January 27, 2007 Good idea, you see so many people use seawater and have so many problems, some importers use NSW and they have wiped out shops tanks with diseases, Rotorua and living waters have had major problems recently i was told. struth its the same old @#$% every time i visit. reef get off your boat, "i was told" is not concrete evidence. Did a microscope test on some NSW and you could sea all the parasites. probably from your hands after you stirred it up The main problem with NSW is the bacteria in it, can cause serious losses to livestock yeah, must be why jetski, cracker and pies tanks are so crap. if you are that concerned, run it through UV. i picked up 800 litres from takapuna today. i store it in a 1,000 litre container under the house, leaving a power head in it to keep it circulated. the cost of ASW is the only thing that stops me using it, this hobby is expensive enough as it is. getting NSW gives me an excuse to go to the beach every now and then anyway Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cookie extreme Posted January 28, 2007 Report Share Posted January 28, 2007 don't fish and coral arrive in NSW from oversea's? or do they get packed in sterile med safe ASW before leaving places like indonesia? sorry i am just a newbee to this hobby hence my question :roll: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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