lmsmith Posted March 24, 2009 Report Share Posted March 24, 2009 Can I use saltwater from the sea? It will be in a brackish tank, so I'll water it down to get the right SG. Obviously I'll take it from an unpolluted place and test it for ammonia/nitrates/nitrites etc first. I know quite a lot of people overseas do it, so could I do it too? Will I need to do a massive filter or something first? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
livingart Posted March 24, 2009 Report Share Posted March 24, 2009 my brackish tank 2 years old runs on natural salt water and fresh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lmsmith Posted March 24, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 24, 2009 So yes? I'm looking at ways I can do this that will be more time effective - sure, I have to drive to the beach to get water, but I love the beach so it doesn't really count, right? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ira Posted March 24, 2009 Report Share Posted March 24, 2009 Can I use saltwater from the sea? It will be in a brackish tank, so I'll water it down to get the right SG. Obviously I'll take it from an unpolluted place and test it for ammonia/nitrates/nitrites etc first. I know quite a lot of people overseas do it, so could I do it too? Will I need to do a massive filter or something first? If it's good enough for most of the reefkeepers around I'd say it's good enough for a brackish tank. Don't waste test kits testing it for ammonia, etc. Just make sure you get it when it's clean and on incoming tide. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lmsmith Posted March 24, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 24, 2009 Wicked, thanks heaps guys. I guess a trip to the beach is in order! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suphew Posted March 24, 2009 Report Share Posted March 24, 2009 Here's a map to the secret collection spot a lot of Wellington reefers use. 8) Further to what Ira said, wait 2-3 days after rain before collecting Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
livingart Posted March 24, 2009 Report Share Posted March 24, 2009 if you can find an estuary, some of the crabs shrimp and small triplefins last awhile and provide food for your fish Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lmsmith Posted March 24, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 24, 2009 Oh great, that's really close to my house. I'll pop over tonight, low tide is about 4 I think. What do you use to collect water? I was thinking of getting a couple of 20l water storers from bunnings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zev Posted March 25, 2009 Report Share Posted March 25, 2009 If you are going to use the PureDew water for mixing or top up from the supermarket or red shed, it comes in 10l containers, these are handy for collecting NSW and easier to lug around - well they are for me, one in each hand is way easier than trying to manhandle 20kg of water in a weird square shaped drum... They are also not recyclable, so you will end up with a collection of them that you don't know what to do with ultimately. Just don't pierce the breather hole in the container, makes for dribbly messes in the car when you overfill them, take the lid right off and pour it out that way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suphew Posted March 25, 2009 Report Share Posted March 25, 2009 I find the 20l are about as much as I can carry, one in each hand balances out the load, the 25l are just a bit too much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lmsmith Posted March 25, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 25, 2009 Sweet, well I went to Bunnings today and got 2 25L containers and a 75L rubbish bin. I put a tap halfway down the bin. I went to the beach (where you specified on the map), and got 2 containers of water. It was beautiful and clear. I did a w/c with the seawater in my puffer tank, and their colours are really nice and bright, and they look really happy. I don't have too much of a problem with the 25L, I can only carry 1 at a time, but my bf is nice about carrying the other one, so that's good. I figure it'll build up my girly muscles! Thanks for the tips everyone! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alanmin4304 Posted March 25, 2009 Report Share Posted March 25, 2009 In a previous life, when I was keeping cold water marines, I made a setup where I had 200 litre containers on a trailer, a 12 volt bilge pump on a float and a hose off the bottom. Float out pump, connect leads to car battery, read newspaper and fill drums from below any floating debri in the sea. I used to then store the water in black 20 litre containers for a few weeks to let any solids settle out and reduce the bioload. The theory was that you got a bacterial bloom when the water was removed from any natural predators and storing it in the dark reduced that. True or false--don't know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boris Posted August 18, 2009 Report Share Posted August 18, 2009 be careful getting water from "the bay" there are regular sewage over flows particuarly after heavy rain Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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