Real Ocean Water is wayyy too salty?

K

kmanbig

Reefing newb
Hi folks, first post here.

So I am setting up a new 70 gallon aquarium and since I live in the Cayman Islands, I planned to use ocean water in stead of mixing it. The water is crystal clear and since the beach is only a 1/4 mile away, I figure its worth the effort to haul it over a few buckets at a time. So I test the salinity with a hydrometer and its off the charts SALTY.

So should I:

1. Use the water straight up?
2. Mix it with RO water (conditioned tap water) to get it to "aquarium" standards?
3. Just buy salt and mix it myself?

I appreciate any suggestions or advice you can offer.
 
Hello, and welcome to Living Reefs.

Have you tested the hydrometer with RO/DI water or a calibration liquid to make sure that it is not the hydrometer that is off?

Regarding the saltwater that you picked up from the beach, how far away off the coast did you get the water?
If you got the water pretty close to the beach there is the possibility that the water you are getting is saltier than average because of the salt constantly being deposited and dissolved near the beach. The area might have pockets of uneven salinity.

My bigger concern with using "wild" seawater is that you do not know what is in the water. All it takes is a small pocket of oil or fuel from a boat or undesirable algae spore or bacteria and your tank could be at risk.
A drop of fuel or other toxic substance in the sea may be negligible, but it presents a different concentration altogether for a 70 gallon tank.


On a side note, I have always had this crazy plan that if I was to retire in a tropical island. I would have my aquarium hooked up with an intake line pumping seawater directly and the overflow plumbs back to the ocean. The ocean will be my sump :)
I would of course only keep inhabitants that are endemic to the region.
 
RockStacker said:
Hello, and welcome to Living Reefs.

Have you tested the hydrometer with RO/DI water or a calibration liquid to make sure that it is not the hydrometer that is off?

Regarding the saltwater that you picked up from the beach, how far away off the coast did you get the water?
If you got the water pretty close to the beach there is the possibility that the water you are getting is saltier than average because of the salt constantly being deposited and dissolved near the beach. The area might have pockets of uneven salinity.

My bigger concern with using "wild" seawater is that you do not know what is in the water. All it takes is a small pocket of oil or fuel from a boat or undesirable algae spore or bacteria and your tank could be at risk.
A drop of fuel or other toxic substance in the sea may be negligible, but it presents a different concentration altogether for a 70 gallon tank.
Click to expand...

+1 RS

Generally if you use natural ocean water it is recommended that you get it off shore at least a few hundred yards to hopefully avoid any contaminates.

Remember that if you are thinking about collecting your own fish and coral that you need to check into the local laws. There are a lot of places that have major restrictions and fines associated with local harvesting

. Another thing to keep in mind will be that once its in your tank it can never be released. The diseases that our tanks can carry could potentially devastate the local population.
 
Thanks for the comments guys,
Salinity was 1.032, basically the top of the hydrometer. I took it right from the shore line and no, I have not tested the hydrometer for accuracy. (And I thought this was going to be easy)

I can get a few fish from the local pet store (clowns, tangs, damsels) but generally government wont let you import any fish that are not indiginious (lionfish, angels, puffer, trigger, eel, shark egg, etc.) so I will probably try and catch a good portion of the fish that go in the tank. (I'll have to smuglle in a shark egg as my son is OBSESSED with sharks and the ocean in general so it was kind of the whole point of starting the tank.)

So... if I check my hydrometer and can get water a few hundred feet off shore, and its STILL salty, should I mix with fresh water to get it at 1.022? Should I leave it as is, or should I simply buy salt and RO water and mix myself.

BTW, the local parks like Turtle Farm and Dolphin Discovery pull oceanwater in for their tanks, albeit they are a lot bigger than my 70gallon. LOL.

Thanks again for your comments and advice.
 
Its probably not as salty a few miles offshore (where youll need to get water from) also you would need to get it from deeper water if i remember correctly.

I played with the idea of getting natural salt water, but in the end it was just too much of a hassle, and living next to the tar ponds, its probably best i didnt. No saltwater shark can live in a 70g.

If it was me, id just get salt mix. Also be sure to check out your collection laws, you might not be allowed to take fish out of the ocean.
 
With the fuel cost of traveling to the water collection spot, the time and energy spent and the wear and tear on your body to collect seawater for your tank, you would probably be better off investing in a good RO/DI unit and high quality salt mix.

With weekly water changes for a 70 gallon, driving/boating to the collection spot for about 7 to 20 gallons of seawater will get old real fast.
 
I would ditch the hydrometer and get a refractometer. Hydrometers are not very accurate and need to be replaced every few months. I had several at the same time that were reading different.
 
Seems like you guys really know your stuff. I appreciate the advice.

Reading the comments here and thinking about this a lot more... you guys are right, trying to get it from the beach is probably a lot more hassle than its worth, especially when you consider the salinity is not what it should be close to shore.

I think I will simply go with the premixed salt water from the fish store, especially since the tank JUST GOT HERE and I'm dying to get started.

One last quick question. For new tank setup, should I remove the carbon filters and turn the protein skimmer off until its probably cycled. I'm planning on using Dr. Tim's One & Only with a few clowns and a few damsels to start things off. Any advice is again, much appreciated.
 
Dont cycle with fishes, thats old school. Just use a piece of table shrimp!

You could probebly turn the skimmer on since it will take a bit to break in.
 
Yep, don't use any live fish to cycle. Toss in a piece of raw shrimp from the grocery store or some fish food and let it rot. If you cycle using fish, you risk killing them, and if they survive, you will end up with fish you don't want in the first place.
 
+1 Kelz and Biff

I've seen a few people use One and Only. Personally I dont know if it really works, it may cut down on your cycle a little. The key will be testing! Good luck and remember to post pics as you progress!
 
Well... the tank has two hairline cracks at the bottom. Good thing I noticed them before I put the sand in. Of course they dont have another tank and ordering a new one will take several weeks. Uhhh, I really hate living on an island sometimes!

Right now the plan is to have the local glass company put a new piece of glass on the bottom and seal it over the existing one. I think it should work fine and cosmetically it should not be an issue, but if anyone has any experience with this or sees any reason why this can't work, please let me know.
 
I dont see any issue with it

Just be sure you research your fish carefully before purchasing them, there arent very many tangs that can live in a 70 gal tank
 

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