Tank Journal Archive

[dimitri]

Did my first NSW change today.

NSW supplied by Something Fishy - SARDI grade filtered water from the Adelaide Gulf, same stuff the fish factories use for there ponds of livestock.

Did about 80L of the 350L
We'll see if the corals and fish have anything to say about it all, my one finger leather coral isn't opening up much since the WC but that could just be coincidence.

Levels after

PO4 was 0.10
Nitrate was 5
PH 8.21
ammonia 0.001
temp 25.8
Salinity 1.22


$100 for 1000L

Works out pretty good if you ask me, better then tub of RSS for 3/4 that.

Just wonder how the levels will be with mag, alk, cal, etc.. Will I need to dose if I do a decent WC weekly?

 

[ezza]

You are going to have to dose things and also top up the salt because you should be at 1.024-1.026 unless you do fish only. The fisheries may use it for their holding ponds... But you are not in a tropical marine environment and the water chemistry is different. I often wonder about sea water now due to the astonishing amounts of crap we all force into the water. Plastic, poo, chemicals, nuclear waste... It's just not as clean as it used to be.

I personally wouldn't be putting water in my tank with nitrates at 5ppm... But I have battled nitrates before and the effort required to master that was too great to go there again. I did collect water from the beach once or twice when money was tight. Yes, it's ok, but it isn't perfect. I use Ultimate Aquacare salt (cost saving measure as I was using Red Sea and Tropic Marin before I needed surgery. Then I used a salt bought from one of the people on here. There is a price difference, but I don't see any issues with UA. At least it contains all the right elements and things to support my coral and fish. My dosing is just to top up elements being utilised by the corals etc and is pretty basic.

Saying all of that, there is a guy living near me with one of the nicest SPS tanks I've ever seen who uses NSW. He collects it from the local beach and filters it through multiple filter socks before allowing it to enter his system. He doses and monitors his system very closely with a Vertex I think.

It all comes down to what you are prepared to spend money on and what you value. I need to work within the realms of a tight budget, but also have to ensure I am not placing a burden on other people to help me deal with it. I can mix salt and make my own water- but I haven't got room for a storage container and can't physically deal with lugging barrels of water around between beach/car/home etc...

 

[Aspidites]

Nsw all the way for me. Just a tip though, test the main parameters each change for a few changes and maybe with change of seasons aswell. Just till you know what you are puting in your tank. This should let you know how temp, rainfall boats, even fish spawns affect your water. I collect myself and besides massive rainfall that mess with salinity, I get a difference between winter and summer temp, d.o. and phos. The phos coinsides with snapper, and a few other species, spwaning for some reason. Two years running so far. May be a fluke but the next season will tell.
Its always good to know whats going into your tank, this may alert you to any issues that may arise later on.

 

[Sam Parker]

I use NSW, but it is collected in bulk, buffered for alk/cal/mag, treated for phosphate, salinity adjusted and skimmed. It's essentially a hybrid of ASW and NSW. Gets delivered to me 1000l at a time ($120) and I actually never really notice or see t as my auto water change system slowly brings it in and out of my tanks. It is working very well so far.

If I didn't have access to such high quality NSW I would probably use ASW though. It's a combination of laziness and good fortune.

I know there are a few good tanks using sardi water but also know a few who won't touch it. Each to their own I guess. I note your levels after a water change, all looks good except for perhaps the salinity, I wouldn't want to go lower than 1.024, but if your fish only or treating for something it's a different story.

Know what you mean about the price of salt, but don't forget what it costs to generate 660lt of RODI either. Depending on your TDS, it can quickly chew through your membranes.

Keep us updated!

 

[Lesley]

HI,
Our tank lives on Sardi water
Has for over a year now.
Great value for money and convenient too.

I have tested a lot of Sardi water over the last 12 months or so

I have always had 0.00 nitrates and phosphates. Not once have I ever had a reading on either in 12 months.
And I get it delivered at 1.029 to 1.030 salinity. I dilute myself to my 1.026 salinity.
Clearly you are getting it diluted as Sardi water is not that low.
I would be questioning the RODI dilution source as your nitrate and phos reading.
That's exactly why I take the time to dilute myself and not use LFS to do, I have my own TDS and trust me only.

 

[dimitri]

all good points and some things I didn't take into consideration.

@ezza those levels were after the WC, before they had been slightly up, sorry for not writing it clearly


I just tested for nitrate from the storage container and its at 0, *few* - that was this morning though.

I've been warned this stuff can come in at 1.33 to 1.25 - I did put a couple of cups of RSS into the sump with the wave-maker to bring it back up - tested this morning and its at 1.24 few hrs of evaporation and it should be spot on 1.25 and then the ATO can kick in again.

I get my own RODI dropped off, its lab grade, so I'll cut it down to suit myself from now on and not rely on the bulk delivery guy & his RODI.

I've stuck a small hydra in the container and a heater hopefully that keeps it in good condition & as close to my tank setup till i use it next - I will test the next batch as soon as I get it later this week for all parameters

 

[dimitri]

@Lesley

I am assuming both sources are from Lee @ Something Fishy.

Since the delivery was for the 525XL new tank and this was the spare few hundred L I asked him to cut it himself for me, I had to get back to work and didn't want the hassle of spending a few hrs trying to sort the levels out, just needed the tank full and running in....
He did say he guesstimated it, hence why it came in lower.

I won't be making the same choice again.

again, those levels of PO4 and Nitrate are from the display itself POST WC

originally PO4 was 0.30 now down to 0.10
Nitrate was 10 now down to 5

The source is as you suggest 0.0

good to know you are having good results, I look forward to the same.

 

[Lesley]

@Lesley

I am assuming both sources are from Lee @ Something Fishy.

Since the delivery was for the 525XL new tank and this was the spare few hundred L I asked him to cut it himself for me, I had to get back to work and didn't want the hassle of spending a few hrs trying to sort the levels out, just needed the tank full and running in....
He did say he guesstimated it, hence why it came in lower.

I won't be making the same choice again.

again, those levels of PO4 and Nitrate are from the display itself POST WC

originally PO4 was 0.30 now down to 0.10
Nitrate was 10 now down to 5

The source is as you suggest 0.0

good to know you are having good results, I look forward to the same.

We get 2000ltr delivered at a time. We have no flow or heat in there for storage purposes.

Never had any problems.

We have found that most deliveries can be diluted by adding about 10% rodi eg 180ltr sardi to 20ltr rodi is perfect in most cases.

Tank loves it. You will not be disappointed in results.

 

[Savage Henry]

I use NSW I collect myself.

I collect it alongside commercial collectors that supply some of you guys. I scoop out near the surface with incoming waves but note some collectors site their intake pump on the bottom in the sediment. I often wonder why they don't use a buoy and float the pump out a good few metres. If I was a commercial collector I would do this.

I don't modify my NSW it goes straight into the tank (with prior warming out in the sun).

I do need to get my refractometer tested but my salinity appears to be 1.029 and has been for the last three or four years. This does not appear to have been a problem for my softies and LPS or fish. Haven't had much luck with SPS (except hydnophora if you class it as sps), but there are probably many other reasons for that.

 

[dimitri]

We have no flow or heat in there for storage purposes.

.

I just have a thing about stagnant water, don't like it, a small pump circulating is just my piece of mind really.. plus i get lots of mosquitoes and they manage to get into everything moist around here.. :)

 

[Aspidites]

Noob question, SARDI is what exactly?

 

[dimitri]

http://pir.sa.gov.au/research/research_specialties/aquatic_sciences/marine_ecosystems