Ocean water and sand

[jabberwock]

There seems to be 2 major paradigms in this hobby, natural/biodiversity and science/balance. If you want to follow more the route of biodiversity and focusing on using as much of nature as you can, NSW is probably a good option, especially with such a small tank cause it is basically no work. If you are more on watching numbers and a clean and perfect tank, maybe not the best option because of what it can bring with it.

Hopefully I didn’t offend anyone with this oversimplified version

Not offended, but curious as to how you separate natural/biodiversity and science?

Biodiversity IS science...

 

[C4ctus99]

Not offended, but curious as to how you separate natural/biodiversity and science?

Biodiversity IS science...

Yeah, haven’t really figured out a good way to put it. I guess it’s the difference of people like Paul B with minimal testing, water changes, etc going for biodiversity and mimicking nature (sprinkling mud in occasionally) as opposed to checking your parameters, going for Chrystal clear water w/no algae, the more current mainstream approach to it, medicating fish, etc.

Not to say that one is more scientific than the other, just one I guess is more clinical and based off scientific experiment and data and the other is more focusing on just looking at nature and brining it into the tank

If that makes any sense

 

[C4ctus99]

Yeah, haven’t really figured out a good way to put it. I guess it’s the difference of people like Paul B with minimal testing, water changes, etc going for biodiversity and mimicking nature (sprinkling mud in occasionally) as opposed to checking your parameters, going for Chrystal clear water w/no algae, the more current mainstream approach to it, medicating fish, etc.

Not to say that one is more scientific than the other, just one I guess is more clinical and based off scientific experiment and data and the other is more focusing on just looking at nature and brining it into the tank

If that makes any sense

Just a large difference I’ve noticed on the forum, many people seem somewhat split over quarantine vs not, medication vs observation, testing for bacteria strain diversity vs just throw some mud in there.

I think I tend towards just mimic nature and worry less about crystal clear water and no algae, but everyone seems to end up somewhere on the scale and it seems to be a major ongoing discussion

 

[jabberwock]

Just a large difference I’ve noticed on the forum, many people seem somewhat split over quarantine vs not, medication vs observation, testing for bacteria strain diversity vs just throw some mud in there.

I think I tend towards just mimic nature and worry less about crystal clear water and no algae, but everyone seems to end up somewhere on the scale and it seems to be a major ongoing discussion

It is, for sure. People have different goals and styles. In my limited reef keeping experience, success has mostly been associated with real ocean live rock and lots of biodiversity. When I went the dry rock really clean route, I became a nuisance algae farmer, and still got pests.

Forever in the future, I will be a real live ocean rock kind of guy. The difference is night and day.

 

[C4ctus99]

It is, for sure. People have different goals and styles. In my limited reef keeping experience, success has mostly been associated with real ocean live rock and lots of biodiversity. When I went the dry rock really clean route, I became a nuisance algae farmer, and still got pests.

Forever in the future, I will be a real live ocean rock kind of guy. The difference is night and day.

I started out 9 months ago having no clue what I was doing with a hermit crab we accidentally brought home. So my tank was a hodgepodge of dry rock with some live rock and seachem stability to start… sometime in late January I got 11 lbs of gulf rock from salty bottom reef and some used T5s and it was crazy what followed. Plenty of green film algae but also a ton of neat hitchhikers. I don’t mind a little algae and it was fun finding a starfish, porcelain crab, seeing amphipods, etc. been thoroughly enjoying it and would like to go full Paul B but not their yet. Brought home a fish with Ick so quarantining all my fish with copper while I get a new 75g set up

I also realize we have now hijacked this thread… my bad @boogiesnap

 

[jabberwock]

I started out 9 months ago having no clue what I was doing with a hermit crab we accidentally brought home. So my tank was a hodgepodge of dry rock with some live rock and seachem stability to start… sometime in late January I got 11 lbs of gulf rock from salty bottom reef and some used T5s and it was crazy what followed. Plenty of green film algae but also a ton of neat hitchhikers. I don’t mind a little algae and it was fun finding a starfish, porcelain crab, seeing amphipods, etc. been thoroughly enjoying it and would like to go full Paul B but not their yet. Brought home a fish with Ick so quarantining all my fish with copper while I get a new 75g set up

I also realize we have now hijacked this thread… my bad @boogiesnap

So, back to the OP...
I don't think the water houses a lot of biodiversity. Rock and sand will house much more, but you have to be careful about collection regulations. Check your local DNR regulations first.

 

[Paul B]

If we live near the sea I would be asking, "Why would you use fake water?".

All of our fish came from NSW. If you have been to the places where they are collected many of them are totally polluted. Many of those tropical Islands have no sewage facilities.

I have been using mostly real seawater for 50 years. I don't worry about pests or diseases and never have to quarantine. My fish never get sick and generally die of old age.

I do have to filter out the chopped up seaweed because I collect it from the surf and it has all sorts of "Not dangerous" but unsightly debris. I could filter it through a coffee filter but I have a diatom filter so I use that. I also take sand or mud and throw it in for the bacteria.

 

[Paul B]

I think I tend towards just mimic nature and worry less about crystal clear water and no algae, but everyone seems to end up somewhere on the scale and it seems to be a major ongoing discussion

By the way, My tank mimics nature as much as possible in a tank but my water is also always perfectly clear.

 

[I never finish anythi]

Pointless imho . The bad outweigh the good I think .

 

[Paul B]

Pointless imho . The bad outweigh the good I think .

Many people feel the same way you do. But is it pointless that my tank has ran for 52 years with no crashes and it was started with NSW. Still use it.

I don't see any bad, but if you quarantine everything you would also have to quarantine NSW.
I never quarantine so I don't have those problems.

 

[SteveMM62Reef]

I’d say go for it, a nice experience/experiment for the summertime. Get Couple Five Gallon Hedpacks off of Amazon. Make a Corded Tether for the Caps, so you don’t loose them. Reseal with Hot Glue. I’m sure once September/October rolls around, you’ll drop it. In the meantime you’ll familiarize yourself with the local Sea Shore, and what you can collect Animal, Plant wise for your aquarium. BTW, Collection of any fish may require a Saltwater License. You can always use the HedPacks, for RO/DI, and the ATO Pumps will fit through their necks.

 

[Tom.E]

I used to start up tanks with a half the water volume being NSW for the biology. I honestly never did see any discernible benefits over time…so back to using just ASW.

I also tried collecting beach sand. The tidal sand where I live is loaded with bristle worms. After a few months the tanks had several feet of worms. If it’s legal where you live (most public beaches aren’t) you might want consider the drier areas.

 

[Mathew0]

It seems like a pretty cool opportunity that a lot of people will never have. We don’t get much NSW here in Minnesota

 

[SteveMM62Reef]

It seems like a pretty cool opportunity that a lot of people will never have. We don’t get much NSW here in Minnesota

At the Same Time, there are huge Coral reefs in the Midwest. One is in Coralville, Iowa. Kind of blows your mind that this was part of the Sea. BTW, don’t even think of Collecting the Corals from any Coral Historical Sites. Also you need Permits and Stamps, to Possess or Sell these Corals, to collect them from other sites.