Water mistake

TikiBird

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Sorry I'm posting so many questions lately...I really appreciate everybody's help and clearly I need it! [emoji15]

So far I have been buying saltwater from a LFS (I will eventually get a RO/DI system). I was at a different store last weekend and got water from them since I was already there. I now see this was stupid.

It has JUST NOW occurred to me to actually ask what kinds of salt mixes the two different stores use. One of them told me they don't actually mix their water, they use saltwater from the ocean!

Have I totally messed up my poor tank by using mixed saltwater and ocean saltwater? Should I drain all the water out and start over again with water, being consistent with just the one type??
 

melypr1985

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Just test your water and see if it's still where it should be. You don't want to see a big jump in anything especially salinity. From now on, just stick to one water source until you're able to mix your own.
 

saltyfilmfolks

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they use saltwater from the ocean!
you cant mess anything up with that.
It is water from the ocean.
the ocean has pretty stable salinity.
you can drop a fish right in it.
I wouldn't do that with fresh mixed RSCP.


if it were me. Id keep using it. oh wait, I do. And I use mixed salts too sometimes.
Id worry more about the lfs salinity.
Once you have corals its the alkalinity you worry about. if you have low alk in the tank and use a very high alk salt mix you can have problems. alk burn, ph...
 
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TikiBird

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you cant mess anything up with that.
It is water from the ocean.
the ocean has pretty stable salinity.
you can drop a fish right in it.
I wouldn't do that with fresh mixed RSCP.


if it were me. Id keep using it. oh wait, I do. And I use mixed salts too sometimes.
Id worry more about the lfs salinity.
Once you have corals its the alkalinity you worry about. if you have low alk in the tank and use a very high alk salt mix you can have problems. alk burn, ph...

Thank you, @saltyfilmfolks!! That's really good to know. The way things are going so far, I think it will be a very long time before I get into corals! [emoji15]

I'm going to keep using the ocean saltwater. Will I need to aerate it before using it?
 

saltyfilmfolks

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Thank you, @saltyfilmfolks!! That's really good to know. The way things are going so far, I think it will be a very long time before I get into corals! [emoji15]

I'm going to keep using the ocean saltwater. Will I need to aerate it before using it?
Nope. The ocean took care of that for you.

You should ask where they get the water though. Most is highly filtered and uv skimmed. That's actually better.

I think you could have corals next week.
Live rock live sand ocean water.

I haven't looked at your tank lately but a week or two and your ready.

Fwiw. I started my tanks with no forums. I did research like you are. But had noon to ask questions. I had very good success. It's not that I'm good. It's just that it is that easy.its a lot like gardening as far as a tank health goes. And there is a lot of flexibility in the all of the parameters despite what the Internet says. And Your a pet person. You'll be fine.
 

jsker

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From what I have been reading and seeing of late, ocean water is the way to go. As @saltyfilmfolks stated just make sure of the source of the water. :)
 

saltyfilmfolks

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Thanks, @jsker and @saltyfilmfolks!

Salty, thanks for the vote of confidence. I needed to hear that. I feel like despite researching, I am just getting everything wrong anyway. I just hope I don't hurt my fish or my inverts. [emoji24]
your doing great. your learning a lot of stuff way fast. its tiring.
Having a LOT of outside input can be tough too, as youll start to micromanage yourself with others advice. internet syndrome. And self doubt is normal when you learn something new.
Your a pet person. they lived. there will be mistakes. thats life. If it were you, the rock and salt water alone in a room, you'd still have coral in a couple weeks. Ive been paying attention to your questions.:p "the TANK" is the pet. thres other pets that will be living in it soon. Thats how I look at it. It helps me visualise how to take care of it. Its an organism:)rolleyes:actually a billion billion linked organisms, biosphere but..) kinda like soil too.:D keep that animal happy and the rest of the pets inside will do well, and you get to name them.

Fwiw. IM Totally jealous of your LIVE rock.(but we might have to scrub it soon;))
 

Wh00pS32

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Get a RO/DI and a small Rubbermaid trash can. It's the best investment you can make. You don't have to lug buckets back and forth to the store.

I'm a firm believer in "if it's a pain in the *** to do, you won't do it."

I wish i had a source of ocean water close enough to me as i would definitley do it, pain in the *** or not it would be well worth it.
 

saltyfilmfolks

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Oil spills and nuclear waste from Japan, definitely find their source and technical info on how it's filtered Just Kidding!
lol. everyone forgets we used to test A bombs above ground in the states, and jet exhaust is high in unburned fuel...So I wouldn worry about the fish tank.

No mostly you want to know the seawater source if they use UV and high particulate filtering. its a choice. My water is only runthrough silca filters(sand filters) on its way up the hill to the birch aquarium. so I get tiny particulates, algae, bugs and bacteria. I like that though.. Me and PaulB

I wish i had a source of ocean water close enough to me as i would definitley do it, pain in the *** or not it would be well worth it.
Wait, dont you like on an island?;)

I go once a month or so and get 30 gal or so in "Homer Buckets" I usually use IO if I mix. changed to RSCP and not super happy about whats going on in my lil 30g. the bigger tank is older so its more "flexible"
 

saltyfilmfolks

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Get a RO/DI and a small Rubbermaid trash can. It's the best investment you can make. You don't have to lug buckets back and forth to the store.

I'm a firm believer in "if it's a pain in the *** to do, you won't do it."
agreed.
 

jasonrusso

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348cc601a29fb9b075f36854919bd45c.jpg
This is my setup. I have a pump in the barrel and a heater. If I need top off, I pump it into a bucket. When I do water changes I put salt in the bucket and mix it. The barrel holds 15 gallons and I have a 150 gal tank so I get my 10% water changes every week.
 
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