Using Real SaltWater?

[ZManGT]

Ok, I live 5 minutes from the Atlantic Ocean. Is there any benifit of using real salt water in my nano tank? Would it mean less cycling? Would I need better filters? I would think that the water would look kind of dirty until it was filtered well but maybe I'm wrong. What do you all think?

ZMan

[jlazo]

There are a lot of other elements and much more life in "real" ocean water. The ocean has so much more volume to spread all of these items around, a tank is just too small. I would imagine that you would get a pretty healthly algae bloom as well as unwelcome parasites, phosphates, etc.

[blueoceandiver]

i use nsw (natural sea water),i live 3 minuts from the cape.i filter it with a 5 micron charcoal filter(available at hd or lowes) then let it settle in a 55 rubbermaid for a hour and add to my tank.the corals love it:D you have to get the water on a incoming tide and from atleast 2 feet below the surface or you will get oil(boats).it also has a great benifit because it wont load your tank with heavy metals.if your worried about critters just keep the nsw in the dark for a week with a powerhead and all the so called nasties will die of.i like to put it in fresh.

[...Stoked!]

I use NOTHING but.
When i worked for a LFS we used NOTHING but NSW in all our customers tanks also (ron rice-nearly 2000g, root family 300g) so we arent talking piddly **** here.
In my personal tanks I dont ever touch the synth. stuff. Aslong as you arent in a polluted area and collect on incoming tide youll be good to go.