NSW and beach sand

If I remember correctly, Randy holmes Farley had a thread about collecting water from Rockport that he posted like a decade ago on reef central. I think the punchline is that it's a massive pain and basically not worth the effort. Worth a Google. I think there are a few members here who collect water. @swampy I think?
 
I would not use quartz sands from northeast beaches. A little Mud from healthy flats is a possibility. Small quantities of the upper layer of mud from healthy marsh flats are used by @PaulB on here as an inoculant to support biofiltration. I don’t see any problem with that. You have to go easy and be careful. I would ask him how much, as I don’t think that detail was in his book, which was great. He adds amphipods from the beaches of Long Island near his home too. I have done this for years (since I had my first tanks) and they are great free herbivores and fish food. They Reproduce in your reef and eat algae/uneaten food/detritus. A win-win! As for NSW, it is worth it if you are set up for it. I have a pipe plumbed into my basement water holding tanks and a 35 gallon Norwesco tank on a skid that goes in my pickup. I can back down a boat ramp and pump it full, or fill it from a seawater hose at my office. That makes it very easy. Not everyone lives on the coast or has an office with running seawater, though. It has saved me lots of dough, and I carry no buckets. I do use some 5 gallon jugs for my wife’s classroom tanks though. They get carted up long ramps to a third floor classroom on a dolly. Not too bad. It all depends on your usage. I use 40 gallons a week, so figure I would spend 60 a month in salt for cheap stuff plus the approx 500 gallons of water it takes to run my RODI. Maybe I save 800 dollars a year in salt and 200 in water? So yeah, a grand saved and I get some exercise walking around my house and going up and down stairs... some jug lifting too... that figure is just my home tanks, not my wife’s school tanks.
 
Don’t collect NSW if:
1. It rained excessively
2. There has been heavy weather and water is murky
3. It looks bad or smells bad
Do collect it if:
1. It is the top half of an incoming tide at your collection point.
2. You are in a well flushed location at the entrance to a harbor or outside a harbor.
3. You want to try it
You will have to:
Adjust Alk, pH, temp and salinity if you like tropical water quality, although it will work straight if used in small quantities.
 
One more note: if using a boat ramp, do that after most of the traffic has passed, like a weekday, and don’t use ones that people dump nasty fish racks or bait at. Use common sense. The New England Aquarium uses Boston Harbor Water, and always has.
 
One more note: if using a boat ramp, do that after most of the traffic has passed, like a weekday, and don’t use ones that people dump nasty fish racks or bait at. Use common sense. The New England Aquarium uses Boston Harbor Water, and always has.
Yeah, I found that out whilst asking questions on the top of the Giant Ocean Tank. Q:“How do you deal with nitrates?” A: “we dump it into the harbor”
Lol
 
I've used NSW for years, I found it easy to quickly get 10 gallons as I live 5min away. I usually add some buffer to bring up Ca and Alk. No issues but I also follow the rules gobyvin layed out and will use regular salt when it's raining, etc.
 
If you need only 5-10gallons per waterchange, it’s probably a fun routine to get out to the water. However I don’t see the fun in collecting 20gallons+ and have to heat it up.
 
If you need only 5-10gallons per waterchange, it’s probably a fun routine to get out to the water. However I don’t see the fun in collecting 20gallons+ and have to heat it up.
The hobby does not go away, neither does the need for water. If you are set up right it is free and easy. I don’t lug buckets. I pump water from point A to point B. Usually while having a beer.
 
Don’t collect NSW if:
1. It rained excessively
2. There has been heavy weather and water is murky
3. It looks bad or smells bad
Do collect it if:
1. It is the top half of an incoming tide at your collection point.
2. You are in a well flushed location at the entrance to a harbor or outside a harbor.
3. You want to try it
You will have to:
Adjust Alk, pH, temp and salinity if you like tropical water quality, although it will work straight if used in small quantities.
Do you filter it at all?
 
Doesn't PaulB use water from NY? I cant see using the sand though.... so many nasty things and peoples nasty feet have been on it
Lol, I wasn’t thinking dry beach sand, more like a couple meters out, but it’s not arogonite, it’s silica, so that poses a problem. And yes, PaulB talks about using NSW and increasing the salinity. He says the water is “weak” but strong in pieces of hotdog near Coney Island
 
I'm on my 8th year using sand from under the water at low tide from Humarock. It's in all 6 of my reef tanks, absolutely love it. Have done 9 moves with it, can't see myself using anything else in fact I'll probably grab more at the end of the summer, I need more for the 180g. That's my experience to toss into the thought equation.
 
I'm on my 8th year using sand from under the water at low tide from Humarock. It's in all 6 of my reef tanks, absolutely love it. Have done 9 moves with it, can't see myself using anything else in fact I'll probably grab more at the end of the summer, I need more for the 180g. That's my experience to toss into the thought equation.
This is regular silica beach sand/mud type stuff? And no issues with diatoms? What makes it so good for your tank? What has your experience been?

Thanks
 
Never had issues with diatoms outside of regular initial setup time. Humarock, and Plymouth, and other towns do not bring in outside sand to fix beaches, and I think that plays a role in things when you decide to use beach sand. I like the look, I like how it doesn't seem to suspend in the water column unlike the more refined products out there, and just never had any weird issues with it. I had it submerged, and any follow up collections of it for a month under water with a HOB filter before using, but that has been many years now. If I were to add purchased sand to it, it would throw off the look, so I just stick with it instead of adding something else to it, or starting over. My positive experience isn't a advocation to use it as there is so many variables of what could go wrong, but it is possible.
 
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