• Seawater for a marine aquarium from the sea

  • Vanessa

Dear aquarists, help me find answers to my questions. A lot is written about artificial seawater, and practically nothing about natural. I live on the shore of the Sea of Japan. I am interested in whether I can use seawater from my bay. I want to take all the living things from this same bay. The environmental situation is not ideal, but still, everything grows and develops. If I can use natural water, does it need to be pre-treated in some way? (after all, life thrives in this water). Can I use the substrate from the bay? What equipment is needed for an aquarium with natural water and substrate? I understand that many have not encountered this, but maybe at least theoretically. I really need your help. Waiting for your replies.

Michael

I'm not very knowledgeable about marine aquariums, but I can recommend checking all the links on: There's a lot of useful information there, maybe something will be helpful.

Jesse3979

Thank you for your participation. I will take your advice.

Deborah2682

Water can and should be used, the only condition is to control the parameters, mainly salinity, if a freshwater river flows into it. The most challenging aspect of an aquarium with inhabitants from the Japanese sea is the temperature, which is quite low, so the cooling problem needs to be addressed. The standard equipment includes a powerful biofilter and a protein skimmer. What volumes of water delivery to the aquarium are possible? For a longer period, water can be aged in a container for several weeks until the plankton dies and decomposes. For these purposes, a container with a separate filtration system can be made.

Melissa

First, I apologize for the amateur questions. Tell me, what is the significance of the salinity of seawater if the aquarium inhabitants are taken directly from the bay with the water they live in (or did you mean testing the water I will use for changes later?). Now about the temperature. In summer, they feel great, and the water is on average +18-20 degrees. Can't they be kept in water at that temperature year-round? Yes or no, and why? For a 140-liter aquarium, what power biofilter is needed? And what protein skimmer? What other standard set of equipment is necessary? Water for the aquarium can be delivered without limitation. Please tell me in more detail about aging water. This question is bothering me. What to do with the water—pour it in immediately (fresh) or does it need to be aged? Should the water being aged undergo any treatment or just be left to settle?

Tiffany5069

I am not a marine aquarium specialist, but I have some general understanding - I think you can't keep living creatures at the maximum possible temperature all the time, because, firstly, it shortens their lifespan (in summer, metabolism at higher temperatures speeds up), and secondly, there are clearly hydrobionts that stay near the shore in winter and go to deeper waters in summer, where the temperature remains approximately constant. Correct me if I'm wrong.

Elijah7048

You are wrong. It's not hydrobionites, but hydrobionts.

Alan273

Well, yes... I messed up...

George5104

Salinity control is necessary if there is a freshwater inflow near the water intake point. If there isn't, then no special control is needed. Moreover, if it's possible to ensure a weekly water change of 10-15%, then, in principle, no special equipment will be required; regular internal filters will suffice. The main thing is to ensure a turnover of 10-15 volumes per hour. Regarding temperature, it seems to me that it won't be a major problem if you can maintain 18-20 degrees. The lifespan of aquatic organisms will certainly decrease, but since many marine animals live for decades or even hundreds of years in nature, it won't be very noticeable.

Jessica5348

Hmm, 10-15% once a week without special equipment, just using external filters? I'm afraid that their lifespan won't just decrease, but will decrease quite significantly... If there's no special equipment, maybe 10-15% daily, or at least every other day, right? Moreover, considering the fact that the water needs to be aerated, why not install at least a homemade foam generator powered by a compressor?

Tricia7885

You can also put a penny, it won't be worse, only better. But one should live like this if moderation in settling is observed.

Kimberly

What about tests for ammonia and the like, pH, phosphates...

Brent8919

I came across a cabinet in the store that perfectly fits the size of my aquarium. I opened one of the doors and found a small refrigerator inside. It turned out to be a mini-bar. I thought that if I need to cool the water, I could adapt the refrigerator for this purpose. For example, I could run water through it by carefully passing a hose through drilled holes and sealing it with sealant, and use the compressor to pump the water. What do you think of this idea? Or is it just nonsense and I don't need to cool the water at all? Could you please provide me with some online resources

David

Water needs to be cooled even in tropical aquariums, and in cold-water ones even more so. The only question is the length of the hose and the flow rate of the water for effective cooling. Regular household refrigerators are also used, which turns out to be cheaper than specialized aquarium ones. Ideally, the volume of the biofilter should be one-third of the aquarium volume. A drip system is preferable. At elevated temperatures, not all species can survive for long without adhering to a yearly temperature cycle, but it is possible to find suitable ones. It is still difficult to maintain the water temperature within 20 degrees.

Kathy

In hydrochemistry, each test includes a description of what, why, and what to do to lower or raise the parameter, and there is literature available, as well as a website where you can also find information and do an online analysis, but it's not very good, so look into it and decide... I also have a question for the moderators: what can be used to glue shell rock and decor; is there a way to secure live rocks, is there anything for gluing wet stones?