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Okay I live in California. I have access to supposidly PURE CLEANED Ocean water from catalina. Now I was under the impression from my mom (She knows a lot about salt water from ten years ago--a little out of date but helpful) That no way could they remove everything from motoroil to oil spill from that water. Now I've heard Tap water mixtures will produce an algey bloom--My mom has always done this--I need help Im very confused and I told my mom not to do anything untill I've talked to all u.

This is my first marine set up!! Now I've read everything (All the set up and most of the articles on this site and others) My mother gaveme books that ive read cover to cover. I kinda have an idea of what fish I want but thats down the line right now i want to start my cycle (Maybe hermit crabs? Not really into the whole dead shrimp thing i dont know sounds really sketchy to me SORRY Cant imagine it helping at all but then again im ignorant)

Im using a 38 gallon eclipse tank. Thinking of stocking with 2 pagama's fish and MAYBE a clown, the hermit craps and some star fish (IN THE FINAL PRODUCT NOT NOW!!!) Right now I have live sand in my tank, and tap mixture salt water. Now if it will call an algey bloom in cycle, I'll change it before I take a step further. I just found out about this tap thingy and I had already put in "Cycle" It supposedly cuts things in half of the time.

PLEASE ANY HELP WILL BE AWESOME.

JESS

Ive always mixed my salt, never had a problem, been doing it for 4 or 5 years. I dont know about buying water, but it may be cheeper. and ive never had algea blooms

www.responsiblethrashers.com

Thank you so much! I was just worried, it's like 65 cents a gallon or so--But Im not sure about the cleanlyness of it And honestly I enjoymaking the salt water I know im wierd :%) but any ways I feel better knowing i probly wotn get an algey bloom! Can any one else give thier expertese?

THANKS JESS

Your not weird for enjoying mixing salt water, you should always enjoy taking care of you fish, (My wife got me a shirt that says "i eat, Sleep, and filter water.) off topic but thought id share.

www.responsiblethrashers.com

The Catalina water will be fine to use. If I could get cheap NSW in Indiana, I'd use it without hesitation. Its more pricey here though, so not a very good option for me.

I mix my own salt, and haven't had any problems with it so far.

Sometimes a bad batch will come out of certain manufacturers causing an algae bloom. It's a risk worth taking IMO.

I use Tropic Marin salt, the reef formula. The other salt I'd recommend is Aquamedic, which may or may not be available to you. I can't get it here, but the distributor is in Colorado so it's a tad closer to you than me.

Good Luck.


-Ferret



[hr width='40%'][font color="#000080"]
I tear my heart open, I sew myself shut
My weakness is that I care too much
And my scars remind me that the past is real
I tear my heart open just to feel
[/font]

-Formerly known as the Ferretfish

Ferret what do u think of instant ocean salt? it;s what mymoms used forever

Thanks Jess

Instant Ocean IMO and IME is a lower grade salt. Dont get me wrong, it still works but the mineral levels are not as high as what the higher quality salts have. The consistancy from bucket to bucket is also not as good IMO.

I use Aquamedic salt myself. There are only two other salts that I would use in my tanks if I wasnt using Aquamedic.....those two salts would be Tropic Marin, and Marine Environment salt.