Scripps Pier - Free Saltwater

[SanClementeEric]

I decided to see how difficult it was to get saltwater from the free spigot at the base of the Scripps Institute of Oceanography Pier and to my surprise, you can drive right up to it and there's a special parking spot for it and you just fill up your containers. If you had a pickup truck you literally could just fill them up in your truck bed. So I guess those of you who were wondering about having a huge container on the back of your truck, yes, you could just fill that bad boy up. I forget how long the the hose actually is so maybe bring one along if you plan on that type of action. The pressure is good and the flow is fast, so I imagine it would take too long either.

Anyway, I filled my four 5 gallon containers in a matter of seconds and was out of there lickety split.

Spent the rest of the day at the beach nearby, diggin' on the sand crabs, stingrays, guitarfish and other things I could actually see in the surf.

 

[Adrock]

yeah its not bad did u test it ? if so what were the N03 and po4 readings also ca and alk

 

[biologicalme]

Wait what? So they have free salt water?

 

[oredith]

Wait what? So they have free salt water?

yes, there's also one in marina del ray, i think.

problem is that you really don't know what life you're bringing into the tank.

 

[lurking]

it usually has a fair amount of po4 and always needs to be buffed for CA and ALK

 

[Adrock]

Jeff its not just that but very good point people need to understand that none of these corals that we house in our aquariums come from this side of the world and may have something to do with the water type and quality I have spoken to other biologist and that's basically what I get from the conversation we have had

 

[BeanMachine]

Although filtered that water isn't getting pulled in from many miles out... you can also get some in Newport Beach. Kerkhoff Marine Laboratory...

 

[JDEllis]

it usually has a fair amount of po4 and always needs to be buffed for CA and ALK

+++1 for sure

 

[BeanMachine]

it usually has a fair amount of po4 and always needs to be buffed for CA and ALK

Yep. 4 years ago I filled my entire tank with it... I just used synthetic salt there after for water changes... don't think I noticed a problem but there are so many variables with our tanks who really knows and I'm not a biologist / scientist.

 

[lhernandez101]

so i just started to read this what do u guys think if u run the water through a uv light before using it and poly filter pads?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[BeanMachine]

If you do use it, bring a filter sock and stick the hose through that and into your jugs to collect any debris.

 

[Adrock]

free water is free water go for it and post the results I don't think it will crash a tank but I have heard mixed ideas so im sure its fine

 

[peter]

Jeff its not just that but very good point people need to understand that none of these corals that we house in our aquariums come from this side of the world and may have something to do with the water type and quality I have spoken to other biologist and that's basically what I get from the conversation we have had

Well basically our waters are technically cold so there is high nutrients that why our water isnt clear and where they collect corals its tropical waters with low nutrients thats why their waters are crystal clear.. if I remembered correctly

 

[KarL]

It's fine Imo. I use it and I know a lot of San Diego locals that use it exclusively

 

[Livinlocal]

it usually has a fair amount of po4 and always needs to be buffed for CA and ALK

That's not true at all. I have been using scripps for years and have never seen any po4 or no3 on the water at all.

On average:
Cal-410
Alk-7
Mag- 1200

And I have never seen any nutrient in the water, EXCEPT during red tide.


It's very easy to fill up and the hose gets changes every so often Becuase some people like to run it over.

A lot of local shops actually send tankers to get the water so pretty much anything will make it. We store a 250 gallon container that I pull on a trailer. We can leave it in the garage for months and there will still be zero traces of nutrients.

 

[Livinlocal]

And I test every single time I get water, and every time I use it from the container since I match all my levels.

I recently switched one of my tanks back to synthetic salt, and the biological life just isn't there.

 

[BeanMachine]

That's not true at all. I have been using scripps for years and have never seen any po4 or no3 on the water at all.

On average:
Cal-410
Alk-7
Mag- 1200

And I have never seen any nutrient in the water, EXCEPT during red tide.


It's very easy to fill up and the hose gets changes every so often Becuase some people like to run it over.

A lot of local shops actually send tankers to get the water so pretty much anything will make it. We store a 250 gallon container that I pull on a trailer. We can leave it in the garage for months and there will still be zero traces of nutrients.

Not true at all? Most of us dont keep our tanks at 7 alk, 410 cal, and 1200 mag...

 

[joseserrano]

no way its zero phosphate and zero nitrate. even the great barrier reef has both present. Without these two present there is no life. I would get your test kits checked out. running that low of a mag and alk is also dangerous. Alk is consumed very quickly, and even with a doser or Calcium reactor, if they malfunction, you are in for a lot of loss.

That's not true at all. I have been using scripps for years and have never seen any po4 or no3 on the water at all.

On average:
Cal-410
Alk-7
Mag- 1200

And I have never seen any nutrient in the water, EXCEPT during red tide.


It's very easy to fill up and the hose gets changes every so often Becuase some people like to run it over.

A lot of local shops actually send tankers to get the water so pretty much anything will make it. We store a 250 gallon container that I pull on a trailer. We can leave it in the garage for months and there will still be zero traces of nutrients.

 

[nasotang]

It's fine Imo. I use it and I know a lot of San Diego locals that use it exclusively

Me too. I don't even buffer it much anymore. My alk and ca+ run a bit high from my dosers so water changes actually balance that pretty well on a 10% once weekly basis.

 

[Livinlocal]

Not true at all? Most of us dont keep our tanks at 7 alk, 410 cal, and 1200 mag...

Sorry, I meant about the nutrients only.