Thanks again for the nice words...
Christi, as I mentioned in the podcast, I've not seen any articles that compare and contrast
NSW -vs- water made with commercial mixes. I have seen some articles that simply break down the make up of
NSW in various waters. I'll poke around (tonight) in my notebooks and within some of my bookmarks and see if I can find them. I'll post them here if I do. In the mean time, a quick search on Google or another search engine for "ocean water" and "Chemistry" could help you start your reading list.
As far as parasites go, I have never found much in the water collected at my couple/few sites. I do collect in what I'd call "fast waters" though. By fast, I mean that there is typically a good current in the water column. It just so happens that the same conditions are ideal for the various fish that I'm fishing for
I think that you have a better chance of finding parasites in slower, richer waters where they have a better opportunity for feeding and finding suitable hosts etc.
Again, I test my water for the basics parameters. From time to time, I visually check the water with my son's hobbyist microscope. Not that I'm worried, but I'm just kind of a geek like that. (I also look at my koi pond water under a microscope..that's real cool to see what is in pondwater!) Sure, I've seen various planktons n' such, but never anything that looked like a worm larva, isopod etc. I never had as much has ich in my reefs over the few years I kept them.
The only "issue" that resulted in losses in my tank was the improper quarantine of 'mail ordered' clams that resulted in a bout of what is called "pinched mantle disease" in my tank. I lost all of the purchased clams and two additional clams that I had in my system for 2 years. I've never had any problems that I would attribute to
NSW.
If you wanted to, you could use ANY filtration on your water. Some also use ultraviolet systems. In a fish only system, why not? There is no call for planktons etc. as you'd see in a reef tank with filter feeders. I just so happened to want to provide that natural plankton to my tank. My feather dusters would all "pop" when I did. I had corals that extended polyps like never before. I also had one rock with barnicles on them. The barnicles would pump and filter like crazy. In any case, if you don't particularly want the small life in the water, you could filter it.
You could also use carbon in your
NSW if you didn't have that 100% confidence that there was NOT toxins or pollutants in the water. Patroleum based pollutants will typically be found 'floating'. They tend to be found in the top 2' of the water. By collecting at depths below that 2', you statistically reduce the chances of bringing them home with you.
In my opinion, if you have no chemical pollutant fears, and you can let the water sit for a week or so in a dark closed container, you can use the water and simply leave the 'silt' on the bottom of the container. That 'silt' is the dead, dying, or simply 'settled' life in the water. If it scares you...pitch it
If you use common sense, and not collect water in polluted areas, or during times of "red tide" etc. and then you test for parameters, you can simply make any small adjustments and you are good to go. If you don't have the opportunity to find water that is 'trusted', you should stay with
RO/DI and a good salt mix. There is no reason not to use mixed water. I just found that there is no reason (for me) NOT to use
NSW.
Have a great weekend!
Dave
