Nsw

[Driftwood]

Has anyone collected natural sea water from the coast of Maine for use in their saltwater systems?

If so, how did you do it? Just fill a bucket up and bring the temp up to 80? I was curious if there are any pollutants in the water or anything like that.

[JackRent]

I have heard of people going a few miles offshore and collecting seawater. I have heard from a local person that the corals repsond very well because of all the live critters in natural seawater. I would just be careful right along the coast or in proximity of a marina because of oil pollutants.

[Laverna]

I am going to keep an eye on this thread ~ if the majority of posts say the same as JackRent; I know what I will be doing on my boat this summer!!!

[Driftwood]

A few miles??? I'm guessing an Old Town canoe won't get me out that far huh?

[jacksonsmom25]

if you try it in an old town canoe...definatly let me know when you plan on doing this...I wouldn't want to miss it...I think it would be quiet the show! :)

[spotfin]

You could do it but it would take a lot of prep work before you could safely use it. True, there are lots of zoo- and phytoplankton in it, but a lot of it may die from the temperature difference. Plus, there could be nasty plankton in there as well, especially the red tide bugs. I'm sure there are some threads here on RC about it.

[ME2003]

I have read several threads about people in the boston area that use NSW. I believe they filter it or age it and plankton/seaweed settle to the bottom . Matt and I did an experiment by adding
amphipods to warm water. They survived 5 minutes. They would
take a while (days?) to acclimate. I watched a lecture on seahorses
that were feed from NSW plankton. The only issue was hydroids.

BRS has a useful thread on it
http://216.235.242.50/forums/showthread.php?t=6090

My guess is that if you can collect it in the Boston area you
should be able to around here.

[Driftwood]

That link is great! I think if I do it when the tide is coming in I can collect from the shore.

[yeame]

I think if you put maine wathe in a constant temp of 80 in a reef its bad news to much growing in it

[bunsenburner]

The water temp I dumped into was about 73, all amphipods swam for a bit then died. The snails and limpets too. Next time I may bring dry ice and my old mysis packs out and freeze a few packs of amphipods for feeding.

Still hope to find mysis, even if I have to drive up to Boothbay and poach Jason spot. Had good luck last time keeping them alive.

[Driftwood]

I'm thinking that with a change that drastic it would be best to bring the temp up slowly and possibly in stages over a few days.

[JackRent]

Hey matt -

If you are saving money on mysis by getting it in the ocean, how are you saving money by driving to Boothbay to get it ?? Unless of course you have other reasons to be in Boothbay. I will look this spring and summer around Casco Bay when I get my boat in the water. I will let you know if find a "spot". I personally don't want to support big oil anymore than I have to :)

[JackRent]

Exxon Mobil former CEO $168 million dollar pension ! Sick ! I just want about $2 million and I could call it quits for good.

[ME2003]

Mysis shrimp are expensive.

As long as real wages continue to decrease and inflation is kept
in check wall street, the ceo of Exxon mobil and the people running the government are happy. See the article below.

Translation the rich are getting richer and the middle class poorer.
If you are wealthy you can afford $4 dollars a gallon. What do you care about everyone else. They have credit cards.


http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/Investing/CNBC/Dispatch/060418markets.aspx

Dow leaps 195 points as signs emerge that Fed may be done raising interest rates. Oil hits a new record price above $71.

With little hope of a quick resolution to Iran's nuclear standoff with the West, analysts are starting to talk of the possibility of $80 oil and $4-a-gallon gas

[bunsenburner]

Not really doing it to save money rather keep myself entertained. Don't really care if I ever get rich, I just want to enjoy my life.

[JackRent]

Amen to that. That is why I live in Maine.

[Drewpy]

No one gets rich in this state with taxes we pay! Cut the budget and government payroll in half and startover!

As far gas prices go:

Brilliant Budgeting Baldacci with his new and shady tax hike hiding accrual methods has raised gas taxes 82 million dollars since 2004 (raised 22.25 million in 2004-05, raised 27.49 million in 2005-06, and keeping going up why don't ya at 32.36 million in 2006-07)

Of course this is included in the 1.143 BILLION DOLLAR TAX HIKES Baldacci has already approved in the 2007 budget... I mean why not-- it's not like we are the most heavily taxed state in the nation-- Oh wait-- WE ARE!

And of course compared to a 168 million dollar Exxon CEO pension that isn't much...

Unless you figure that if the CEO gave up his pension we as tax payers get nothing...

And if Baldacci gave back even some of that 1.143 BILLION he is going to take WE GET ALL OF IT...

Now kinda makes you think doesn't it?

Oh and before big oil bashing catches on too much--- realize that the cost of crude oil has gone up from 40 dollars a barrel in 2004 to a current cost of 71 dollars a barrel---

Since exxon and every other big oil company has ZERO control over crude prices--- gas prices have simply risen in line with the cost of the crude oil... Blame that on whatever you want but it's not exxon's fault.

Then whatever we do-- do not drill for oil domestically-- god forbid... I have lived in Alaska-- trust me we aren't going to hurt a thing up there other then frozen dirt... Then there's mexico drilling off shore but we shouldn't do that either-- Better just to complain about high gas prices instead...

And of course it's completely constitutional to censure exxon's financial books---- Punish success unlawfully!!! Now that is the American Dream. Your business is next by the way...

[Drewpy]

sorry to hijack---

I have collected critters on the shore with good success... and as far as natural sea water i think it's fine-- go somewhere with a strong tide, visually clean appearence... Tenants Harbor comes to mind around me... pretty deep water right off the shore line and little sources of pollutants...

The breakwater in rockport will let you walk a half mile off shore-- don't know about rockland harbor though--

[Driftwood]

In the 4th quarter of 2005, Exxon recorded the most profit any company has ever recorded in America, a new record... I do believe they are somewhat responsible for the prices of our gas. If they are making that much money, they could afford to charge us a few cents less a gallon.

I do think that ME's state gas tax is criminal. What the hell, talk about kicking a dude when he's down...

[Naturebatslast]

Hey, I saw NSW and had to add that 2 cents. I made the switch from mixing my own to collecting NSW. I all of the reading I've done to compare salt mixes, all try to duplicate NSW but never come close. IMO, IO seems to be the most consistent.
I collect NSW out near Small Point, on an incoming tide. I stay away from rivers or brackish water. I don't collect when it's raining or a couple days after for runoff.
I mechanically and carbon filter 24hrs, heat it,bump up salinity from 1.022 to mine, 1.025, I also bump up the alk as well. Testing, the NSW I collect is cleaner than my tank will ever be.
So far so good. I don't use trace mineral additives. Costwise, the savings by not buying salt is offset by the 30min ride out and back. My tank seems to like it. But, I don't think I'll go back to mixing.
But, this is just one whacko's opinion.
NBL

[Drewpy]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7220062#post7220062 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Driftwood
In the 4th quarter of 2005, Exxon recorded the most profit any company has ever recorded in America, a new record... I do believe they are somewhat responsible for the prices of our gas. If they are making that much money, they could afford to charge us a few cents less a gallon.

I do think that ME's state gas tax is criminal. What the hell, talk about kicking a dude when he's down...

Exxon profit is about 6 to 8 cents per gallon... The state of Maine 24 cents, Federal Government 17 cents per gallon... The rest is the cost of the product...

Microsoft's quarterly earnings top $3 billion, Google's earnings jump 477% in one year, Citibank's earnings are $7.1 Billion, Procter & Gamble $2 Billion, General Electric $4.7 Billion, Coca-Cola $1.3 Billion, and countless other companies are making lots of money....

And who made the most just off oil?

US GOVERNMENT 54 BILLION!!! And we Maine tax payers are smart enough to tie our gas tax dollars to the rate of inflation-- inflation goes up-- so do our taxes--automatically...

Our economy is booming. Inflation is not rising, unemployment is near zero if considering the people who do not want jobs, and even when gas prices are compared as a percentage to our gross national product we are doing better then in 20 years.

Most importantly people's investments including retirement are doing very well. Not only are they unconstitutional and against everything America stands for but these congressional and executive "investigations" into Exxon Mobile will ultimately hurt the economy and peoples lives (how many people retirements have Exxon Mobile stocks?!) and will do nothing to the price of gasoline.

My folks are doing well with there wood stove business with rising costs of oil/propane--- Are they to explain their profits? Sounds far fetched but you watch what happens to the price of fire wood in the next few years. It is going up. The market cannot be controlled.

Bottom line is use less oil, stop government spending and taxation increases, and drill for oil domestically. Until these things happen no one should be blaming Exxon Mobile. We as a country have actively stopped them from lowering prices by preventing them from drilling and finding domestic reserves.

Who in Exxon Mobile are we blaming? They have about 100,000 employees and the vast majority of them just your average worker... Only several and really only the CEO make extreme amounts of money. And why shouldn't he? He makes no more then many professional athletes and does a lot more for this country!

I do not see anyone getting up in arms about the millions that General Motor pays to employees that do not even work or the millions they pay on viagra prescriptions because of poor union contracts... The net result is GM actually looses money per car they produce because of people who really take advantage of others. They may even go out of business and many more workers (who actually work) will loose their jobs too.

To me that deserves an investigation!

Gas prices are up though: Nigeria (3% of US supply) is off line, gulf region refineries are not at 100%, environmental gas additives are causing distribution delays, Iran's dictator won't shut up, china and India are sucking up oil like we go through salt, and the gas market reflects these and other global factors. The price of crude is set by brokers making predictions.

Realize that Exxon Mobile is extremely small potatos when compared to oil giants like in Persian Gulf. Exxon Mobile only holds 18% of the worlds oil. That is just is not enough to "Gouge" prices...

Saudi Arabian Oil Company produces 3028 MILLION BARRELS of oil per year--- Exxon Mobile only 894. Petroleos Mexicanos 1278 and Petroleos de Venezuela 1258 MILLION.

That reminds me--- Since Brillant Baldacci is such a doo gooder raising minimum wage (as many government/union jobs are tied to minimum wage) to help Maine's poor and he takes such ethical and moral stands on tough issues---

Why is he getting cheap heating oil from Venezuela? The communist dictator run country guilty of more human rights violations everyday then just about any where else--- But i guess for cheap oil it's okay...

And here's an idea on minimum wage-- if you make minimum wage work 60, 70, 80 hours a week to make it up... Guranteed legal residents who are capable of that type of work ethic will not be working at minimum wage for long...

Baldacci seems like a better target then Exxon Mobile personally...

[spotfin]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7254634#post7254634 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Naturebatslast
Hey, I saw NSW and had to add that 2 cents. I made the switch from mixing my own to collecting NSW. I all of the reading I've done to compare salt mixes, all try to duplicate NSW but never come close. IMO, IO seems to be the most consistent.
I collect NSW out near Small Point, on an incoming tide. I stay away from rivers or brackish water. I don't collect when it's raining or a couple days after for runoff.
I mechanically and carbon filter 24hrs, heat it,bump up salinity from 1.022 to mine, 1.025, I also bump up the alk as well. Testing, the NSW I collect is cleaner than my tank will ever be.
So far so good. I don't use trace mineral additives. Costwise, the savings by not buying salt is offset by the 30min ride out and back. My tank seems to like it. But, I don't think I'll go back to mixing.
But, this is just one whacko's opinion.
NBL

Hey Naturebatslast,

How long have you been using nsw? Ever have any problems with disease or algae breakouts? Especially in the summer?

[Naturebatslast]

Just as I was heading to work today I heard about red tide in the Harpswell area. So.....I have to collect water more north of here. I've been using it for about a month with out incident, everybody looked happy.
Until the incident with my skimmer. With the skimmer down and out for a few days, and then a powhead issue, I'm really behind the 8ball with a large amount of organics built up in just a few days, I cant risk red tide creeping into my water. So I think I'm making water for a week or two, so I can research it a bit, maybe make some calls to the state DEP, shellfish commision or the marine fisheries end of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. If I had access to a boat, which I may, I may try to collect 40 to 50 gallons at a time by going out a mile or two.

As far as disease and algae, I am worried if i get into some funky water, but overall I'm not worried, that is if I can get red tide free NSW. There's a reef shop inthe Boston Area where the owners collects 800 gallons of NSW off the Cape every week or two, doesn't even filter it, just adjusts for salinity, and puts it right in the shops tanks. Maine has less shipping traffic, smaller urban areas, less people, and less industry. IMO, the I thought about it, it just made more practical and economic sense, or at least it will once I find some where to collect.
NBL

[AquaEquestrian]

Rob just got a 22' boat and we plan on going out this summer and getting NSW. We'll take the Penobscot River out to the ocean around Searsport or possibly to Bar Harbor (a much longer trip). Anyone have any luck collecting it around there?

Anyone have any recommendations for a source for containers? Matt, did you say you got big plastic drums a lot?



Sonya

[Naturebatslast]

I know some people that are using 30 and 60 gal soda comtainers scrubbed out. I just use good old plastic 5 gal buckets.
Out near Bar Harbor should be fine, the tidal action is huge out there.

[bunsenburner]

I need to check into the barrels for denise. I'll try and have a few for Sat.

[yeame]

uncle henry's people are allways selling 55g plastic juice barrels with lids

[spotfin]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7291865#post7291865 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Naturebatslast
Just as I was heading to work today I heard about red tide in the Harpswell area. So.....I have to collect water more north of here. I've been using it for about a month with out incident, everybody looked happy.
Until the incident with my skimmer. With the skimmer down and out for a few days, and then a powhead issue, I'm really behind the 8ball with a large amount of organics built up in just a few days, I cant risk red tide creeping into my water. So I think I'm making water for a week or two, so I can research it a bit, maybe make some calls to the state DEP, shellfish commision or the marine fisheries end of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. If I had access to a boat, which I may, I may try to collect 40 to 50 gallons at a time by going out a mile or two.

As far as disease and algae, I am worried if i get into some funky water, but overall I'm not worried, that is if I can get red tide free NSW. There's a reef shop inthe Boston Area where the owners collects 800 gallons of NSW off the Cape every week or two, doesn't even filter it, just adjusts for salinity, and puts it right in the shops tanks. Maine has less shipping traffic, smaller urban areas, less people, and less industry. IMO, the I thought about it, it just made more practical and economic sense, or at least it will once I find some where to collect.
NBL

I would definitely be careful about collecting nsw now with the red tide spreading. Heard this morning most shellfish harvesting is closed from ME/NH border to Port Clyde. Keep in mind that red tide isn't restricted to the coast line. It can be found miles and miles offshore.
If you want up to date redtide closures, check out the Maine Department of Marine Resources web site. They also have a phone number you can call that it is updated too. IFW has nothing to do with red tide.

[Naturebatslast]

Thanks, but I stop collecting when I posted on this thread.