On the use of NSW...we have a guy in town here that has a 2000g tank, and for economical reasons, used to use NSW collected locally. his tank did not do well. I recall testing the water here a few years back, it was low in salinity, low in pH and both Ca and alk. I didn't test for PO4, but suspect with local run-off, that might have been high. Along with the risk of pollutants (oil, gas, etc), I'd personally not use NSW.

i was using it when i set up my 60g when i first moved home on this side of the woods i only found it low in salinity it was measuring i believe at 1.013 id have to look back to see but cal and alk werent off much.was a pita getting it though lol

Wow,it sure would be nice to never have to do another water change, but if you have a fair number of fish then it gets pretty gross with poop collecting at the bottom of the tank.

not all its cracked up to be, you end up witha bunch of critters you never intended on having unless you have a very good sand filter.

Canada is also surrounded by cold water and a lot of those critters die rapidly at tropical temperatures, thus polluting the tank. The water near the shore is also the most polluted.

I'd never do it in Canada. I'll one day live in hawaii

waterchange frequency
 

i used to do bi-weekly 60 gal change with my 350 gal setup and everything was more or less just blooming. started following a lazier routine of vodka dosings, 2 part dosings and regular macro algae harvesting. everything look as fine as b/4. so i figure if your cal, kh, pot levels are fairly consistent and your nitrate and phosphate are insignificant you can get away with extened periods between waterchanges. thought about using our local georgia strait water source but then headache with filtering it clean and transporting back home outweight cost to make your own salt water. just my 2 pennies thought.

From Town. You?

I'm quite sure sunshine coasters and those on the gulf islands could make this work.

Last time I was in Hawaii, every retired person I met seemed to have been from Canada now living there.:lol: I'd love to end up there to some day. Not too hot, never cold and usually only minor storms, hard to beat that.