Se England Sea Water Test Results

[HappyGeorge]

So I finally remembered to get a bottle of water for testing whilst beech combing with my daughter.

The results stack up like this.

Salinity - 1.024
Nitrate - 0
Phosphate - 0
p.H - 8, needs retest with a better kit I think.
Calcium - 460
KH - 5.5, would need buffering.

So looks pretty good except the pH which is a bit strange.

 

[StandbySetting]

What were you testing with and how many duplicate tests did you do?

 

[lljdma06]

What were you testing with and how many duplicate tests did you do?

If I were a betting girl, I'd be sooooo rich right now. I knew you'd ask that.

Also, did you test in site or wait til you got home?

 

[HappyGeorge]

Well I tested it with cheap old test kits, just the once. The same test kits that my LFS laughed at, so I took it to him and he did tests with his shiny new expensive kits and mine simultaneously and suprise suprise (to him, not me) identical results.

Tested the water went I got home, only a mad man (or someone who wants the reputation as one would stand on a beech with a test kit) would test water whilst trying to entertain a 4 yr old.

The water would have to be transported from the beech so the params of the water would match what would go in the tank.

This post is a follow on regarding a guy a few streets down who uses this water in his reef tank. I have seen the pics of his tank and it is pristine and thriving so I have to think if there is a beech less than half mile away why would I spend £25 a month on salt. People on here had asked about the test results.

 

[StandbySetting]

The pH and KH reading's on a standard hobby test kit are likely to have small inaccuracies anyway, but if you're doing a 20% water change with the sea water on a tank with a pH of 8.2 then the pH will have theoretically been reduced by 0.4, it's a negligible amount really and will soon be buffered by the live rock and coral sand within the tank, the same would apply to the KH.

Having access to sea water must be a massive bonus.

 

[ALW]

I would want to test for more than what the simple hobby test kits available to us, can do before going into my tank. Especially sea from around the british coast. The amount of pollution in our waters.

 

[lljdma06]

I would want to test for more than what the simple hobby test kits available to us, can do before going into my tank. Especially sea from around the british coast. The amount of pollution in our waters.

So would I.

 

[JoshuaA]

Heh... don't tempt me! I live just over a mile from the closest coastline, though I imagine along with pollution, burnt out cars and dead bodies floating down the Mersey there might be something unhealthy for the fish.

 

[HappyGeorge]

Heh... don't tempt me! I live just over a mile from the closest coastline, though I imagine along with pollution, burnt out cars and dead bodies floating down the Mersey there might be something unhealthy for the fish.

Yeah maybe We are lucky that the whole of this coast is Blue flag and the local fish populations are ridiculous, we were out on the rhib here last year and there were so many bream round the props when we stopped that the seagulls were perching on the boat and just helping themselves. I also work with the Port Health people sometimes and they test samples of mussels, cockles and oysters from the coast so I would know if there was anything very nasty in there.
Our water is cleaner than a lot of places you will go to on holiday, just because it's clear blue and you can see your feet doesn't mean its clean, many of those countries still dump stuff in the sea on their coast that we stopped doing years ago. In our area we are on clay so as soon as their is any current to stir up the sediment the water looks filthy.

 

[dayzofspeed]

Heh... don't tempt me! I live just over a mile from the closest coastline, though I imagine along with pollution, burnt out cars and dead bodies floating down the Mersey there might be something unhealthy for the fish.

Yeah maybe We are lucky that the whole of this coast is Blue flag and the local fish populations are ridiculous, we were out on the rhib here last year and there were so many bream round the props when we stopped that the seagulls were perching on the boat and just helping themselves. I also work with the Port Health people sometimes and they test samples of mussels, cockles and oysters from the coast so I would know if there was anything very nasty in there.
Our water is cleaner than a lot of places you will go to on holiday, just because it's clear blue and you can see your feet doesn't mean its clean, many of those countries still dump stuff in the sea on their coast that we stopped doing years ago. In our area we are on clay so as soon as their is any current to stir up the sediment the water looks filthy.

well put HG , about time someone stood up for dear old blighty, the diversity of our own native waters is fantastic, ok so we dont have the stunning coral reefs etc but ive been snorkeling in lots of places around the med and at home in UK and there's more live in our waters, just not so brightly coloured, having said that i cant wait to try somewhere like sharm (hopefully next year)

 

[tr0p1cal]

Mexico for the snorkelling!

 

[dayzofspeed]

Mexico for the snorkelling!

i dont want to go to mexico

 

[seffieuk]

Interesting post HG

When I went to collect my Leather coral from a chap in Southend he was telling me about how he used to collect his sea water off Southend, he also has a mate who does it - he only gave up because he got fed up with getting freezing cold in the winter he said his tank never looked better then when he used sea water

 

[HappyGeorge]

Interesting post HG

When I went to collect my Leather coral from a chap in Southend he was telling me about how he used to collect his sea water off Southend, he also has a mate who does it - he only gave up because he got fed up with getting freezing cold in the winter he said his tank never looked better then when he used sea water

That's good to hear, I am obviously the opposite side of the mouth of the Thames estuary, I wouldn't have to get wet though I can give my containers to my mate on the Marine Unit and get him to get water from the rhib. I can see Southend from my desk (it looks quite good at a distance). I may run an experiment and set up my old nano tank with seawater, run a journal and grab a few softies and a couple of fish and see how it goes for a few months. Think how much we could save if we all got together and used sea water, I think this needs additional consideration given the rate at which Water companies are installing meters in properties and at least if I do it, it may tempt others, think it would be a worthwhile experiment.

 

[seffieuk]

I can see Southend from my desk (it looks quite good at a distance). I may run an experiment and set up my old nano tank with seawater, run a journal and grab a few softies and a couple of fish and see how it goes for a few months. Think how much we could save if we all got together and used sea water, I think this needs additional consideration given the rate at which Water companies are installing meters in properties and at least if I do it, it may tempt others, think it would be a worthwhile experiment.

Southend beaches are nice in the winter, but the Summer and I hate all that tacky seaside resort stuff

I would love to do a nano like that, so the second best thing would be you setting one up for us to watch