Some water test results from the field

[northboy]

Hi All

Every time I go into the field either collecting or gathering info I take water tests and number counts for my records and coming and info for here.

What I have been seeing of late is some big changes because of a poor wet last year and not a lot of rain recently.

It is just a bit of useless info I thought I would share, useless until it is put in context with a paper/ report.

PHs that are normally in the 7/ 7.2 range are down to 4.8 I some places, Zebra creeks are down from 7.2 to 5.2

Hardness is up from 0 to 3 or 4

TDS some readings that are 20ish are 90

The living dynamics are changed drastically. Things that live together are not, they are in separate pools and some things I can not find at all???

Numbers on boom species are way down and rarer species are in numbers? go figure must be predation on the boom species

Just a bit of useless info

Bob

[BlueBolts]

That's great information…makes us appreciate the dynamics so much more…..can understand the increase in hardness and TDS, but what's causing the huge drop in PH ?

[jayc]

…..can understand the increase in hardness and TDS' date=' but what's causing the huge drop in PH ?[/quote']

Rotting vegetation maybe like wood and leaves.

[blackcat]

Thats what I was thinking too that coupled with less rain ...

[Squiggle]

That's very interesting info dude, are the Zebs still hanging around in the higher TDS & lower PH? :encouragement:

[northboy]

Yea the drop in PH is from leaves and the Zeb's are still there, where it is really poor water they are taking on a blue colour.

Low down in a local Typus creek, where I was testing yesterday the PH would have been so low (yes I kick myself for not taking readings) all fish and shrimp except Guppies have died and it is only Mozies.

Another interesting change is in Shrimp, Typus usually like to be close to the bank in some sort of cover, Roots usually. Typus are now only in the deepest pools about 1mt deep and a long way up stream and they are under the leaf litter, I have never seen them in places like that before. I am guessing it a refuge scenario ready for rain and breeding, it has started to rain today.

Bob

[blindfisherman]

Slightly off topic - The zebs in Aquaristic seem to be breeding well in a lower pH with benibachi soil.

[northboy]

That is good to know, most likely because it is a stable environment, they breed for me because of the 2000lts of water they are in and those in turn in smaller volumes breed well.

How long have they had them?

Bob

[blindfisherman]

No idea on how long but there was a serious amount of berried females in there.