Inland Reef / Reefs.org Salt Analysis Project

[MattM]

Updated 29 Aug 03:

An updated test plan. salt list, and accounting tally are now being maintained on the web at http://www.inlandreef.com/SaltStudy.html

Please refer there for up to date information on this study. Feel free to post comments here.

 

[MaryHM]

I don't carry dry goods, but I'd be willing to donate a gift certificate for livestock if that would help.

 

[Anonymous]

I would like to suggest that we get Ralphy from Puerto Rico to send some seawater. What locality are you going to get your west coast water from, and why have you decided to go with one sample and not more?

I can't kick in much $$, but I can kick in a few.

 

[MattM]

To be honest, a single sample of NSW would probably be sufficient. Yes, there are undoubtedly some differences between the compositions from different oceans, but I would be very surprised indeed if they approach the differences between synthetic salt mixes.

I proposed three different samples of NSW just to characterize the amount of variation and to confirm that it is negligable compared to the mixes.

As to more samples, remember it's $280 per for the analysis...

Why don't we get one locally (New England), one from the west coast (we know several people who could send it to us -- both Tom and I are originally from there), and one from somewhere far off -- maybe from a Reefs.org member who lives in Australia, or the Orient, or something like that?

 

[MattM]

I will look into putting some procedure in place on our store site that would allow people to make donations with a credit card. It would probably be fixed amounts - $5, $10, $25, $100 or something like that. If you want to donate $15, you would buy a $10 and a $5.

I think we'll get the raffle idea going as well, but we'd really like to get other stores involved on this part.

Mary -

I forget, do you sell direct to the public as well? We don't ship livestock from our store, only dry goods, so I'm not sure how this would work...

 

[Anonymous]

MattM said:

I will look into putting some procedure in place on our store site that would allow people to make donations with a credit card. It would probably be fixed amounts - $5, $10, $25, $100 or something like that. If you want to donate $15, you would buy a $10 and a $5.

I'd toss a C-note at this. How soon will it be on your site? I'd like to place my order for the power buy ARM and regulator soon.

Thanks for heading up this testing as everyone will benefit from the results! :wink:

Louey

 

[MattM]

We've got a donation mechanism now in place at http://www.inlandreef.net/saanprdo.html.

We'll start getting the first set of samples together and we'll be talking to the salt manufacturers at the trade show on April 11-13.

Since we want to get samples a couple months apart, there should be plenty of time to get the funding in place.

 

[MaryHM]

Matt-

We sell to hobbyists now through www.seacrop.com I'd do a $100 gift certificate for livestock.

If you want West Coast NSW I'd be glad to provide a sample. We are the only importer in LA with a direct pipe from the ocean to our facility.

 

[dattack]

How about sampling some of this Catalina water that a lot of the LFS sell in California?

 

[Anonymous]

If you want West Coast NSW I'd be glad to provide a sample. We are the only importer in LA with a direct pipe from the ocean to our facility.

Aren't you out by LAX? Do you treat your water as the LBAOP does? I'm making a couple of assumptions here, based on proximity to LAX and where I'm familiar with most wholesalers being located.

 

[Anemone]

If you want West Coast NSW I'd be glad to provide a sample. We are the only importer in LA with a direct pipe from the ocean to our facility.

Aren't you out by LAX? Do you treat your water as the LBAOP does? I'm making a couple of assumptions here, based on proximity to LAX and where I'm familiar with most wholesalers being located.

No, Mary's operation is considerably north - like Port Hueneme (or however you spell it)


Matt,

You've set yourself quite a project. I hope it comes to fruition. I think it's something that all hobbyists and all saltwater BBs should support.

Kevin

 

[ChrisRD]

Should we post links on other boards to get the word out?

 

[Anonymous]

Yep, you got the spelling right, Anemone. Purty good for a guy..

 

[King Jason]

Paypal would be an easy to for us to give donations.

 

[liquid]

This is just as easy, no? http://www.inlandreef.net/saanprdo.html

Shane

 

[playfair]

This will definitely be worth paying for...

My suggestions:
-Only collect NSW samples from healthy living reef areas. This should include South Pacific (maybe a supplier can send a gallon or two), and Caribbean areas such as the ABC Islands, where the reefs seem to be healthiest IMHO. New england coastal water data will do nothing for the test.

-Commercially available "Sea Salt" may be interesting to look at. Not sure where they get it from, but I know Bonaire has a big salt industry.

-The data may be available somewhere, but it may be interesting to include an analysis of ordinary NaCl "table salt" for all it's components.

 

[npaden]

Liquid - something seems wrong with your link. It takes you to inlands home page rather than the salt project.

http://www.inlandreef.net/inlandreef/saanprdo.html

Should work.

Nathan

 

[liquid]

Thanks for the heads up Nathan. Apparently what happened is a period "." got added to the end of the url. Removing it in the above post took care of the problem.

Shane

 

[chriss]

What is the current tally of donations? And what will happen to the donations if enough isn't collected to cover the tests?

Chris

 

[fishfreek]

I think this is a great idea. I just donated $10.

I help run a fish website simular to this one and I posted this information over on that site aswell. I hope you dont mind. I figured it was the least I could do to help get the word out about this.

I do have a question for you.

Will you be publishing these results on the web? And if so what are your views about other sites linking to or reprinting the information. If it was reprinted credit would obviously be given to inlandreef and reefs.org.