Ah, I should have been a biologist, but for the $$ thing. Starting salaries for BS in Chemistry has not been so great either, but maybe more $$ potential.

I started out with a plan of going to school for biology/fisheries/wildlife management. My financial aid was not too helpful, so I worked a year and made 50% more than I would have made starting with a BS. No student loans either. Then I decided to keep it a hobby. I do regret it from time to time though.

Yeah - I started a bio major. Had already let myself be talked out of vet school, several people were trying to talk me out of marine science, so put me to work doing the undergrad/grad student work like calculating mass of marsh grass per sq meter. Then came honors calculus.

So it's a hobby.

For most hardy species I don't worry about it. I have a rough idea what different water types are like and know I can reproduce them easily enough.

For extra sensitive species [which I don't generally bother with anymore], pH, temp and conductivity give the best picture of H2O quality.

I test water all day every day in my job [pH, temp, ammonia, nitrate, alchalinity, conductivity] and favor the Hach equipment. Of course I don't pay for it myself.

Around potentially brackish water, I mostly assess the plants and animals. When the water gets salty enough, the critters change significantly. Then I dip my finger and take a taste.

Edited by mikez, 25 July 2014 - 06:52 PM.