Not just another "TDS" question...

[popart]

It never really occurred to me (on my 3rd grow - new to hydro though) to test the TDS of my water BEFORE adding nutrients, but today I did and guess what?! It's freakin' 500 to begin with!!! Do you guys allow for this in your measurement? I don't think our water is hard (it's actually softened on our new City water system), and I don't have iron stains on stuff.

 

[MindzEye]

500 ppm is a lot! I would get some type of filtration, RO system would be the best.. E-bay has sweet deals on them. Either that or find a water station near you, I have one near me and their water is 7 ppm!

 

[JBonez]

you are gonna want to get a cheap ro unit because starting with low to zero ppm water really gives you control over what the plant is getting and at the levels specified.

You have some pretty hard water, did you calibrate your meter? what brand do you have if you dont mind?

 

[popart]

yes, I did calibrate my meter (I have milwaukees, ph and tds separate). I just harvested a crop and everything went fine, now I'm having problems with some clones, I was thinking over-ferts but now I'm thinking maybe mg defiency as in not enough nutes. That's how I came across the tds thing.

 

[MindzEye]

With 500 ppm supply water your probably running on the low side of the nutes.. If your wanting to feed 1300 ppm and you start off with water like that your only running 800 ppm of nutes.. Who knows what else is in the water, could be somthing thats harming your plants..

 

[popart]

yeah - that's pretty much what I'm thinking.... although I did just discover that my meter doesn't like the grow tent, I can't get an accurate reading there. But I can if I go upstairs to my kitchen, weird.

 

[MindzEye]

yeah - that's pretty much what I'm thinking.... although I did just discover that my meter doesn't like the grow tent, I can't get an accurate reading there. But I can if I go upstairs to my kitchen, weird.

Lol thats a first

 

[popart]

It's blinking on and off downstairs, and random numbers are coming up. When I go upstairs, I get accurate readings. Could it be magnetic from the lights/ballast or maybe from my computer room above?

 

[MindzEye]

Sounds logical, it would have to be some sort of interference...

 

[terky]

It's blinking on and off downstairs, and random numbers are coming up. When I go upstairs, I get accurate readings. Could it be magnetic from the lights/ballast or maybe from my computer room above?

Some Digital ballasts will cause interference if they are not shielded.

 

[King Bud]

I would not drink that.