why does my ppm keep rising???

[blunt]

started out at 300 in an ebb an flow and each day goes up almost 100
300/385/490/559 ***

 

[ninfan77]

I'd say salts accumulating in the water as waste from the plant eating up the nutrients.

 

[Puffin Afatty]

water is evaporating...add some distilled water...

using tap water will increase the ppm by the amount of minerals, contaminants, etc. as the water evaporates too...distilled will not so much(less contaminants)...

adding distilled water will dilute them...

I use reverse osmosis deionized water, ph stays stable and I add rod water to keep ppm at 900...my tap water reads 160ppm (of calcium and magnesium and iron)...when I used it, ph would fluctuate daily as plants absorbed the minerals...

 

[blunt]

I'd say salts accumulating in the water as waste from the plant eating up the nutrients.

i think this is it. im running straight distilled water. i just changed nutes as i burned this poor thing so its probably leaching old nutes out of the hydroton at each watering cycle too. thanks
ps. my straight tap water is 550ppm. isnt that crazy high??

 

[ninfan77]

yea thats high, i'm lucky my tap is under 50ppm.

that hydroton could also cause some rise, but you should notice the red color from it if it is.

ppm rising is pretty normal, happens fast w/ hydro too sometimes. good luck

 

[Puffin Afatty]

I've seen the ppm rise when I start a new grow, just like you said...hygroton holds some nutes from previous grow and the distilled water leeches them into the res...I used to run a res full of water 1st for a couple hours just to rinse the old salts...

 

[blunt]

I've seen the ppm rise when I start a new grow, just like you said...hygroton holds some nutes from previous grow and the distilled water leeches them into the res...I used to run a res full of water 1st for a couple hours just to rinse the old salts...

this is something ive heard about but never done. ive been running this ebb and flow for a month now with 3 nute changes in that period. should i be doing something to rid it of old salts or should i not be too worried? thank you

 

[KADE]

Plant use water faster then they use nutrients... so less water... but more or less same nute level... equals ppm going up.

If you worry about salts buildup... or have a problem with sprayers clogging n all that... run plain phed water for 24 hours or a weekend.. it'll flush things out well.

 

[MJ20]

I use reverse osmosis deionized water, ph stays stable and I add rod water to keep ppm at 900...

How long does it stay stable for?

 

[HGB]

tap water over 170ppm is hard water and needs a special hard water nute.... U.S. EPA's cut off is 500 ppm for human consumption

I wouldn't drink water at 550 ppm let along try to grow in it