Taking baseline / backround EC into account or ignore it?

[HaHend]

Hello,

my tapwater has a high EC of 0.8 and a PH of 8.0.

I am wondering if I should take this baseline / backround EC into account in hydroponics or not?

I was looking for an answer and some say to ignore it, some say to take it fully and some take only half of the baseline EC into account.

According to the Canna grow guide you have to ignore the backround EC and the nutrients are fully added on top of it (Grow Guide | CANNA Gardening USA).

Obviously the best solution would be to get the water tested, see what is in there and adjust the nutrients appropriately.

I can not use RO as I am on a water meter. Buying RO water, distilled water or bottled water would be inconvenient due to the large size of my reservoir.

I also don't have any opportunity to collect rain water and I don't have a stream or a well nearby.

Furthermore I am interested what kind of alternative options are out there to get the tapwater EC down if I have to take the baseline EC completely or partially into account?

I read that many are using Brita and I would like to see if that helps. Here in europe Zerowater is not available so I can not try it out.

Do you have any other suggestions?

 

[Buckshot]

I do not know what the significance EC of .08 means for growing cannabis. PH 8 is WAY to high for clones and seedlings and is generally just too high. There are many products to bring it down. I use PH down in powder form, cheap and effective.

 

[Dmaui]

I consider it. That's around normal ec for tap. Mines the same ph7 but you have to account for the ec your wster is at. They have to filters that attach to sinks and washer hook ups. Really you can find one that fits about anything

 

[Jamaican Bud]

Hello HaHend;
I always take the EC/TDS into account, The EC is showing the Electrical Conductivity of the water, what makes the water conduct are the contaminants or minerals and nutrient that are not filtered out of your tap water by the utility company.
My Tap water has a TDS (Total Dissolved Solids) of 64 ppm or an EC of 132 micro semen. I do know that there is almost no Calcium or magnesium in my tap water, but just about all the other elements are there in very small quantities. As you can see they are low so use them or not. I do how ever have to adjust my PH from 7.60 to my desired level. You must have a newer meter that reads in mS not uS. Ok, so that is where you got the EC of .8 mS.