hello all. My second grow; DWC Hydroponic. My question is; when I mix my nutes as instucted then ck ppm or ec and find ir high, do I dilute with water to bring to proper ppm?? I use coniseur AH products; PH perfect. When mixed as instructed, PPM was 1380; tapwater is 200 before nutes. I just started cking PPM, and understand EC is better. I will get needed equipment soon. Thanks in advance!!!
Another how to mix nutrients question - Please advise!
Scientific
New Member
First off, PPM is just EC multiplied by 500. When you change the setting on the meter, it's making the same measurement (how much electric current is flowing between the two metal electrodes), it just multiplies by 500 for PPM. One measurement isn't better or worse than the other. I think EC makes more sense for technical/chemistry reasons, but since most people seem to use PPM, that's what I use.
Second, at 200 PPM out of the tap, you have pretty hard water. That's not necessarily bad. (For example, I have very soft water so I have to add calcium and magnesium. You probably don't need to.) I'd recommend finding your water utility's website and seeing what's in your water. (How much Ca and Mg.)
You can buy PPM meter calibration solution at Amazon. You might want to get a bottle of that if you're serious about getting good measurements. (Get the 1000 PPM standard.)
You can dilute your stock to get it to the PPM level you want. However, if it's not the level that the manufacturer says it should be, you might want to review your measuring and mixing. (For me it's as simple as turning off the music and paying close attention to what I'm doing.
). Make sure that you're adding the nutes in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Some need to go in before others or they get "locked out" (probably for pH reasons?)
Finally, if you haven't done so already, I'd strongly recommend surfing around the nute manufacturer's website. They want you to be successful with their brand, so they put a lot of useful info there. Here's a good one: What growers should know about the benefits of RO water
Second, at 200 PPM out of the tap, you have pretty hard water. That's not necessarily bad. (For example, I have very soft water so I have to add calcium and magnesium. You probably don't need to.) I'd recommend finding your water utility's website and seeing what's in your water. (How much Ca and Mg.)
You can buy PPM meter calibration solution at Amazon. You might want to get a bottle of that if you're serious about getting good measurements. (Get the 1000 PPM standard.)
You can dilute your stock to get it to the PPM level you want. However, if it's not the level that the manufacturer says it should be, you might want to review your measuring and mixing. (For me it's as simple as turning off the music and paying close attention to what I'm doing.
). Make sure that you're adding the nutes in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Some need to go in before others or they get "locked out" (probably for pH reasons?)Finally, if you haven't done so already, I'd strongly recommend surfing around the nute manufacturer's website. They want you to be successful with their brand, so they put a lot of useful info there. Here's a good one: What growers should know about the benefits of RO water
- Thread starter
- #3
Thanks; good info. I am using well water. I wonder if distilled water will work?? I will look into RO and cost. I looked at AN website and maybe I am overthinking it but I noticed on some charts the weekly doses were the same but the ppm varied weekly; didn't make sense to me. Thanks again!!
GhostFacePurp
New Member
Well water does have a different way of going about things as it can be loaded with metals that can give problems late in flowering. It's best to use tap or RO water or filter it somehow.
GFP
GFP
Scientific
New Member
Distilled water would definitely work, but it's going to be relatively expensive. RO should give about the same results--that is, both distilled and RO should be essentially mineral free. And your well water might work fine, but you will have to take the hardness into account. From what I see here, though, it seems like lots of people just use RO.
Scientific
New Member
BTW, just one more thing. I'm told that the recommended levels that fertilizer manufacturers give tend to be on the high side. I use Nebula Haze's recommendations at her site, which are usually a lot lower--even half strength--of what General Hydroponics recommends. You might want to check into what the best concentrations of your nutes are. The grow logs will tell you, or you can just ask what's working best for people. (Maybe pH Perfect can and should be mixed and used as recommended. I'm not familiar with them, but they have some loyal followers over on the hydroponics forum. Why don't you drop in there and say hello?)
GhostFacePurp
New Member
Ph perfect does work well I've used it on a few different runs with hardly any issues . I vouch✔YES for its use.
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