experts: please help me understand my tap water PPM

Proliferation

New Member
I am new to the hydro scene and am finally in the finishing stages of my grow room. I will create a journal for the room build as well as a grow journal once I start but have decided to wait till its 100% done so I can post it all at once.

I have decided to go with an 24 site ebb and flow system made by green-trees with a 100gal reservoir. It's the same exact setup as the Capp ebb and grow system just made by a different company and not using the stock 55gal res.

I have been trying to get a handle on what nutes I'm going to use and the different strengths to use depending on what week you are in, etc, etc. I have certainly been reading the journals of experts such as Pit Viper and Old Grower Dude for hydo information. I feel like I have a good understanding of that but the one thing I don't have a solid understanding of is my current tap water. I get a reading of 600PPM for my tap (well) water and wasn't sure how to account for that when adding nutrients to my reservoir. Should I just mentally reset the amount back to zero and keep track that way?

The other option was filtered water. A good friend of mine who is now a part owner in a local hydro shop was nice enough to give me a Hydro Logic Reverse Osmosis (RO200) water filter for FREE. I was initially planning on mounting this system above my res and using it whenever I needed water. However, the thing is so damn slow its painful and it also wastes a lot of water and that is my biggest problem with the system so far. I don't really care if I have to hook the hose up to it and come back in 5 or 6 hours once the thing has finished but it wastes a ton of water and I don't really want to run a waste line that just dumps the water back outside. even if i could get creative with using it for my garden outside, etc; I know I'm still going to be wasting a lot.

For anyone who hasn't used a RO filter like this before it has 3 lines in and out of the unit. One central line feeding water into the system, a second line that delivers your RO filtered water and then a third line that contains the waste water. systems such as this have a ratio of about 3:1 so that would mean I waste 300 gallons of water out the waste line for the 100gallons of RO water in the reservoir.

So as you can tell my problem is with where I sit in my current water situation. Do I need to use the RO system or could I just get by with a good sediment filter that doesn't waste any water? OR could I leave the tap water as is with no filter? I'm clearly going to have to take PPM of water coming out of the faucet into account so anyone who can push me in the right direction now that I've given all this information would be greatly appreciated.

cheers:Rasta:
 
I'm no expert by a long shot + I grow in soil, organic. :yummy:

But, just from reading and doing research about my own tap water, it seems anything over 200-250ppm is cause enough for a RO unit. My tap water is 37ppm for example, so I lucked out.

I'd do more :reading420magazine: and research, but @600ppm, it looks like you are going to have to bite the bullet. :goodluck:

DD
 
I agree with Droopy Dog.... 600ppm well water is way toooooo high to trust! Use the RO filter! You should set it up in a large container with a float system, and it will be available without waiting, then just use as needed.
 
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