Water

[Stunned]

As someone who is constantly making up batches of solution for my drain to waste system, Iv had some different experiences trying to figure out the most effective way to keep my water needs in check. I prefer using Distilled or RO water and at first was picking up the 1 gallon plastic jugs from Sobey's. This proved to be very inefficient lol... jugs everywhere.

FYI for you Canucks out there, Crappy Tire has water fill stations for RO water. I got 8 gallons for 4 bucks! I thought this was a good deal but who knows.... Anyone want to chime in how you manage your water needs?

 

[Walter melon]

I come straight out of the tap with Phoenix municipal water. I haven't had an issue with pH, ec, or any other lock out problems. You may need to change up your nutes because what you're using in distilled may not work with your tap water. It took me about 3 different sets of nutes to find what works. You just have to read your plants. Ive never used any of those fancy pants meters either. I use the same 3 jugs until they start to leak (about 2 months), then find more.

 

[Troy01]

I also use plain tap water. My water is relatively hard at 7.8. I use Advanced Nutrients PH Perfect product and it buffers it down to about 6.5.

I use PH Down to bring it further down to about 5.8 as i am growing in CoCo. There is an ongoing discussion on whether I need to PH it down or just go with the PH Perfect level.

Not sure of the size of your grow but at 50 cents a gallon it could get expensive over time. When growing Photos last grow my girls were drinking about 1 1/2 gallon a day apiece when in flower.

 

[Stunned]

I also use plain tap water. My water is relatively hard at 7.8. I use Advanced Nutrients PH Perfect product and it buffers it down to about 6.5.

I use PH Down to bring it further down to about 5.8 as i am growing in CoCo. There is an ongoing discussion on whether I need to PH it down or just go with the PH Perfect level.

Not sure of the size of your grow but at 50 cents a gallon it could get expensive over time. When growing Photos last grow my girls were drinking about 1 1/2 gallon a day apiece when in flower.

oh.... Troy
I know your pain....
I thought it was just me
These girls are hungry i dunno so bad
I think it's a good thing.... it wears me out
But I love them so much.....
yeah

 

[Weaselcracker]

I use rainwater only as I have for over ten years. It falls from the sky for free, at a ph of 5.6.

 

[Stunned]

I use rainwater only as I have for over ten years. It falls from the sky for free, at a ph of 5.6.

big time jealous of you
here it cold alot!

 

[Zoidberg13]

We use a soil based medium and only grow for ourselves and friends and family. PH is critical!!! Since we use a soil based medium I strive to keep our PH<7 preferably <6,8.
I am loving the KRG---Kroger water machine at .39 USD's per dollar and I am competing with my girls on the amount of water I consume a day!!!
Also, we save money buy not buying as much Diet Coke and MT. Dew.

God Bless!!!!

 

[Rifleman]

I also use plain tap water. My water is relatively hard at 7.8. I use Advanced Nutrients PH Perfect product and it buffers it down to about 6.5.
I use PH Down to bring it further down to about 5.8 as i am growing in CoCo. There is an ongoing discussion on whether I need to PH it down or just go with the PH Perfect level.
Not sure of the size of your grow but at 50 cents a gallon it could get expensive over time. When growing Photos last grow my girls were drinking about 1 1/2 gallon a day apiece when in flower.

I've used the pH Perfect for about three years. I quit adjusting pH after the first year. My tap water and experience with the nutrients mimic yours also. I change water after my plants have drank 4 gallons, the volume of their reservoirs. I do adjust the pH of the water I use to top off to between 6.0 and 6.2. But that has been broke down into a formula of 1 gal tap water and 1.5ml pH down. Never check, never worry, top off and let em grow. Lazy Grower Style.

 

[Weaselcracker]

A low ppm water source should not need any ph adjustments in any case. Pure water which contains little or no dissolved minerals will have almost no effect on your soil.
Put the other way- if i add a drop of ph up or down to a bucket of my rainwater which has a ph of 5.6 but contains nearly zero ppm of anything else, that drop will drastically shift the ph.
Now if a same size bucket of water had the same ph of 5.6, but was hard tap water and had a ppm of 400, the drop wouldn't do much of anything.
The reverse is true and that high ppm water will have a much greater effect of shifting the ph in your grow medium.
Whereas the ph value of pure rainwater or distilled water is basically meaningless and can be ignored- there would be little point tweaking in it with a drop or two of something to adjust the ph.