Everybody having issues needs to give it a couple runs. When I first started the system I was running into issues all the time the same ones you guys are dealing with. All the issues are coming from user error and if you can figure it out you will be smooth sailing. Ya cant give up on your first run come on, once you figure it out the system is so easy to run it just runs itself. I leave town for a week at a time and come home to lovely plants every time.
Heres what I do exactly and I have had 0 issues in well over a yr with RO water
Never add anything straight to the epi center ever
When I do add backs or ph adjustments I fill a 5 gal bucket with RO water add in my nutes or phs and slowly add about 1 gallon at a time about 15 mins apart. I usually only do add backs once a weeks. My ppms go down about 200 ppm in 5 days which is perfect then I add back nutes. When I add back nutes its mostly base nutes and
cal-mag(1ml per gal) if I'm in bloom I only add back a tiny bit of boosters like 1/8 of the original dose thats it. Ive been doing nute change outs every 2 weeks in flower and the plants are way happier than before. The system doesnt need the change outs and they will grow but when you do change em out every 2 weeks the plants are much happier and there less a chance on build up. I have never flushed with plain water or a flushing agent just drain the nutes and refill with fresh nutes. When refilling always mix your nutes up before adding to the system. If your filling your system up with plain water and then adding in your nutes its not going to be good. All them chems need to be mix very good. OH ya I never use more than 3ml per gal of
cal-mag and they are happy all the time.
I only run RO water in my topoff rez. I dont care how good people do with nutes in there top off its much much safer to just add water.
I have ran about 4 different nute brand threw the UC and they all pretty much work the same. There is no miracle nute, base nutes are pretty much base nutes. Less is more for sure in this system.
I recommend anybody who is having trouble to try running DM Gold,
cal-mag and zone for veg and DM Gold,
cal-mag,
bigbud and zone for bloom. Its simple and they will be very healthy and you will yield well (1.5#s per 1k) No need for all the fancy stuff simple is better.
Good luck and I hope a couple of you use my advise and give that nute mix a try you wont regret it
BG