combo meter or individual pens

[orbad]

So I can't decide between the blue lab Ph pen and a truncheon meter or a Hanna combo meter.

What say you, what experiences have you had with meters?

 

[Liberanos5]

I have the Bluelab and so far so good. I have had one for a long time to test reef aquarium water and for fun I test just about everything...it's pocket sized.......it fits into my K.I.S.S. mentality. The house water here is 7.2 usally after RO/DI and re adding the salts with R/O Right. I just used Seachem acid buffer (available at your local aquarium store) to get my resevoir to 6.0. And I have a plastic jug of 5.0 to acclimate GroDan cubes. Easy P/Z! Just my 2¢!!!

 

[MakinGoo]

How bout get a Blue Lab Combo meter.. I've had a Hanna it worked kool but I got a Blue Lab combo meter now & it works alot better & it's way eazier 2 calibrate u only hit a button & done it's super eazy

 

[orbad]

The combo meter is on the upper end of my current price scale and I was wondering about the convenience of it. I only mix up a gallon of nutes at a time currently, soil grower, although I have been thinking about mixing up 5 gal of base nutes full strength then diluting as necessary to water the girls. I just don't know his well the mixing and letting the nutes sit will do, would I need to bubble them (AN iguana, organic base).

 

[MakinGoo]

The combo meter is on the upper end of my current price scale and I was wondering about the convenience of it. I only mix up a gallon of nutes at a time currently, soil grower, although I have been thinking about mixing up 5 gal of base nutes full strength then diluting as necessary to water the girls. I just don't know his well the mixing and letting the nutes sit will do, would I need to bubble them (AN iguana, organic base).

Yes never let the nutes juss sit there keep them bubbling so they don't go bad

 

[orbad]

So if I threw an airstone in say 10-20 gal of high strength solution would that keep for say 2-3 weeks? Then I could just dilute a bit as I need it and add other MICROS and whatnot?

 

[LexLuthor]

So if I threw an airstone in say 10-20 gal of high strength solution would that keep for say 2-3 weeks? Then I could just dilute a bit as I need it and add other MICROS and whatnot?

Thats a good question, I'm growing in soil right now and I usually mix 1 gallon of nutes and if I don't use all of it for my young plants, I'll just leave it on my kitchen floor and use it within a few days, but I alway mix before I use it. I never seen any negative side effects from doing it this way, but it might be better if I didn't allow it to sit?? IDK.

 

[LexLuthor]

Oh yeah, to answer your question, if you keep it bubbling I think it'll be good for a couple weeks, just don't allow too much light to get to it.

 

[MakinGoo]

I'm not 2 sure how long it will last but I'd guess only about a week.. But I've never tryed 2 see how long it will last.. I've kept nutes bubbling 7-10 days only.. I think u should at least make a fresh batch every week.. I make a fresh batch every watering myself..

 

[orbad]

I'm making fresh batches currently and if I have extra it goes to the vegetable garden. I just hate mixing a gallon at a time. It seems to consume the most of my grow room time. I really want to streamline my process as much as possible so I can spend more time working with the girls and less mixing nutes.

What do you use to store your nutes mix in? I keep my RO water in a 7 gal storage container with a pour spout, the kind you would use for camping. But working an airstone into one of those could be fun. A tough tupperware bin should work huh? Maybe with a 1/4 turn ball valve in it or a mini submersible pump. Hemmed. I have a pump from an old Aero cloner that I built.

 

[MakinGoo]

I don't store my nutes anymore I only did that when I ran a automatic watering system.. It was 2 much trouble 2 keep my ppm's & ph stable so now I hand water everything making a fresh batch of nutes everytime I feed.. The plants r much happier now.. A big 20 gallon rubbermaid contaner will work great 2 store water or nutes in.. Juss poke a small hole in the lid & add the pump & bubbler & ur good 2 go..

 

[Haggardass]

i had a hanna combo meter i loved it it worked even after i let the probe dry out but i would never spend that much on a meter again unless i was doing hydro i never used the ppm function or ec just the ph and i followed the feeding chart put out by the fertilizer company for my it was fox farms add a little lime if your doin soil and never sweat ph again.