Tap Water PH, PPM. What do i do?

S.WestFarmer · Jun 7, 2019

Whats goin on Farmers? I stay out in a small southern new mexico town and we source our water from an aquifer. I've been using the tap water on my ladies, and just recently started reading up more on PPM's and what nots, so im concerned about the water i have been using and its safety relative to my plantitas.
According to my meters, the PH is sitting at 7.0, meanwhile the PPM is at 590.
Is it safe to continue using the tap water, or should i maybe buy RO water or something? If i must add, the water tastes a hundred times better than the neighboring city water, so i was quite surprised to find that the PPM sat so high.
Ive added a picture of what the water company gave me when i asked for their consumer report as well.

oldskol4evr · Jun 7, 2019

S.WestFarmer said:
Whats goin on Farmers? I stay out in a small southern new mexico town and we source our water from an aquifer. I've been using the tap water on my ladies, and just recently started reading up more on PPM's and what nots, so im concerned about the water i have been using and its safety relative to my plantitas.
According to my meters, the PH is sitting at 7.0, meanwhile the PPM is at 590.
Is it safe to continue using the tap water, or should i maybe buy RO water or something? If i must add, the water tastes a hundred times better than the neighboring city water, so i was quite surprised to find that the PPM sat so high.
Ive added a picture of what the water company gave me when i asked for their consumer report as well.

you can use it,just adjust your ppm to the level on the chart it supose to be,i had hard water in the city and i acomplished this by the scale,mine was right at 400 ppm out of tap,so depending on stage of life and what the chart said i adjust the feed,be less feed at start,or you could go with ro water for plant while it young and as the scale recomendation reads adjust and wing them from the ro water then use yours,i only had to use ro water for about a month to reach the winging goal,by that time it was time to flip to flower,let the tap water sit out 24 hrs before you feed and burn off the clorine,if i remember right first month and about first week of flower i wasnt using hardly any feeds,this is were a dependable bag soil or your own mix come into play,i dont usally feed in veg state at all ,the soil does it job,at 2 weeks in flower you will notice they might need a dab of feed,hope you get what im directing,ro water gets expensive and why pay 2 water bills if you dig

Aqua Man · Jun 7, 2019

Only thing is he is in DWC. I think dirt would be a lot more forgiving.

I would buy an RO unit or jugs and cut your tap ppm to 100-150. So about 1/4 tap 3/4 RO.

With the plant issues so far start feed low maybe 400 ppm or less.

Then ph down to 5.8.

Just what I would do.

S.WestFarmer · Jun 7, 2019

oldskol4evr said:
you can use it,just adjust your ppm to the level on the chart it supose to be,i had hard water in the city and i acomplished this by the scale,mine was right at 400 ppm out of tap,so depending on stage of life and what the chart said i adjust the feed,be less feed at start,or you could go with ro water for plant while it young and as the scale recomendation reads adjust and wing them from the ro water then use yours,i only had to use ro water for about a month to reach the winging goal,by that time it was time to flip to flower,let the tap water sit out 24 hrs before you feed and burn off the clorine,if i remember right first month and about first week of flower i wasnt using hardly any feeds,this is were a dependable bag soil or your own mix come into play,i dont usally feed in veg state at all ,the soil does it job,at 2 weeks in flower you will notice they might need a dab of feed,hope you get what im directing,ro water gets expensive and why pay 2 water bills if you dig

I have some seeds i plan on putting in soil, so i'll take this information into account when i cross the roads OldSkol! thank you

S.WestFarmer · Jun 7, 2019

Aqua Man said:
Only thing is he is in DWC. I think dirt would be a lot more forgiving.

I would buy an RO unit or jugs and cut your tap ppm to 100-150. So about 1/4 tap 3/4 RO.

With the plant issues so far start feed low maybe 400 ppm or less.

Then ph down to 5.8.

Just what I would do.

I appreciate you popping up everywhere aqua, thanks man. does adding certain nutrients give more ppm than others?
i try to keep my PH at 5.8 no higher than 6.1 and no lower than 5.7

Jimster · Jun 7, 2019

I'm using Promix and tap water, with the water being about 250-300 PPm. It works out great for me, since the water provides all of the minerals that I really need. If it gets too alkaline, it can cause issues with nutrient absorption, like too much Cal-Mag. If you are using DWC (which I have zero experience), then you might want to cut the tap water with some RO, since lower Ph values are needed. If you were in soil, I wouldn't give it a 2nd thought, but I'm unsure about DWC and go by what I hear online with no actual experience.

S.WestFarmer · Jun 7, 2019

Jimster said:
I'm using Promix and tap water, with the water being about 250-300 PPm. It works out great for me, since the water provides all of the minerals that I really need. If it gets too alkaline, it can cause issues with nutrient absorption, like too much Cal-Mag. If you are using DWC (which I have zero experience), then you might want to cut the tap water with some RO, since lower Ph values are needed. If you were in soil, I wouldn't give it a 2nd thought, but I'm unsure about DWC and go by what I hear online with no actual experience.

so then i wouldnt need any cal mag additives? i'm looking at starting an outdoor garden but the sun here is very unforgiving

Aqua Man · Jun 7, 2019

S.WestFarmer said:
I appreciate you popping up everywhere aqua, thanks man. does adding certain nutrients give more ppm than others?
i try to keep my PH at 5.8 no higher than 6.1 and no lower than 5.7

Generally they are all similar for the most part. The ratios change and some of the sources. Depending what setup you are using and stage of growth you may want different ratios but that's where you can tweek a but with supplements. A simple base fert will get you by all the way start to finish and adding some p k during flower depending on the base fert and other factors like lighting you may also need cal mag. But if your using tap water diluted down to 150ppm it probably won't be an issue. The only way to know is to grow.

So the ppm values are usually very interchangable. In hydro stay away from ferts with higher levels of ammonium/ammonia because most don't have denitrifying bacteria in there systems.

Ok I'm getting to much into this and don't want to confuse you.

Long story short going by ppm most ferts should be interchangeable at the same ppm.

You ph targets are bang on

Aqua Man · Jun 7, 2019

Jimster said:
I'm using Promix and tap water, with the water being about 250-300 PPm. It works out great for me, since the water provides all of the minerals that I really need. If it gets too alkaline, it can cause issues with nutrient absorption, like too much Cal-Mag. If you are using DWC (which I have zero experience), then you might want to cut the tap water with some RO, since lower Ph values are needed. If you were in soil, I wouldn't give it a 2nd thought, but I'm unsure about DWC and go by what I hear online with no actual experience.

The beauty of soil... It does a lot of work for you. One day I'm going to make the switch. My first soil grow will be this week with the mix ya gave me.... Wish me luck lol

Aqua Man · Jun 7, 2019

S.WestFarmer said:
I appreciate you popping up everywhere aqua, thanks man. does adding certain nutrients give more ppm than others?
i try to keep my PH at 5.8 no higher than 6.1 and no lower than 5.7

Yes the amount of ferts added are not equal 1 tsp of one fert and 1 tsp of a different fert will usually not be the same ppm. This is just because on concentrations and makeup of nutrients. But if you go by the ppm results should be similar and also by doing so you can increase or lower the ppm based on how the plant responds. This allows you to gauge roughly how much more or less you need. You will often see experienced growers that don't really need to check ppm but once in a while because they have done it for so long

S.WestFarmer · Jun 7, 2019

Aqua Man said:
Generally they are all similar for the most part. The ratios change and some of the sources. Depending what setup you are using and stage of growth you may want different ratios but that's where you can tweek a but with supplements. A simple base fert will get you by all the way start to finish and adding some p k during flower depending on the base fert and other factors like lighting you may also need cal mag. But if your using tap water diluted down to 150ppm it probably won't be an issue. The only way to know is to grow.

So the ppm values are usually very interchangable. In hydro stay away from ferts with higher levels of ammonium/ammonia because most don't have denitrifying bacteria in there systems.

Ok I'm getting to much into this and don't want to confuse you.

Long story short going by ppm most ferts should be interchangeable at the same ppm.

You ph targets are bang on

nothing wrong with laying the knowledge! its in writing so i could study at my own pace haha. But thanks for the info man. I could only hope to get as good as some growers that dont even need to check their level that often.

Aqua Man · Jun 7, 2019

S.WestFarmer said:
nothing wrong with laying the knowledge! its in writing so i could study at my own pace haha. But thanks for the info man. I could only hope to get as good as some growers that dont even need to check their level that often.

It's always a safe bet in hydro.

In dirt a lot of the guys here have there shit down. Just look at the plant, feel the soil and bam make an adjustment. I envy that. I have over 20 years of working with aquatic plants before starting cannabis in hydro. I still take measurements every dam day lol

S.WestFarmer · Jun 7, 2019

Aqua Man said:
It's always a safe bet in hydro.

In dirt a lot of the guys here have there shit down. Just look at the plant, feel the soil and bam make an adjustment. I envy that. I have over 20 years of working with aquatic plants before starting cannabis in hydro. I still take measurements every dam day lol

damn haha i hear you man. You got a lot of knowledge under your belt so maybe making the transition to that promix will be a breeze for you

Aqua Man · Jun 7, 2019

S.WestFarmer said:
damn haha i hear you man. You got a lot of knowledge under your belt so maybe making the transition to that promix will be a breeze for you

If it is the only reason it will be is because I'm gonna take advantage of the dirt guys and start slow and simple.

That right dirt dudes I'm coming for all ya probably next year.

Have to face my fears sometime and hope you all don't mind babysitting me.

oldskol4evr · Jun 7, 2019

Aqua Man said:
If it is the only reason it will be is because I'm gonna take advantage of the dirt guys and start slow and simple.

That right dirt dudes I'm coming for all ya probably next year.

Have to face my fears sometime and hope you all don't mind babysitting me.

a great start would be sub cools recipe in bottom of your pots and ocean forest on top,go from there,water or soil the read of the plant is key,water is work and soil is forget about it and just use water,leaving you with more of the same all over your yard hahaha,i believe you seen that cucumber plant im growing in a trash can full of nothing but water and nutes already mixed inside,no air no pump,seed popped soil in 2 days,plant is about 4in tall right now,building the tressil today to grow it on my wall under kitchen window,haahahah vertical,just noticed yesterday the humminbirds arent wild about my plans ,they got to share if you dig,be interesting,temp has been in triple digits for 3 days now and no ill effects as of yet,i did line the outside of can with insulation,i just cant wrap my head around them loving the heat and the lack of problems in the res so precation are in play,if it works out pumpkins and watermelon are next on the plate,lmao,i just dont commit to one style of growing hahaah i have a very unhappy peach tree i started from seed growing in my compost pile,stressed like a bitch but still green hahahah raised beds,ground beds down hill,container garden up top along with the hydro they call it,to damn hot for the magic flower,end of august time to crank that garden back up,keep a open mind and you will benifit from it

Aqua Man · Jun 7, 2019

oldskol4evr said:
a great start would be sub cools recipe in bottom of your pots and ocean forest on top,go from there,water or soil the read of the plant is key,water is work and soil is forget about it and just use water,leaving you with more of the same all over your yard hahaha,i believe you seen that cucumber plant im growing in a trash can full of nothing but water and nutes already mixed inside,no air no pump,seed popped soil in 2 days,plant is about 4in tall right now,building the tressil today to grow it on my wall under kitchen window,haahahah vertical,just noticed yesterday the humminbirds arent wild about my plans ,they got to share if you dig,be interesting,temp has been in triple digits for 3 days now and no ill effects as of yet,i did line the outside of can with insulation,i just cant wrap my head around them loving the heat and the lack of problems in the res so precation are in play,if it works out pumpkins and watermelon are next on the plate,lmao,i just dont commit to one style of growing hahaah i have a very unhappy peach tree i started from seed growing in my compost pile,stressed like a bitch but still green hahahah raised beds,ground beds down hill,container garden up top along with the hydro they call it,to damn hot for the magic flower,end of august time to crank that garden back up,keep a open mind and you will benifit from it

Yep I seen that cucumber res. Very interested to see how she goes. I'm fairly confident in it. Warmer water temps are actually favorable to growth. I think for cannabis 77F is ideal in hydro but that's also the temps a lot of bacteria good and bad thrive and reproduce very quickly. This can be good or bad. With cooler temps it gives us hydro guys a chance to react if things go south. But in all my years of growing aquatic plants and ensuring my bacteria are thriving I have never once had root rot or pythium in temps of over 80F. The difference is the systems are well established not like most hydro grows that change a lot of water often and completely clean the systems.

I'm doing things differently than most, I run my system like my tanks. Partial water changes and never sterilizing. I have tested my bacteria and they are good. Like 4 hrs to eliminate 5ppm of ammonia. I have been inching my temps up slowly and watching so far so good I'm up to 75F. I did seed with hydrogaurd and a canister filter from one of my tanks that is loaded with denitrifying bacteria which are obviously doing well.

If you get a free ammonia test kit and test your res it should be 0. If you have denitrifying bacteria (that occur naturally over 5-6 weeks) then add pure ammonia to the res to reach 5ppm check it 24hrs later and if it's lower they are starting to colonize if it's 0 they are full on colonized.

I don't know much about the preferences of cucumber but looking forward to see that baby boom.

Added: I don't recommend anyone run temps over 70 in hydro. And I did use a chiller at first I'm doing this to see if my thoughts are correct but I don't want anyone to confuse this and fuck up their grow on this as it's not advice

PlumberSoCal · Jun 7, 2019

Aqua Man said:
The beauty of soil... It does a lot of work for you. One day I'm going to make the switch. My first soil grow will be this week with the mix ya gave me.... Wish me luck lol

Looking forward to it! So much easier and cheaper. You'll rock this!

MIMedGrower · Jun 7, 2019

S.WestFarmer said:
Whats goin on Farmers? I stay out in a small southern new mexico town and we source our water from an aquifer. I've been using the tap water on my ladies, and just recently started reading up more on PPM's and what nots, so im concerned about the water i have been using and its safety relative to my plantitas.
According to my meters, the PH is sitting at 7.0, meanwhile the PPM is at 590.
Is it safe to continue using the tap water, or should i maybe buy RO water or something? If i must add, the water tastes a hundred times better than the neighboring city water, so i was quite surprised to find that the PPM sat so high.
Ive added a picture of what the water company gave me when i asked for their consumer report as well.

I dont see total ppm or hardness (calcium content) but if your ppm is almost 600 best way to use is mix 1/4 tap to 3/4 ro water.

You may be able to get away with less ro. Maybe up to 250 ppm with no issues or adjustments.

S.WestFarmer · Jun 12, 2019

Aqua Man said:
Only thing is he is in DWC. I think dirt would be a lot more forgiving.

I would buy an RO unit or jugs and cut your tap ppm to 100-150. So about 1/4 tap 3/4 RO.

With the plant issues so far start feed low maybe 400 ppm or less.

Then ph down to 5.8.

Just what I would do.

Alright aqua, took me a couple of days, but got 1:4 ratio of tap to RO. Starting PPM 119. added light amount of nutes, ended at about 385 PPM. did a flush with 5.82 water and 1/4 of h2O2 before tranferring into new res solution. I'm hoping this helps cuz if not, i may just chop her up.
If i do, what could i do with the plant? got a whole bunch of pistils, smell is picking up a bit. Shes just looking lanky and sad to be honest.

Aqua Man · Jun 12, 2019

S.WestFarmer said:
Alright aqua, took me a couple of days, but got 1:4 ratio of tap to RO. Starting PPM 119. added light amount of nutes, ended at about 385 PPM. did a flush with 5.82 water and 1/4 of h2O2 before tranferring into new res solution. I'm hoping this helps cuz if not, i may just chop her up.
If i do, what could i do with the plant? got a whole bunch of pistils, smell is picking up a bit. Shes just looking lanky and sad to be honest.

Have some pics? If you can of the roots too.

Just wanna see what we are working with.

Tap Water PH, PPM. What do i do?

Tap Water PH, PPM. What do i do?

S.WestFarmer

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