What is the best water to use ?

[The Hippy]

In soil what is the best water to use
RO
Distilled
Spring
or Tap

What should be used first over the others ?

 

[Rysam]

depends on the quality of your water to start out with.

I use tap and what comes out of the aquarium, but I have an RO/DI if I want.

 

[VAPOUR]

RO or Distilled

 

[sog1313]

I've had pretty good results using filtered tap water. Its one of those Brita 3 stage filters and it takes almost all the chlorine and all of the heavy particulates and a lot of other stuff out. Add a splash of CalMag and some Micro and youre good to go. Its a hell of a lot cheaper to buy a $10 filter every couple months than bottles every week, and its nicer to the environment.

just my 2c. Happy growing.

 

[justiceman]

I would say that R/O or distilled water is best since it takes all the guess work out of "whats in this water anyway?" However one has to add those necessary minerals back to the water.

IF you happen to have quality tap or spring water that does not contain super high amounts of calcium, magnesium, etc. Then I would use that because one essentially needs to add cal mag back to R/O water. If your tap PPM is too high some people go as far as to mix half Tap and half R/O to save on water costs since it usually takes 2-4 gallons of Tap to create 1 gallon of R/O water. On top of savings your bumping your PPM down to an acceptable level of cal mag(hopefully that is all that's in the water) so you don't have to add any or purchase cal mag.

So if you want to be safe R/O or distilled. If you know your minerals, the amounts in the water vs the acceptable amounts and you are able tip the mineral ratios in your favor then tap or spring will save you money in water costs.

 

[Seamaiden]

Distilled is, in my opinion, too 'clean'. RO/DI, RO, well-filtered, tap. That said, when growing in organic soils you have an awful lot of leeway, so it's not hard and fast.

I started off using a drip-carbon filter, can't remember if it was Brita or PUR. But I went through a lot more than one filter every couple of months. Problem with RO is the water waste is immoral, gotta find a use for that water.

 

[sog1313]

sorry i should have mentioned that i am only using 2- 2 gallon DWC buckets so my water needs are not very high. Anything more than that though and trying to keep up with tap filters probably wont be easy. In that case you can go to most grocery stores and fill up 5 gallon jugs at the water machine for cheap and that water is generally very pure.

and hey justiceman I love your avatar. My girlfriend and I are watching all of bleach right now and we cant get enough. good stuff.

 

[Gro]

ro definitely but u have to add back trace e's imo.

 

[420Gator]

so what exactly must one add back to water with no ppm? and how much? i know there are lots of variables but a general guideline would be nice

 

[sog1313]

With RO water you need to add everything because thats what the RO process takes out. i just follow what is on the bottle. Generally about a teaspoon per gallon of CalMag and Micro, and then how ever much Grow or Bloom based on your current growth stage. Here is a link to the Botanicare feeding schedule. It is a pretty good place to start to dial in your nute needs.



Good growing. peace.