When To Change Dwc Reservoir?

DGP · Mar 28, 2018

I don't know a lot about the micro-biology of plants but in my simple minded ways I think it is a water quality issue. If and I mean If you keep things maintained really well so the water stays at or below 68 and you don't let light or organic matter get in the water and the water continues along in the grow not smelling bad or like an aquarium past due for water changes well then it may work well.

One question I have is about salt buildup over the grow cycle. I guess it does come down to whether the plants somehow use exactly what you give em but are there situations where you would end up with a potential salt buildup and toxicity?

I use a chiller and keep my water as pristine as possible sometimes adding some food grade H202 but just out of a fear of creating some kind of problem I still change my water every week or a week and half. I stick my nose in the reservoir everyday and take a big whiff to see if there are any nasties trying to take over. However, I am using Jack's and I just decided it wasn't worth it to worry about the cost of nutes vs. potential issues. Now I admit this lacks science and is somewhat like not walking under ladders or avoiding letting black cats cross your path. However, If I saw some science on it I would maybe be convinced to stop changing water in my system.

It helps to see HiesenBubble showing pictures of his success with no water changes and it is an interesting question. I have also gotten quite "Zen" about figuring out exactly how much food my girls need but taking careful disciplined data everyday and logging it to see what amounts of water they are consuming and what changes if any in PPM occur. Taking data and observing the results in the leaf color and growth behavior has really taught me a lot lately. This is a fine fiddly business (as the Britt's say) and it isn't as easy as it would appear:) .

Dee

Shawnery · Mar 28, 2018

One thing I began to believe is if you use a two or three part nutrient system then I think it would be beneficial to switch out your nutrient solution when you switch to flowering. But if you use a nutrient system that's the same all the way through then I think there's less to worry about. Of course that goes along with what DGP said about water quality and such as well though.

RHINObeast · Mar 28, 2018

Shawnery said:
One thing I began to believe is if you use a two or three part nutrient system then I think it would be beneficial to switch out your nutrient solution when you switch to flowering. But if you use a nutrient system that's the same all the way through then I think there's less to worry about. Of course that goes along with what DGP said about water quality and such as well though.

I use a three part and don’t change anything, leaving the nutes helps the transition from veg to bloom. I’ve been doing it for over a year now, no difference if I change it or not

DGP · Mar 28, 2018

I am now using the Jack's Professional with Calcium Nitrate and Epsom "3-2-1" mixing method so mine stays the same from teenager veg to full flower now. In the natural environment I am wondering if the nute levels change that much in the cycle cause no one is there to manipulate the NPK ratios. However, there could be a natural drop in N as it is used up each Spring. Some bigger growers I have talked to (one in my area) swear by Jacks and the idea of a fixed NPK ratio through the whole grow.

Also, on a side note some of these guys think we are being played by the liquid nute vendors and that there are no magical formulas or Bud boosters etc. They say the hype with all the names (Bud Candy, Mega this and blows your shit up that) are just marketing and in the end it is just simple chemistry. I think they may be right. I dropped my nute cost by 6-8X near as I can tell by switching from GH 3 part to Jack's. I won't buy any GH products any more because they are now in bed with Monsanto and have agreements to resell the poisons from Monsanto. As I have mentioned before anything from Bayer, Monsanto or Scott's ()Hawthorne group) are on my "No Buy" shit list. Now I don't have to deal with GH dying my roots brown from their silly colorants in the nutes which really throws some people off thinking they have root rot when they don't

Dee

Shawnery · Mar 28, 2018

I'm using Masterblend, basically just like Jack's, unbeknownst to me it stabilizes pH at 5.6. The one thing I love about it is that it is so clear compared to both g h and a n.

I've been doing some research about using beneficial microbes in your nutrient solution. One thing I've read over and over again is that you have much better success with it when you have a temperature above 70 but below 75. I understand completely why this sounds wrong but there is some intriguing evidence to support the idea.

DGP · Mar 28, 2018

Shawnery said:
I'm using Masterblend, basically just like Jack's, unbeknownst to me it stabilizes pH at 5.6. The one thing I love about it is that it is so clear compared to both g h and a n.

I've been doing some research about using beneficial microbes in your nutrient solution. One thing I've read over and over again is that you have much better success with it when you have a temperature above 70 but below 75. I understand completely why this sounds wrong but there is some intriguing evidence to support the idea.

I would like to hear more, always open to new stuff. One beneficial I have been researching is Mammoth. Still sorting it out and looking for some data on how well it really works (side by side comparisons).

Dee

RHINObeast · Mar 28, 2018

DGP said:
I am now using the Jack's Professional with Calcium Nitrate and Epsom "3-2-1" mixing method so mine stays the same from teenager veg to full flower now. In the natural environment I am wondering if the nute levels change that much in the cycle cause no one is there to manipulate the NPK ratios. However, there could be a natural drop in N as it is used up each Spring. Some bigger growers I have talked to (one in my area) swear by Jacks and the idea of a fixed NPK ratio through the whole grow.

Also, on a side note some of these guys think we are being played by the liquid nute vendors and that there are no magical formulas or Bud boosters etc. They say the hype with all the names (Bud Candy, Mega this and blows your shit up that) are just marketing and in the end it is just simple chemistry. I think they may be right. I dropped my nute cost by 6-8X near as I can tell by switching from GH 3 part to Jack's. I won't buy any GH products any more because they are now in bed with Monsanto and have agreements to resell the poisons from Monsanto. As I have mentioned before anything from Bayer, Monsanto or Scott's ()Hawthorne group) are on my "No Buy" shit list. Now I don't have to deal with GH dying my roots brown from their silly colorants in the nutes which really throws some people off thinking they have root rot when they don't

Dee

Never had issues with other GH, still rocking them now. Haven’t failed me yet, I’m at a point where I got a good thing going, not sure if I’m willing to branch out to another nute line yet. What’s the jacks cost?

DGP · Mar 28, 2018

RHINObeast said:
Never had issues with other GH, still rocking them now. Haven’t failed me yet, I’m at a point where I got a good thing going, not sure if I’m willing to branch out to another nute line yet. What’s the jacks cost?

I bought a 25lb bag of the Hydro pro and Calcium Nitrate and with a bag of epsom salts it came to about $130. Normally I buy about 600-700 bucks in GH nutrients per year and the $130 I spent on Jacks will last me more than a year by itself. I also like that it is almost clear and doesn't dye the roots brown.

Dee

Shawnery · Mar 28, 2018

Here's an example of Masterblend. You get 10 pounds of both the 4-18-38 and the Calcium Nitrate then a 5 pound bag of Epsom Salt for only 55.00 and I'm sure it could be got cheaper. You only use 12g of the first two and 6g of the last for 5 gallons. That's going to last me maybe more grows than i ever do.

The GH costs about 40.00 for a quart of each and that will not last long at all.

I'm not saying one is better than the other but I am saying one is cheaper and just as good as the other. I've even found that the Masterblend mix stabilizes the ph at 5.6.

RHINObeast · Mar 28, 2018

DGP said:
I bought a 25lb bag of the Hydro pro and Calcium Nitrate and with a bag of epsom salts it came to about $130. Normally I buy about 600-700 bucks in GH nutrients per year and the $130 I spent on Jacks will last me more than a year by itself. I also like that it is almost clear and doesn't dye the roots brown.

Dee

Damn man, not sure how big your grow is but that’s a hefty margin for cost. A gallon of each part is approx 35 bucks so for about $110 bucks you can get all three parts which lasts me a year approximately. I usually get a harvest every 8 to 10 weeks, so at least 5 harvests a year. I’ve contemplated switching to canna, but what really has me interested is the PLUS LIfE powder that they came out with, it might be called SHInE but could be wrong. The guy at the hydro store said he got really good results with it

RHINObeast · Mar 28, 2018

Shawnery said:
Here's an example of Masterblend. You get 10 pounds of both the 4-18-38 and the Calcium Nitrate then a 5 pound bag of Epsom Salt for only 55.00 and I'm sure it could be got cheaper. You only use 12g of the first two and 6g of the last for 5 gallons. That's going to last me maybe more grows than i ever do.

The GH costs about 40.00 for a quart of each and that will not last long at all.

I'm not saying one is better than the other but I am saying one is cheaper and just as good as the other. I've even found that the Masterblend mix stabilizes the ph at 5.6.

No it’s 35 bucks a gallon on eBay

RHINObeast · Mar 28, 2018

RHINObeast said:
No it’s 35 bucks a gallon on eBay

You can get the entire 3 part in gallons for $75 if you buy all 3. I’m a little weary of using Epsom salts in my buckets, don’t want the clogs, and ppms sky rocket if you over dose lol. Interested to see that masterblend grow if you have one going

Shawnery · Mar 28, 2018

Here you go!
Three and a half weeks on 12-12-6 per 5 gallons. Currently at 607ppm and has been dropping by 20 points per day like clockwork.

RHINObeast · Mar 28, 2018

Shawnery said:
Here you go!
Three and a half weeks on 12-12-6 per 5 gallons. Currently at 607ppm and has been dropping by 20 points per day like clockwork.

Nice work, roots are looking great!

DGP · Mar 28, 2018

RHINObeast said:
Damn man, not sure how big your grow is but that’s a hefty margin for cost. A gallon of each part is approx 35 bucks so for about $110 bucks you can get all three parts which lasts me a year approximately. I usually get a harvest every 8 to 10 weeks, so at least 5 harvests a year. I’ve contemplated switching to canna, but what really has me interested is the PLUS LIfE powder that they came out with, it might be called SHInE but could be wrong. The guy at the hydro store said he got really good results with it

Not that big but we are running food crops as well.

Dee

John2526 · Dec 15, 2018

I'm a newbie. One grow is at 12 weeks, the other at 8 weeks. DWC in 5 gal. buckets.

In my ignorance, I've NEVER done a water change. Also, I always added full strength to top off. Despite that, my first grow is quite healthy. Plants are 5-6' in height. Autoflowers, going into bloom nicely.

My second grow is lush and green.

I checked the PPM on one of my plants today and found it to be 2200 (despite being healthy and blooming). I immediately topped off with pure water, and started doing the research that led me to this thread.

Based on my results, I'm going to watch the ppm more closely, but I'm not inclined to do a water change just because I'm "supposed to."

wilson2 · Nov 5, 2019

heisen said:
But it also requires a fine tuning which i explained my technique in perfecting scotts OG in my sig

how do I find this? tried searching no results

Aqua Man · Nov 5, 2019

wilson2 said:
how do I find this? tried searching no results

He is not longer on here.

wilson2 · Nov 5, 2019

thanks

ozarkgrey · Nov 12, 2019

Shawnery said:
So I'm a newbie so don't listen to a freaking thing I say but I just feel like it's necessary to share this. I understand that it's best to change your Reservoir every week 2 weeks at the most but what if you don't have to.

I've traversed a number of marijuana growing sites and through my journey I found many outliers who don't change their water at all. I followed one person's thread and they went from their first grow changing out the water every week. Then in their second grow they cleaned out their water once a month. Then on his third grow he decided not to change out his water at all.

Through all three separate grows there was no discernible difference between yield or quality. I understand the argument to why you need to change out your water but this antidotal evidence puts that strongly into question. Has anybody here actually gone the entire grow without changing out their water and can point to some disasterous experience they had through the process or is this just information that has been handed down from grower to grower without ever questioning it?

i tend to agree as i check my water often and top off with fresh PH water when needed which gives it that new freshness without a complete tank flush. if you don't top off then weekly is best imo

OG

When To Change Dwc Reservoir?

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