Johnnygrows420
Well-Known Member
My tap water at my house is 290 PPM. Is this safe to use to water my plants with?
290 PPM......
- Thread starter Johnnygrows420
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If I were you, I would mix it 50/50 with reverse-osmosis filtered water (dispensed from vending machines, the gallon jugs of drinking water) and start with 150ppm.
Johnnygrows420
Well-Known Member
They need to come up with a tablet you could drop into a gallon of water to drop the ppm.....how sweet would that be. You think one of those on tap filters like Brita or Pur would work?
Johnnygrows420
Well-Known Member
I can get gallon jugs of RO water for a buck a piece
Johnnygrows420
Well-Known Member
So I can use my tap water then ? The 290 ppm coming out of the tap will be fine.
jarvild
Well-Known Member
Really depends what's in your water. If it's mostly CaCo3 ( Calcium Carbonate ) Then it's not a form that plants can take readily with-out being broken down. You will have to add more than normal amounts of pH down to remove the buffering of the CaCo3 and keep your pH in check but I've grown for years using my 385ppm well water.
At 300ppm I'd want to know know what comprises those parts (in the PPM). You can call your water provider to find out. It may work for you. My water is 600-800ppm. I have to reduce it. I mix it down to 150ppm.
If you do use filtered water to reduce your initial ppms, it has to be RO water, not the carbon filters. If you worry about chlorine/chloramine, you can add a pinch of sugar (per gallon) the night before. That will stimulate microbial activity which will exhaust the very minimal amount of sanitizer added to the water. It also helps the soil microbiology. (I assume you're in soil.).
Also, using 150ppm (mixed tap/RO), I don't use calmag and don't ph my nutrients. It works fine in soil.
Johnnygrows420
Well-Known Member
I'm using coco this next run
Resinhound
Well-Known Member
Be aware high levels of carbonates act as a neutral buffer,in soil this really isnt a problem but in soiless you need to be aware it will cause ph swings which isnt a bad thing unless it gets out of hand.In coco id cut that with ro or distilled down to 100-150 ppm or so.If you need more calcium add it in the form of calcium nitrate to promote fast uptake.This is why botanicare cal/mag is so popular.
Johnnygrows420
Well-Known Member
Is it alright to use the botanical calmag with the GH Flora series or should I just get the GH calmag
You dont need tablets, (or calmag) just use nitric acid ph down instead of phosphoric. Nitric acid reacts with the calcium carbonate in the water to form calcium nitrate and co2.
Johnnygrows420
Well-Known Member
So use the GH PH down in the 290 ppm tap water and it should be fine?
churchhaze
Well-Known Member
Nitric acid is what I use to deal with 400-500ppm tap. I put 10mL of 10% nitric acid per 1 gallon of water before adding nutes.
Like Atomizer said, the nitric acid substitutes the carbonate from the calcium carbonate making calcium nitrate and carbon dioxide gas.
Like Atomizer said, the nitric acid substitutes the carbonate from the calcium carbonate making calcium nitrate and carbon dioxide gas.
Johnnygrows420
Well-Known Member
Ok thanks a bunch man
horribleherk
Well-Known Member
Hey Johnny you're everywhere these days gh makes a hard water micro for their 3- part flora series nutes I use lemon juice to lower my ph I have used X- brand and botanicare cal- mag with the gh nutes