Is my tap water OK???

I just got done testing my local tap water. PH was 8.8 and PPM was 0. I am going to be using 5 gallon dwc buckets.

I am amazed you have zero PPM=perfect
You will need to lower your ph though

Smokenpassout said:

I just got done testing my local tap water. PH was 8.8 and PPM was 0. I am going to be using 5 gallon dwc buckets.

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I use tap. PH is consistent at 7, PPM runs from <100 to 180 the last time I checked it. I have pretty good water in my area. That PH of yours seems kinda high but not off the charts. of course in hydro your gonna have to lower and maintain PH to around 6. Personally, I would give it a shot and if you have any issues buy some kind of filter or just buy filtered water for .30 a gallon at the grocery store depending on how much you need and whether or not it is convenient.

I'm glad im in soil!

Wow a 0 ppm, nice. Is it well water? If it's city you'd have to worry about chlorine and shit but a 0 ppm doesn't sound like it. I use my well water and similiar ph with a 80ppm. I use my tap water just fine, about 3-4 ml of PH down by general hydro should get you to PH range you want, just fine tune it to 5.8. You'll want to get a PH meter and a PPM meter though, I bought one of those $20 yellow PH meters by Etekcity from amazon and a HM Digital AP-1 for ppm and it gives u water temp for $25. Both work great, I calibrate every now, just buy the calibration solutions needed another $10 each, and then but it never strays more than a few points that wouldn't matter anyway.

Just a tip that you'll realize, it'll take say 3-4ml to change your ph from 8 to 5 but once you add nutes it will raise the density per say so it'll take a shit ton more ml's to get from 8 to 5, so in other words make sure u PH before you nute.

Thanks for the advice all! I am going to five the tap water a try. I have tested it several times and apart from the high 8.8 PH the PPM is 0. So let me het this straight....I PH the plain water, use PH up pr down to adjust to 5.8. Then add nutrients, and Re PH again to 5.5-6.2?

Smokenpassout said:

Thanks for the advice all! I am going to five the tap water a try. I have tested it several times and apart from the high 8.8 PH the PPM is 0. So let me het this straight....I PH the plain water, use PH up pr down to adjust to 5.8. Then add nutrients, and Re PH again to 5.5-6.2?

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I nute then PH. I don't even bother worrying with ppm. No need to because I know mine will be in a conservative range. I do Lucas formula and only add Maxibloom and a little CalMag. Doing it the other way is for the guys that use all those supplements.

I thought your pH drops when adding nutrients? Mine does anyways...

I use General Organics and from what I understand is that if not using an organic nutrient then pH only needs to be adjusted after mixing your solution...

Before nutrients my pH is around 5.8 from plain well water... If I add my nutrients it drops to the low 4's...

So I pH my water to 7.0, add each micro nutrient first individually then add my main nutrients last to bring my water to 5.5 then I use very little pH up to bring it to 5.9...

Ive had no issues with pH from day one

My PH drops significantly. It starts around 7 and after I add Maxibloom and CalMag it drops to the 4s. Then I use PH up. If you add PH down to 6 then add nutes it would probably drop to the 3s and then I would have to add even more ph up to get it where I need it. Makes no sense. You are just adding more chems.

It's all good though. We have different conditions so what works for you or me won't work for everyone.

Best advice here IMO

GrowUrOwnDank said:

It's all good though. We have different conditions so what works for you or me won't work for everyone.

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Exactly.

The ph thing depends on the nutes, i'm just using general hydro. Depends what phase i'm in for what nutes I'm giving it for what causes if the nute combo to push it up or down.

When i have a good amount of nutes in the water it takes wayy more up or down to move the ph than when it's just plain water.

Smokenpassout said:

Thanks for the advice all! I am going to five the tap water a try. I have tested it several times and apart from the high 8.8 PH the PPM is 0. So let me het this straight....I PH the plain water, use PH up pr down to adjust to 5.8. Then add nutrients, and Re PH again to 5.5-6.2?

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I really want to put as little nutrients as possible. I decided to go with that PH Perfect Sensi Bloom A/B Grow for starters. I paid $26 for it online and they charged me once and sent 4 quart bottles, or two sets. Yay for retards! I guess I can just PH after I mix ot up in resevoir. Not sure if I should add calmag plus using tap water?

ph is irrelevant at 0 ppm. You need a buffer. Add nutes then PH test and that's your PH that you have to adjust [or not]