Thick Salt Build up

I'm using an Ebb & Flow system, 2x4 foot plant dish and 27 gal rez. I'm using GH Flora series nutes and my temp is 80 and my ph is 6.

I'm getting what looks like salt on top of all the rockwools, should I flush? With simple ph 6 water and no nutes next rez change or should I go buy FloraKleen and flush so I dont get a Potassium def?

Its ur nutes bra, GH has some of the most salt buildup of all of them

I would suggest thinking bout switching

House and Garden Aquaflakes line is VERY CLEAN, almost no salt buildup at all

Botanicare is cleaner in a sense then GH, but still has salt issues

As for now, cleaning them now, ur gonna need to get the pots out of ur tray, give it a real good scrubbing with a scotch pad scrubbie or something, use bleach, but sometimes that doesnt even take it all off, CLEAN EVERYTHING, tray, res, pumps, drips, line, everything, running the system with bleach water helps get any salt buildup in the lines out

After all that, make sure u rinse well, dont want any bleach water to get sucked up by ur plants

After u get it all cleaned, put the babies back in, and flush them good with 6.0 water, RO of course

All of this is realative of course, and if its worth it to you, i mean if the plants are days away from harvest, i prob wouldnt do the work, but if you in week 2-3, its prob well worth it to do a good cleaning

Just my opinon, good luck

beta0701 said:

Its ur nutes bra, GH has some of the most salt buildup of all of them

I would suggest thinking bout switching

House and Garden Aquaflakes line is VERY CLEAN, almost no salt buildup at all

Botanicare is cleaner in a sense then GH, but still has salt issues

As for now, cleaning them now, ur gonna need to get the pots out of ur tray, give it a real good scrubbing with a scotch pad scrubbie or something, use bleach, but sometimes that doesnt even take it all off, CLEAN EVERYTHING, tray, res, pumps, drips, line, everything, running the system with bleach water helps get any salt buildup in the lines out

After all that, make sure u rinse well, dont want any bleach water to get sucked up by ur plants

After u get it all cleaned, put the babies back in, and flush them good with 6.0 water, RO of course

All of this is realative of course, and if its worth it to you, i mean if the plants are days away from harvest, i prob wouldnt do the work, but if you in week 2-3, its prob well worth it to do a good cleaning

Just my opinon, good luck

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Dude, that sounds way too complicated. I use GH nutes and know what Cassegrain is talking about with salt buildup but all I do is run tap water over the top of the rockwool for about a minute. This seems to work fine for me.

I use the waterfarm and get tons of salt buildup, now I flush the lines and medium with weekly while I change out the rez. Seems to work ok.

CK

petrol420 said:

Dude, that sounds way too complicated. I use GH nutes and know what Cassegrain is talking about with salt buildup but all I do is run tap water over the top of the rockwool for about a minute. This seems to work fine for me.

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No offence, but growing weed is complicated

I was only giving him the way to get rid of the salt, completely, not just simply rinse some of it away

Salt buildup WILL, and i say WILL lock the plants out if left unkept

I was just giving him my advice on wat i would do

I may be a perfectionist, but like i said, areoponics is not for the lazy grower, if u want to be lazy, grow in soil

Just about eery major nutrient manfacturer sells its 2 Part nutrients with almost the identical ratios, some just sell a more concentrated mix. If you lower the EC (amount of concentare added) to a reasonable level the GH will not cause any larger salt problems then other formulations. Most peple that have salting problems do not use conductivity meters or just use to l high of levels of nutrients. i.e the problem is almost always grower error such as using manafcturers mixing suggestions rtaher than using a conductivity meter, or ec xpecting that they can use the same EC (mixing amounts) for soil, hydro and aero. It does not work that way. There are no cleaner formulations only more dilute concentrations.

The salts that accumalate are all calcium compounds. All that is need to easily clean calcium compouds off empty pots, misters etc is acid. Vinegar works well. Cheap but strong hydrochloric acid works real well. Wear gloves and safety glasses. Once a calcium salt has precipitated it will not easily dissolve in water again. Anyone with hard water deposits on their faucets, sinks or pasta boiling pot can attest to that. Precipitates on the top of your soil or the sides of your pot or reservoir will only tie up them selves. Usually it is magnesium, iron , sulfur and phosphate that gets tied up because they combine with each other at high concentartions. Their concentrations increases as they nutrient water evaporates. They only precipitate when they are in excess such as through evaporation or through being mixed too strong (high EC). Salt is on the surface is because that area is getting to much concentrated fertilizer in ratio to the water being lost due to evaporation and evaporation due to that area being warmer. Precipitatiom almost always occurs firts where theconcentrated salts contact warmer surfaces, ie top of soil, sides of pots, sides of reservoirs and on motors, misters and aquarium heaters etc. or the bottom of pots where more water remains to evaporate.

i.e. lower the concentration

Thanks everyone for your input. After taking your responses into consideration and doing some homework myself, I'm picking up a bottle of clearex and flushing my tray and rockwools with it during my rez change.

fatman7574 said:

Just about eery major nutrient manfacturer sells its 2 Part nutrients

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true

fatman7574 said:

with almost the identical ratios, some just sell a more concentrated mix.

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I dont understand, you say all 2 part mixes are the same except concentrations, isnt the concentration of N-P-K kinda a big deal??? I mean if advanced is selling diluted shit (which they do) and lets say GH is selling highly concentrated, wouldnt that make them completly different in the amount of nutrient that is in a cup????

fatman7574 said:

If you lower the EC (amount of concentare added) to a reasonable level the GH will not cause any larger salt problems then other formulations. Most peple that have salting problems do not use conductivity meters or just use to l high of levels of nutrients. i.e the problem is almost always grower error such as using manafcturers mixing suggestions rtaher than using a conductivity meter, or ec xpecting that they can use the same EC (mixing amounts) for soil, hydro and aero. It does not work that way. There are no cleaner formulations only more dilute concentrations.

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So if you have a high EC strain, ur suppose to lower ur EC just to not cause salt buildup???

That seems dumb, lower ur EC just to control some salty ass nutes from not gettin shit all over???



IDK y ur so high and mighty on ur GH nutes fatman, there expensive, dirty, and just theres better shit out there bra

but to each is own

UGH!

To be honest I do not use any of the the retailed nutrients. NoytGh, AN or any of the others. I have mixed my own nutrients for over 15 years now. What I use is pretty close to GH and AN formulations though. I do analyze as many nutrients as people give or mail to me or as the university buys for research where the research requires their specific use by contract with the reserarh funders. As most people are aware most all university reserach is paid for my out side enterprises not the universities. The research data release can be held up by the corporations or entities paying for the research.

If you notice by reading AN adds they hire past University reserchers to work for them as they have ready access to all old testing. The testing done by universities is done with ew quipment not owned by nutrient n manafcturesr. They simply use old resesearch dat done in the past by universities. They do not havethe equipment used by the universities for testing nutrient usptake and such. Too much money. It takes either a university or a testing t lab that does huge numbers of plat tissue test to pay for such expensive equipment. AN or GH is not that big and deoes not grow enough plants to tkae the needed tey ts economical enough to buy the equipment.

They reserach funders can not have university or private lab data changed but they can stop release of parts or all of the research data or conclusions from being publically released. They do that routinely. If the results does not fit there expectations or needs the simply ignore otr bury it. After all the universities students are paid by the reserchers for all costs to include labor so the results are really entirely the property of the reserach funders,

The students doing the research and reserach department at the rtesearch universities schools only receive credit for the work done, they have no rights to publically distribute the results of the reserch without the funders permission.

I however personally own all the equipment needed to easily test common chemical based nutrient formulas in my own home.


A nutrient prepartaion of 2-2-2 is the same as a nutrient preparation of 4-4-4. One is simply more concentrated. ie 1 gallon of a x100 concentrate of 4-4-4 fertizer diluted (mixed) to the same EC will make twice as much diluted nutrients as a x100 concentrate of fertilizer with an analysis of 2-2-2.

Ie if GH or AN sell x100 concentrate nutrients at 5-5-5 analysis and Tetra Flora sells a x100 concentrate formula with an anylsis of 2.5-2.5-2.5 for more than half the price of the AN or GH then they are charging more for less. Many people look at the directions that state add say 5 ml per gallon and think that it means 5 ml mix of a 2-2-2 analyiss nutrients is the same as a 5 ml mix of a 5-5-5 analyis formulation. It is not and the EC will not be the same. A 2-2-2 or a 5-5-5 nutrient mixed to the same EC (if all other nutrients are ratioed the same way) will be the same but it will take more of the 2-2-2 to obtain the same EC.

However one can not absolutely say that it will take excatly twice as much of a 2.5-2.5-2.5 as a 5-5-5 to produce the same EC as the minor nutrients and micro mnutrients also influence the final EC (unless as I said in the last prargraph the ratios are ahndled the samewith the tow different mnafactures). They usually n make slight differences though just to syathey are different. However miniscule changes in proprtions or ratios will not be noticeable in most anau yisises or in pm nta growth performance. They wo ill silightly effect the ppm readings but the changes are so small they wil not ransfer over to the EC readings do to dropped decimal points in the conversions.

How ever hen it comes to prices paid it is nearly entirely based upon the cost of the three macro nutrients as they make up the majority of the mix. therefore purcahse value and general over all strengths are chiefly based upon those analysis numbers.

Mnafacturers can take advantage of you easily in one of two ways. Sell the same ratio analysis formulations at lower concentrations, i.e x50 versi us x100 04 x200. Or thet y can sell you as shown above a x100 at 2-2-2 versus a x100 at 4-4-4. You essentially get about half as n much mixed nutrients buying the x100 2-2-2 as the x100 4-4-4, but the formulation ratio 2-2-2- is the same as the formulation analyis ratio of 4-4-4. Fertilixer formulations are based upon the ratio of each nutrient to each other. As an example a formula with a nitrogen to phosphorus ratio of two parts nitrogen to two parts phosphorus is the same formula as a four parts nitrogen to four parts phosphorus. They are the same ratios as 2:2 is the same ratio as 4:4 or 3:3 or 6:6 or 7:7 etc. They are all 1 to 1 essentially. But if it was 2:4 then it is a doubling ratio si 3:6 or 4:8 would be the same formulation. Howver as they put half as much of a 2:2 in a x100 concentration as ina 4:4 x100 concentration they are still basically half as concentrated.

Therfore when you buy a major brand and it seems that it produces more precipitated salts it is usually because it is a higher concentration either buy ananyiss a or as a mixed concentration. After all if they sell you a x100 concentration of 2-2-2 fertilizer it will produce 100 gallons of dilute 2-2-2 nutrients. If they sell you a bottle of x100 concentration of 4-4-4 fertilizer it will produce 100 gallons of dilute 4-4-4 nutrients. So if they both sell for the same price, the 4-4- 4 fertilizer is a much better buy as you can dilute ir with 200 gallom ns of water and get rough 200 gallons of 2-2-2 nutrients.

There is no such thing as a high EC strain or a low EC strain unless you are talking about one strain excepting the stress of a high EC better than another., or o if your taalking aboutpossibly a faster mass producing plant. If there were many of those no seeds but those would even be seelable. That does not appear to be the case. Plants respond better to mid range or lower EC, That is a simple scientifically proven fact. Raising the EC just allows you to go longer without changing or adding more nutrients. It is not more beneficial to the plants. More often that not incraesing the EC actually causes the plants to take up less nutrients and therefore grw slower. One only has to have the EC level high enough that no nutreint level drops below what the plants wants to take up based upon lighting, temp and CO2 levels anything higher than that just increses chances of nutrient burns and the inclination to inceases times between reservoir changes or nutrient additions. This tends to cause imbalanced nutrients.

FATMAN do you have a pic of your AREO or HYDRO grow????

Im startin to think you talk ALOT, and dont walk the walk

EXCPERINCE SPEAKS MORE THAN ALL THAT MUMBO JUMBO UR TALKIN

LETS SEE SOME FUCKING PICTURES

beta0701 said:

FATMAN do you have a pic of your AREO or HYDRO grow????

Im startin to think you talk ALOT, and dont walk the walk

EXCPERINCE SPEAKS MORE THAN ALL THAT MUMBO JUMBO UR TALKIN

LETS SEE SOME FUCKING PICTURES

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Grow up child. I have likely been growing longer than you been living. I did not get my manfacturing conviction or criminal record for acting like ac child as you are now di oing. I am not so stupid as to post incrimidating photos anymore. It was was impossible to get publically posted photos excluded from evidence last time I went to trial, so to post photos again is as the judge said simply a public admission of guilt.

You are definitely a numb nuts. Does it hurt always just sitting on that small head you use to think with. Suck in your testosterone and try to use your brain.

ding ding ding!!!

fatman7574 said:

I did not get my manfacturing conviction or criminal record for acting like ac child as you are now di oing.

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Then how DID YOU get it smarty pants?????

fatman7574 said:

I am not so stupid as to post incrimidating photos anymore.

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But you where at one point?????

fatman7574 said:

Suck in your testosterone and try to use your brain.

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Testosterrone??? Its called calling you out fatman, you ever been called out b4????? You know, stand up to the podium and proove yourself?? Do you usually run and hide????

I love GH. I always wanted to be an astronaut and between staying stoned and using Gh this is as close as I can get to being a space cadet, with my big feet and all.

beta0701 said:

Then how DID YOU get it smarty pants?????

But you where at one point?????

Testosterrone??? Its called calling you out fatman, you ever been called out b4????? You know, stand up to the podium and proove yourself?? Do you usually run and hide????

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Dude, grow up.

fatman7574 said:

I did not get my manfacturing conviction or criminal record for acting like ac child as you are now di oing.

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So lets hear this, What exactly did you do to get busted?

Which time? Only one conviction. Three busts. Misconduct involving a controlled substance Class B felony. ie Manafacturing (growing). With that bust there were 5 charges, with 17 accounts on one of the charges so 21 charges total. Twenty charges were dismissed. Five years, 40 months with good behavior. Took 21 monthsof pretrial hearings to get the other charges dismissed. Impossible to get the mnafacaturing charge dismissed though with over ninety 8 by 10 colored glossies and a good search warrants evidence allowed at trial. This years largest bust in the state has now gotten my bust finally down to the second largest manfacturing charge on state record. Live and learn. ie no photos. Photos gave them probable cause for the warrant application and photos sealed the trial.

fatman sory but i think u r full of bullshit if u can't show us your pics i think u r person who just talk and not doing anything so pshhhhhhhhh... and excuse of trial is fucking lame... they cant find u guilty becouse of some pics coz u can say that u found them on net and they are not yours so stop bullshiting about aero or hydro or even soil grow if u dont have any proof