question and answer session...please

Hi folks. I am new to hydro (coco) and have a couple questions. I am using Calmag because i am using R/O water with an initial ppm of 10. I am adding the calmag to 250-300 ppms. Now when i add the rest of the nutes do i add the desired ppm not including the 250-300? As in if i want the plants at 800 ppms does this include the calmag ppm?

Another, as far as ph'ing my water. I just read in a mag that is is important not to have hguge swings in ph when adding nutes as this will cause instability. My R/O starts at about 8+. Then i add my botanicare nutes and it swings down to 4.5. Then i add Ph up to about 6.0. Does this seem OK, or should i ph the water before i add nutes and after?

Thanks for helping me out folks. I am enjoying this coco experiment and have a log running over in the assigned forum. Check out the boys and girls(not sexed yet). They started out ruff, but are happy.
ruff fuff

I can't answer all your questions, but as to the ppm, it is the total. For instance, you start at 10 ppm, at enough calmag to get your meter to register 250-300 ppm (of which, everything but 10 is your calmag so far) then add your nutrients. After wards, your meter should read 800 or whatever (250-300 composed of calmag, 10 from your water beforehand, and the remainder of nutrients.

Also, the very last thing you want to do is pH check. Adding nutrients and other chemicals changes the pH, so fixing pH in the intermediate steps is a waste of time and a waste of chemicals. Do it last, and keep it between 5.8-6.2.

I also hear that some nutrients take up at different pHs than others, so some growers like to have a little variability in their pH, staying within 5.8-6.2. This I'm not as sure on, so don't quote me. I'm sure somebody with more experience knows better.

Nickyourawesome, thanks for the confirmations and explanations. I have been doing it the way outlined by yourself and so far everything is going great. I just wanted to ask because with the amount of studying and reading i have been doing on COCO and hydro, i will be shattered if this venture encounters troubled waters...until then:stoned:

You also might want to wait a few minutes between adjusting your ph to make sure you get an accurate reading.

A lot of people who are pretty qualified do it the method you outlined, filling the calmag, then filling the nutes to the "target" PPM, but it's pretty misunderstood and is definately not a universal method accross all nutrient lines.

1st, pour your self a gallon or two of your RO water and add CalMag until you reach 250-300. Then you know how much mLs it took and just use that amount each time, no need to play with the meter.
2nd. Use your nutrient manufacturer's recipe for the growth stage. Whatever amount they call for, use that.

Right On Herbie. I really like that method of Cal-mag usage. Keeps it simple.
I personally have found that following the recipe on the manufacturer's bottles can be misleading and cause serious problems. When i first began growing i followed the Botanicare guidelines to the T and ended up with some scorched ladies. So i think if the recommended ratios are used, then it can work out lovely.

Botanicare scorched you? Man that's no good. It may have to do with several factors but here's another bit to consume: The recipe on the bottles of the Macro-Micro nutrients should only be followed if it is used by itself or with calmag.

If you decide to use supplements, you should follow the recipe on their website that includes all of the supplements.

"""""The recipe on the bottles of the Macro-Micro nutrients should only be followed if it is used by itself or with calmag.

If you decide to use supplements, you should follow the recipe on their website that includes all of the supplements."""


Herbie that is a new one for me. So let me get this straight. If i use Cal-mag then i need to use sweet and Liquid Karma? That is interesting as I thought they could be used independently. I do know of people who use one but not the other. I'll definitely keep this in mind.