Re-occuring tip burn/WALL of text

[bertoxxulous]

Well, I'm guessing this isn't good news because earlier you had mentioned that if my tap was 200PPM or less then I could get away with using the CalMag but I just measured my tap and its at like 305PPM and using the brita filter doesn't seem to really make a difference either. My 40gal. resv. that I have my clones in right now is at 965PPM, with only PH balanced brita filtered water and Ionic Grow nute solution.

[bertoxxulous]

So maybe things are starting to come togather for me but I just looked on my jug of Ionic Grow and it recommends an EC of 1.8mS. My PPM pen says its TDS Factor is 0.5, and referring to the chart at hydroponics articles - Electrical Conductivity that you had linked back in your guide would mean that my Resv. should be at 900PPM at all times? Am I starting to understand this or am I wrong? Also, I'm not sure what to do about the water now that my tap water PPM is 300+.

[Weedhound]

Ok first....what type of tds meter do you have? What exactly is it measuring, tds or EC? I don't care either way but it matters because of conversion rate......is yours at 500 or 700 or is it reading straight ec?

Second.....amounts are a guidline ALWAYS. Watch your plants reaction and learn to feed and nute based on how they look. Believe me, the company is giving you averages, not absolutes. Always stay on the light side if you are not sure. I'm afraid I'm not familiar with Ionic grow nutes......perhaps someone else is?

Three..... your water. What happened to ppm 120? is that after the Britta? You say it's 300+ plain. Ouch. Thats some mean water. However, Loc Nar's point about not being realistic to RO or distilled a 40 gallon rez is a true one. So we'll have to figure out a compromise.....most likely back to your Britta with some CalMag which is exactly what Loc Nar said in the first place. Have I mentioned that I've never trusted that guy?

Lastly, your 40 gallon res. You say it holds just enough to fill the entire flood table and that you change it everry two weeks. But you don't top off in between. How much does the water level go down in that two weeks? In other words....are some plants NOT getting watered the way they should as the level goes down? Yes, you should be checking your ph daily and checking, adjusting ppms and topping off every few days as needed. That MAY be a part of your issue right there....just to throw some more stuff at youl.

[bertoxxulous]

@WeedHound - I'm using a Milwaukee with a TDS factor of 0.5. I'm assuming it measures in TDS, there is no documentation that came with it specifically saying it measures in TDS other than the "TDS Factor of 0.5."

About the 120PPM, that number I read off my local water treatment plants website. Now, to take into consideration I live in an older neighborhood built in the 50's and I'm assuming the plumbing infastructure around here is less than to be desired (thats my hypothesis anyways). So after I got my PPM pen home I I tested the water and it came up at 300PPM. I also tested brita filtered water and it also came up at 300PPM. When I did this test I did not let the water sit for a while at first. I then measured the water I was using for my seedlings and it was at 660PPM with 1/2 strength nutes, and my resv. was at 1030PPM. I then tried to nock down the PPM in my resv. by adding 7 gallons tap water and was only able to get it down to 900PPM due to the resv. being almost full to begin with. The brita filter seems to actually raise the PPM when I measure it right after filling the gallon jug however.

I've been doing a top off at the end of the first week between the two week cycles but the last week I didn't. I also didn't understand this whole PPM thing last week either =p My eye's have definately been opened thanks to your help and this wonderful website and I really really appreciate it. I think now I'm in a situation of trying to find the sweet spot in PPM's for the plants. About the CalMag though, how much do you think I should use in PPM?

[Weedhound]

Well there's two ways you can go here.......actually 3 I can think of. One would be to just use the water at 300 and skip the CalMag, second would be use the britta and the Cal Mag.

What exact number did your tds number show you in your res? It sounds as though your meter reads x 500 conversion......mine use x700 so your numbers shouldn't match mine anway.

There is no one sweet spot.....as your plants grow and change so will their needs. The only time I've ever kept the number the same is in later bloom when they are at max performance. Hydro really isn't made for the "set it and forget it" crowd although there are those that do it that way and can make it work. I'm just not one of them.

You are low on options.....the size of your rez; your tap water above 300......option three would be to change your e and f table to something like DWC or drip...another type of system that wouldn't require a 40 gal rez and THEN buy an RO machine. This is simply something to think about for the future.

Also with your ppms......start low and raise the number every few days; keeping a VERY CLOSE eye out for the signs of overnute that tell you to go no higher. You can read the symptoms for overnute in my Feeding Schedule.

[Weedhound]

also check your reps,

[bertoxxulous]

Well I WOULD use the Brita but after using the Brita, the PPM's actually go up about 15-20+ PPM's instead of down, so the Brita is actually putting more TDS's in the water than taking out. So, I think my only option is to go ahead with the just using tap water and maybe using the Ionic hard water formula and 1-2ml/gal of CalMag. I read the description of the Ionic hard water formula and it says it has lower amount of trace elements like calcium in it.

So, what I think I'm going to do right now, is with these clones and seedlings, I'm going to continue using the rest of the regular Ionic Grow/Bloom formula with straight tap water, and maybe take my resv. down to about [email protected] (300PPM tap, 200PPM Ionic Grow) for the clones right now.

also check your reps,

I'm not sure what you are asking me to check?

[Weedhound]

go to user CP and check for messages. I left you one.

Yes; i like your plan although it DOES surpprise me that the britta ADDED something to the total number.....kind of a hoot but I'm not in your position so you most likely are not too amused. I thought you mentioned something about a hard water formula, but in rereading I couldn't find it so honestly thought I imagined it, lol. Every little bit helps here. Go with it for now and consider RO and CalMAg down the road. Maybe WAY down the road but something to think about. That's when we hydro growers REALLY start feeling GODLIKE......controlling EVERY SINGLE aspect of our grow.

happy growing.

[bertoxxulous]

@WeedHound - Oh yes that is a very nice guide, much appreciated. Yea I really wish I could afford an RO filter at the moment but, I'm glad I invested in the PPM pen and CalMag. I am at least using distilled water from the bottle I bought at the grocery store today and going to water my seedlings with that starting at [email protected] 50/50 CalMag & Ionic Grow.

I lowered my amount of gallons I'm putting in my resv. right now to 30gal. I think I'm now sitting at [email protected] with tap and Ionic Grow only. So thats like. 195PPM for the Ionic Grow solution in my resv. atm. They got one watering in with this and they started getting kinda droopy, I'm going to maybe keep it like this for the next two days and just see what happens unless they do something crazy on me, in which I'll be back here freaking out again lol.

My seedlings are really starting to come up, the first set of leaves actually look kinda rough, I don't know if thats cause I was watering them the last couple days with [email protected] Ionic Grow/brita water or if its just the strain (AK-47...supposedly, I got them from someone else that told me they were AK-47 and I'm not actually totally positive they are or not). I can share some pictures later if you'd like. I think I may try even doing a grow log of the seedlings cause as I said, these clones really are just test material for me right now and I'm going to trash them as soon its time for the seedlings to go in my system and I've already got about 4 that have 3+ roots poking out of their rockwool cubes already (its only been 7 days)! I don't really like the idea of trashing these clones but I've really stunted their growth and yea, I may be able to get them to full growth and bloom but they also are mostly having 3 leave nodes on most of their leaves and I'm afraid there may have been some contamination in the hormones that were used for the clones. Lastly, I need more seeds anyways.

The last thing I'd like to make mention is some brown sedimentary looking stuff that I've had happen before but was in the bottom of my resv. when I drained it today (and its only been filled for 2 weeks). I was very suprised it was there after only two weeks, it seems to have taken much longer to occur in the past. I'll make another post and show some pictures of everything with how it stands right now.

[bertoxxulous]

So I was wrong really off on the whole two weeks thing....its actually been 4 weeks today. So this stuff is in the bottom of my resv. after one month. :wtf:

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Notice my lights are going the wrong way, that would go back to the comment I made about the tent I had having really horrible directions, or lack there of...infact there were no words, just one small sheet of paper probably 5x5 inchs with little lines on them. So my lights are going perpendicular to my e&f system but I figure I'm putting out so many lumins and I can drop my lights practically on top of my plants without too much concern for them causing heat problems. BUT! I'm not planning on leaving it that way either. My big rush to get at least one harvest in is due to summer. This room I have it in has no ventilation. I can only control the temp. in the room when its cold outside. So, when summertime rolls around I don't plan on growing till the fall again, so maybe you can see my need for trying to get this right once-and-for-all or at least on the right track so I can get some plants to full growth and budding that don't look like they could catch fire at a moment notice. Yea, as you can see I'm running a total dog and pony show here lol.