Tap vs Filtered Water

[BudLuv420]

I have general question between the waters. I know filtered water is just what I said filtered, but I still have to ph it down to get it right level. Cant I just do it the same with tap water or does tap water have to much other chemicals that can damage the babies. :jointsmile:

BudLuv420 Reviewed by BudLuv420 on 05-20-2010. Tap vs Filtered Water I have general question between the waters. I know filtered water is just what I said filtered, but I still have to ph it down to get it right level. Cant I just do it the same with tap water or does tap water have to much other chemicals that can damage the babies. :jointsmile: Rating: 5

[khyberkitsune]

Well, you can use straight tap water if the PPM isn't too high. It is highly recommended that you filter. Some filtration methods actually lower the pH for you, but that again is dependent upon what is in your water.

[Nighttimex3]

Will a Brita carbon filter function well for the purpoes of turning tap water into better-for-plants water?

[demoreal]

RO water is the best thing you can do for your plants. PH of truly clean water means nothing, most high quality nutrients will remain very stable. Carbon filters are crap if you have a high tds in your starting water.
One of my grows the tds is 50 (ec X 500), another one of my grows the water is 500ppm. I am ordering a RO unit tonight. No mater what I do to the dirty water the plants show lockout of cal and K from all the sodiom in it. 95ppm of it. The reading obtained from the water company. Take the money you are spending on "magical bloom booster nutrients" and get an ro system, from experience I can say it is the best thing for your plants.

[khyberkitsune]

Will a Brita carbon filter function well for the purpoes of turning tap water into better-for-plants water?

Carbon filter alone? No. Carbon + ion filter? Yes.

[demoreal]

In the last few days I have been doing some research on RO systems and I read trying to take the pH of ro water can mess up your pens electrode. It was described kind of like a short circuit. I always wondered why my hanna pen claims do not use ro water to store or clean it.
just something for you to research as well. I did not read up enough to explain.
All I can say is take the advice of someone that uses clean water. A carbon filter will not do crap if your water is dirty (over 300ppm). Ever since I moved homes to the house with 50 ppm I will RO my water if it is over 100.
Do the research. There is many articles in Urban garden, Maximum yield and google searches about water. It is the most important thing you feed your plant. Do not fall for that 100$ bottle of nutrients that will increase your yield by 40%. At least not till you have the water to go with it.
Many people have tap that is kick ass, so they do not understand and claim there water works great and RO is useless.
Think about it. what do I do when I want to feed my plants an ec of 1.3 lets say during transision. My tap is 1.0, so I can use .3 of nutrients or pretend I have 0ppm water and feed my plant 2.3 blocking nutrients. Plants drink using osmosis. Now in a not explaining very good way my plants are working like reverse osmosis and they are anti drinking.
starting with 1.0 water or even lets say it is .5, I do not have much room for nutrients without creating a lock out, or burning the plant, incorect ratios in turn blocking important nutrients.
Even worse what do I do with my clones, I usually start them around 200 ppm. Sucks when your water starts at 500. Half of my strains can not even make it past the first few weeks, While these same strains kick ass at my house up North (I love the bay area water) thrive.
If your water is over 300ppm get RO. You do not need a pen, call the water company, by law they must give you a detailed chart of what is in the water.
Now I am down south with no RO and no spell check on this computer.
I am ordering my unit tonight. Instaling spell check tomarow.
I do not explain good but go check out the magazines and read the artilces or do some google searches.
Out of all the advice I give on these fourms RO water I stand by the most, growing for a year with water that is nasty and then moving up North to clean water. I struggled for a year thinking it was all sorts of nutrient problems, move up north get clean water and all problems are gone.
I can now mix my base nutrients and I still have a few hundred parts per million to add of aditives, (sweetners, boosters, etc)
Get clean water for your plants, pets and you.

[WashougalWonder]

Great Demoral, very true.

I find that even the local weather can effect my tap water and RO water, specifically the PH. Also my tap water has very high iron content. But, I must monitor my PH, especially during the rainy season as it fluctuates greatly.

ALSO RO water is unstable and will try to stabilize it's PH over a few days time. I always let it sit for 24 hours to stabilize before I check the PH.

ALSO RO takes out Cal/Mag and you need to replace it. Filtered does not.

I have a bud on the same water, and filtered works just fine for him, and I gave him all his starts, so same plants to some extent.

The point? All the water supplies are different and you need to tailor to your water supply. Best of luck.

[BudLuv420]

Thnxs for the feed back, I'm not fimilar with RO systems & didnt even know I had to check ppm for the water. I thought it was just PH.

[demoreal]

ro water is not unstable, there is nothing in it. Taking the pH makes no sense.
when you add nutes you may need to let it settle for a day.

[khyberkitsune]

ro water is not unstable, there is nothing in it. Taking the pH makes no sense.
when you add nutes you may need to let it settle for a day.

RO water is pretty unstable. RO water is almost electrically neutral, and as such it will grab most anything it possibly can, from oxygen and hydrogen ions down to most anything else (RO water is one of the best solvents in the world due to this property.) This causes mad changes in pH, very rapidly. After making RO water it's best to let it sit exposed to open air for a day to allow it to come to ionic equilibrium.