Quote Originally Posted by d00g
I know people have mentioned that the chlorination of tap water will help fight negative things that can happen in your soil but I believe the PH is more likely to be in a wider range, so you must test religiously.

Chloramine is used in miniscule amounts and has absolutely no effect on PH.
All it does is keep the bad bugs at bay.

When you use distilled water, it does not have that chlorination,

Or trace elements!

so you are more likely to have to add things such as Cal-Mag. I, myself, (I believe) experienced that issue from using reverse osmosis water with a calcium deficiency that I was able to correct and hopefully there's no damage. The distilled water is more likely to have consistent PH from jug to jug.

Um, no! See below.
I'm not a real grower, but this stuff I know.
I'm kind of a science dick.

As long as you are testing your PH, not adding too many nutrients to the water, and watching your plants for ill effects, I think you can be successful with any water.
The last line is spot on!

But, here's some science:

Attachment 297710Attachment 297709Attachment 297711

4 cuttings.
On the right, rainwater, on the left fresh from the tap.
End pic, tapwater in front, rainwater in back.
Draw your own conclusions.
Or, better yet, run your own test.


"The distilled water is more likely to have consistent PH from jug to jug.
As long as you are testing your PH, not adding too many nutrients to the water, and watching your plants for ill effects, I think you can be successful with any water." --D00g

Thought I'd mention here that in distilled and R.O water, PH is meaningless.
PH reads Potential Hydrogen.
Without free ions, there is no PH.
So, add the ferts and amendment and then test.
You will also find the the airstone causes a transitory lowering of the PH caused by dissolved CO2

Testing and experiments.
It's what I do.

Aloha,
Weezard