Thinkin' about using tap water (dechlorinated). discuss...

[Colorado Jay]

So.... a little background as I am a noob poster and nobody knows me

I am about 30 days into my first grow. I have 3 plants going right now, Channel+ variety, under a 600w MH light right now. I started them under fluorescent lights (4x40w) and today I just transplanted them into 5 gallon Smart Pots and put them under the 600w. When they get bigger and if they need it I can add a 2nd 600w MH light. I plan to flower under 2x600w HPS when the time comes.

Aaaaaaanyway, for the initial grow I've been using distilled water (I already happen to own a small home water distiller) with Cal-Mag supplementation and Canna Terra nutrients... but my distiller can only output 4 gallons per day and you have to refill it after every gallon (which takes 5.5 hours) so it's not very efficient.

So, I decided to measure the PPM of my tap water -- where I live in Colorado, the source of our drinking water is literally melted snow and it's very very soft.

Now that I have a good TDS meter I decided to see just how soft. 67 ppm out of the tap!

I have a "Small Boy" sediment+decholorinator filter, after running it through that I measured the water at 64ppm so I guess it's not taking out much other than the chlorine - but this got me thinking that I might as well just use that filtered/dechlorinated water.

My city water report doesn't list the mineral content, but it does say that Chlorine is used and not Chloramines. But I'm wondering - 67 ppm from what I am reading is very low for tap water - which overall is a good thing, but I'm wondering if I might still need to add at least a little bit of Cal-Mag? (Might it be almost TOO low?)

Discuss!

 

[Thundercat]

I have been using tap water right from the beginning 10 years ago. I used to "dechlorinate" it, but for the last 2 years havn't bothered and it works great.

 

[WattSaver]

Now that I have a good TDS meter I decided to see just how soft. 67 ppm out of the tap! Discuss!

67 is incredibly low. I live on the western slope, within 25 miles of all the headwaters of the river basin I live in, the wells in our subdivisions wells aren't filtered as well as a municipality. But my tds runs 400 to 450 most of the time. I mix my tap 50/50 with RO. I still have to add cal/mag even with my hi tds. The CO mountains don't have a lot of limestone deposits. So most mountain runoff is still very low in cal.

 

[Colorado Jay]

67 is incredibly low. I live on the western slope, within 25 miles of all the headwaters of the river basin I live in, the wells in our subdivisions wells aren't filtered as well as a municipality. But my tds runs 400 to 450 most of the time. I mix my tap 50/50 with RO. I still have to add cal/mag even with my hi tds. The CO mountains don't have a lot of limestone deposits. So most mountain runoff is still very low in cal.

Thanks! good to know.

 

[Quispp]

I've been growing indoors in soil for over 10 years and have always used city supplied tap water. I don't "dechlorinate" and have never checked ph.

 

[TheChemist77]

i grew in chicago for about 8 years useing the tap water, now im in michigan useing tap water, both places i use general hydropnics nutes, and rarely ever have to adjust the ph as its normall 5.7 after mixing. i think most tap is fine but not well water because of the iron content..

 

[Cold$moke]

Thanks! good to know.

Your waters good bro like the other said you could declorinate but if its not hurting anything AND YOUR NOT growing organic which is the main reason to declorinate
if your organic you have to or you kill your bennies and microbes

 

[TheChemist77]

in my opinion in dwc a little chlorine is good to keep a steril enviroment in hydro.. ive even heard some people ad a drop or 2 of bleech to their res,,, i dont but ive heard it helps keep it sterilized

 

[Cold$moke]

in my opinion in dwc a little chlorine is good to keep a steril enviroment in hydro.. ive even heard some people ad a drop or 2 of bleech to their res,,, i dont but ive heard it helps keep it sterilized

What he said as long as its not organic

 

[Dogenzengi]

I use my tap water, it's averaged at 109 PPM. I don't let it stand for 24 hour to evaporate Chlorine.... I just use my water the PH Is 7.2 so I keep my meter calibrated with my own water! With nutes added the PH drops usually below the 5.85 - 5.95 range.
So add a few drops of PH UP per gallon.
It works just fine and as someone else above said a little chlorine in any hydro setup helps the system stay clean and balanced.
"It's like summers eve douche for hydro"
Bless
DZ

 

[Colorado Jay]

I'm using pro mix HP, I'm concerned about the effect of the chlorine on the mycorrhizae.

 

[vitamin_green_inc]

I use distilled or RO water mixed with my tap because NY tap is 450 out the faucet. The pH rises as you let the water sit out, so I would still check the pH right after you get it and then 24 hours later, but its also dependent on your style/medium. Its easy to check pH and ppm, and it leads to a more airtight grow so just do it

 

[TheChemist77]

damn, ny has a very high ppm... glad i dont live there.. my tap ppm or ec is less than 100 at any time...and if i ad nutes to get it to 5.7 ph, it stays at that ph, till i have to ad water to my res.

 

[vitamin_green_inc]

I'm sorry, MY not NY, lol, silly phone. I live southeast and its municipal.

 

[budman111]

67 is incredibly low.

Mine is 15PPM!

 

[Cold$moke]

Just personally

I'm using pro mix HP, I'm concerned about the effect of the chlorine on the mycorrhizae.

then dechlorinate or get ro filter , rain water (if its clean) ect.

 

[Colorado Jay]

Yeah I am dechlorinating, was just responding to those who said they don't worry about doing so.

 

[Cold$moke]

Oh got ya

 

[Cobnobuler]

I've always used nothing but tap water with no problem. I do fill up gallon jugs with pin holes in the top and let them sit around the room.

 

[TheChemist77]

the best buds i ever grew in ebb n flow was using water out of my fish tank, strained then ph balanced...to bad i got rid of that tank years ago..