Topping up the nutrient mixture

Al B. Fuct

once had a dog named
would it be better to add more of all of the nutes than say the possibility of not having any of a particular nute?
In short- no. When you add more nute mix to a half-depleted tank, you're throwing the proportions of nutes out of balance.

At the end of the day, the easiest way to present the correct quantity and proportion of nutes to the plant is to simply mix up a fresh tank every 14 days.
 

Al B. Fuct

once had a dog named
I've been thinking about this since my last comment.

I think that you should take your nutes to a longer period and top up with nutes and keep the tank at the right level for ec and ph and water.
You can do that with your own tanks. I've already explained in some detail- twice- why you shouldn't do that.

I'll do mine the right way, thanks.
 

nongreenthumb

Well-Known Member
You can do that with your own tanks. I've already explained in some detail- twice- why you shouldn't do that.

I'll do mine the right way, thanks.
thats cool i'm not trying to convince you.

I just think the canna man is thinking about selling nutes, after all that is his job, and if your dumping 60 dollars worth of nutes every 2 weeks i bet he's rubbing his hands but carry on
 

Al B. Fuct

once had a dog named
ngt, the real wastage comes from improperly using the nute mix in between tank dumps. If you don't need to use the stuff between dumps, it's your money down the gurgler... but I spoze it's your money and your gurgler.

I don't know where you're buying your nutes from, but if you're paying $60 to mix up your 350 litres of tanks, something's seriously wrong. I have 500 litres of tanks in my flowering area (4x 125L) and spend about $6* per tank to mix fresh sauce.

(edit: *That's $6 Australian, $USD4.92)
 

nongreenthumb

Well-Known Member
ngt, the real wastage comes from improperly using the nute mix in between tank dumps. If you don't need to use the stuff between dumps, it's your money down the gurgler... but I spoze it's your money and your gurgler.

what the fuck are you on about

I don't know where you're buying your nutes from, but if you're paying $60 to mix up your 350 litres of tanks, something's seriously wrong. I have 500 litres of tanks in my flowering area (4x 125L) and spend about $6* per tank to mix fresh sauce.

(edit: *That's $6 Australian, $USD4.92)
what nutrient range do you use and what varieties out of that range

if i make a tank up lets call it 100 litres (7ml per litre 700ml), over the period of a week the plants take mostly water and some of the nutes, so top this back up again and get to full tank near enough and not have to add nutes, get to second week top up water add more nutes to bring it back to 2.0 ec amount of nutes used probably somewhere around 40 ml, so in 2 weeks ive used 740, keep it topped up and by the end of week 4 (tank change week) you've used around 1000ml tops of nutrient

by your method you used 1400ml by week 4.

you probably come back with some more of the man at canna told me so sob sob.

i havent noticed any problems directly of topping up in this method.

i admit that recently i have had a small amount of nute burn but that was because i was lazy and didnt top up with water and let the plant drink 2.8 ec water.


well to be honest i cant be bothered to argue, you chuck your nutes down the toilet every 2 weeks cus the canna man said so thats up for you
 

Al B. Fuct

once had a dog named
If you're keeping a tank 4 weeks, it's false economy. You're not providing the nutes in the proportion and concentration that the maker intended.

If you're topping up between tank dumps with more nute mix, outside of the maker's instructions, only gauging what is in your tank with an EC meter, YOU DON'T KNOW what you're giving your plants. If you think you do know- and you are not using a mass spectrometer to measure what quantities of individual elements are in there- YOU are the delusional party.

Whether or not a nute manufacturer's representative would like to sell more nutes or not, s/he will ALSO have a vested interest in users of the product getting good results. If the product is improperly used, the likelihood of getting good results naturally drops!

These products have had years of R&D thrown at them by people much more knowledgeable (and with much better lab equipment) than you and I.
By not following the maker's instructions, you thwart all their hard work and investment. The chemical engineers can't plan for improper use of their products.

Comes a point where you do have to accept that someone out there probably knows better than you. In my case, I'm OK with the word of the maker of my nutes.

But hey... like I said... it's your $ and your plants.
 
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FallenHero

Guest
i agree with both sides, i do think the ratios screw up, but the nute's do go quick in hydro, and im too lazy to change my tanks too.
 

nongreenthumb

Well-Known Member
If you're keeping a tank 4 weeks, it's false economy. You're not providing the nutes in the proportion and concentration that the maker intended.

If you're topping up between tank dumps with more nute mix, outside of the maker's instructions, only gauging what is in your tank with an EC meter, YOU DON'T KNOW what you're giving your plants. If you think you do know- and you are not using a mass spectrometer to measure what quantities of individual elements are in there- YOU are the delusional party.

Whether or not a nute manufacturer's representative would like to sell more nutes or not, s/he will ALSO have a vested interest in users of the product getting good results. If the product is improperly used, the likelihood of getting good results naturally drops!

These products have had years of R&D thrown at them by people much more knowledgeable (and with much better lab equipment) than you and I.
By not following the maker's instructions, you thwart all their hard work and investment. The chemical engineers can't plan for improper use of their products.

Comes a point where you do have to accept that someone out there probably knows better than you. In my case, I'm OK with the word of the maker of my nutes.

But hey... like I said... it's your $ and your plants.
the canna man said

ffs stop chucking your nutes
 

Al B. Fuct

once had a dog named
i agree with both sides, i do think the ratios screw up, but the nute's do go quick in hydro, and im too lazy to change my tanks too.
russ, it's OK to be lazy- I'm one of the slackest people around. However, there are times when you must give of your blessed slack, aye- sacrifice of slack, I say- if you want a particular result.

I recognised my inner slacker and made tank changing a twist-a-couple-knobs-and-push-a-button type task. Ouchie, harrrrrd yakka, that. Once. :D
 

nongreenthumb

Well-Known Member
russ, it's OK to be lazy- I'm one of the slackest people around. However, there are times when you must give of your blessed slack, aye- sacrifice of slack, I say- if you want a particular result.

I recognised my inner slacker and made tank changing a twist-a-couple-knobs-and-push-a-button type task. Ouchie, harrrrrd yakka, that. Once. :D
and for all this extra effort and cost in nutes it got him an extra how many ounces?
 
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FallenHero

Guest
russ, it's OK to be lazy- I'm one of the slackest people around. However, there are times when you must give of your blessed slack, aye- sacrifice of slack, I say- if you want a particular result.

I recognised my inner slacker and made tank changing a twist-a-couple-knobs-and-push-a-button type task. Ouchie, harrrrrd yakka, that. Once. :D
my 4 week tank that wont be changed for another week or more, has produced the very astounding and particular results i was looking for, thus far anyway.
 

GreenGro

Well-Known Member
In short- no. When you add more nute mix to a half-depleted tank, you're throwing the proportions of nutes out of balance.

quote]

But what I was saying was that if your plant is using more of one nutrient than another then the proportion will be all out of balance anyway so could it be better to add more to make sure all nutrients are present?
 
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FallenHero

Guest
oh, and i use mostly organic nutes that dirty up my res, do a tank dump/change is worthless unless i scrub out the resivor - can you design a twist-twist-push button method for that for me?
 
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FallenHero

Guest
oh yeah, since i use organic nutes, alot like the ones that would be in the earth, does that mean the earth takes away the nutes out of the earth and gives them new ones too?

i've never seen this mystical event..
 

nongreenthumb

Well-Known Member
well first thing tomorrow we should all go to the bank and see if we can remortgage our houses, so we can get al's fancy meter and throw nutes away every 2 weeks and then we can all grow like al and get those extra few grams
 
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