what is the best water to use...

[GettingGreenThumb]

Easy Friend...it's just a little hazing.
Welcome to RIU.
Tap is just fine, as long as it doesn't have crazy numbers.
FF

no doubt... sorry for the rant but just dont want my grow to go "sour"... lol

 

[xtsho]

Tap water is fine depending on what's in it. I wouldn't worry about chlorine or chloramine but other stuff. Even with tap water the small amount of chlorine or chloramine will not harm anything. No need to even bother letting it sit out. Straight from the tap is fine. I have both in my water and have been using it for years without any issues. People have been using tap water to water plants for decades. If the levels of chlorine and chloramine were harmful enough to hurt plants then everyone would have dead houseplants.

If the amount of chlorine or chloramine in tap water was enough to do any harm then it couldn't be used to start a sourdough starter which I do all the time. I started this using straight tap water containing chlorine and chloramine. The bubbles are from the live yeast that are thriving despite the chlorine and chloramine in tap water.

 

[Wastei]

I use tap water usually, or sometimes i buy gallons of distilled water.

Water is water. As long as you Ph adjust it and the plant has proper nutes, its fine.

I would argue this depends on the situation. You think it's a good idea to use tap water at 2.0 EC as example?

Yes water is water, but it has different quality with bacteria and mineral content. I use RO in hydro and would never use anything above 100ppm out of the tap.

That being said I've lived where the tap was literally 20-30ppm out of the tap, then it's not needed. Cheers!

 

[Dank Bongula]

You can request readouts from your water bureau. Or purchase a ppm/tds/ec digital meter. They are like $20/USD.

This is good...every year your city should hopefully produce a water quality report. It is helpful to get a ballpark of what your tap water may be, but it isn't exact. In-house testing and making your own adjustments is the way to go

 

[GettingGreenThumb]

We'll to be honest, you can't just start a thread saying you've done your research and then ask such a basic question when we don't even know your growing medium. We don't read minds, just bust balls.

got it... lol... you right

 

[JoeBlow5823]

Tap water is fine depending on what's in it. I wouldn't worry about chlorine or chloramine but other stuff. Even with tap water the small amount of chlorine or chloramine will not harm anything. No need to even bother letting it sit out. Straight from the tap is fine. I have both in my water and have been using it for years without any issues. People have been using tap water to water plants for decades. If the levels of chlorine and chloramine were harmful enough to hurt plants then everyone would have dead houseplants.

If the amount of chlorine or chloramine in tap water was enough to do any harm then it couldn't be used to start a sourdough starter which I do all the time. I started this using straight tap water containing chlorine and chloramine. The bubbles are from the live yeast that are thriving despite the chlorine and chloramine in tap water.

main reason for letting my water sit out is for it to come up to room temp. and the fish tank bubbler adds oxygen. dont know if that actually helps tho.

 

[Dank Bongula]

got it... lol... you right

Welcome to RIU

 

[xtsho]

I would argue this depends on the situation. You think it's a good idea to use tap water at 2.0 EC as example?

Yes water is water, but it has different quality with bacteria and mineral content. I use RO in hydro and would never use anything above 100ppm out of the tap.

That being said I've lived where the tap was literally 20-30ppm out of the tap, then it's not needed. Cheers!

I wouldn't even drink 2.0 EC water. Some well water is pretty full of stuff but most tap water is usually good to use. But as others have said it's best to track down a water quality report for your area. High ppm's isn't necessarily bad as long as you know what's in it. Usually it's just calcium and magnesium raising the ppm which is why calmag is not even needed for many people even though they add it anyway because that's what they've been led to believe.

main reason for letting my water sit out is for it to come up to room temp. and the fish tank bubbler adds oxygen. dont know if that actually helps tho.

Letting it get to room temperature is a legitimate reason to let it sit out. But I just use the hot and cold to get warm water straight from the tap.

 

[FastFreddi]

no doubt... sorry for the rant but just dont want my grow to go "sour"... lol

And neither do I....this forum can offer some of the best help around.
Good luck...you got this.
FF

 

[JoeBlow5823]

I wouldn't even drink 2.0 EC water. Some well water is pretty full of stuff but most tap water is usually good to use. But as others have said it's best to track down a water quality report for your area. High ppm's isn't necessarily bad as long as you know what's in it. Usually it's just calcium and magnesium raising the ppm which is why calmag is not even needed for many people even though they add it anyway because that's what they've been led to believe.




Letting it get to room temperature is a legitimate reason to let it sit out. But I just use the hot and cold to get warm water straight from the tap.

i have a filter on my cold water line on the sink. easier to let it sit out and have all the chlorine filtered out.

 

[dbz]

thanks guys... you really helped... not... wasn't looking for dumbass answers but some from real growers. This is my first grow and trying not to overthink it. I'm growing in coco loco so i know im not going to need any nutes for the first month but is tap water good enough? or should i be using something else like rain water or distilled? would like some real answers not troll ones... thanks in advance.

I answered you above. You are overthinking it.

 

[SpawnOfShulgin]

I would argue this depends on the situation. You think it's a good idea to use tap water at 2.0 EC as example?

Yes water is water, but it has different quality with bacteria and mineral content. I use RO in hydro and would never use anything above 100ppm out of the tap.

That being said I've lived where the tap was literally 20-30ppm out of the tap, then it's not needed. Cheers!

Well yeah, if your live in some place with absolutely horrid tap water, probably not a good idea. My tap is 60-80ppm. I don't let it sit out or anything so far no issues. I suppose if i lived in a place like flint Michigan i wouldn't use the tap.

 

[dbz]

i use coco loco for my medium... no nutes right now... and not sure what the water is tested at but dont think its crazy bad...

If you plan on using salt nutes you should get a ph tester. If you want to go forward organically then invest in some kelp meal, alfalfa, ewc and look up teas here. Coco Loco is not an inert medium. It should feed your plants through most of veg. You would want to top dress probably at 3 to 4 weeks and again at flip and during flower perhaps.

 

[JoeBlow5823]

Well yeah, if your live in some place with absolutely horrid tap water, probably not a good idea. My tap is 60-80ppm. I don't let it sit out or anything so far no issues. I suppose if i lived in a place like flint Michigan i wouldn't use the tap.

even when the flint water was full of lead one pass through a britta filter and it was safe to drink.

 

[GettingGreenThumb]

If you plan on using salt nutes you should get a ph tester. If you want to go forward organically then invest in some kelp meal, alfalfa, ewc and look up teas here. Coco Loco is not an inert medium. It should feed your plants through most of veg. You would want to top dress probably at 3 to 4 weeks and again at flip and during flower perhaps.

i dont plan on using any nutes for at least a month or so... the nutes i have are from gen hydro flora nova grow and bloom...