Question about water

Snucks

Snucks

Member
Hey RIU... I will soon be starting my first grow... Pretty much everything id in route. This has apparently slipped my mind till now. What kind of water should i be using? My tap water is from a well (what i'm told) and it is some of the heaviest water i have ever seen. Like the tub in my apartment has some pretty nice stains in some spots from it. My TDS and PH meter are not here yet. I will test my tap once i get those meters for the shits and giggles. Anyhow... what water should i use.? What would be my best and most cost effective way to water my plants. I heard distilled water is not recommended?
 
OldMedUser

OldMedUser

Well-Known Member
Sounds like you have fairly hard water or at least water with high iron and other elements that will cause you problems.

I only use RO or distilled water to avoid all the hassles that hard water cause. Since my distiller died it's RO all the way. I use a bit of CalMag to compensate for the lack of Mg and Ca in pure water but at about half the recommended levels. I only started using that a few years ago and prior to using it never saw any Ca deficiency as my nutes must have supplied enough but I used a bit of epsom salts to add Mg and S. People using hard water don't ever need to use CalMag but most do and end up with lockouts because their plants are getting too much.

RO water with Advanced pH Perfect nutes and life is easy. :)

:peace:
 
Snucks

Snucks

Member
OldMedUser said:
Sounds like you have fairly hard water or at least water with high iron and other elements that will cause you problems.

I only use RO or distilled water to avoid all the hassles that hard water cause. Since my distiller died it's RO all the way. I use a bit of CalMag to compensate for the lack of Mg and Ca in pure water but at about half the recommended levels. I only started using that a few years ago and prior to using it never saw any Ca deficiency as my nutes must have supplied enough but I used a bit of epsom salts to add Mg and S. People using hard water don't ever need to use CalMag but most do and end up with lockouts because their plants are getting too much.

RO water with Advanced pH Perfect nutes and life is easy. :)

:peace:
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What would be my best bet when it comes to right now.. In my apartment I don't have the option to install a RO. I can't really install anything to my plumbing. Nor do I really have TOO much more money to spend. Haha
 
Indacouch

Indacouch

Well-Known Member
Depending on how many plants and how big if pots ....you can go to the lil places where you fill water jugs and get good water ....but like I said depending on the size of your grow ...I have gardens on properties with wells as well as normal tap ....the tap water il let sit out for a day or two in my tanks if I'm not to lazy to evaporate the chlorine ....but I water straight from the well and straight from the hose and my plants don't complain .....once you do it once you'll learn if there's an issue and know how to correct it if need be ....but if your guna use special water be sure and add cal mag like mentioned above .....I have to add some with both my well and chlorine filled tap ......GL
 
Snucks

Snucks

Member
Indacouch said:
Depending on how many plants and how big if pots ....you can go to the lil places where you fill water jugs and get good water ....but like I said depending on the size of your grow ...I have gardens on properties with wells as well as normal tap ....the tap water il let sit out for a day or two in my tanks if I'm not to lazy to evaporate the chlorine ....but I water straight from the well and straight from the hose and my plants don't complain .....once you do it once you'll learn if there's an issue and know how to correct it if need be ....but if your guna use special water be sure and add cal mag like mentioned above .....I have to add some with both my well and chlorine filled tap ......GL
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I will be in a 3x3 tent. I have 5 gallon smart pots and between 3 or 4 plants
 
Indacouch

Indacouch

Well-Known Member
Snucks said:
I will be in a 3x3 tent. I have 5 gallon smart pots and between 3 or 4 plants
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Ya that's quite a bit of water for 15 to 20 gallons of soil ......but you could always get 3 or four of the big jugs to fill each time as well .....it's only a dollar fifty to fill em where I live .....but I drink it myself not my plants lol ........if I were you I'd use the well water .......but if your dead set on sourcing water with no way to plumb in your own system .....just try the well water by itself on one or two of your plants ,,I bet you'll be suprised ....GL
 
andlund0930

andlund0930

Active Member
My first 3 grows I purchased distilled. Then started using the tap (cal/mag supplied) and Ph'ing down just a tad. No probs. Now I only PH it down to 5.7 when only giving water. Then feed, feed, using just the tap (maxibloom) no ph'ing with awesome success. I'm in FFOF soil. Feel like a fool wasting all that money on distilled water lols
 
Snucks

Snucks

Member
andlund0930 said:
My first 3 grows I purchased distilled. Then started using the tap (cal/mag supplied) and Ph'ing down just a tad. No probs. Now I only PH it down to 5.7 when only giving water. Then feed, feed, using just the tap (maxibloom) no ph'ing with awesome success. I'm in FFOF soil. Feel like a fool wasting all that money on distilled water lols
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My tap water is at 8.4 my neighbor said. Haha
 
OldMedUser

OldMedUser

Well-Known Member
andlund0930 said:
My first 3 grows I purchased distilled. Then started using the tap (cal/mag supplied) and Ph'ing down just a tad. No probs. Now I only PH it down to 5.7 when only giving water. Then feed, feed, using just the tap (maxibloom) no ph'ing with awesome success. I'm in FFOF soil. Feel like a fool wasting all that money on distilled water lols
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There's lots of different grades of tap water and you likely have good water. Tap water in town here is about 350ppm, over 8 pH and very high in sodium, iron and manganese. Messes up plants in no time. I only have water from my dugout and it's even worse so we buy RO water from a store in town for $3 for 5USG or 20L. That's what we drink and use in the coffee maker and for my plants.

I used to live in Vancouver and their water is almost as pure as RO except for what they put in it. Chlorine and a little calcium carbonate to get the pH up over 7 to protect the aging water pipes from corrosion.

Everyone should contact their water provider to get a copy of the water analysis that they all have to do. Should be free and can likely be emailed to you or stop by the town office if it's handy. You may not want to drink your water much less give it to your plants if it's loaded with junk. It's amazing the levels some things can be in tap water and still pass gov't guidelines.

With RO I never have to think about whether it's the water if something is off with my plants and they are never off. Works for me the last 15 years and hundreds of plants later so I'll keep using it.

:peace:
 
MichiganMedGrower

MichiganMedGrower

Well-Known Member
The ph of the water is not the problem it is the alkalinity.

You want about 150 ppm calcium carbonate as base water for best results. It is the calcium that locks out roots and raises ph to cause deficiencies.

If your water is higher than .5 or 250 ppm cal you would do best to mix it with ro water to dilute it.

If it is hard but workable then you may need to acidify it with ph down or acidic nutes with ammoniacal based nitrogen.

And I would use a good 30% runoff to clear out the constantly building up of salts.

You see hard watering is like adding lime to your pot every time.
 
Enzogrow

Enzogrow

Member
Hi. I have a first grow at hand and figured id share my limited experience; Ive been giving my plants filtered tap water and they're growing a-okay so far.
 
AimAim

AimAim

Well-Known Member
Use your tap water. White stuff is calcium primarily. MJ likes calcium and other minerals. Every homeowner uses tap water to water flowers, houseplants, lawns veggies turfgrass etc. with no problem. Don't pussify your weed thinking it is needing anything different than he water that comes out of the tap

You should be able to get a water report from your water supply. Ph and all dissolved solids. Pretty standard.
 
AimAim

AimAim

Well-Known Member
Enzogrow said:
No idea about specifics but I use a three unit filteration system at home to make our tap water drinkable since our water supply isn't the most ideal for safe consumption.
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Understood. But doubt your plants have your discriminating standards. Watered outdoors for 30 years with pretty disgusting pond / river water. Again don't pussify your plants they will drink anything.
 
andlund0930

andlund0930

Active Member
Well. I should say that I do understand everyone's tap is different. Mine comes out neutral at 7.0. PPM 250. Don't ever need to add cal/mag really jus every so often if one is extra hungry. I use maxibloom brings my PH down to 6.3 when feeding. And I take it down to 5.8 when just watering. Should add I believe there some cal/mag in the maxibloom too.

Guess I'm lucky ;)
 
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Levinthelyf

Levinthelyf

Active Member
I have shitty well water high in iron leaves red stains in my shower. I have a RO system for my plants and for use your cook with and stuff. I use botanicare pure blend plus calmag and liquid karma. Also some silica rhyzo and hydro ec at 2.0 and my plants love it took a while to dial in the nutes but once is did. These things grow so fast and healthy. Fan leaves larger then my face on my cookies and cream right now
 
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