Hi guys, my tap water is coming out at .8tds. Any advice on how I can work with this number. I grow small plants so I keep my ec/tds' low anyway but it's getting to the point that I'm hardly using any nutes at all so must be getting deficiencies. Really could do with some advice. Cheers
very high tds tap water
- Thread starter forestboy
- Start date
superstoner1
Well-Known Member
This is the hydro section, heres your sign.
gtran
Active Member
You never want to start with water that has a high ph or tds in your case, that causes trouble down the road with ph and accurate readings. Your best bet is to get 5 gal containers and fill them at your local walmarts, grocery stores etc. A 5 gal jug is 7 dollars and 5 gals of reverse osmosis water with a ppm of about 8( reverse osmosis is best for hydro) for 1.50. Think of it this way, an artist never starts a panting with a dirty canvas and by using polluted tap water that is exactly what you are doing. Go with the filtered water, its worth it
SnapsProvolone
Well-Known Member
Better grab a RO filter, storage tank and float valve.
zem
Well-Known Member
you can simply get a water softener filter the type attached to a tap requires no electric and cuts a lot of the hardness, it will not give distilled water, but will cut much of the solids and is relatively cheap, found in plumbing stores at common home improvement stores. I go with tap water of 240ppm with no problems, most of it is calcium and magnesium so i limit those in feeding, but with 0.8EC=400ppm, you will need to remove some of the hardness IMO
zem
Well-Known Member
great! I'm glad I could help. please let us know what you buy and the results when you do as it will also be useful for me too, cheersThanks bud. Really usefull, that'll do the trick! I worked myself for years with EC's 0.4-0.6 and had no issues but I figured 0.8 would be pushing it, especially considering I'm growing really small plants that I don't want to give much more than 1.0 anyhow.
Thanks again
zem
Well-Known Member
there is a variety of these filters, some claim to remove much of the TDS I think it's the ones that have activated carbon in them
They're cheap, it's worth a shot. An activated charcoal filter "should" remove some salts!
zem
Well-Known Member
read the manuals before you buy and ask the sales people what the filter does because there are some filters that have no impact on TDS
DarlingMaster
Member
.8 is not harmful to your plants. And the cause of your def's are from too weak fertilizer mix. My tap water comes out same as yours, .8, and be it Waterfarms coco drip to waste or soil I never have issues. Try it before you waste your $$$ on filters...