cannatricks
Well-Known Member
I have an organic indoor perpetual grow going and I have huge chemical problems with our tap water. In the first crop I had a couple of full microherd die offs that really hurt my yield. I figured I would post up the things that you can do to take these nasty things out of your tap that I had to learn through research and trial and error. Want to learn what a microherd is? do some research. Google Organic Soil Biology, it'll teach you wonders.
From what I see there are only a few things in your tap that will really kill (or badly damage) a microherd. You can usually get online and get an annual water quality report from your municipality. You can also contact your water company for a copy of it. If you have a well and need to test, you can get online and find a local testing lab to get your water tested independently.
Over-Fluoridation:
There is an idea in the US (i don't know about elsewhere) that fluoride will help our teeth, I'm not going to get into whether it does or not, but it does not help our plants. There are varying views on how much it hurts, but here's how to get it out.
Chlorine and Chloramines can do some serious damage to a microherd, in fact that is why they are in the water, to kill bacteria and disinfect. I have no desire to flood my soil with a disinfectant.
Chlorine (free chlorine) is simple, let is off-gas. It may take a couple days to a week sitting out, or if you add an airstone, around 24 hours. You can boil it off if you need some quick water (boiling won't take out everything, in fact it may make other things more concentrated see fluoride!) Reverse osmosis with a carbon filter will also remove chlorine.
Chloramines (
From what I see there are only a few things in your tap that will really kill (or badly damage) a microherd. You can usually get online and get an annual water quality report from your municipality. You can also contact your water company for a copy of it. If you have a well and need to test, you can get online and find a local testing lab to get your water tested independently.
Over-Fluoridation:
There is an idea in the US (i don't know about elsewhere) that fluoride will help our teeth, I'm not going to get into whether it does or not, but it does not help our plants. There are varying views on how much it hurts, but here's how to get it out.
Chlorine/Chloramines:
Chlorine and Chloramines can do some serious damage to a microherd, in fact that is why they are in the water, to kill bacteria and disinfect. I have no desire to flood my soil with a disinfectant.
Chlorine (free chlorine) is simple, let is off-gas. It may take a couple days to a week sitting out, or if you add an airstone, around 24 hours. You can boil it off if you need some quick water (boiling won't take out everything, in fact it may make other things more concentrated see fluoride!) Reverse osmosis with a carbon filter will also remove chlorine.
Chloramines (
Monochloramine - Chloramide - Chloroazane)
Chloramines will break down to chlorine (free chlorine) over time, roughly 1-3 weeks, you can speed up this process by adding organic material for the chloramines to attack, and an airstone to evaporate the free chlorine (may take 2-3 days.) I use molasses, only about 3 drops in a 5 gallon bucket. and whip it in well. You can remove them with reverse osmosis if you as well. (most of the treatments to remove fluoride will remove chloramines)
Heavy Metals:
Heavy Metals are gennerally not good for your plants, A small amount shouldn't hurt (unless you are reusing soil and having heavy metal build up) This is more of a well issue then a tap issue, as most municipalities keep these levels very low. Removing Heavy metals is best done at the source as you don't really want them in your water for anything. If you have heavy metal problems, you probably have more to worry about then your plants a home filter for your well will be the best bet.
My water has it all (besides the heavy metals) and a large RO filter was my final solution, however in the early days, I said hell with the fluoride and would add a couple drops molasses to my water then whip it with a big wisk for a few minutes, then let it sit for 2 days. It seemed to help but results were varied, however after I got the airstone in the bucket, 2 days and 0 chlorine. You can get test strips from pool supply or aquarium stores.
And before i start hearing "this is stupid grow hype" it isn't. Will your plants grow if you don't do these things? Absolutely. Are you spending hours screwing around trying to perfect your atmosphere for growing? Probably, so why not lock down one of the most important parts of your grow, the water?
Cheers RIU,
hope it helps someone along the way.
Chloramines will break down to chlorine (free chlorine) over time, roughly 1-3 weeks, you can speed up this process by adding organic material for the chloramines to attack, and an airstone to evaporate the free chlorine (may take 2-3 days.) I use molasses, only about 3 drops in a 5 gallon bucket. and whip it in well. You can remove them with reverse osmosis if you as well. (most of the treatments to remove fluoride will remove chloramines)
Heavy Metals:
Heavy Metals are gennerally not good for your plants, A small amount shouldn't hurt (unless you are reusing soil and having heavy metal build up) This is more of a well issue then a tap issue, as most municipalities keep these levels very low. Removing Heavy metals is best done at the source as you don't really want them in your water for anything. If you have heavy metal problems, you probably have more to worry about then your plants a home filter for your well will be the best bet.
My water has it all (besides the heavy metals) and a large RO filter was my final solution, however in the early days, I said hell with the fluoride and would add a couple drops molasses to my water then whip it with a big wisk for a few minutes, then let it sit for 2 days. It seemed to help but results were varied, however after I got the airstone in the bucket, 2 days and 0 chlorine. You can get test strips from pool supply or aquarium stores.
And before i start hearing "this is stupid grow hype" it isn't. Will your plants grow if you don't do these things? Absolutely. Are you spending hours screwing around trying to perfect your atmosphere for growing? Probably, so why not lock down one of the most important parts of your grow, the water?
Cheers RIU,
hope it helps someone along the way.
lol!