Using an EC meter

[avanovich]

I've just gone back to hydro after years in soil due to root aphids (I figure as they lay their eggs in soil the less soil the better). But I don't have an EC meter and I'm a bit confused as to what you do with them. I never used one before with hydro - they weren't that common then and I always had good yields anyway. I check the ph with a drip tester kit with colour coding (I go for piss yellow) and that seems to work just fine. Can anyone advise me on how to use EC meters and recommend a good model please? I'm using some nutes called Plant Magic which my grow shop recommended for hydro and I have a mixture of strains, Big Bud, chronic and 2 mystery ones, 2 600w lights and NFT tanks.

Thanks

 

[BeaverHuntr]

I've just gone back to hydro after years in soil due to root aphids (I figure as they lay their eggs in soil the less soil the better). But I don't have an EC meter and I'm a bit confused as to what you do with them. I never used one before with hydro - they weren't that common then and I always had good yields anyway. I check the ph with a drip tester kit with colour coding (I go for piss yellow) and that seems to work just fine. Can anyone advise me on how to use EC meters and recommend a good model please? I'm using some nutes called Plant Magic which my grow shop recommended for hydro and I have a mixture of strains, Big Bud, chronic and 2 mystery ones, 2 600w lights and NFT tanks.

Thanks

What kind of hydro system??? I use the hanna grow check combo it does PPM, PH, Water Temp..I do DWC all I do is dip a clean plastic cup into my reservoir fill it a 1/4 - 1/2 way full and test .. Thats all there is to it.

 

[bigwity]

so what ph should it be then boys i get diff answers everywhere i go

 

[Bonavendura]

The text in Italics is a copy paste from Hydroponics.eu website and it descripes good enough how EC works and what it means.
if you like more info spend 15 mins and read this.
https://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=23357.
I have read it over 10 times


EC is the measure of all ions that conduct electricity in the solution. The greater the amount of ions present in the nutrient solution, the more electricity there will be than conduct nutrient solution. (Increase in EC) Monitoring the EC value is crucial because if the solutions conductivity is too high we must reduce the amount of fertilizer used and vice versa.

To find out if you are using too much or too little fertilizer, monitor the EC value of the solution in the tank. Starting, for instance, with a concentration of 1.00 EC. The following day if the value is increased (eg 1.4 EC), it means that the plant absorbs less water then solution and it is too concentrated. We must therefore increase the amount of water. If the next day the EC value fell (for example 0.7 EC), the plant has absorbed the nutrients more quickly than water. We must therefore increase the amount of nutrients.
This shows that the plant itself tells you what it needs! There is no correct value of CIs to be respected but varies from garden to garden as each plant has different needs.

For convenience, EC measures are often converted into TDS by measuring instruments. TDS (total dissolved solids) is expressed in ppm (parts per million).

A conversion chart of all different ec mesurments is this.

Distiled or Reverse osmosis water is pure with readings of
0 EC and 0-7 ppm (at least that is what i see)
Taped water varies from 50-500 and for
0-140ppm(.7) we call it Soft water
140ppm(.7)+ we call it Hard water

Keep in mind that some fertilizers come in two versions
Soft water or Hard Water.

As mentioned before every plant likes diffent
EC mesurments in different stages of his life.
I make grows with highest EC @ 1,0
and i make grows with highest EC @ 2,3
i haven't really any guide except reading the plant.
but Blazeoneup on the following thread gives
some guidlines and i assume that they are
in ppm at .7 conversion

Indica's
Seedlings and clones 300-400ppm 5.3-5.5 ph
early vegg 500-600ppm 5.3-5.6 ph
middle vegg 600-800ppm 5.4-5.6 ph
late vegg 800-1000ppm 5.5-5.7 ph
early flower 1000-1300ppm 5.5-5.7 ph
middle flower 1400-1600ppm 5.5-5.8 ph
late flower 1000-1100ppm 5.5-5.7 ph
ripening 300-500ppm 5.4-5.6 ph

sativa's
seedlings and clones 250-350ppm 5.3-5.5 ph
early vegg 300-500ppm 5.3-5.6 ph
middle vegg 500-700ppm 5.4-5.6 ph
late vegg 700-900ppm 5.5-5.7 ph
early flower 1000-1100ppm 5.5-5.7 ph
middle flower 1100-1300ppm 5.5-5.8 ph
late flower 800-1000ppm 5.5-5.7 ph
ripening 300-500ppm 5.4-5.6 ph

here is the thread
https://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=26343




It's much more that i must write so i can really help you , that confused me feel free to ask pls

 

[avanovich]

thanks for the links and info luckily I don't have much to do tomorrow so I can read through it all. I have also been confused by what ph plants should be at since different nutrient manufacturers seem to recommend different numbers, but I have usually gone for around 6.0 -6.2 which is a light yellow or green with the drop test I use

but I'm not a boy I'm a girl! maybe thats why I don't like all this sciency stuff with numbers I just want a nice little garden.....

 

[bigwity]

bless your lil cottens you can come look at mine if u want

 

[rocket high]

God loves a try-er bigwity... lol

try a bluelab trunchoen thay are very simple to use and are virtualy indestructable ...

 

[highonmt]

Ya the blue lab products cost a bit more than hanna but they seem to last longer. EC is just a measure of (E)lectro (C)onductivity or how easy an elecrical current can pass through the water. For most nutrient lines I've used ; 1.2-1.6 ec is all you really need. To convert EC to PPM just divide by 2 and multiply by 1000...for example 1.6 ec divided by2 =.8*1000 = 800ppm. This is called .5 conversion. There are meters that use .7 conversion which can make talking about ppm a can of worms thats why many people just use ec to describe there nutrient concetration. Hope this helps. I've been battling the little RA bastards too and they seem to live just fine in hydro as well but are easier to control in hydro than in soil. If you want some hints on managing em just shoot me a pm.
Cheers,
HM