Tap Water Quality

[paperchaser825]

I am currently running a strain the seems to feed at an extremely light EC. I am wondering....is it possible, with my ~140 ppm tap water to be effectively locking out nutrients simply based on my nutrients being at a low EC? I'm just figuring...if my mix is @ ~300ppm and I'm adding backing approximately 140 ppm, that's a lot of starting ppm when you take into consideration the nutrient strength. Any help is much appreciated.

 

[St3ve]

need more info. Please describe your whole feeding process please.

About tap in general, no one will know what is in your tap except your local provider. Give them a call and they will provide you with a detailed sheet of what is exactly in it. They you can build your recipe from there.

 

[DrDee]

paperchaser,
You should take the ppm of your water into consideration. I have seen seedling nutrient burn from hard water and ph down alone.

Whether you have lockout is anybodies guess. Usually seedlings will burn if they're in excessive ppm.
DrDee

 

[paperchaser825]

So the water company should have a more detailed report than just a contaminant report? All I see at the moment on their website is a report stating things like lead and copper.

 

[St3ve]

So the water company should have a more detailed report than just a contaminant report? All I see at the moment on their website is a report stating things like lead and copper.

it changes so you have to call and they will email you a current report of everything in the water. (They have to)

 

[Asslover]

I am currently running a strain the seems to feed at an extremely light EC. I am wondering....is it possible, with my ~140 ppm tap water to be effectively locking out nutrients simply based on my nutrients being at a low EC? I'm just figuring...if my mix is @ ~300ppm and I'm adding backing approximately 140 ppm, that's a lot of starting ppm when you take into consideration the nutrient strength. Any help is much appreciated.

I use my 330ppm (.8ec) tapwater and never have lockout issues. Soil, Coco-dtw, E/F tables and Waterfarms, all get the same 330ppm tap and GH flora nutes.
My water is mostly Cal and Mag Carbonate. You know, the stuff that makes your water hard...

 

[paperchaser825]

I have super soft water so I'm not totally sure what is in it. I am going to put a call in Monday.

I am seeing rusty spots on some fan leaves still. I cannot identify it honestly. It seems like phosphorus deficiency but I don't know how I would have gotten that running FNB @ 1.0 EC. Considering the fact that the plant is nitrogen toxic for sure worries me. I don't understand how I keep making these plants so nitrogen toxic. FNB doesn't seem to have bad ratios, but I don't know what else to think. Is it possible because of the Nitrogen toxicity that I have another type of lockout? Possibly mag or cal?

 

[DrDee]

PC,
I have some charts that show nutrient induced lockouts and only thing they listed was a K lockout specifically with NH4 excess (that's ammoniacal nitrogen) So high N shouldn't effect your Mg or Ca.

Brown spots seem to be common when Ca is out of wack...which in turn is usually a result of not matching your water and your nutrients.

Your water is 140 ppm right? Are you using hard water micro or the regular stuff? Seems to me if you use a smidge of Calmag (to get a ppm of 200 to 250... and then the hard water micro, you should be about right.
DrDee

 

[paperchaser825]

My water is soft like a baby's ass. I am thinking I'm just dealing with a strain that really likes calcium. Idk though.

 

[paperchaser825]

Just checked my clone in the homemade aerocloner. A think occured to me. The clones all get this weird tip burn just like my recently flowered mother plant is getting. She has no nitrogen toxicity and I know she isn't burning because I has her downstairs with less light and more nutes and she was fine. I'm starting to think it's a fresh air problem. I stopped running CO2 in my cab recently and I don't have any fresh air vents besides me going up there every night to check on the plants. I am wondering if this is the case maybe. Again, idk.

 

[paperchaser825]

Just talked to the water co. They said detailed reports for the 2013 year would be in soon, but he told me they only add phosphorus (as phosphate i think) and cloramine (as chlorine and ammonia). I'm thinking I might need a filter now...

 

[paperchaser825]

So after this call and a little research I am convinced that I just need some calmag with not nitrates in order to detoxify my plants of nitrogen and therefore stop locking out calcium and my minor phosphorus lockout. Any input would be more than appreciated.

 

[Huel Perkins]

I read this post this morning and it inspired me to actually check my water because i haven't in years...

My tap water here in the D came in at 104-109 ppm in 5 five gallon buckets strait from the tap today. I highly doubt your 140 ppm tap is causing lockout. I've been running DWC here for years on tap water (no filtration) and GH Flora (plus experimenting with a half dozen other lines) and never has lockout issues. The only problems i face are deficiencies and overfeeding when first growing new strains, typical learning curve of new genetics which is all my fault, not the water supply...

 

[Kozmo]

My tap water is 7.5. I use organi soil. I also have organic PH down. Should I use it as is or should I bring it down to 5.8?

 

[Stonefree69]

I am currently running a strain the seems to feed at an extremely light EC. I am wondering....is it possible, with my ~140 ppm tap water to be effectively locking out nutrients simply based on my nutrients being at a low EC? I'm just figuring...if my mix is @ ~300ppm and I'm adding backing approximately 140 ppm, that's a lot of starting ppm when you take into consideration the nutrient strength. Any help is much appreciated.

If my tap water is > than 50 ppm I'd use an RO unit and add my own Cal-Mag etc... There's so much going on with municipal tap water, unless your lucky enough to have good water straight from the tap (like artesian wells/aquifier...). Someone told me though Cleveland's tap water was like 35 ppm and I'd maybe save some dough. My RO unit puts out a steady 10-15 ppm so I'm happy with that (my tap water is around 750 ppm, which is really hard water).

 

[Devilman]

Just checked my clone in the homemade aerocloner. A think occured to me. The clones all get this weird tip burn just like my recently flowered mother plant is getting. She has no nitrogen toxicity and I know she isn't burning because I has her downstairs with less light and more nutes and she was fine. I'm starting to think it's a fresh air problem. I stopped running CO2 in my cab recently and I don't have any fresh air vents besides me going up there every night to check on the plants. I am wondering if this is the case maybe. Again, idk.

I get a very similar issue with my home-made aero cloner... Towards the end of the rooting period (so 7days onwards) they start to exhibit a "tip burn" type setup like too much nutes, even when I have ran it with none at all. I guess that could be an issue with too much / not enough moisture though?