What's new
  • Happy Birthday ICMag! Been 20 years since Gypsy Nirvana created the forum! We are celebrating with a 4/20 Giveaway and by launching a new Patreon tier called "420club". You can read more here.
  • Important notice: ICMag's T.O.U. has been updated. Please review it here. For your convenience, it is also available in the main forum menu, under 'Quick Links"!

Another Canna Coco Tap Water Question

D

dutty

Hello everyone

im new to this forum since i was around in few german forums. I grow several years now, 3 indoors, 1 on Coco.
I'll try to make this quick, apologies for my english.

My System:

Biobizz Coco (6th run, maybe thats the problem?)
Canna Coco A+B
CannaZym
Canna Ph-Grow

DrainToWaste (20% or more drain, flush every 3-4 weeks)
watering every day, 2 hours after "sunrise", later 2 times a day - basicly like canna sais
600w Philips Greenpower
420qm/h 160Ø
4 Racks Scrog with 2 plants per rack (20L) (see picture)
from left to right - white widdow, holy grail kush, blueberry, blueberry sativa pheno
120x80x150 wdh





I got a table from my water supplier which seems pretty correct, at least to my ph and ec meter.



I applied 2/1 ro/tap water to get 0,2 EC and Canna Coco A+B to 1,1EC or 1,2EC, rarely with Cannazym what normaly added 0,1 - and got magnesium deficiency soon, so i think.



That was for the last 3 weeks: 2 weeks veg, 5 days flower. Flushed on Thursday because the canna 2,5/1,5 test results (you know the test? mix coco with ro water, filter it, measure it) where 1,7EC 5,7ph

I already flushed with 1/1 ro/tap water to get 0,4EC because i've red in this lovely forum that canna a+b is made for tap water because of the low cal/mag and stuff.

My question is now: is it neccesary, according to the table, to add some cal/mag (which is pretty hard to find on my common supplier websites)? Do i have to raise the ec and even get rid of ro? Maybe this is smth for the chemists here. Always thought my water EC is much to high.

In addition i have red stems quite from the start. They got a bit better, but haven't disappeared yet. And is the next problem (iron) coming?



I'm thankful for every tip you got for me. I know that my space is a bit small but i reached the 1g/w already earlier. The last run was terrible. So i want to make this one right.

Thanks in advance!
 
RetroGrow

RetroGrow

Active member
Veteran
Have always used tap water with coco, NEVER RO water. Tap has calcium, and is better for coco runs. Let tap water sit for 24 hours so the clorine dissipates, otherwise bennies will be killed.
 
stoned40yrs

stoned40yrs

Ripped since 1965
Veteran
You can't flush coco with just tap or ro water. It ruins the buffer. ALWAYS flush with weak nutes unless you are in the final weeks of bloom. Your lockout of deficiency most likely was caused by flushing with straight tap or ro water. You washed away the cal/mag and nutes, that's a no-no in coco.
 
D

drgr33nuk

Member
Looking at your tap water your calcium & magnesium levels are low for tap water and within the acceptable levels for hydro. Why if you have access to RO water are you using tap water?
 
gaiusmarius

gaiusmarius

me
Veteran
if i was you i would use 60% ro water and 40% tap, or70% ro and 30% tap, that way you will still have all the chalk and trace elements from tap but low enough ec to begin that it doesnt force you to go too high with the reading. personally i kind of prefer to recirculate my nutrient solution till it's used up then i refill my tank. the only time i will run to waste is when i'm flushing. but run to waste should actually be even easier.

i read a nice rule somewhere recently about growing in coco. if your plants are prospering, never check the return ec or ph lol. also when you do a maintenance flush you should always let the plants have some nutrient solution again after the flush, never leave your tank running fresh water for days unless it's end flush.

anyway when you run to waste you really shouldn't get much ec build up in your coco. less is more some times.
 
D

drgr33nuk

Member
Also if I'm reading this correct you running this system @ 1.2 EC? I would say that's too low for the size of your plants are you sure your not under feeding them?. Flushing them wont wash buffers out as suggested as the buffering is done by washing the coco to rid the potassium & traces of sodium. I think they add cal mag to replace the leeched potassium? but you will be giving the plant even less nutrient and probably end up making it worse. I'd up the EC to around 1.5.

Hope this helps, good luck. ps Canna do mono mag & cal also plant magic has mag cal plus.
 
D

dutty

drgr33nuk said:
Looking at your tap water your calcium & magnesium levels are low for tap water and within the acceptable levels for hydro. Why if you have access to RO water are you using tap water?
Click to expand...

Because of the cal/mag?! Ive red that canna coco ab hasnt enough cal/mag so you have to add tap water. Just thought 0,65EC is to high so i bought a ro system. Better ideas!? Go for straight ro water and buy cal/mag?! What product do you prefer?

You said AND within the acceptable levels.. what brings the EC that high then? Looks like my tap water isnt the best right?

You can't flush coco with just tap or ro water. It ruins the buffer. ALWAYS flush with weak nutes unless you are in the final weeks of bloom. Your lockout of deficiency most likely was caused by flushing with straight tap or ro water. You washed away the cal/mag and nutes, that's a no-no in coco.
Click to expand...

Have i destroyed the coco now? :D
 
D

drgr33nuk

Member
I use Canna coco with pure RO with great results. I don't understand all this tap water? Is this for the calcium carbonate?
 
D

drgr33nuk

Member
You have 26mg/l of mag and 100mg/l of calcium bringing the EC up to 0.4 is not going to give you much cal mag. My tap water has 360mg/l of calcium now that's hard :)
 
D

dutty

So throw out the ro and go with 0,6EC tap water and pump in other stuff comes with my tap water my babies dont need what properly will make me flush more often or buy cal/mag and stay with 0,4, or go even lower? Whats best? Or even buy different nutes? For example something for softwater from the start?
 
D

drgr33nuk

Member
No my advice would be either go full RO or carry on with the 2/1 mix but up the EC to around 1.5 and see how they react.

In coco if your EC is low the first thing you get is a little mag / cal Def due to the cation exchange between the coco and nutrients.

Canna coco is for softwater and you shouldn't have no issues using pure RO. I use pure RO and rainwater that has a 0.1 EC with Canna coco with no issues what so ever.
 
D

drgr33nuk

Member
Sorry to keep going on about your tap water but I've also noticed that your sulphate levels are @ 100pp. 100pp.100ppm does your tap water sometimes have a red tint ?? I would assume the sulphate is iron sulphate and at 100ppm it would affect the uptake of affect would build up in the root zone and lock out zinc zinc.
 
D

dutty

I had white and red crystals on the cocos before i flushed, but couldnt see something in the water by now. Also im a bit scared of taking the EC to 1,5. My leafs are already dark green like you can see on the pictures and even in high flower times 1,5 to 1,6 was max i could go.

So canna Coco is for softwater!? Ive red other things here like "tap water is to clean" and stuff.
 
D

dutty

ps Canna do mono mag & cal also plant magic has mag cal plus.
Click to expand...

ehm.. what? You mean canna trace elements? Had a look at it but there is no cal and mag in it (0,06% Fe (DTPA&EDDHA), 0,07% Mo, 0,06% Cu, 0,6% Mn, 0,3% B und 0,3% Zn). The single bottles with each mag and cal are not rly my thing, to much bottles at the end. Plant magic isnt available anywhere here, even through the internet. Since the iron in my water isnt even measurable and ive red theres not enough in canna ab i would prefer an iron cal mag additive. Anyone?
 
D

drgr33nuk

Member
dutty said:
ehm.. what? You mean canna trace elements? Had a look at it but there is no cal and mag in it (0,06% Fe (DTPA&EDDHA), 0,07% Mo, 0,06% Cu, 0,6% Mn, 0,3% B und 0,3% Zn). The single bottles with each mag and cal are not rly my thing, to much bottles at the end. Plant magic isnt available anywhere here, even through the internet. Since the iron in my water isnt even measurable and ive red theres not enough in canna ab i would prefer an iron cal mag additive. Anyone?
Click to expand...

Ah OK where abouts are you? The iron is low but sulphate is high. Sulphate is a compound. Could be something else but most common is iron sulphate. This could build up in your root zone. Plays with the zinc and copper mobility.

This is another reason why I would use pure RO. I work in the hydroponics industry so I might be able to suggest an alternative available in your country.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Latest posts

Top