# ppms shooting through the roof



## medicalGreenGrower (Apr 14, 2009)

i have an ebb and flow system with a tray containing 4 small plants. i had a ppm level of 1100, flushed the tray with 6.0/4ppm water for an hour and replaced the nutrient tank with fresh 957ppm solution. now i just checked the ppm after a week (been lazy) and the ppm level is 1758. how is this possible? where did all these extra nutrients come from if i flushed the plant. i checked the flush water and it's ppm level was fairly low.

i've got small plants and only 400 watts of light and i can't afford to waste any nutrients. for small plants can anyone recommend nutrient levels for flowering if you are doing water changes every two weeks? i have a 5 gallon res. thanks.

mG2


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## purplephazes (Apr 14, 2009)

i found this on a hydro help site please wait as others will assist as well .....Right Before Harvesting

Feed your hydroponic marijuana plants only pure ph adjusted water for the last week of your flowering cycle.

As your plants develop it becomes necessary to adjust the amount of nutrients required for each stage. In order to do this you increase or decrease the solutions primary source of the basic elements below. To add or remove these elements simply add or do not add the compound that is the source of the nutrient. In addition, remember to add, or take away trace elements.

Nutrient Solution In Parts Per Million (PPM)


 N
 K
 P

Germination
 135-150 n
 80-90 k
 60-75 p

Vegetative Growth
 200-225 n
 70-80 k
 175-200 p

Before Flowering
 90-100 n
 100-125 k
 80-90 p

During Flowering
 0-25 n
 90-125 k
 40-75 p


Watch Your Hydroponic Water

Mature hydroponic marijuana plants process a surprisingly large amount of water. For instance, a fully-grown cannabis plant may consume up to a gallon of water a day. An inadequate water supply can limit the plants growth. Water deficiencies can cause the plant to focus all its available energy on developing an extensive root system to absorb whatever water is available. This will result in a small, weak cannabis plant. It is very essential to pay close attention to water levels; they need to be checked daily.


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## ozman (May 25, 2009)

Hey MGG,I have noticed the same thing,But I can not explain it either.
Im running ebb an flow also,I have a 2ltr bottle setup filled with hydroton,I start my res with around 900-1000 ppm,and when it needs changed a week later,I find that my ppm has almost doubled.I use gen hydros pineapple rush,molasses and such in it ,I am not sure if it is from that or maybe I have some root issues going on,but my plants are very healthy and happy.I usually have to add plain phed,pineapple rush water in the middle of the change,I check ph and ppm on a daily basis and it seems to me mine starts going up on 3rd to 5th day and thats also when I see debris floating in my res.
That all I know about it for now.


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## fishcabo (May 25, 2009)

Keep the res covered from all light by using panda film.  There shouldn't be anything floating in the water if your setup is correct.  Your trays should also be covered with white plastic except the small holes where the plants come out.  Start with ppms low, like 300 and slowly move up.


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## BOYSENBERRY (May 25, 2009)

I use Advanced Nutrients and my ppm gets lower during the week. I used to use G.H. and do remember flushing my resivor alot my ph would always bounce around and ppm would too.You might wanna switch nutes or flush out your system real good. Also I dont know if you have this but a good air pump or a water circulating pump for your resivor and when you mix your nutes add one at a time start with micro first and let it mix really good before adding another this could be the problem chemical reaction.


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## TURKEYNECK (May 25, 2009)

EDIT: this thread is old.


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## nvthis (May 26, 2009)

Like a month old???  Ahh, I've seen worse!

I haven't done hydro yet, so I am curious as to the answer here. If I had to guess... Would it be that as the plant uses the water (and natural perspiration/evaporation as well) that the concentration of the nutes becomes.... More concentrated??


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## Shockeclipse (May 26, 2009)

nvthis said:
			
		

> Like a month old???  Ahh, I've seen worse!
> 
> I haven't done hydro yet, so I am curious as to the answer here. If I had to guess... Would it be that as the plant uses the water (and natural perspiration/evaporation as well) that the concentration of the nutes becomes.... More concentrated??



It should be the opposite.  My plans are sucking a gal a day and before I top off like every two days, the ppms go from around 700 to 300 and lower and lower.


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## medicalGreenGrower (May 26, 2009)

i'm still having the same issues. i've got 4 gallons in a 5 gallon bucket at 800 ppm and two days later my ppm has jumped to over 1000. also, my pH always jumps several points. i set it up at 5.8 and my pH ends up at 6.4 or higher. i'm using advanced nutrients so my pH should remain stable but it never will. even with the plant i'm flushing with plain water, the pH jumps from 5.8 to above 6.4. and that plain water with a ppm of 10 is now at several hundred. i'm assuming that's because my flushing left some nutes behind but how do i remove all of the nutes? i'm using Flora Kleen and flushing for two hours.

what i really don't understand is why i would want to flush with recirculating water, even with flora kleen. shouldn't water be poured from the top down so that everything is flushed down and out of the tray, going straight to waste and not being reused?

my trays are open as well. there is nothing covering the hydrotron and rockwool cubes. should i gerry-rig a covering with panda film as suggested even if i can't affix it to the tray (the rockwool cubes are higher than the edges of the tray)? i am having humidity problems (70%) so maybe this would also help with humidity?

thanks for the desperately needed help

mG2


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## Shockeclipse (May 26, 2009)

medicalGreenGrower said:
			
		

> i'm still having the same issues. i've got 4 gallons in a 5 gallon bucket at 800 ppm and two days later my ppm has jumped to over 1000. also, my pH always jumps several points. i set it up at 5.8 and my pH ends up at 6.4 or higher. i'm using advanced nutrients so my pH should remain stable but it never will. even with the plant i'm flushing with plain water, the pH jumps from 5.8 to above 6.4. and that plain water with a ppm of 10 is now at several hundred. i'm assuming that's because my flushing left some nutes behind but how do i remove all of the nutes? i'm using Flora Kleen and flushing for two hours.
> 
> what i really don't understand is why i would want to flush with recirculating water, even with flora kleen. shouldn't water be poured from the top down so that everything is flushed down and out of the tray, going straight to waste and not being reused?
> 
> ...


 
hmmm, did you wash your hydroten well?  Is your tester calibrated?  what are your res temps?  I do not know what would make your ppms jump but it might help to mix your nutrients and let them sit a day or two with an airstone mixing.  I built a mixing station to help out and I love it.  there are some pics up of in in my GJ, I was having issues with my ph fluctuating and it seems to have fixed that but I never had issues with ppms doing anything other than going as my plants drank.


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## medicalGreenGrower (May 26, 2009)

brand new hydrotron and i calibrate my Hanna meter all the time. one problem i'm having is heat. i'm in a closet and it averages 80+ degrees every day with temps in the 70s at night. i can't get an air conditioner because it's a closet so i'm using an air cooled hood with a 6" fan and another 6" fan for venting. still temps above 80 degrees. i was told to add CO2 and this would allow me to function with higher temps. my co2 ran out and i haven't had a chance to replace it and these problems have accelerated since then, but i don't think i can blame it on the CO2.


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## Shockeclipse (May 26, 2009)

If its in a closet is that closet in a room?  Do you intake fresh air from outside or are you relaying on the room's air?  If so I would imagine you could put a window unit in the room (assuming you have a window to do so). And I would think that would take care of some of your heat.


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## Real78 (May 26, 2009)

You can goto the store and buy some small 8" fans to help move air into and out of the room this will help bring your temp down a few degrees. If your in the 80f it should lower it to some where around 75-78f, but you still need fresh air to help with the temp.


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## medicalGreenGrower (May 27, 2009)

i've attached a pic of the room. right now i pull air from inside my living room and send it out next to a window but then i'm always pulling in air that has been heated by being trapped in my house. maybe i need to send the air into the house and pull from the vent next to the window. i've got small fans moving air around but it hasn't lowered temps. 

i replaced the nute solutions again, and two days later, everything looks the same. how long does it take to see if the plants are taking up nitrogen again?

thanks.


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## fishcabo (May 29, 2009)

Maybe you need to run your light at night.  Get the panda film and lay it over the hydroton now.  You can slice it and slide it around each stem. Your problems are probably partially related to your water being exposed to light.


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## Shockeclipse (May 29, 2009)

fishcabo said:
			
		

> Maybe you need to run your light at night.  Get the panda film and lay it over the hydroton now.  You can slice it and slide it around each stem. Your problems are probably partially related to your water being exposed to light.


I was wondering that too, algea growth could probably raise your ppm's.


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## biggerbuds (Dec 19, 2009)

ppm raising quickly means your ppm was to high to start with


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## dragracer (Dec 20, 2009)

:huh:


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## Tater (Dec 20, 2009)

medicalGreenGrower said:
			
		

> i have an ebb and flow system with a tray containing 4 small plants. i had a ppm level of 1100, flushed the tray with 6.0/4ppm water for an hour and replaced the nutrient tank with fresh 957ppm solution. now i just checked the ppm after a week (been lazy) and the ppm level is 1758. how is this possible? where did all these extra nutrients come from if i flushed the plant. i checked the flush water and it's ppm level was fairly low.
> 
> i've got small plants and only 400 watts of light and i can't afford to waste any nutrients. for small plants can anyone recommend nutrient levels for flowering if you are doing water changes every two weeks? i have a 5 gallon res. thanks.
> 
> mG2


 
You have just learnt the importance of an auto top up for your water.  This is a must if you wish to leave your plants unattended.  All thats happened is your plants are using the water faster than the nutes and the ntues are becoming concentrated.


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## biggerbuds (Dec 21, 2009)

if you get the level of nutes right your ppm will stay stable for a much longer time,plants will use nutes & water at the same rate = ppm will be the same in 5 days time

this is how it works in my NFT system anyway


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