# why does my ppm keep rising???



## blunt (Dec 16, 2007)

started out at 300 in an ebb an flow and each day goes up almost 100
300/385/490/559 ***


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## ninfan77 (Dec 17, 2007)

I'd say salts accumulating in the water as waste from the plant eating up the nutrients.


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## Puffin Afatty (Dec 17, 2007)

water is evaporating...add some distilled water...

using tap water will increase the ppm by the amount of minerals, contaminants, etc. as the water evaporates too...distilled will not so much(less contaminants)...

adding distilled water will dilute them...

I use reverse osmosis deionized water, ph stays stable and I add rod water to keep ppm at 900...my tap water reads 160ppm (of calcium and magnesium and iron)...when I used it, ph would fluctuate daily as plants absorbed the minerals...


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## blunt (Dec 17, 2007)

ninfan77 said:
			
		

> I'd say salts accumulating in the water as waste from the plant eating up the nutrients.



i think this is it. im running straight distilled water. i just changed nutes as i burned this poor thing  so its probably leaching old nutes out of the hydroton at each watering cycle too.  thanks
ps. my straight tap water is 550ppm. isnt that crazy high??


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## ninfan77 (Dec 18, 2007)

yea thats high, i'm lucky my tap is under 50ppm.

that hydroton could also cause some rise, but you should notice the red color from it if it is.

ppm rising is pretty normal, happens fast w/ hydro too sometimes. good luck


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## Puffin Afatty (Dec 18, 2007)

I've seen the ppm rise when I start a new grow, just like you said...hygroton holds some nutes from previous grow and the distilled water leeches them into the res...I used to run a res full of water 1st for a couple hours just to rinse the old salts...


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## blunt (Dec 18, 2007)

Puffin Afatty said:
			
		

> I've seen the ppm rise when I start a new grow, just like you said...hygroton holds some nutes from previous grow and the distilled water leeches them into the res...I used to run a res full of water 1st for a couple hours just to rinse the old salts...



this is something ive heard about but never done. ive been running this ebb and flow for a month now with 3 nute changes in that period. should i be doing something to rid it of old salts or should i not be too worried? thank you


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## KADE (Dec 19, 2007)

Plant use water faster then they use nutrients... so less water... but more or less same nute level... equals ppm going up.

If you worry about salts buildup... or have a problem with sprayers clogging n all that... run plain phed water for 24 hours or a weekend.. it'll flush things out well.


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## MJ20 (Jan 10, 2008)

Puffin Afatty said:
			
		

> I use reverse osmosis deionized water, ph stays stable and I add rod water to keep ppm at 900...



How long does it stay stable for?


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## HGB (Jan 10, 2008)

tap water over 170ppm is hard water and needs a special hard water nute.... U.S. EPA's cut off is 500 ppm for human consumption 

I wouldn't drink water at 550 ppm let along try to grow in it


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