# Ideal Tap Water ?



## accid (Jan 15, 2011)

Hello fellow hobbyists!

It has been awhile since I last posted on this forum. Its nice to know I can come here and ask someone who has more experience than myself for help.

I grow in soil (fox farm ocean) and have been using distilled gallons of water which i purchase at the store for some time now. It is becoming an issue going to the store to purchase 10 gallons of distilled water per week and lugging it inside the house so often. 

I just did a test on my city tap water from the faucet and it read the following:

Ph -      8.3
PPM -    120

So whats the story on tap water? If I fill up a 5 gallon jug and aerate it for 24 hours to knock off the cholrine then adjust it to 6.7 ph to water my plants, is this good enough? I understand i have to adjust the PH a bit more on days that I add nutes, but with nutes aside, is the ppm fine at 120 or will this be a problem? Adjusting the ph is not an issue. Do you guys use any specific products to adjust the ph or is PH DOWN good enough? Please let me know as I need to make a decision as to whether or not i will continue this tedious task of buying 10 gallons of distilled water weekly or just use tap water. Thanks.


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## Jericho (Jan 15, 2011)

Invest in a Ro system. Will lower the ppm. I grew with tap water, ph 7.5 and ppm was off much higher and my grow went fine. I did not however have a set nute scheme. I messed around wit different nutes. Only had nute burn once for a couple days and never had ph issues. 

Make sure you leave it to sit for 24 hour between after you nute it and then check the ph as when the nutes break down over 24h the ph will change.


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## accid (Jan 15, 2011)

I rent an apartment and I dont think the home owner would allow me to install a RO system. The best i can do is install a water filter at the faucet. So for sure 120 ppm isnt going to be an issue? Also, when I nute, I add nutes to distilled water then adjust the ph, wait 30 minutes then readjust the ph as needed then water. I dont let the nutes sit in the water for very long before i water... i havent had a problem as of yet. 

In regards to lowering the ph, wil a simple PH DOWN be sufficient in adjusting the tap water ph?


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## pcduck (Jan 15, 2011)

for growing in soil your water is fine just lower the pH or use some dolomite lime in your soil mix next time.

When I do use a pH down I use GH products


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## accid (Jan 15, 2011)

I am a bit intimidated to use tap water as I have always used distilled water. Aside from letting it sit out for 24-48 hours, must i aerate it or just letting it sit out is sufficient? Please advise. Any other suggestions would be appreciated such as flushing required. 

I currently do not flush as there is no need to. I water my 5 gallon pots twice a week. Once with nutes, once without. So every other watering I add nutes. Thanks in advance.


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## Jericho (Jan 15, 2011)

There is no need to bubble, its a preference not an essential. do you have Perlite/Vermiculite in the soil That will give all the air the roots need. I went a whole grow it tap water, when growing in soil its fine like pc said. 

Flushing is also a preference.


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## Droopy Dog (Jan 15, 2011)

pcduck said:
			
		

> for growing in soil your water is fine just lower the pH or use some dolomite lime in your soil mix next time.
> 
> When I do use a pH down I use GH products


:yeahthat: 

PPM's <200 are fine for soil

I use dolomite in my mix and don't pH anything. I use a DIY pH down I found here. Hope it didn't get lost in the crash, haven't checked yet.

For the chlorine, I use those drops for aquarium use since my water system uses chloramine which doesn't evaporate.

DD


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## accid (Jan 15, 2011)

I'll have to call the water company to ask if they use chlorine or chloramine. What is the name of the drops you use? Also if you could include the brand name that would be very helpful!


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## pcduck (Jan 15, 2011)

any drops made for fresh water fish will work


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## accid (Jan 15, 2011)

Thanks all for taking the time to share your knowledge. I will begin using filtered tap water in the future.


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## Droopy Dog (Jan 15, 2011)

It's AZOO, 1 drop/gallon of water. All of them are pretty much the same if they are the 1drop/gallon doseage.

I got it off ebay when I bought my air pump, tubing and air stones. Don't remember the seller, but it was either aquarium or pond supplies.

DD


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## accid (Mar 1, 2011)

*Is it safe to use Kordon AmQuel Plus  in my tap water to remove chloramine& chlorine (Chlorine+ammonia)? It says it  also remove nitrates and nitrites? Curious to know if this will work or if i should return it an d get a different product.

Also, will this interfere with my nutes (Fox Farms, the whole line, soil) if  added after I detox the water?
*


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## The Hemp Goddess (Mar 1, 2011)

accid said:
			
		

> Thanks all for taking the time to share your knowledge. I will begin using filtered tap water in the future.



How are you filtering the water?  Most of the cartridge type water filters will do nothing to remove dissolved solids in water.  You may as well be using your tap water.


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## Jericho (Mar 1, 2011)

The Hemp Goddess said:
			
		

> How are you filtering the water?  Most of the cartridge type water filters will do nothing to remove dissolved solids in water.  You may as well be using your tap water.



This is true, I use a purifier on water and tested it once and the difference is very slight. 

Btw acid your link is still live in that last post.


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## docfishwrinkle (Mar 1, 2011)

accid said:
			
		

> *Is it safe to use Kordon AmQuel Plus in my tap water to remove chloramine& chlorine (Chlorine+ammonia)? It says it also remove nitrates and nitrites? Curious to know if this will work or if i should return it an d get a different product.*
> 
> *Also, will this interfere with my nutes (Fox Farms, the whole line, soil) if added after I detox the water?*


 
yes its fine


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## accid (Mar 1, 2011)

i will filter tap water with PUR water filter (i know  it doesnt do much but it reduces ppm by 150 as i have tested. Then i need to rid chlorine, chloramine, ammonia. My concern is when i use nutrients will the nitrate killers kill the nitrogen? or any other type of concern....


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## accid (Mar 1, 2011)

Dosc fish wrinkle, have you used this product or know anyone who has used it and said it worked fine the entire grow?


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## The Hemp Goddess (Mar 1, 2011)

accid said:
			
		

> i will filter tap water with PUR water filter (i know  it doesnt do much but it reduces ppm by 150 as i have tested. Then i need to rid chlorine, chloramine, ammonia. My concern is when i use nutrients will the nitrate killers kill the nitrogen? or any other type of concern....



I would be suspect of your ppm meter.  Filters like PUR will not remove dissolved solids from water.  This is part of what I deal with in my "other life".

I wouldn't worry about the nitrates (this is different than nitrogen).


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## docfishwrinkle (Mar 1, 2011)

if its good for fish its good for weed. i used to build custom tanks, mainly for reefs & have used most brands out there & most are good. thg is right about nitrates. its the final product of denitrofication if ammonia.

i use DeCHLOR by weco products. its cheap, like $5 for 10 oz. they havent changed the label in literally 30 yrs +.


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## accid (Mar 3, 2011)

Once i mix the AmQuel with the tap water, after mixing, is it instantly ready to use or do i need to wait a certain amount of time like an hour or more.... please advise.


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## nouvellechef (Mar 3, 2011)

accid said:
			
		

> i will filter tap water with PUR water filter (i know  it doesnt do much but it reduces ppm by 150 as i have tested. Then i need to rid chlorine, chloramine, ammonia. My concern is when i use nutrients will the nitrate killers kill the nitrogen? or any other type of concern....



Yeah. As stated. That PUR filter wont decrease the PPM by 150. Only a RO unit does. I honestly think your overthinking tap water bro. Let it sit out for 48 hours and give the ladies a drink. Thats all I do. I get ok results 

If your dead set on RO. Get the one I think I posted earlier in the thread. Portable unit on ebay for $60. It just hooks up to your kitchen or bathroom or any faucet via a little $10 thing you can buy with your order. But again, unless you truly believe that a RO unit is a must and you have no doubt your tap water is giving you problems, spend the money on something else. Rarely is the tap water the problem. Its more of a defiency from a bad nutrient regime or in organics, not enough of something for the MJ plant.

Your choice.


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## bho_expertz (Mar 3, 2011)

Jericho said:
			
		

> There is no need to bubble, its a preference not an essential. do you have Perlite/Vermiculite in the soil That will give all the air the roots need. I went a whole grow it tap water, when growing in soil its fine like pc said.
> 
> Flushing is also a preference.


 
I don't agree with the flushing ... I never flush. This is a text from Mike @ Mandala.

*Can I flush on soil? *You should avoid watering more than normal and having a lot of run-off in soil grows. Heavy watering or flushing/rinsing the soil can cause bud mold (run-off also washes out nutrients). Instead, give the plants their daily requirements and water at the start of the light cycle. Even if they let the leaves hang a bit now and then in the final 10+ days it's better than over-watering at this stage.
In principle you should never have to flush in soil cultivation. It leads to all sorts of complications like waterlogged soil, nutrient run-off, fungus, etc.
If you already know you have made a mistake like over-watering, always wait for plant health to improve before taking steps further with feeding, etc. You can't "cure" anything with feeding unless there is a real nutrient deficiency at hand. You won't get a nutrient deficiency in soil if plants are in quality soil, have an adequate container size, and the pH of your water is OK. If the pH of your water is not within range you need to correct it... feeding would only stress the plants even more because they can't take up the nutrients in a substrate watered with a wrong pH. 
Flushing your soil prior to harvest does NOT improve aroma and taste of the buds. It DOES increase chances of getting bud mold within 48 hours and can easily lead to other fungal infections which threaten your crop. The smart way to increase aroma is to buy quality soil and mix it with beneficial aroma enhancers such as worm manure and compost. Rinsing substrates should only be applied to hydroponic cultivations. The idea is to water with a very low EC, special ripening products, or only pure water a few days or a week prior to harvest - again, there should be no need to flush large amounts of water through the system. In coco coir this can also lead to a soggy substrate and increase the risk of bud mold.


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## bho_expertz (Mar 3, 2011)

nouvellechef said:
			
		

> .... I honestly think your overthinking tap water bro. Let it sit out for 48 hours and give the ladies a drink. Thats all I do. I get ok results


 
I also use tap water in some feedigns and the only thing i do is put fert, ph down, let it rest, check the ph again and feed. Most soil mixes and ferts are already "prepared" for tap water use. IMO.


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## Jericho (Mar 3, 2011)

bho_expertz said:
			
		

> I don't agree with the flushing ... I never flush. This is a text from Mike @ Mandala.
> 
> *Can I flush on soil? *You should avoid watering more than normal and having a lot of run-off in soil grows. Heavy watering or flushing/rinsing the soil can cause bud mold (run-off also washes out nutrients). Instead, give the plants their daily requirements and water at the start of the light cycle. Even if they let the leaves hang a bit now and then in the final 10+ days it's better than over-watering at this stage.
> In principle you should never have to flush in soil cultivation. It leads to all sorts of complications like waterlogged soil, nutrient run-off, fungus, etc.
> ...



I only ever flush when i know i have over feed the plants, there is no other reason to flush in my opinion.

I personally will always water until i see run off so that i know that the bottom of the pots have water. This way i know that while the upper part is drying the roots are stretching to the bottom encouraging a good root system.

I also put about an inch to 2 inch layer of hydroton at the bottom to make sure that if the soil is wetter that i would like the roots still have room to breath. Mixing vermiculite or perlite into the soil will also assist in draining water properly. 

This is just the way i do it for all my plants and have not experienced over-watering before.


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## bho_expertz (Mar 3, 2011)

So flushing is not preference ... Only in overfeeding . I also put some hydroton but i had put it for the last time. It is a myth. Other thing is the quantity of perlite or vermiculite ... 5 to 10 % is enough. This of course if you use a good soil.
For me one of the most dificult things is to water the plant and to respect the dry/wet cycle by the line. But i don't have years of growing in my shoulders. That is a skill that you earn with experience.


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## Jericho (Mar 3, 2011)

bho_expertz said:
			
		

> *So flushing is not preference ... Only in overfeeding* . I also put some hydroton but i had put it for the last time. It is a myth. Other thing is the quantity of perlite or vermiculite ... 5 to 10 % is enough. This of course if you use a good soil.
> For me one of the most dificult things is to water the plant and to respect the dry/wet cycle by the line. But i don't have years of growing in my shoulders. That is a skill that you earn with experience.



This is a tricky one to hit. Allot of people who stop feeding towards the end of flower call it flushing as well. so there is a bit of mixed info when using that word. 
When i stated it above i was referring to using water only at the end of flower
If someone was to flush in between feeding's i do not see the point unless you have overfed the plants.

Some people however do water in between feeding's. I personally do not see the benefit in this if you are feeding correctly.


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## Jericho (Mar 3, 2011)

bho_expertz said:
			
		

> So flushing is not preference ... Only in overfeeding . *I also put some hydroton but i had put it for the last time. It is a myth.* Other thing is the quantity of perlite or vermiculite ... 5 to 10 % is enough. This of course if you use a good soil.
> For me one of the most dificult things is to water the plant and to respect the dry/wet cycle by the line. But i don't have years of growing in my shoulders. That is a skill that you earn with experience.



I disagree with this. if you have hydroton or some drainage in the bottom of your pots the air will get to your roots and help prevent suffocating / over watering.


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## bho_expertz (Mar 3, 2011)

Jericho said:
			
		

> ... *Some people however do water in between feeding's. I personally do not see the benefit in this if you are feeding correctly..*.


 
Fisrt of all i hope that you don't think that i'm being aggressive or something. We are just debating here 

I was talking about flushing, when you flush water in to the pot. Watering just tap water isn't flushing.

For example, my flo fert is to be given each 10 days. How can i not water it with water only between those days ?

Regarding the Hydroton ... I though that also but the truth is that most part of soil growers ( more experienced than i ) do not use them. Are they wrong or we ?


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## Jericho (Mar 3, 2011)

bho_expertz said:
			
		

> Fisrt of all i hope that you don't think that i'm being aggressive or something. We are just debating here
> 
> I was talking about flushing, when you flush water in to the pot. Watering just tap water isn't flushing.
> 
> ...



Do not worry my friend, no hostility here at all. 

This is where things get complicated because there is allot of confusion with the word flushing. In my view flushing means washing out any nutrients from the soil that have been added previously. 

With my nutrients they state that they should be fed once a week but i sometimes need to water every 3-4 days in flower, in this case i divide the nutes. If the instructions were to give lets say 20ml per 2 litres i would give 10ml per 2 litres and feed twice a week.  


Hydroton may not be used but allot of people put something in the bottom to make sure the soil does not run out when liquids have been given to the pot, also helps with the drainage as it allows water to flow to the holes easier in the pots rather that if soil was compressed at the bottom it is harder for water to reach the holes. 

I do most of these things because they make logical sense to me and have never experienced problems with it.


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## bho_expertz (Mar 3, 2011)

Jericho said:
			
		

> With my nutrients they state that they should be fed once a week but i sometimes need to water every 3-4 days in flower, in this case i divide the nutes. If the instructions were to give lets say 20ml per 2 litres i would give 10ml per 2 litres and feed twice a week.


 
Any thoughts from you guys about this ? Is this correct to do ? Because i don't feed like this and i'm learning :doh: . Also i don't trust the feeding instructions ... I use a EC meter ( recently bought  ) to know how much to fert.


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## Jericho (Mar 3, 2011)

bho_expertz said:
			
		

> Any thoughts from you guys about this ? Is this correct to do ? Because i don't feed like this and i'm learning :doh: . Also i don't trust the feeding instructions ... I use a EC meter ( recently bought  ) to know how much to fert.



Now i dont use an ec or ppm meter in soil. If i was growing hydro then yes. 
I also on follow instructions for my 1st couple feeds then depends what my plants look like depending if i increase or decrease the strength.


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## nova564t (Mar 3, 2011)

I'm probably gonna take some heat for this but I've never checked PH on my water. Maybe I've just been lucky, but I just take my water from the tap, add my nutes, a little peroxide and go. I did check PPM once and it was around 120, so I just figure thats good enough.


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## bho_expertz (Mar 3, 2011)

nova564t said:
			
		

> I'm probably gonna take some heat for this but I've never checked PH on my water. Maybe I've just been lucky, but I just take my water from the tap, add my nutes, a little peroxide and go. I did check PPM once and it was around 120, so I just figure thats good enough.


 
You know that you are wrong doing that . Imagine a change in the water by the water company ... It can be a disaster


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## Wetdog (Mar 3, 2011)

Glad I re read this thread.

Once a year, in March, my water system just loads it up with chlorine, for whatever purpose. You can even smell it. The rest of the year, it's chloramine @ like 3PPM. I use it straight from the hose on the outside plants and it dinged them last March (I didn't know about this shock treatment) and almost forgot it this year.

Guess I'd better get my buckets and drops out. LOL

Wet


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## Jericho (Mar 3, 2011)

nova564t said:
			
		

> I'm probably gonna take some heat for this but I've never checked PH on my water. Maybe I've just been lucky, but I just take my water from the tap, add my nutes, a little peroxide and go. I did check PPM once and it was around 120, so I just figure thats good enough.



My tap water is usually a steady 7.5 and when i add nutes and they break down it goes to 6.5, I run a test to make sure it stays the same about once a month. I do not check it every feeding either. 
As long as your not having any problems and plants are healthy then you must be luckily on target without checking.


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## bho_expertz (Mar 3, 2011)

Wetdog said:
			
		

> Glad I re read this thread.
> 
> Once a year, in March, my water system just loads it up with chlorine, for whatever purpose. You can even smell it. The rest of the year, it's chloramine @ like 3PPM. I use it straight from the hose on the outside plants and it dinged them last March (I didn't know about this shock treatment) and almost forgot it this year.
> 
> ...


 
It is like a reminder


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## nova564t (Mar 3, 2011)

bho_expertz said:
			
		

> You know that you are wrong doing that . Imagine a change in the water by the water company ... It can be a disaster


 
Yes I get that now, My tap water comes from a small creek about ten miles up valley and they don't do much to it. If I see a change in my plants I'll deal with it then, I only grow a couple at a time so my losses will be minimal. I'm gonna do some research to see if I can find out what they do to our water before we get it. How much can I expect to pay for a reliable meter?


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## bho_expertz (Mar 3, 2011)

Don't know usa prices but i think something less then $50.


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## nova564t (Mar 3, 2011)

bho_expertz said:
			
		

> Don't know usa prices but i think something less then $50.


Maybe if if save up I'll be able to afford one in a couple years.LOL!


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## Jericho (Mar 3, 2011)

I got my Ph meter for 10 pound sterlin, Has not failed yet and had it a couple years now.

If you look around you can find some decent cheap ones on Ebay.


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## Wetdog (Mar 3, 2011)

Jericho said:
			
		

> I disagree with this. if you have hydroton or some drainage in the bottom of your pots the air will get to your roots and help prevent suffocating / over watering.



I disagree with your disagreement. LOL

Stuff in the bottom of the pot doesn't do squat. I found this out years ago. The finer particles of your soil mix will just drift down and fill the cracks between whatever is in the bottom of your pot.

It's also a real pain when you go to recycle your mix.

More perlite=lighter mix=more air to the roots.

I use ~40%, but I add it last and eyeball it (lots of experience). I like to say, when it looks like there is too much, it's just right.  

Wet


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## Jericho (Mar 3, 2011)

Wetdog said:
			
		

> I disagree with your disagreement. LOL
> 
> Stuff in the bottom of the pot doesn't do squat. I found this out years ago. The finer particles of your soil mix will just drift down and fill the cracks between whatever is in the bottom of your pot.
> 
> ...



I add about 30-40 % perlite to my soil when i mix it. Old habbits are hard to break, i think i will always have hydroton or some thing in the bottom for drainage. Just the way i like it.


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## Wetdog (Mar 3, 2011)

It won't hurt anything.

I had used it to keep the pots from blowing over and quit using it when I went to upcan the same plants. LOL

Wet


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## Gixxerman420 (Mar 3, 2011)

I'd say your tap water is fine, the soil will cause the pH to fall a bit anyways... You may want to get some pH down for fish tanks or something... Up to you though!


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