# How important is ppm?



## kyle244948 (Aug 27, 2008)

Im startin a hydro system for the first time and need some info on a couple of things. I am going to be using a drip system. I have successfully grown before with soil so I have the gist of things down. I know Ph is a big deal but Im wanting to know how important is ppm? I know what it means and everything just dont know if I should spend the money on a meter if its not really a problem. Also when topping off the resiviour do you top off with just water or water with nutrients? I think this is where the TDS meter comes in but Im not 100% percent sure. Any info. is greatly appreciated.

Thanks


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## DLtoker (Aug 27, 2008)

You need a ppm meter to grow hydroponically successfully with minimum headaches... At least when starting out.  There are feeding schedules by most lines of fertilizers.  What do you plan to use for fertilizer?


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## Puffin Afatty (Aug 27, 2008)

*I think ppm is very important :hubba: an ec of 1.5-1.7 is good for most strains, but some need less, some can take more.  ph is important as well, 5.5-5.6 being optimum :farm: *


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## trashed420 (Aug 27, 2008)

i though ppm meter read in as 800 for optimum and if its 900 u add water and 700 add more nutes?


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## kyle244948 (Aug 27, 2008)

Im going to be using general hydroponics for nutes. Im also going to be using clay pebbles for my grow median.


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## Bleek187 (Aug 28, 2008)

YES get a TDS tester.. when you start keep your ppm around 800.. you can keep the ppm at 800 the whole time if you want and your plants will grow great... but if you would like you can bump up the ppm every week or 2..  you can take them as high as the plant will go and keep growing which is suposaly around 1700... personaly i start at 8 and go up to around 1300 in the last week or 2... 

Testing the ppm is VERY important.. being that its hydro your plants will react to a change almost over night.. so 2 little or 2 much can change the crop quality, size, and ... well other stuff before you realize it.. I test my tds one time a week..

toping off the res... heres what ya do.. depending on your res size, you just add water when needed, throw tha tds tester in there, check the ppm, add nutes untill they come up to where you want them.. i top off my res once a week.. 3 plants in each one and they drink up about a gal or more a week each in the late stages of flowering.. after you top off your tank AND after you bring up the ppm to where you want it, then check tha ph and adjust it. 

I never dump out my tank during the entire flower.. just add water and food..  after id say about 2 crops youll have the hang of it and make your plants do exactly what you want them 2.. good luck, i hope this helps


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## DLtoker (Aug 28, 2008)

To get a true understanding of what and how you should be feeding, find the line you are using here and see what they recommend.


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## kyle244948 (Aug 28, 2008)

Bleek187 said:
			
		

> YES get a TDS tester.. when you start keep your ppm around 800.. you can keep the ppm at 800 the whole time if you want and your plants will grow great... but if you would like you can bump up the ppm every week or 2.. you can take them as high as the plant will go and keep growing which is suposaly around 1700... personaly i start at 8 and go up to around 1300 in the last week or 2...
> 
> Testing the ppm is VERY important.. being that its hydro your plants will react to a change almost over night.. so 2 little or 2 much can change the crop quality, size, and ... well other stuff before you realize it.. I test my tds one time a week..
> 
> ...


 

Thanks man they really helps out a lot! Now I just need to know which one to buy?? Right now I dont want to spend over 100 for one...Around 50 would be nice. Anyone have any suggestions?

Thanks again for everyones help!


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## andy52 (Aug 29, 2008)

i'm with you kyle244948,i too am just getting set up.i have read enough that i know i will not start my grow without my tds tester.from what i gather,you have to get your ph and tds right to even start.i will be following you to learn from.i have a bigger system but did not want to kill alot of plants.so i'm going with the home made 5gal bucket deal.i got my 5.5 in net pots and hydroton,buckest w/lids,air stones.air pump.i just ordered the tds meter.i had a ph meter for my soil grow.i am kinda apprehensive,thats why i'm starting with 1 bucket.just to get the feel and also i have no room in my tents until i get the plants i have in veg now,into flower.good luck and i will be watching.


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## NorCalHal (Aug 30, 2008)

I see you are going to use the GH 3 part.
I have been using it for years.

Whatever the GH bottle says to use, use HALF of that, and you will never have a worry. If you do this, your PPM will be around 800-900 depending on your starting water value. You can purchase a PPM meter to be sure.
Overnuit is one of the biggest issues a new grower will face.

I would also suggest that you change out your resevoir at least every 7-9 days and make a new Nuit mix. At least with GH, plants tend to use what they want from the mix and the excess nuits (cal,zinc,mg) tend to build up to toxic levels in some cases. So, for me, it is better to just change the res out every week or so.

Also, if you use half of what GH recommends, your PH will most likely balence out to around 5.7-5.8 with a drift to around 6.0. Get a PH meter to be sure.

A PH meter is far more important for a begginer then a TDS meter imho.


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## andy52 (Aug 30, 2008)

sure appreciate that norcalhal,i am absorbing everything i can before i start this set up.i screwed up big time starting in soil.do not want to duplicate this again.thats why the one 5 gal. to start with.if i am successful,i will go hydro all the way.again thanks to all.sorry to butt in


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## Bleek187 (Aug 30, 2008)

NorCalHal said:
			
		

> A PH meter is far more important for a begginer then a TDS meter imho.


 
wrong... for the most part with hydro your ph is gonna stay around tha same.. it might drop a lil between feeding or something but its not gonna be 5.9 one day and 4.9 the next.. i will agree with you that its important to keep an eye on PH.. very important..   but to say that its way more important than checking your ppm is dumb.. and for a begginer, just guessing at your ppm is prolly tha worst thing you could ever do.. 

dont be a jerk... look on ebay, cop you a TDS tester for like 10 maby 15 bucks... get a PH tester  for the same price... the ones i got have the part you throw in the tank and a cord that goes to the tester.. just toss it in and check your ****... being a cheap .... person in this situation will cost you alot more... 

Simple Hydro 
1 - TDS tester... check your ppm and keep them good
2 - PH tester... check your PH and keep it good
3 - Air... Keep your water airated.. Pump air into your res at all times
4 - more air... Keep air circulating around your plants.. a fan blowing around them works great


follow these rules youll have mad weed to break up.. if not 24 years on tha wake up  =)


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## BuddyLuv (Aug 30, 2008)

and top your res off with plain water.


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## NorCalHal (Aug 30, 2008)

Bleek187 said:
			
		

> wrong... for the most part with hydro your ph is gonna stay around tha same.. it might drop a lil between feeding or something but its not gonna be 5.9 one day and 4.9 the next.. i will agree with you that its important to keep an eye on PH.. very important.. but to say that its way more important than checking your ppm is dumb.. and for a begginer, just guessing at your ppm is prolly tha worst thing you could ever do..
> 
> dont be a jerk... look on ebay, cop you a TDS tester for like 10 maby 15 bucks... get a PH tester for the same price... the ones i got have the part you throw in the tank and a cord that goes to the tester.. just toss it in and check your ****... being a cheap .... person in this situation will cost you alot more...
> 
> ...


 
I could point out the false statements you are making, but I can tell it would fall on deaf ears. 

If you follow the general guidline of using half of what the bottle tells you, you will never have a ppm problem. Now, I understand that some strains can "take" more, but they do not "need" more. 
For a new guy who just uses GH 3part, Ph is more critical, and let me tell ya why.
Where you live and your water supply differs from area to area. What strain you run, how many plants, hydro method will all effect your ph drift.
Setting your initial PH on a new res of nuits is also critical.

Now, if andy would have said "hey, I have a ton of nuit products I am going to try" then ya, I would say a ppm meter is more critical for that situation. Maybe you should read and understand what you read Bleek187.


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## kashboss (Aug 30, 2008)

im a new hydro grower im growing white widow and just had a harvest the **** looked great but smell and taste were not real good. i dried in a card board box with a few air holes in it dried slowly but still a bit of a green taste temp keep at 75 peak of the day 80 at most rh 30-40 some body help me


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## puffdaddy (Sep 3, 2008)

Bleek187 said:
			
		

> YES get a TDS tester.. when you start keep your ppm around 800.. you can keep the ppm at 800 the whole time if you want and your plants will grow great... but if you would like you can bump up the ppm every week or 2.. you can take them as high as the plant will go and keep growing which is suposaly around 1700... personaly i start at 8 and go up to around 1300 in the last week or 2...
> 
> Testing the ppm is VERY important.. being that its hydro your plants will react to a change almost over night.. so 2 little or 2 much can change the crop quality, size, and ... well other stuff before you realize it.. I test my tds one time a week..
> 
> ...


 


can i aply that same thing with a dwc system?


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## LowRider (Sep 9, 2008)

just wanted to add a question since where on the subject, but on youtube the guy MR GREEN says change the water out every 2 weeks.  does this help yield or is this just for cleanliness reasons on his part?


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## andy52 (Sep 10, 2008)

i forgot to add that i am using distilled water.


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## NorCalHal (Sep 10, 2008)

puffdaddy said:
			
		

> can i aply that same thing with a dwc system?


 

I wouldn't trust anything this fool Bleek says.


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## lyfr (Sep 10, 2008)

Bleek187 said:
			
		

> wrong... for the most part with hydro your ph is gonna stay around tha same.. it might drop a lil between feeding or something but its not gonna be 5.9 one day and 4.9 the next.. i will agree with you that its important to keep an eye on PH.. very important.. but to say that its way more important than checking your ppm is dumb.. and for a begginer, just guessing at your ppm is prolly tha worst thing you could ever do..
> 
> =)


my very first grow was hydro, rockwool flood and drain,20 gal res,gh nutes.  i started at 1/4 dose and slowly bumped up to half.  i later bumped up slightly more than half and got the tiny tip burn i wanted. the strain was snow cap, i changed res religously every week and grew some great bud.
  oh, i used the ph liquid color test...no meter.  if you take it slow and follow directions being very careful if you go beyond 50% strength you can grow without ppm meter. i grew 2 crops that way.  
 like NorCal said 
   i do suggest getting one when you can though!


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