Grow Mediums Oh No..BayLee420 Going Hydro
- Thread starter BayLee420
- Start date
Duckster
Still Just a Rat in a Cage
- Joined
- Sep 26, 2014
- Messages
- 4,654
- Reputation
- 90
- Reaction score
- 22,044
- Points
- 0
- Age
- 71
- Currently Smoking
- Everything that i grow
Oh boy water chemistry stuff right up my alley so to speak. The link you had showed the basics on ppm
You will need to measure and track 3 parameters.
Total Dissolved Solids - The measurement of the electrical conductivity of the water. Pure water is a poor electrical conductor and has a conductivity of near zero. As dissolved solids in the form of salts, minerals, etc. are added to the water the conductivity increases. This is one of the more confusing measurements in the water quality industry as there are 4 (I think) units of measure. The unit of measure for conductivity is expressed in micro siemens. Some of the meters display the reading in micro siemens, but many of the meters do an internal conversion to a ppm scale. But there are three different ppm conversion scales so this can be confusing if you are trying to compare your results with someone else's unless your meters use the same conversion scale. I this find a useful tool in knowing what is happening in the reservoir. My tap water is crap so I use spring water at about 20-25ppm. My last res change after the nutes were added I had about 680ppm, meaning that I added 655-660ppm of nutes. When the plants drink but do not take on nutes, the water level will decrease but the ppm will remain the same or increase. When the plant is drinking and eating, the water level and the ppm will decrease. This brings us to the next topic........
pH - The nutes that we use are mostly on the acidic side, so when we add them, the pH of our solution decreases. The magic pH number for hydro is 5.8, so we measure and adjust as needed. As the plant drinks and eats causing the solution concentration (ppm) to change, the pH will also change. As ppm goes down, pH will go up. Important to monitor daily and adjust as needed. Next to impossible to keep it at 5.8, I try to keep it between 5.4-6.2.
Temperature - root rot becomes a problem at warmer res temps. I'm not sure what optimum is but my goal is to keep the res below 75F in my little hotbox. My little chiller will keep my 9gal res 8-10F below the cab temp. That's ok for now but I may need to add a second chiller when summer comes.
As far as meters go, For TDS (ppm) I use the same one in the link HM Digital AP-1. It reads on the ppm scale and will read temp in C or F. The HM Digital AP-2 is the same meter but it reads out on the micro siemens scale.
For pH I recommend a meter. Don't use those colormetric pH color test kits, they aren't worth a damn. I use a HM Digital PH-200. I like this one because it is waterproof and the ph sensor can be replaced. Generally even a well cared for ph sensor doesn't last more than 2-3 years.
I hope my ramblings have helped and not confused
You will need to measure and track 3 parameters.
Total Dissolved Solids - The measurement of the electrical conductivity of the water. Pure water is a poor electrical conductor and has a conductivity of near zero. As dissolved solids in the form of salts, minerals, etc. are added to the water the conductivity increases. This is one of the more confusing measurements in the water quality industry as there are 4 (I think) units of measure. The unit of measure for conductivity is expressed in micro siemens. Some of the meters display the reading in micro siemens, but many of the meters do an internal conversion to a ppm scale. But there are three different ppm conversion scales so this can be confusing if you are trying to compare your results with someone else's unless your meters use the same conversion scale. I this find a useful tool in knowing what is happening in the reservoir. My tap water is crap so I use spring water at about 20-25ppm. My last res change after the nutes were added I had about 680ppm, meaning that I added 655-660ppm of nutes. When the plants drink but do not take on nutes, the water level will decrease but the ppm will remain the same or increase. When the plant is drinking and eating, the water level and the ppm will decrease. This brings us to the next topic........
pH - The nutes that we use are mostly on the acidic side, so when we add them, the pH of our solution decreases. The magic pH number for hydro is 5.8, so we measure and adjust as needed. As the plant drinks and eats causing the solution concentration (ppm) to change, the pH will also change. As ppm goes down, pH will go up. Important to monitor daily and adjust as needed. Next to impossible to keep it at 5.8, I try to keep it between 5.4-6.2.
Temperature - root rot becomes a problem at warmer res temps. I'm not sure what optimum is but my goal is to keep the res below 75F in my little hotbox. My little chiller will keep my 9gal res 8-10F below the cab temp. That's ok for now but I may need to add a second chiller when summer comes.
As far as meters go, For TDS (ppm) I use the same one in the link HM Digital AP-1. It reads on the ppm scale and will read temp in C or F. The HM Digital AP-2 is the same meter but it reads out on the micro siemens scale.
For pH I recommend a meter. Don't use those colormetric pH color test kits, they aren't worth a damn. I use a HM Digital PH-200. I like this one because it is waterproof and the ph sensor can be replaced. Generally even a well cared for ph sensor doesn't last more than 2-3 years.
I hope my ramblings have helped and not confused
BayLee420
Chef de la ganja
Taaaa Daaaaaa.
Problem solved. Just took a little look see and a few MFLB hits and
Now it's getting some tube hole stoppers for the other non used drip tubes.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Problem solved. Just took a little look see and a few MFLB hits and
Now it's getting some tube hole stoppers for the other non used drip tubes.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Margahooja
“OG meph_head”
Good luck. I'll be subbed up for this.
BayLee420
Chef de la ganja
The temps in the Den are easily controlled. I'll have no problems with that. Right now inside the Stealth Armoire's floor ambient temps are 70F-75F. The upper growing area get to 80F.
That's with the 400W EYE Super HPS.
I don't believe I'll have an issue with high cabinet temps. Only running the system will I know for sure.
BayLee420
Chef de la ganja
The more I read up on Hydro I realize it's not as difficult as imagined.
They teach Hydro growing in grade school. If a
. No, seriously it's going to be a fun trip. 
BayLee420
Chef de la ganja
I texted Super Closet about the SuperPonic's hydro system. Asked how to shut off the drip tubes that are not going to be used.
They recommend that I fill the unused net pots with the Hydron clay balls so they are light proof. Then just run the system with the unused net pot's drip running through the net pots as if they ARE being used. The added top feed water will aid in the oxygenation of the system. Seems logical.
@Duckster any thoughts on their recommendation?
Good News......Nirvana Seeds sent me a text.."Get that grow room ready..Your order has been shipped."
They recommend that I fill the unused net pots with the Hydron clay balls so they are light proof. Then just run the system with the unused net pot's drip running through the net pots as if they ARE being used. The added top feed water will aid in the oxygenation of the system. Seems logical.
@Duckster any thoughts on their recommendation?
Good News...
...Nirvana Seeds sent me a text.."Get that grow room ready..Your order has been shipped."
Last edited:
Similar threads
