water choice

[N-rage]

Just got a hanna combo pen and testing the water i have available.

 

Dam water

Ph 5.4

Ppm 30

 

Rain water

Ph 6.1

Ppm 7

 

Tap water

Ph 7.5

Ppm 26

 

Will be using in a NFT system with sensi 2 part Nutrients.

 

What water should i use ?

 

I'm thinking the rain water would be best because it has the lowest ppm or the dam water for the lower ph.

 

 

Thanks in advance.

[SukonmiSkunk]

im thinking ya ppm meter is out.. cuz to me 24ppm for tap water is way too clean...

 

but any way... i use rainwater.. and it always seems to work out nice... and to me that rainwater seems almost perfect...

[N-rage]

I just re calibrated the meter and tested the tap/rain water again to make sure.

The tap water was a bit different but the rain water was the same.

 

Tap water

Ph 7.7

Ppm 25

 

Rain water

Ph 6.1

Ppm 7

[loylty gets u nothing]

rain water

although i successfully use tap water

just use the ph down wen needed

all the best

bil

[nitram]

Hi N-rage,

 

Tap water - ph 7.7/Ppm 25 ..............Rain water - Ph 6.1/Ppm 7

 

 

I'd go for the rainwater if you can collect any often enough.

 

2nd preference is the tap as yoU can PH down it in various ways.

[Luke Skywalker]

Both are pretty good, the high pH in the tap water would likely be from bicarbonate, but this could be a benifit in keeping the water slightly more pH stable than it otherwise would be.

 

All those water sources look good, but my pref. would be the rainwater. Make sure it's not being collected from a galvanised iron roof though, or stored in a rusty/corroding tank. The levels required for zinc to become toxic to plants aren't that high, and rainwater can draw a lot of it out from galvanised iron.

 

But yeah, generally, the rainwater would be the best. Think of it this way, if you can drink it, it's likely to be fairly suitable for plants. If you won't or don't like to drink, then don't use.

[Stoney]

hey there N

 

i only use rain water for my hydro always works out the best so if ya got enough of it thats what i would be using.

 

and it really depends on where ya live to what ppm and ph ya water reads at im in country vic and my tap water read about 60-80 ppm and ph is around 7

 

where as my rain water is about 30ppm and the ph is usually about 6.5

 

but what i would do is get a 1lt sample of both and add your nutes to it and see which comes out closer to a good level

 

by good level i mean 1600-1700ppm and 6.0-6.20ph

 

as your nutes will drop ya ph and increase ya ppm

 

cheerz :Dj:

[phathead]

hey there N

 

i only use rain water for my hydro always works out the best so if ya got enough of it thats what i would be using.

 

and it really depends on where ya live to what ppm and ph ya water reads at im in country vic and my tap water read about 60-80 ppm and ph is around 7

 

where as my rain water is about 30ppm and the ph is usually about 6.5

 

but what i would do is get a 1lt sample of both and add your nutes to it and see which comes out closer to a good level

 

by good level i mean 1600-1700ppm and 6.0-6.20ph

 

as your nutes will drop ya ph and increase ya ppm

 

cheerz :Dj: