Nutrient / Salt build up through out the system

[MCHEVA]

Hi im pretty new here and pretty new to going. I am seeing something very strange happen in my system. I have 3 pots on a satellite system using clay balls as the substrate. I only use RO water in it but I am finding when i dump the tanks completely let the drainage pipes run out completely that I am getting a really high EC reading of .8 even before I put nutrients or anything when I refill it and let it circulate for a few minutes. Does anyone have any ideas what it might be and what I could do to get a back to 0.0 EC because it makes it hard to mix up my potions when there is potions already in there.

 

THANKS!

[SukonmiSkunk]

it will never go back to 0.. but when you drain the resi.. fill it with clean water.. probably from the tap would be ok.. or RO water obviously would be better.. then run that through for a whole light cycle... check the ec.. it should have come down a little.. then drain it and remix fresh nutes....

[Radic]

yo

always test your rain water first

.8cf

thatz ok

dont worry bout it

no need to fix what isnt broken yet.

unless it is someting that causes a problem like acid rain,

say your rain water comes from the rain shadow of a heavy industary poolooter.

yo

do you drink it?????

do you feel your rain water is from a good source???

 

than

dont worry bout it

i dout it will have much effect

 

what could be in there??? is a good Q

here is a few tingz dat i know off that could be in there

 

if rain is from a electrical storm than it will be charged with N

fixed from the atmosphier by lightning

free

hehe

irey thanx gods of lighting

 

any ph balancer that you used,

the collection surface it fell on could add someting too

like zink or gal iron roof

bird shit and dust pon the roof

frog poo in the rainwater tanks

the list gos on

 

it should give this advice some where in the directions

 

pre mix or rule 1

 

allways test your water first before you add any nuitrents

 

if your starting with water that has a cf of .8 before the mix

then add .8cf on to the recomended cf

the total will give you the right cf for your nuitrent solution to run at

 

seen

 

youll be right

just read and follow the directions

you canna go wrong

 

irey guidance

[MCHEVA]

yo

always test your rain water first

.8cf

thatz ok

dont worry bout it

no need to fix what isnt broken yet.

unless it is someting that causes a problem like acid rain,

say your rain water comes from the rain shadow of a heavy industary poolooter.

yo

do you drink it?????

do you feel your rain water is from a good source???

 

than

dont worry bout it

i dout it will have much effect

 

what could be in there??? is a good Q

here is a few tingz dat i know off that could be in there

 

if rain is from a electrical storm than it will be charged with N

fixed from the atmosphier by lightning

free

hehe

irey thanx gods of lighting

 

any ph balancer that you used,

the collection surface it fell on could add someting too

like zink or gal iron roof

bird shit and dust pon the roof

frog poo in the rainwater tanks

the list gos on

 

it should give this advice some where in the directions

 

pre mix or rule 1

 

allways test your water first before you add any nuitrents

 

if your starting with water that has a cf of .8 before the mix

then add .8cf on to the recomended cf

the total will give you the right cf for your nuitrent solution to run at

 

seen

 

youll be right

just read and follow the directions

you canna go wrong

 

irey guidance

 

 

Cool thanks for that man im using RO (reverse osmosis water) not rain water I have teseted it and its at 0 at the start. I think the problem maybe something to do with drainage? I think there might be a bit of water that is sitting in the bottom of the pots that doesnt drain away completely when I dump it or it may even be a build up in the clay balls.(hehe balls)

[everest]

yea great answers here ..

 

mines about the same , i just add the figure on to the truncheon ...

 

i'm just a stoner though

 

ev

[Radic]

irey MCHEVA

flush is a must

flush the whole system with pure water and let it drain to waist

every time

just before you make a fresh nuitrent sollution

flush the pots out with pure water and let it drain to waist

that is keep pouring water into the top of the pots

let the pots fill to the top but not overflow

now keep the water flowing into the pots at that rate

till it runs out of the bottom of the pots as clear water

 

a flush should take less than 1hr to complete

 

dowit

everytime

you change the nuitz

plus

flush the pots at least 1 every week is a must

ok

 

yo

too easy ev

gota love dat

forward ever

 

irey guidance

[loylty gets u nothing]

just mix up ya nutes in sep container 1st

then u know exact ec

im sure commonsense will prevail

all the best

bill

[bufo marinus]

I think the problem maybe something to do with drainage? I think there might be a bit of water that is sitting in the bottom of the pots that doesnt drain away completely when I dump it

 

Bingo.

We have discussed this a bit in chat. I reckon Indycar is on the money with his idea to stop this problem.

Instead of running the return feed line off the bottom of the pot, make that line the inlet and make the return line the one from up high on the pot. Tie or position your airstone as close to the inlet as possible too.

Give that a try if you can re plumb your lines easy enough and I think you will notice less crap accumulating at the bottom of the buckets and a lower EC/cf when you refill. Should stop roots blocking the drain line too

[Radic]

I think the problem maybe something to do with drainage? I think there might be a bit of water that is sitting in the bottom of the pots that doesnt drain away completely when I dump it

 

rock wool and clay balls

should be good drainage

 

the pots should drain freely if the system design is addiqute

do you have a store bought system???

and did you follow the directions installing it

doubble check it

yessssss

well

everyting should be fine

 

just mix up ya nutes in sep container 1st

 

yo billo

thats a great workaround

 

now

than flush is a must

[bufo marinus]

A good flush is a great idea to get rid of the root exudes(shit) as well as any hydro nutes out of the buckets in dwc and will lower the run off values, thats all your reading.

Have a think about Indycars idea though, it's one born out of growing experience in dwc and makes a lot of sense to rootmass problems I have seen start from one obvious darker brown patch at the bottom of a bucket because it wasn't flushed properly.

I'll be plumbing my buckets/tubs this way next dwc