Tools of the trade ? What do i need ?

[Fate]

I have a Ph tester for my aquarium but i don't trust its accuracy. I'm new to hydroponics and needing to buy some tools of the trade if you could buy anything what would you suggest ?

 

I was looking on ebay and i noticed this Ph Tester but i'm not sure if the applications right ? I'm thinking of setting up a bottle co2 injection system later on which this looks like it might

 

integrate in nicely, but besides ph is there anything else i should be testing for and keeping my eye on ?

 

Cheers !

Edited May 14, 2012 by Fate

[insomniache]

get yourself a good ec meter.

i wouldn't bother with the co2 injection system

[Ozzy420]

Best advice i can give is to read through some of the grow diarys and get an idea on how things are done and what is needed.

 

The diarys should give you all the answers you need to start up growing.

 

Another lil bit of advice if that pic is you mite be a good idea to change it, it could be used to find out who you are...

[KRON BOURKE]

PH and EC are 2 very important factors, the ec is to make sure ur feeding them enough nutes and not too much without doin any damage, also good for checking ya runoff too.....and ph is important because if the ph out, the plant wont absorb what it needs to keep healthy.

When buying equipment, like anything else you get what ya pay for ay....so might hurt at 1st, but knowing you have the correct and reliable tools for the job is good peace of mind. And 2 other great things to have onside is common sense and patients mate, even if ya 1st grow dont blow ya mind or meet up to your high expectations, keep at it make, follow the basic fundamentals of growing and you'll be laughin....

 

Cheers KB

[Stix87]

hey guys and girls would like to add when buying ph meters and ec ppm meter buy the good brand i bought a el cheapo off ebay last year and today i went and bought a blue lab meter for $95 from$135 and i done the test in my tank and the cheapo reading was .8 ec and blue labs was 1.2 so there you have it never cheap out it will cost you lots of $$ in the long run

[pisspotgrower]

Lights.... preferbably HID

Pots ...size pends how big ya want ya babies

Waterheater...in winter dont want to water ya babies with frezzing cold water

Ec meter.....measure ya nutrients

ph meter...measure ya ph prefer elecrtonic

medium......pends on how ya want to grow ya babies....

 

And a million otherthings pending on which wat ya want to go....DWC...ebb n flow...coco/perlite, clay balls, dirt, ect ect ect

 

OHHHHHHHHHHH and fans and carbon filter sorry is 100 % nessarry.......one for intake one for exhaust. (pends on gorw space maybe passive inatke) and at least 1 fan blowing over ya plants again pands on ya grow space.

 

Last thing on the list is co2........heard great stories with it but only in experienced hands ( not saying u cant do it just might not prove to make a differnce on ya first couple of runs while ya diling in how ya wana grow

 

Fuck forgot a thermoniter and hudmity meter....these r impotrant especially in flower to prevent mold.....if ya air flow good or excellent less important

Edited May 15, 2012 by pisspotgrower

[BehindTheLine]

Check out glandore hydro im pretty sure they have both ec & ph together for like $60 and are electronic

[forgetiwashere]

lets not forget measuring cups and pippettes,

 

also nobody mentioned, ph and ec calibration fluids. spare batteries and spare bulbs.

 

i actually keep a spare of nearly everything essential. because there is nothing worse than coming home to find a bulb blown and no spare then u have to go to work and then u cant get to the grow store etc etc and your babies end up sitting in the dark for 3 days. it sounds far fetched but these tragic events do occur. or u have just dumped all your nutrient solution and you go to mix up your new batch to find your ph meter battery is flat or ph meter broken so now u have to make up a solution by guesswork. not a good idea

 

be prepared,u will thank yourself later, scouts honour

[Cerberus]

i actually keep a spare of nearly everything essential. because there is nothing worse than coming home to find a bulb blown and no spare then u have to go to work and then u cant get to the grow store etc etc and your babies end up sitting in the dark for 3 days. it sounds far fetched but these tragic events do occur.

 

I was thinking of the same scenario the other day. always a good idea to have spare bulbs

[pisspotgrower]

I change my bulbs every run as i just use growlush 35 bux 600 watters...i just keep a few old globns as spares