Factor in baseline / backround EC or ignore it?

H

HaHend

New Member
Hello,

my tapwater has a high EC of 0.8 and a PH of 8.0.

I am wondering if I should take this baseline / backround EC into account in hydroponics or not?

I was looking for an answer and some say to ignore it, some say to take it fully and some take only half of the baseline EC into account.

According to the Canna grow guide you have to ignore the backround EC and the nutrients are fully added on top of it (http://www.cannagardening.com/growguide).

Obviously the best solution would be to get the water tested, see what is in there and adjust the nutrients appropriately.

I can not use RO as I am on a water meter. Buying RO water, distilled water or bottled water would be inconvenient due to the large size of my reservoir.

I also don't have any opportunity to collect rain water and I don't have a stream or a well nearby.

Furthermore I am interested what kind of alternative options are out there to get the tapwater EC down if I have to take the baseline EC completely or partially into account?

I read that many are using Brita and I would like to see if that helps. Here in europe Zerowater is not available so I can not try it out.

Do you have any other suggestions?
 
Red1966

Red1966

Well-Known Member
What does being on a meter have to do with it? Water is as cheap as can be. So what if you waste a hundred or two gallons? That's like $0.02. Using a Brita or similar filter isn't going to be easy. You'll be refilling that thing and replacing filters constantly. That is not only expensive, but a real chore, too.
 
C

churchhaze

Well-Known Member
Brita is just a carbon filter. It does not lower EC.

Your baseline/tap EC should be taken into account, but it does depend what's in the water how you should handle it.

If it's all sodium (from a water softener), you're basically screwed. If it's mostly calcium carbonate, adding nitric acid pH down brings the calcium into the solution as calcium nitrate, and that's food.

HaHend said:
Hello,

my tapwater has a high EC of 0.8 and a PH of 8.0.

I am wondering if I should take this baseline / backround EC into account in hydroponics or not?

I was looking for an answer and some say to ignore it, some say to take it fully and some take only half of the baseline EC into account.

According to the Canna grow guide you have to ignore the backround EC and the nutrients are fully added on top of it (http://www.cannagardening.com/growguide).

Obviously the best solution would be to get the water tested, see what is in there and adjust the nutrients appropriately.

I can not use RO as I am on a water meter. Buying RO water, distilled water or bottled water would be inconvenient due to the large size of my reservoir.

I also don't have any opportunity to collect rain water and I don't have a stream or a well nearby.

Furthermore I am interested what kind of alternative options are out there to get the tapwater EC down if I have to take the baseline EC completely or partially into account?

I read that many are using Brita and I would like to see if that helps. Here in europe Zerowater is not available so I can not try it out.

Do you have any other suggestions?
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