How do you know when to change the res water?????????
- Thread starter spli f
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Heisenberg
Well-Known Member
If the water is cloudy or stinky it needs changed period. Otherwise I would start out changing once a week if I were you, and then trying to see if you can go 10 days or more. I personally would never go longer than two weeks.
SnOoPXIV
Active Member
you should change the water week depending on the size of ure res. There is no way you are gonna tell wen to change the water by lookin at it or smelling it
How do you tell if it needs to be changed?????this is going to be a DWC system
Heisenberg
Well-Known Member
Weekly is fine for 4 gallons, but as I said, if it is ever stinky or cloudy, change it regardless of how old it is. I never said to leave the water in until it's stinky.
j to the c
Well-Known Member
why would you have to change it so much? If you have a 4 gal res. and then you are always adding water and nutes into it, prob everyday. as long as the water going in is stable ph and good ppm(prob make a 10gal batch and give whatever amount daily) You would NOT have to change your water till the end of your cycle.
j to the c
Well-Known Member
BTW: the stinky smell is a gas produced by the roots when they are stressed and most of the time its not enough air OR temp too hot. make sure you have air bubbles and a frozen water bottle in there at all times. Cooler water increases the dissolved oxygen(DO) and in turn is increased uptake of everything
Heisenberg
Well-Known Member
Going the entire bud cycle without changing the water is possible, people do it all the time. However, there are also lots of reasons to change the res weekly-ish. It all depends on your philosophy and the way you have decided to grow. I personally found there were less headaches if I changed the water every 1-2 weeks, and I assume a new grower would want as few headaches as possible.
Some reasons to change the res:
Avoid salt buildup - Salts can deposit on roots or the sides of the res, which could leach back into the water later causing an imbalance
Ensure correct levels of nutrients - Plants use some nutes more than others, and at different times... too much of one nute can lock out another. Simply checking the PPM can't tell you the concentration of each element.
Reduce spore load of microbes - proper res maintenece should be the first step to reduce the problem with nasty stuff in your water, but some ppl like to change the res regularly in an attempt to keep things sterile. Plants will use roots to deposit stuff back into the water; some of it is intended to feed microbes. (the plant thinks it's in soil) Some people feel the presents of this carbon invites root rot.
Final flush
Some reasons to change the res:
Avoid salt buildup - Salts can deposit on roots or the sides of the res, which could leach back into the water later causing an imbalance
Ensure correct levels of nutrients - Plants use some nutes more than others, and at different times... too much of one nute can lock out another. Simply checking the PPM can't tell you the concentration of each element.
Reduce spore load of microbes - proper res maintenece should be the first step to reduce the problem with nasty stuff in your water, but some ppl like to change the res regularly in an attempt to keep things sterile. Plants will use roots to deposit stuff back into the water; some of it is intended to feed microbes. (the plant thinks it's in soil) Some people feel the presents of this carbon invites root rot.
Final flush
kylecole420
Member
the guy that said make a 10 gallon batch and just add it in that is a no no in my book. When you top off just use plain balanced water. Water evaporates quicker than the nutes do so if you keep adding more your solution will be way to strong. A weekly change never hurts anything in my opinion. I would rather buy more nutes than have a good grow go bad.
R2F
Active Member
For a 55 gallon drum, we change it out every 2 weeks for 48 plant grows, even if the water isn't stinky yet. Over time the PH of a reservoir requires more and more pH Down to keep it around 5.8.
The above posters have it right.. stinky water, or hard to control PH water needs to be changed out.
The above posters have it right.. stinky water, or hard to control PH water needs to be changed out.
I noticed when my ph goes out of whack its time to change the res,but can also mean there are other problems,keep your nute solution cool and monitor your ph and set up a schedule to change your res and you should be fine,I have plants in 5 gal buckets,my plants use a gal. per day per bucket,although Im adding just plain water you still need to change the water,I get anywhere from 7 to 10 days before I have to change my solution out. good luck
Immortal One
Member
I change my water out once per grow. When switching to bloom nutes. Never had a single problem.
If your container is light proof, you wont have any problems.
If your container is light proof, you wont have any problems.
Heisenberg
Well-Known Member
Light proofing will help reduce algae but it does not address the many other reason that the water needs changed. Changing once per grow is fine if it works for you, but giving someone the idea that all they need to do is light proof and they will be OK is doing them a disservice.
its all preference. if you can maintain a clean res, free of root rot, algae, and other harmful microorganisms, then you probably wont have to change your water out as often. that doesnt mean you shouldnt keep an eye out on your ppm/ph/water level daily though. and yea, if the water looks dirty/brown/cloudy, change it out.
I change my water out twice: when switching to flower nutes, and then 2 weeks before harvest, i do a "flush", but I dont flush with clean water, I just replace the water with half strength nutes.
I change my water out twice: when switching to flower nutes, and then 2 weeks before harvest, i do a "flush", but I dont flush with clean water, I just replace the water with half strength nutes.
