Low tap water EC

[Strawberry Fields]

Planning my first grow in coco. I just received a new EC truncheon and tested my tap water, it doesnt even register so im assuming its somewhere between 0.0 and 0.1.

 

I was planning to use just canna A + B in canna coco. Keeping it simple.

 

With the EC that low, would you add cal mag straight away? Or try just the nutes and see what happens?

 

I grew in soil in the past with up and down results. I had "calmag" issues in soil but was never sure if it was actually that or down to my poor growing skills.

Edited July 7, 2023 by Two Tents

[Shumroom]

My waters the same, 

I thought my truncheon was broken until I put some nutes in the water

 

I use Intense Nutrients MagCal, 

there are lots of different Ca:Mg products some have more Nitrogen in them than others. 

 

I add around 1ml/l to bring my water up to EC 0.4 first, 

then I add my A and B to get the desired feed level. 

 

Good luck with the first coco run 

 

It's a wee bit like painting by numbers

 

Atb 

 

 

 

[Strawberry Fields]

Just now, Shumroom said:

My waters the same, 

I thought my truncheon was broken until I put some nutes in the water

 

I use Intense Nutrients MagCal, 

there are lots of different Ca:Mg products some have more Nitrogen in them than others. 

 

I add around 1ml/l to bring my water up to EC 0.4 first, 

then I add my A and B to get the desired feed level. 

 

Good luck with the first coco run 

 

It's a wee bit like painting by numbers

 

Atb 

 

 

 

 

Thanks for that. I'll grab a bottle of calmag.

 

I thought it was broke too Spent ages messing with it before I hit on the idea of adding some nutes and trying again.

[Shumroom]

I changed the battery in mine before I thought about try it with a few ml of nutes

 

Atb 

 

 

 

[GreenVision]

4 hours ago, Two Tents said:

tested my tap water, it doesnt even register so im assuming its somewhere between 0.0 and 0.1.

 

 

 

 

Im gutted.......

 

Mine's 0.7 - 0.8

 

I have to run a massive RO filter for 6 hours to get water like that.

[mysticriver]

13 hours ago, GreenVision said:

 

 

 

 

Im gutted.......

 

Mine's 0.7 - 0.8

 

I have to run a massive RO filter for 6 hours to get water like that.

yep

 

 

mystic

[Mr mcgregor]

19 hours ago, GreenVision said:

 

 

 

 

Im gutted.......

 

Mine's 0.7 - 0.8

 

I have to run a massive RO filter for 6 hours to get water like that.

so's mine, I gave up trying to grow in compost .Coco coir is cheaper than a r/o system

[GreenVision]

Just now, Mr mcgregor said:

so's mine, I gave up trying to grow in compost .Coco coir is cheaper than a r/o system

 

Yh im Coco ATM as it happens. I've only really used the RO for hydro.

[zen-ken]

Canna says on its website that is assumes a base level of water at 0.4 EC doesn't it ?

 

Im going from poor memory here  ....that being the case they expect you to 'balance and buff' the water.

[Devon Cream]

My tap water is super soft doesn’t register either I use canna coco in there coco medium if magne/ cal is not added doesn’t take long to run into problems .

[catweazle1]

Green Vision. My water is 0.7ec. I pretreat my water with 10% vinegar, usually about 15-17ml in 10L. That will give me about pH5.9 after all is added. If you put the vinegar in first it will convert the insoluble/calcium ions to calcium acetate, which is plant usable. If you put the vinegar in last, it will react with the other nute ions you put in and get exhausted before it solubilizes the calcium. If the mag ratio is crap, just add some epsom.

Edited July 8, 2023 by catweazle1

[greenvigilante]

i have 0.0 from the tap

 

good old scottish water

 

i used to run sensi coco nutes but they were expensive

 

i now run ionic coco nutrients . 5ml per litre for seedlings  and full strength for anything after

 

i dont ph and full strength doesnt burn them for some reason.. no idea why because ive obv burned plants before in coco with other nutes

[The Green Manalishi]

Rather than adding CalMag to soft water, why not try a soft water feed, I’m all over DutchPro sw/ro  nutes, the perfect marriage for my water.

[Shumroom]

I don’t think that’s a great option as the op is looking to start growing in coco 

 

Atb

 

 

 

[Strawberry Fields]

Id already bought the canna nutes with the EC pen tbh. I might try other nutes in future. I was trying to keep it simple with the bog standard stuff this time.

 

Plants are above ground about 8 days now. I brought the water to 0.4ec with the calmag agent, then 0.6ec with the A & B. Early days but looking good so far.

Edited August 28, 2023 by Two Tents