PPM meter required?

[boochiano]

Hello all. I'm planning my 1st hydro grow and have a PH meter. Do you think a PPM meter is also required. I've seen grows done without one..but I am a newbie..
Ia m going to be using the Lucas Formula with General Hydroponic nutes. Please chim in hydro growers!!

[shivaganesha]

A ppm meter is an essential tool for growing hydro. You can survive without one with a massive dose of common sense, but it's much better to buy a ppm meter. They come in real cheap these days too.

[doob3r]

running lucas formula you wont be able to do without one,

[ocitown]

Originally Posted by doob3r

running lucas formula you wont be able to do without one,

I use my online PPM meter for my hydro res. and the Lucas system and find i could do without it as long as i keep the PH stable AND completely change out the res. every week with new solutions.

Its not at all required but i do it because i have a special GH/AN concoction which changes from week to week in flowering,its one way you could do w/o the meter but a meter will save you allot of time,water and nutes.

The meter IS the best way though....as doob3r has said.

[mordgrow]

Originally Posted by doob3r

running lucas formula you wont be able to do without one,

did you mean will be able to?
**SOIL**
I haven't measured my PPM once during flower and I use Lucas formula, its very clearly written out how much of what you mix into how much water. and if you never deviate from that you'll be fine.
**SOIL**

If i had to chose between a PH meter and a PPM meter I'd go PH all day (and a good one too!)

A PPM meter is nice, I used it a bunch when i was starting out, but I don't think its necessary, I don't even know where mine is.

now, with that being said, if your NOT going to have a PPM meter you should at least get a sample of your water analyzed by your local water filter store ( the ones that do houses will normally do this for free) so you know what your base PPM is and what it contains.

for hydro, if your doing the "add back" method, you'll want a PPM meter, but if you just add water untill you've added back an amount equil to the original solution, then flush and refill, well you should be fine with out a PPM meter.

its really a good piece of mind, and like somoene mentioned, pretty cheap. I feel that you dont NEED it, but I think that you should have one, especialy when it comes time to trouble shoot a sick plant.

[ocitown]

Thats right,there is two ways to go with Lucas IIRC and the add back is all about #s.

You can change out the res(least used as lucas has clearly stated it can go more than just one grow)OR add back what the plants use and update the solution with a simple or complex formula(didnt look into this but i will soon cause cleaning out MY res is a chore and a half).

[Mycroft]

When I started my first hydro grow, a PPM meter was on my list of things to buy, but somehow I never got around to buying one. Now I'm working on my 6th grow and and I just don't feel I need one. If I got one for free, I'm sure I'd play around with it, but I don't think it would give me very much useful information.


I use the Technaflora brand of nutrients, and I follow their chart on mixing the nutrients. I figure they know what they were doing when they made the chart, and the plants are likely to take up water and nutrients in pretty much the same proportions as the chart says to mix them.

When I top off the reservoir, I either add more nutrient solution or I add ph balanced water. I make the choice really depending on what the nutrient solution looks like when I check it; if it looks normal then I add more of the same. If it looks a little thick, then I just add water.

[ocitown]

Originally Posted by Mycroft

When I started my first hydro grow, a PPM meter was on my list of things to buy, but somehow I never got around to buying one. Now I'm working on my 6th grow and and I just don't feel I need one. If I got one for free, I'm sure I'd play around with it, but I don't think it would give me very much useful information.


I use the Technaflora brand of nutrients, and I follow their chart on mixing the nutrients. I figure they know what they were doing when they made the chart, and the plants are likely to take up water and nutrients in pretty much the same proportions as the chart says to mix them.

When I top off the reservoir, I either add more nutrient solution or I add ph balanced water. I make the choice really depending on what the nutrient solution looks like when I check it; if it looks normal then I add more of the same. If it looks a little thick, then I just add water.

Do you use tap water??

[boochiano]

thanks everyone..I surely appreciate the advise (esp. mordgrow, ocitown, doob3r)--seasoned vets --that's I want to be when I grow up
So to get a meter or not..I probably will..
I do plan to do the topping off method. Anybody rec'd a certain brand of meter?
My PH meter is Milauweke.
Thanks again GC!

[mordgrow]

what ever I have works great, and was cheap IIRC, umm, something wizard, its in my grow room thread. lol
(Like i said, I dont even remember where I put it,, its blue, i can tell you that much! haha)

[Mycroft]

Originally Posted by ocitown

Do you use tap water??

Yes. I try to let it sit for a day or so before giving it to my plants, but I don't always have that luxury.

It generally starts with a high PH, off the scale, but I find that mixing the nutrients usually brings it right into the sweet zone.

[Mycroft]

Originally Posted by doob3r

running lucas formula you wont be able to do without one,

I gotta question for ya. Why not?

First, I want to say I respect everyone. Some great growers here say a PPM meter is good to have, and when I say I don't use one, it's not to challenge anyone or say my way is better, only that it's what I've done so far and that it's worked.

I don't use lucas formula myself, but I've paid close attention to some who do and have been considering making a change to GH nutrients and trying it.

From what I've read, you mix the nutrients, then as the plants use the nutrients you add back water until you've added the same volume you started with, then you flush and start again.

Using that system, wouldn't the PPM always be at or less than what you started with?

[boochiano]

Sounds right...that's why I'm debating on if I need one. Some experienced and fruitful hydro growers that use the topping off lucas formula do not use a PPM.

They check PH.

I'm all about making it easy as possible...

PS Mordgrow..do you use RO water?

[ocitown]

Originally Posted by boochiano

Sounds right...that's why I'm debating on if I need one. Some experienced and fruitful hydro growers that use the topping off lucas formula do not use a PPM.

They check PH.

I'm all about making it easy as possible...

PS Mordgrow..do you use RO water?

Its NOT required,However its use will help your learning curve and can also help understand some problems at their core before its too late.

Using R/O and a PPM meter is IMHO the safest way to go but again not a requirement.

[trupti]

It is easy to use CO2 controller. It can measure carbon dioxide levels ranging from 0 to 5000 ppm. This CO2 monitor can be used with any CO2 generator or valve that operates at a 120 voltage.