Brita filters are just charcoal filters. It's just for taste, it doesn't actually improve the quality by lowering the EC. The only filters worth getting are dechlorinating filters or RO filters. RO being the best.
It lowers PH because it takes out some Calcium. The plants may benefit from that missing Calcium though.
Not necessary at all but why not if you wanna. I would wager unless you have a small plant that you will get tired of the trickle filter rate though after a while. Contrary to popular belief ordinary tap water is by far cleaner then bottled water in almost every state, city, locality. Bottled water has no regulation what so ever city water they literally test it dozens of times a month and a lot of cites are using large scale RO and ozone rather then chlorine nowadays as well.
Thank you. But after about a day of sitting my ph level jumpes back up to 7.2. I had bought some cal mag to add to the water throughout the grow but are you telling me that I should just stick with the plain water n the nutes? and should I only use the cal mag when I see a deficiency?
[quote name='"rhapsodyrcks"']Not necessary at all but why not if you wanna. I would wager unless you have a small plant that you will get tired of the trickle filter rate though after a while. Contrary to popular belief ordinary tap water is by far cleaner then bottled water in almost every state, city, locality. Bottled water has no regulation what so ever city water they literally test it dozens of times a month and a lot of cites are using large scale RO and ozone rather then chlorine nowadays as well.[/quote] Thank you the only reason I got the brita filter (and I got the big old tank looking 1 lol) was because my ph by itself was 7.6 and my sink water goes through a water softener.
Thats what PH up and down is for. It really doesn't matter what your ph balance is if your adding nutes. Atlanta City water is like 8.0 I add nutes it drops it to like 4.0 then I have to bring it up to acceptable range.
A Brita isn't going to hurt anything. You can do just as well letting your water sit for 24 hours to let the chlorine escape. Cal-Mag of some sort should be part of your feeding schedual.
thank you for the tremendous input. But I don't have chlorine in my water. will my nutrients actually lower my ph that dramatically?
here's the reason i suggested the R.O. filter... water softeners are nothing but salt in your pipes... do you want to drink salt? NO???? neither does your plant... whoever installed your softener should have sold your a R.O. unit as well...and for good reason... Water is the first check mark of growing... you need good water... and you need to know the PPM of your water... unless you know, and I mean KNOW, the ppm of your water source it will always be a unknown variable when adding nutrients... whats in your water? calcium? magnesium? I don't know, do you? how would you know? so then your dumping nutrients on top of your water with more nutrients in it...... so lets just take koolaid for example... I make some koolaid for people to enjoy... but I make it weak... and you want it stronger, how much do you add to make it taste exactly like on the box? how much did I add? who knows... now imagine if you put too much your going to get sick and possibly die.... its a shitty example, but its all i got right now.... seriously... if your not going to get this simple R.O. unit for the price... do yourself a favor, get distilled water from the store or R.O. water in the five gallon jugs at wal-mart or something... Brita does not cut it... ever now all that diatribe aside.... you could have really great water and not even need a R.O. unit... but unless you've measured its just one more unknown thing... and besides its healthy to drink clean water and keep the kidneys clean and cook with.... figure it out now or later, but eventually you'll see... but thats just my 2cents..... good luck
I was actually looking at these exact same ones on ebay...do you have one and if so hows the quality? Just dont want it falling apart in a few months
Good....I have two filters now, the one pictured and a stealth hydrologic 100 My stealth cost 225....my filters are 90 bucks and its highly advisable with my ppm that I replace my filters every six months....do the math Even if I bought a whole new pure water r.o.system every four months id still save money
Yes..try it yourself. I test my tap water its 8, add nutes its 4. Just the way it is..not a problem really a couple squirts of ph up stir and its good. As time goes on you'll have it down to a science. I know the exact about of PH up that is required for my watering container..lol. I fill up add nutes add ph up then test and 9 out 10 times I'm on the money. PH for anything changes radically..one of the reasons why you brush your teeth. Usually one of the side effects is it neutralizes acids in your mouth and brings your mouth back to a happy medium ph wise.