Tap water and hydroponics, what do you think about it?

Discussion in 'Hydroponic Growing' started by dazed_spirit, May 5, 2021.

  1. Hey guys! So I am considering experimenting with tap water for my next run. Have you tried it or known anyone to do it an not have a huge disaster? lmao. So it will be in RDWC, with a chiller running. My idea from what I have read is to pour enough to fill my system into my mixing container, an have it sit under the lights (UV rays) to get rid of the chlorine. I will try 24 hours an see where the ppm ends up at. I will just run it through some kinda GAC filter that I can purchase or jimmy rig myself (dependant on whats cheaper) to remove the chloramine. What do ya think? Is this leaning towards being a waste of time or does it sound somewhat plausible? My city water as it stand now is sitting at a TDS of 220 and pH of 7.8 outta the tap. Any thoughts on this are totally encouraged to be shared.
    ~have a chill day~
     
  2. Your tap water should be fine........not necessary to remove the chlorine or the chloramine.
    I've been using it for years without issue.
     
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  3. my tap water is around 58ppm and around 6.8Ph

    I used to let it bubble for 24+hrs before adding to the res, but i've been going straight from the tap/add Nutes&phdwn and into the res for about a year or more.

    not sure if it would work for you though.

    best of luck! :)
     
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  4. #4 DaPhats, May 5, 2021
    Last edited: May 5, 2021
    Unless you're on some crazy bad city water, the chlorine or chloramines in the water are well below the amount that harms plants.

    IIRC, national limits are 5 ppm and it has to be over 150 to affect plants.
     
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  5. I just perused through your grow journal, if that is from city water I am def willing to give it a go looks like you got some great results!
     
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  6. This is good to know! I keep running across posts where people mention that the levels of minerals/chemicals in city water can ruin a plants ability to uptake nutes but if you have been fine for a year I am def willing to give it a shot I haven't checked the ppms yet. That is something i will be doing tonight.
     
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  7. Nice thanks for the input! I was wondering if I was going overboard. lol.
     
  8. I tried my 190 ppm tap water, and my plants didn't like it.
    Tap water also messes up ultrasonic humidifiers, which I use a lot of.
    I have a $70 RO system that gets ppm down to about 15 (500 scale).

    Other than humidifiers, my main objection to tap is that I don't know what those 190 ppm are, and how to consider them. There could also be things in tap that don't produce ppm, like petroleum.
     
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  9. I’ve only ever used tap water for my DWC. I’ve never had any problems. I guess if my water had a funky smell or chlorine smell I’d worry.
     
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  10. No worries at all. Mine is 400ppm out of the tap, full of necessary micros that people spend a whole heap of money taking out and then putting back in….
     
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  11. Nice, that makes sense. The water here has a fairly strong chlorine smell after you pour it, that is why Im thinking about just letting it sit out for like 24 hours under lights with a bubbler and to try an kick some out.
     
  12. lol that is totally why I am thinking about switching that and there wouldn't be sucha huge waste of water either.
     
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  13. Everyone's water is different. The reality is that tap water is a mystery box full of nutrients but you don't know exactly how much of each(like reaching into a bag of Mixed Nuts w/ M&Ms). Every week you may be pulling out different % of each nutrient and at 400ppm, that's a lot of food to be unsure of. The same feed may burn your plant one week but not another.

    Many people use tap water. I DO. But if you want to know exactly what's going into your plants, therefor actually learn how to fix the water consistently, then just get a cheap R/O system.. hook it up to the washer or something. They're roughly 100$.

    P.S. Leave out a bucket of water over night and stir it a few times. It will smell like a pool if the tap water is that high PPM and you'll probably start drinking bottled water :biggrin:
     

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