tds meter
- Thread starter non1994
- Start date
OZUT
Active Member
The ppm of water is different depending on the city you're in and it's hardly ever the same for 2 different households. Like my water comes out of the faucet at about 375 and I'm sure yours will be different. If the meter you got is used, what I suggest is to go to your hydro shop and get a calibrating solution to calibrate the meter. That's the most accurate way for you to know if it's calibrated. Then you'll know that you're getting an accurate reading on whatever you're testing.
tds is measured in ppm. I assume this is hydro, in which case I hear 1200-1500 ppm all the time. Keep in mind that for hydro you are typically using RO/DI water which is near or at 0 ppm. If you can't use filtered water, you will want to find out what is in your water (check with your municipal water company, they can give you a breakdown of what is in the water), and use those values to adjust what you add in nutes. It is not uncommon to find high levels of phosphate and nitrate (soluble form of nitrogen), which are the N-P in N-P-K fertz. It's also very common to find trace minerals as well like iron, copper, etc.
shnkrmn
Well-Known Member
Hey Ozut, you don't grow with that water do you? Mine's that high and plants don't like it. I use RO.
And gobbly: 1200-1500ppm would be maximum bloom stage. Not the base water reading. Most hydro growers would not use tap water over 100 ppm. I know I wouldn't. Even store-bought RO water from the bulk dispensers at supermarkets (40-50ppm) is cheap enough to not even consider saving the money by not using it.
And gobbly: 1200-1500ppm would be maximum bloom stage. Not the base water reading. Most hydro growers would not use tap water over 100 ppm. I know I wouldn't. Even store-bought RO water from the bulk dispensers at supermarkets (40-50ppm) is cheap enough to not even consider saving the money by not using it.
OZUT
Active Member
There is no set ppm...You want to start off low and build up throughout bloom....Also depends on the strain you're growing....some can take higher levels no problem and some can't...I usually build up to about the 1,500-1,600 range, than cut back the last 10 days or so then flush....I've had strains that have a hard time dealing with 1,200....gotta play around with it...I also grow in soil
yeah, I apologize is I was not clear. I was saying you start with water as close to 0 tds as you can get (using RO/DI), then you put your nutes in. I cites 1200-1500 and mentioned this is what I have heard (trying to convey that I am no expert on hydro
).I wouldn't even bother with the store bought RO water. RO water is drinking water, it's not pure. RO/DI water is pure water, you can easily get it to 0 tds. Most aquarium stores sell RO/DI water for 20 cents a gallon, or you can buy an RO/DI unit starting at around $80, and going up depending on your needs, and make it for around $0.002 a gallon (depending on your local rates). RO/DI is typically more pure than distilled water, since most distilling is still done in copper apparatus.
Spanishfly
Well-Known Member
Just do not know how I can get a pound a plant without pH, tds, ppm and whatever other meters.
Spanishfly
Well-Known Member
Still waiting for someone to explain wthat tds and ppm actually are?
"Total Dissolved Solids (often abbreviated TDS) is a measure of the combined content of all inorganic and organic substances contained in a liquid in: molecular, ionized or micro-granular (colloidal sol) suspended form. Generally the operational definition is that the solids must be small enough to survive filtration through a sieve the size of two micrometer."
ppm is Parts Per Million. It's a straight conversion. If you had 1 ppm of salt in water, and you had a million gallons of water, you would have one gallon of salt. If you had a collection of red dots with a concentration of 500,000 ppm of blue dots mixed in, you would have half red and half blue dots.
When we talk about TDS meters I believe they are in fact EC (electric conductivity) meters which convert the EC value to ppm... EC is measuring the conductivity of salts in the water (and possibly other things, this is getting toward the boundary of my knowledge). Either way, it's how we measure how pure water is for most hobby style applications.
ppm is Parts Per Million. It's a straight conversion. If you had 1 ppm of salt in water, and you had a million gallons of water, you would have one gallon of salt. If you had a collection of red dots with a concentration of 500,000 ppm of blue dots mixed in, you would have half red and half blue dots.
When we talk about TDS meters I believe they are in fact EC (electric conductivity) meters which convert the EC value to ppm... EC is measuring the conductivity of salts in the water (and possibly other things, this is getting toward the boundary of my knowledge). Either way, it's how we measure how pure water is for most hobby style applications.
shnkrmn
Well-Known Member
Spanishfly
Well-Known Member
I could, shnk, but I am not really the least bit interested in tds and whatever meters. Certainly don´t need them to get over a pound a plant.
Oh, incidentally, how many pounds a plant does your little meter get for you? Let´s see a pic.
Oh, incidentally, how many pounds a plant does your little meter get for you? Let´s see a pic.
shnkrmn
Well-Known Member
That explains why you have 1200 posts in two months, but not why you posted "Still waiting for someone to explain wthat tds and ppm actually are?" in this thread. Why post a question if you aren't interested in the answer? Just to run up your post count or something?
LMAO. I have nothing to prove in this regard. Would you like to duel with me, instead?
Spanishfly
Well-Known Member
No, I am more interested in PRACTICAL results. What does a ppm meter do in terms of yield?
Sadly appears to be not an awful lot.
Sadly appears to be not an awful lot.
shnkrmn
Well-Known Member
Again, why are you posting in this thread, if you aren't interested in the topic?
You should start a thread in the hydroponics section if you are curious about what people use meters for and why they are important to things like yield (but only if you are interested). We aren't all dirtbaggers here, you know.
Spanishfly
Well-Known Member
OK, shnkrmn, nobody can tell me how a ppm meter can improve my yield. Everyone, including you, just seems to want to duck the question, just keep asking me how INTERESTED I am in the stupid things.
So I won´t get one - can´t see any reason why anyone would want to.
shnkrmn
Well-Known Member
To control the concentration of nutrients in a hydroponic solution, it's very helpful to have exact knowledge of those concentrations and the pH of the solution to maximize plant uptake of said nutrients. That's what my meter provides: information.
Nobody wants you to get one, dude. I'm sure you grow your multi-pound trees in the great outdoors in dirt, which is just great for you, But I'm happy with my little scraggly yields.
I remind you, you asked a question you claim you aren't interested in, which you claim no one can answer. But gobbly did and so did I.
My apologies to the OP. I'm outta here.
Nobody wants you to get one, dude. I'm sure you grow your multi-pound trees in the great outdoors in dirt, which is just great for you, But I'm happy with my little scraggly yields.
I remind you, you asked a question you claim you aren't interested in, which you claim no one can answer. But gobbly did and so did I.
My apologies to the OP. I'm outta here.
Spanishfly
Well-Known Member
Sorry, HYDROPONICS - didn´t actually realise that was where they were used - guess the thread was in the wrong forum. Hell, I am outta here too.
lol. meters aren't going to increase yield by themselves. They are tools. Nothing more. Does a trowel increase your yield? At the same time do gardener not need something to dig dirt with? Does a jug for water increase your yield, or is it just a tool to make your job easier?
Anyway. TDS meters are usually used for two things. As mentioned, it allows you to accurately determine the concentration of nutrients in solution. More common for hydro, but works just the same for the water going into soil as well. The other place I use mine is on my RO/DI unit, to ensure that the water I am getting out of it is pure, and to help me gauge when the membranes need to be changed. I grow in soil, not hydro. You are simply not thinking about it the right way. It's not a new fangled gadget claiming to "give you lbs!". It's just a simple tool to determine how pure water is, or conversely, how much of a substance you have added to water.
Anyway. TDS meters are usually used for two things. As mentioned, it allows you to accurately determine the concentration of nutrients in solution. More common for hydro, but works just the same for the water going into soil as well. The other place I use mine is on my RO/DI unit, to ensure that the water I am getting out of it is pure, and to help me gauge when the membranes need to be changed. I grow in soil, not hydro. You are simply not thinking about it the right way. It's not a new fangled gadget claiming to "give you lbs!". It's just a simple tool to determine how pure water is, or conversely, how much of a substance you have added to water.