ec/ppm tester
- Thread starter fstevo8
- Start date
mogie
Well-Known Member
Contributed by: ~Shabang
It's simple to find out if you are using too much food or not enough by watching the nutrient concentration levels in your tanks day to day. Don't be concerned with the exact reading, rather watch how it rises and falls from each day to the next. The differences between when you put the solution into the tank and the readings you get several hours later or the next day are what tell you if your plant is eating, drinking or happy.
Start with 1.00 EC (or a SAFE nutrient strength). Next day, if it reads 1.4, it means your plants have been using water and your nutrient solution is becoming more concentrated. This means the concentration of nutrients is too high, so you dilute.
If the meter reads lower than the previous day, 0.7 say, it tells you that the plants are eating nutrients faster than they are drinking water, so you should increase your nutrient strength. If it remains the same, your feeding schedule is on target for now. The nutrient/water intake fluctuates with the growth of the plant, so you must continually monitor it day to day.
Your plants will tell you the optimum nutrient levels. When they are receiving optimum food and water, the readings remain constant. The more you do it, the easier it gets. The reason no one can tell you what PPM/EC levels to use is because every garden is different and every plant has different requirements due to their particular environment. That's why you have a ball park starting figure, but after that your plants will tell you almost exactly what they require.
It's simple to find out if you are using too much food or not enough by watching the nutrient concentration levels in your tanks day to day. Don't be concerned with the exact reading, rather watch how it rises and falls from each day to the next. The differences between when you put the solution into the tank and the readings you get several hours later or the next day are what tell you if your plant is eating, drinking or happy.
Start with 1.00 EC (or a SAFE nutrient strength). Next day, if it reads 1.4, it means your plants have been using water and your nutrient solution is becoming more concentrated. This means the concentration of nutrients is too high, so you dilute.
If the meter reads lower than the previous day, 0.7 say, it tells you that the plants are eating nutrients faster than they are drinking water, so you should increase your nutrient strength. If it remains the same, your feeding schedule is on target for now. The nutrient/water intake fluctuates with the growth of the plant, so you must continually monitor it day to day.
Your plants will tell you the optimum nutrient levels. When they are receiving optimum food and water, the readings remain constant. The more you do it, the easier it gets. The reason no one can tell you what PPM/EC levels to use is because every garden is different and every plant has different requirements due to their particular environment. That's why you have a ball park starting figure, but after that your plants will tell you almost exactly what they require.
littleherb
Well-Known Member
gotcha, big help just went to e-bay and i'm watching one(ppm meter) right now. theres alot to know about this stuff btu it's interesting as hell.
goblin7dg
Active Member
thanks dude, this helped me out a lot. im getting ready for my first grow, and this is going to help lead me towards the right path. makes more sence than it did 5 minutes ago.
goblin7dg
Active Member
Planet Natural-- Checkout Step #1
i was looking at this same tester, is their a cheaper one that someone might recommend, or is their something better for the same price?
looks like a pretty good tester. What i would really like to know is how often is that ph electrode going to last before i need to buy another +60.00 ph electrode replacement?
i was looking at this same tester, is their a cheaper one that someone might recommend, or is their something better for the same price?
looks like a pretty good tester. What i would really like to know is how often is that ph electrode going to last before i need to buy another +60.00 ph electrode replacement?
goblin7dg
Active Member
TCS-Hydroponics - Test Kits and Meters - Hydroponics
went to this site, they got the most popular ones i been able to read up on, from the milwakee to blue lab....
i read from a couple users that they prefer not to go with combo testers, and rather a tester for ph, and a tester for ppm.
where do you peeps get the regular paper ph strips? i need to hunt them down locally, home depot or something.
went to this site, they got the most popular ones i been able to read up on, from the milwakee to blue lab....
i read from a couple users that they prefer not to go with combo testers, and rather a tester for ph, and a tester for ppm.
where do you peeps get the regular paper ph strips? i need to hunt them down locally, home depot or something.
SeattlePot
Well-Known Member
Does this method take evaporation into account? For example, wouldn't evaporative water loss result in a slow increase in EC even if your plants are using equal proportions of nutes and water?
johnq
Well-Known Member
ALL PH AND PPM TESTERS BREAK ASAP. especially your ph testers. ec/ppm testers seem to last for a bit. the ph ones wont last more than a year unless your lucky (as far as my experience goes). the combo testers are worse than any others, i suggest seperate milwakee ph and ppm testers, maybe 150 for both and the ppm one will last a while.
johnq
Well-Known Member
sorry, misread goblins comment, a little drunk. my average for a ph meter is less than 6 months for milwakee, much worse for the others ive tried. maybe i treat them wrong? user: abudsmoker will tell you he much rather trust the water and drop ph tests which are cheaper and as accurate plus you never need to calibrate.