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Tap Water 7.8 - Okay to use?
- Thread starter clp
- Start date
SirStynkalot
Member
No, thats high enough to cause problems within a month if not earlier depending on pot size. If you don't want to invest, order a cheap pH tester kit. I prefer the tube and drops instead of the cheap pens since the pens don't work consistently. The tube and drop kits are a huge pain in the ass, but they're based on chemical reactions instead of cheap electrodes so they give you the right answer every time as long as you use them right. Even if you have a really fancy, expensive meter it's still worth it to have the drops on the shelf so you can figure out when you need to maintain your digital tester. You can get the kits for about $15 at a local aquarium or hydro store.
BE CAREFUL when you handle acid to adjust your pH down. Not one drop on your skin or the floor. Buy less concentrated formulas like the GH pH down when you're first starting so potential mistakes won't eat your skin off or burn holes in your floor.
The higher pH in tap water is usually caused by calcium buildup in older piping. You should probably look into adding cal mag with your normal routine and flushing every month or six weeks to remove the locked out ions.
All in all this will cost you about $50 per crop to bandage or $500 to fix for good (R/O filter, good pH monitor). Ends up costing about the same either way over time after you account for wear and tear on the more expensive equipment but the results are usually better from the bigger toys in experienced hands. My suggestion is to try working with the bandages first - should teach you more about the plants while you build up the cash to drop on bells and whistles. Gotta take a good while learning how to use the more expensive stuff before it'll actually do you any good and in the meantime you'll likely find other bells and whistles you'd rather play with first.
Hope that helps.
BE CAREFUL when you handle acid to adjust your pH down. Not one drop on your skin or the floor. Buy less concentrated formulas like the GH pH down when you're first starting so potential mistakes won't eat your skin off or burn holes in your floor.
The higher pH in tap water is usually caused by calcium buildup in older piping. You should probably look into adding cal mag with your normal routine and flushing every month or six weeks to remove the locked out ions.
All in all this will cost you about $50 per crop to bandage or $500 to fix for good (R/O filter, good pH monitor). Ends up costing about the same either way over time after you account for wear and tear on the more expensive equipment but the results are usually better from the bigger toys in experienced hands. My suggestion is to try working with the bandages first - should teach you more about the plants while you build up the cash to drop on bells and whistles. Gotta take a good while learning how to use the more expensive stuff before it'll actually do you any good and in the meantime you'll likely find other bells and whistles you'd rather play with first.
Hope that helps.
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eighty9concentr
Member
Yes I agree, 7.8 is too high. In soil you should be around 6.2-6.8 and in hydro or coco 5.2-5.8 imo. Sirstynk gave you some great pointers on how to adjust this. I use botanicares ph down, I have used earth juice down as well. Both work well, earth juice is in crystal form and its little more concentrated than botanicares. Botanicare down is in liquid form.
clp
Member
Okay thanks for the tips guys.
Unfortunately I already soaked my seeds in the tap water (left out overnight though). Hoping it doesn't kill them..
I'm going to buy some PH Down. Don't want to invest in an RO filter yet.
The hydroshop staff did say that there is a higher amount of calcium in our pipes. Why would I add more calcium with calmag if this was true though?
Unfortunately I already soaked my seeds in the tap water (left out overnight though). Hoping it doesn't kill them..
I'm going to buy some PH Down. Don't want to invest in an RO filter yet.
The hydroshop staff did say that there is a higher amount of calcium in our pipes. Why would I add more calcium with calmag if this was true though?
can't you just use vinegar to lower ph, it would be a lot cheaper and odds are you have a jug already laying around the house
Ph 7.8 is very high ....test again and every day for a week at the same time, you may wanna talk to your water company about that
I'd be germing in RO water, and later, perhaps mid veg, be introducing your hi water in steps slow like over a month, 10/90, 20/80, 30/70, 40/60, 50 local to 50 RO, in steps but does depend on your volume, the amount of plants and your location
ps. if you do go 100% RO water be sure to add a pinch of Cal mag, each watering to prevent (Mg) def. later
I'd be germing in RO water, and later, perhaps mid veg, be introducing your hi water in steps slow like over a month, 10/90, 20/80, 30/70, 40/60, 50 local to 50 RO, in steps but does depend on your volume, the amount of plants and your location
ps. if you do go 100% RO water be sure to add a pinch of Cal mag, each watering to prevent (Mg) def. later
Of course you can use it! Just use PH down to lower PH to range you want. Do NOT use vinegar, as it breaks down. You can let the water sit for 24 hours and the chlorine will evaporate out, if you are using bennies. Otherwise, chlorine won't hurt plants. It will kill some beneficial bacteria, though, depending on strength. You really need to check the PPMs. That's more important than the PH. If PPMs of dissolved minerals are too high, ie., over 250 or so, you will need to dilute with RO water. Most tap water will have a PH higher than ideal. Doesn't mean you shouldn't use it. Adjust it. And PH pen is fine. Just have a backup to check it, and calibrate it regularly. I personally don't care for the drops. Not accurate enough, but some people like them. Depends on your medium. If in coco, I like to have PH more exact. Drops are good for backup. That's not a really high PH for tap water. Mine is higher, and I use it after adjusting. Let it sit for 24, then adjust, then add nutes, then wait another 24, as PH tends to rise, then adjust again before feeding.
I always use tap water for coco, as it has calcium and magnesium in it, so no need for cal/mag.
I always use tap water for coco, as it has calcium and magnesium in it, so no need for cal/mag.
My tap is pH 8.2-4, high lime [Ca, Mg, et al], high alkalinity. I use it all the time. I use Earth Juice pH Down which is Citric Acid, a chelating agent. I pH my water down to about 7ish, then add nutes. You can play with it to know how much to drop it so that when you then add nutes it'll be in the 5.8-6.1 range, or whatever range you want. The Citric acid changes the Ca, etc. lime into more available citrates.
I'm not worried about the pH so much as your Chloramines. The reg Chlorine will leave the water if you let it stand for 24 hours, but the Chloramine won't. You'll need to remove it another way. If you can't filter it with a KDF-85 filter you can use other things. I suggest you search this site cuz there are threads on this. I believe it can be removed with Molasses, hands full of compost, Citric acid, etc.
Good luck. -granger
I'm not worried about the pH so much as your Chloramines. The reg Chlorine will leave the water if you let it stand for 24 hours, but the Chloramine won't. You'll need to remove it another way. If you can't filter it with a KDF-85 filter you can use other things. I suggest you search this site cuz there are threads on this. I believe it can be removed with Molasses, hands full of compost, Citric acid, etc.
Good luck. -granger
eighty9concentr
Member
My tap comes out 8.8, crazy high. My ppms come out at 180, not too bad. I filter it through a big boy with kdf and ph it to 6.6 with botanicare down. If its a feed day, add nutes first then adjust ph. Thats harder to do with the drops because most foods tint the color of the water. I use a blue lab guardian.
SirStynkalot
Member
calcium and magnesium lock each other out when the ratio of one to the other reaches a certain point. Cal mag adds enough magnesium without going over the critical point for calcium... initially. But over time the excess calcium will still build up and start locking out. That's why you flush out. It just kicks that problem down the road a bit but between the additive and the flushing you can keep kicking it down the road for years on end. It's just a bit more work. For future reference, THIS is the way to use additives. Specific goals in mind that need specific compounds to be reached. Ignore "general plant health boosters" or "flowering boosters." I say this as I unpack a couple bottles of Bloombastic, but I use that particular one in extremely low doses as a mid-flowering trace mineral and triacontinol supplement and adjust my PK base formula accordingly.
Plain Epsom salts (magnesium sulfate) can also work. Same thing though, it has sulphur and often other contaminants in it. Gotta use it somewhat sparingly or be prepared to flush a lot.
germing seeds is fine in untreated tap water. It's how I do it too. You'll want to treat pretty well from this point on, but the signs of damage from using tap water without cal mag or any other correctives besides pH adjustment take a bit to show up and they start small and snowball.
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Snook
Still Learning
Germ (soak>paper towel w plastic wrap) and clone (homemade bubbler (wallyworld products) in local tap (200-240 PPMs/PH 7.2ish) only and have never had any calcium or other type of deficiencies. After germ, RO (sorry) with Nova Bloom @ 350-400 PPMs until they are big enough to clone, then the go on regular 600ppm (jacks+C). Seeds will also germ if thrown in the medium with the NOVA Bloom but I like seeing the tails before planting. as far as your water, like suggested above, let is sit for a day w bubbler if you can... add the nutes, see where the PH settles (the nutes will drive the ph down and then adjust with PH down.. I used to use GH PH down, now its not an issue.. everyone has 'their way' of doing it.. your job is to gain the experience and have it done 'your way'. GL and document your findings, if you grow good weed, you'll forget.
Photosynthesis
Member
Ph-ing in soil is unnecessary. My well water use to get in the 8's. I didn't ever do shit to it other then use it straight out of the tap. The thing you need to be concerned with is chlorine/chloromines/etc.. In my new spot I honestly don;t even know what the ph of my water is. I just filter for contaminants(chlorine,etc...), and use the city water straight out of the tap.
With the right soil you should not have to worry about this.
With the right soil you should not have to worry about this.
I don't worry about the pH of the tap I use with my FF happy frog soil. I just let it sit out for a day or so, before I use it, and have never had a problem. Been doing it that way for over 10 yrs.
I actually bought a pH pen and some EJ pH up and down years back. Did the whole pH thing for about 6 months and didn't see any difference. Lol. Other than it was a pain in the ass.
I actually bought a pH pen and some EJ pH up and down years back. Did the whole pH thing for about 6 months and didn't see any difference. Lol. Other than it was a pain in the ass.
tap water at that pH is fine IMO.
especially since fertilizers are typically acidic and will bring that shit down anyway. I've rarely seen alkaline ferts, most things are acidic. humic and fulvic ACID, etc.
pH all your shit to get a baseline.
base h2o
h2o+veg ferts
h2o+bloom ferts
adjust accordingly.
I typically use GH ph Up.
especially since fertilizers are typically acidic and will bring that shit down anyway. I've rarely seen alkaline ferts, most things are acidic. humic and fulvic ACID, etc.
pH all your shit to get a baseline.
base h2o
h2o+veg ferts
h2o+bloom ferts
adjust accordingly.
I typically use GH ph Up.
Go someplace and buy Distilled water...Buds will taste like cat piss from tap water chlorine contaminates.
Distilled water is p.h.6.0 ..perfect!
Distilled water is p.h.6.0 ..perfect!
I used 7.8 pH tap water with chlorine for years, mostly in hydro. Just get a pipette and a bucket and some pH down.
The chlorine is not a bad thing. It means your water has a much lower chance of being contaminated. If you don't want chlorine just let the water sit for a day before you water the plants.
The chlorine is not a bad thing. It means your water has a much lower chance of being contaminated. If you don't want chlorine just let the water sit for a day before you water the plants.
moonymonkey
Active member
alot of good suggestions in thread.long time ago i wud feed at ph 6.0 onnce,then water twice with ph water 7.4,and kept doing this.it allows the ph to drift to were it balences,reminds me of ph drift in hydro..kinda.although i dont recommend it...prace moons/laff
My tap is about the same as yours. Mid to high 7's.
I use molasses to take out the chlorine/chloramines. 1 tsp per 5 gallons. It also brings the ph down some. In a 5 gallon bucket I use 1 tsp unsulphered blackstrap molasses (mixes much easier in a cup of hot water and then into the bucket) and 10 drops of gh ph down and that brings me to 6.3 - 6.5 ph. Or sometimes if I want to give them a little food I'll use 2 capfuls of pbp bloom in place of ph down, to bring ph within range.
Thread for removing chloramines with molasses: https://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?threadid=266590
I use molasses to take out the chlorine/chloramines. 1 tsp per 5 gallons. It also brings the ph down some. In a 5 gallon bucket I use 1 tsp unsulphered blackstrap molasses (mixes much easier in a cup of hot water and then into the bucket) and 10 drops of gh ph down and that brings me to 6.3 - 6.5 ph. Or sometimes if I want to give them a little food I'll use 2 capfuls of pbp bloom in place of ph down, to bring ph within range.
Thread for removing chloramines with molasses: https://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?threadid=266590
