Can someone explain to me Total Disolved Solids, Parts per Million, and EC? I know readings are different for different nutrients/rez. sizes etc. but is there a general rule of thumb what should be what?

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"Consider yo' bad self enlightened, homeslice"-StinkyAttic

Very good answer, I'll have to mark that page.

Is that what you were looking for ? Remeber it will tell you PPM's but not what chemical it is. The water companies put chlorine and flouride in the water and many peeps think if you let it sit overnight the chlorine evaporates. Sorry to tell you it does just enough to not smell. Check with meter before and after. Many TDS stays in the water. Being a heart attack patient this bothers me because there are many solids still in the water clogging up your viens. I try to drink what my plants drink R/O water. if I want other things like nutes or vitimans I put them in there. On the other hand well water has iron and minerals but still you don't know what just how much.

Manufactures specs on nutes should be the same no matter what size rez you have. We talk mostly about PPM's because that is most common coversion of TDS and EC.

I mix nutes to the PPM of what stage I'm in. veg is lowwer than flower. In R/O water that starts at 0. Then I mix additives like calmag, superthive, bud blood, bigbud, carboload or what every you use even molasses.

Not quite sure what the question is about rule of thumb except alway mix nutes first to what level you want. Some mixes I make can reach 1400 PPM's at flower time all together.

Could you elaborate more on the PPM's with your R/O filter and calmag? I'm attempting to use a decent R/O (i get 17 ppm) with the Gen Hydro 3 part Flora series. After severe deformities and malnurishment, I found out that Calmag is a must!! So now the growth is instantly back to normal and going fast. But, unfortunately the leaves have a tiger striped yellow/green look almost like under fert possibly. I called the tech at G.H. and I think it was the biggest waiste of time in my life (see another thread). Anyway, so far there has been nobody I can find who can shoot from the hip with personal experience a clear answer about the Gen Hydro 3 part PPM's.

I've seen a million grow log's and a billion posts discussing PPM's and how important they are yada yada.... but no posts (save a few) that have ANY numbers of mixed ppm's listed (especially GH 3 part).

I know it sounds like I'm bitching, and I'm completely open to the possibility that I'm way over complicating it. But I've posted this question several times and NO NUMBERS!!


peace