Ebb & Grow System / Trouble with my PPM

**cons32** · 04-04-2009, 09:26 PM

I'm using the ebb & grow 12 bucket system for the first time. I love the system's ease of use, but I'm getting concerned about my ppm's. Every time I do a water change, my ppm's shoot up from 1200 to 1900 after a few cycles (the 1200 reading is after all of my nutes are added). I clean out the res and fill bucket with every water change. Where are these extra ppm's coming from? Are they from the water that stays at the bottom of the 12 buckets? Has anyone else had this problem? Any suggestions or advice?

**SpruceZeus** · 04-05-2009, 02:29 AM

I don't know if it applies to you, but for me, when my ppms go up usually it means i need to lower the amount i'm feeding, and vice versa.

**easygrinder** · 04-05-2009, 02:36 AM

if your putting in 1200 ppm nutes and your getting out an extra 700 ppms, its gotta be coming from somewhere, only place it can be coming from is your medium, which means you currently have around 700ppms of unused nutes in your medium, sounds like you need a flush, you got some salts

**cons32** · 04-05-2009, 07:43 AM

Originally Posted by easygrinder

if your putting in 1200 ppm nutes and your getting out an extra 700 ppms, its gotta be coming from somewhere, only place it can be coming from is your medium, which means you currently have around 700ppms of unused nutes in your medium, sounds like you need a flush, you got some salts

So flushing with clearex or something would be a good place to start?

**easygrinder** · 04-05-2009, 08:02 AM

flushing out all existing nutrients within the medium is your plan of action

**homegrown2009** · 04-05-2009, 08:07 AM

Originally Posted by easygrinder

flushing out all existing nutrients within the medium is your plan of action

had the same problem flush your system you need to flush your system once a week with pure water or you will always have a build of of salts my ppm would jump all the way to over 2100 using ducth master gold also try using less nutes cuz if your run off is higher it means your plants are using more water then nute so top off with water if ppm is high to bring it back don

**mrduke** · 04-05-2009, 10:06 AM

i've got that same setup and never had any such problems. May be try to pour a couple gal.s in eachh bucket when doing your res change to wash out the old water in the bottom bucket. Ebb & gro sure is easy i love this setup.

do you use RO water or tap? some tap will add quit abit if you have very hard water, try some RO'd water it hold ph better too

**cons32** · 04-07-2009, 07:33 PM

Originally Posted by mrduke

i've got that same setup and never had any such problems. May be try to pour a couple gal.s in eachh bucket when doing your res change to wash out the old water in the bottom bucket. Ebb & gro sure is easy i love this setup.

do you use RO water or tap? some tap will add quit abit if you have very hard water, try some RO'd water it hold ph better too

I use RO. I think I might have been a little lazy with monitoring my PPM's. I was taking the set it and forget it approach, which I realize now isn't a very good idea.

How many gallons should I be putting in the res for 12 plants. I've been doing 40 gallons. Can I cut that back or is that about right?