ppm and ec help!
- Thread starter Downey
- Start date
tip top toker
Well-Known Member
TDS meter, PPM meter, EC meter, so far as i'm aware while they measure in slightly different ways (parts per million, total disolved solids, electrical conductivity?) they all pretty much tel you the same thing. How stong your mix is.
I bought an EC meter for £30 a year and a half ago, biggest waste of money to date, never used it, i simply havn't found a reason unless i try a LUCAS style feeding, but why make things complicated. Just give them a new batch of feed every week.
I bought an EC meter for £30 a year and a half ago, biggest waste of money to date, never used it, i simply havn't found a reason unless i try a LUCAS style feeding, but why make things complicated. Just give them a new batch of feed every week.
Downey
Well-Known Member
thanks thats what i was wondering. the guy at the hydro tried to get me to get a ph, ppm and ec pen, but when i asked why i would need to know the ec the logic didn't make sence and the difference in price was almost $100 so i didn't get it. he laughed and said "ok ill see you back here when you change ur mind" so as of right now im glad i didnt listen to him
tip top toker
Well-Known Member
I will openly say that i appear to be one of small breed 
everyone else seems to maintain that sterile, daily monitering, daily ajusting and such is essential to a good hydro grow, but pffffffft not for me, i simply follow what the bottles tell me to do, i havn't cleaned my reservoirs since i bought them a year plus back, i don't actually even measure how much water goes into the tote each time, it always changes, so my PPm/EC could constantly be a little dunnky but i still come out with plenty of great stuff to smoke 
everyone else seems to maintain that sterile, daily monitering, daily ajusting and such is essential to a good hydro grow, but pffffffft not for me, i simply follow what the bottles tell me to do, i havn't cleaned my reservoirs since i bought them a year plus back, i don't actually even measure how much water goes into the tote each time, it always changes, so my PPm/EC could constantly be a little dunnky but i still come out with plenty of great stuff to smoke 
PeteSwitch
Well-Known Member
PPM is a measurement of EC. IE my Hanna PPM meter has a conversion factor of .5 so .1 EC = 50ppm, 1.0 EC = 500ppm,. EC is the most specific form of measurement & is used around the world. PPM is primarily used in the US if I remember correctly (I could be wrong) and the guy at your hydro store was probably trying to sell you a combo PPM, TDS, & PH meter like the Hanna that I own. EC is the better route to travel from what I've read and your PPM is dictated by what stage of growth that you are in. I'm just getting into the 1st weeks of vegetative growth of my BB strain & I"m running them at 500ppm with as close to of a PH at 5.80 as I can get. In flowering I will probably have tripled that PPM count.
Downey
Well-Known Member
+rep man i get the difference now, although i still have no idea what my ppm is or was right now lol. o well i guess ill go back later and get the stupid combo pen thing.
i probably would have listen to that guy at the store if he had explained it better lol, but at the time he failed to show why its was important or what it was really.
tip top toker
Well-Known Member
How has an explanation of what a PPM meter etc is convince you that you now need to go and buy one? :s
Devildog93
Well-Known Member
Yeah....I agree. I already stated in another thread she needs one.
You need to learn the basics first. Worry about your temps, or humidity your ph. Keep your roots healthy, your'e 90% golden.
You're trying to soup up, then drift race a car you have barely even ridden in yet.
Downey
Well-Known Member
i have a few conversations about it elsewhere. its not just the explanation. why should i just say fuck it and not get one? honestly i think i was only going to get one just cuz i was wondering what my ppm is at, but i dont really care to go spend another $200 either. so to buy or not to buy, thats my question
Downey
Well-Known Member
i hear ya. just asking questions and trying to learn everything i can. i think me being used to being a fast learner makes me kinda impatient and want to jump into things. im having a hard time being patient with my plants but mostly everything i do to/with/for them i make sure i take my time and learn stuff before i actually do anything
tip top toker
Well-Known Member
So would you take that on board and call me an idiot? 
You can make your grow as magically complicated as you like or have funds, there are no limits, you can also remember that it's a plant that did just fine for a few days or so before our invention of EC meters.
I ph my water, other than that i moniter NOTHING. I don't have a water thermometer or a room thermometer. People can call me an idiot as much as they like, but hey, i pulled 8oz+ from my last plant, and and continuously pleased with my palnts growth.
You can make your grow as magically complicated as you like or have funds, there are no limits, you can also remember that it's a plant that did just fine for a few days or so before our invention of EC meters.
I ph my water, other than that i moniter NOTHING. I don't have a water thermometer or a room thermometer. People can call me an idiot as much as they like, but hey, i pulled 8oz+ from my last plant, and and continuously pleased with my palnts growth.
Downey
Well-Known Member
i like the way u think... and so far i have pretty much done that same as you, i have only monitored my humidity, room temp, res temp and ph level and like i said i do think im doing pretty good for my first grow. im just board, stoned and rambling to ppl....sorry for the stupid questions guys lol
Devildog93
Well-Known Member
You do need one....I stated that several times. What I am saying is that you are worrying about EC and how it correlates to ppm readings.
I ONLY ever worried about my PPM's and my pH. I had the ability with the pen I had to get a value for everything...ec/tds/ppm....but I never bothered.
I only ever used the ppm's I got from that pen, and the ph readings from my other pen, and temps from my floating thermometers.
I had HUGE success with that method. Yeah, sure I could have tweaked it maybe by becoming a chemist, but I managed to pull 2+ lb per 1000 watt light of premium tops from a mid level yielding strain.
Get yourself a "nutrient strength" pen. What kind is up to you.
I ONLY ever worried about my PPM's and my pH. I had the ability with the pen I had to get a value for everything...ec/tds/ppm....but I never bothered.
I only ever used the ppm's I got from that pen, and the ph readings from my other pen, and temps from my floating thermometers.
I had HUGE success with that method. Yeah, sure I could have tweaked it maybe by becoming a chemist, but I managed to pull 2+ lb per 1000 watt light of premium tops from a mid level yielding strain.
Get yourself a "nutrient strength" pen. What kind is up to you.
tip top toker
Well-Known Member
Haha, i think we've all been there, i quite often get a bit stoned and sit down and start wondering what new thing i can do to my grow cab, after a few hours i always sit back resigned to the fact that i have no need to change anything
Downey
Well-Known Member
LMAO i know u said i need one and i said i will go get one, i was just gonna wait till my next grow to do it.....sorry if im frustrating you lol like i said im just rambling and it's 6am in SD and i haven't been to bed yet so......
tyke1973
Well-Known Member
If you are growing in a hydroponic system then a ppm or a ec metre is a tool that will make the differance between a great harvest and a bad one.ec is electric conductivaty,ppm parts per million this is how many desolved salts there is in the feed you are feeding.But i would say that the most important tool for any newbie is a ph meter once you have this and have yr ph sorted then move over to ppm or ec.I have not used one of any of the three above since flipping nutes,by this is mean useing advanced instead of my old brand canna.When i first started useing advanced i made sure that the nutes are at the right setting according to the tub,what i mean by this is if i add 4ml of sensi grow a and b to 1 litre of water then the ppms are around 1100 and the ph 5.8.I would advice any new grower to use advanced these nutes rip all the other brands to bits,the plants love it and they are around the same price has the rest on the market.But advanced are made with cannabis cultivation in mind,this is what i think makes advanced better than any other out there..........................tyke
Downey
Well-Known Member
thanks 4 the info i will keep that in mind....
tip top toker
Well-Known Member
I'll say it once more, you don't need one. Niether will having one or not ahving one define whether you'll have a good harvest or a shit harvest.