How to add nutrients to reservoir

thatreedocta

thatreedocta

Active Member
I have a drip to waste drip system reservoir. I'm doing the lucas formula (8 ml micro, 16 ml bloom per gallon) and fill reservoir with 20 gallons. The problem is, once my reservoir gets down to like 2 or 3 gallons or so, the water level is to low for my water pump to suck in water so i've been just dumping the 2 or 3 remaining gallons out and starting it fresh which a pain in the ass because i have to do it without my roommates finding out.


My question is, say i'm down to 1-3 gallons with 1000ppm (don't know exactly how much is left in reservoir), if I just add like 17 gallons at 8 ml micro/16 ml bloom per gallon will the ppm stay at 1000 or will it mess that up and mess up the nutrient balance?
 
...a lot of the hydro guys will top off most of the time and only change out the res every couple of weeks to ensure the nutrient solution is at the correct strength AND the correct ratios so just mixing your nutriment and adding say 5gallons to your depleted res is fine as long as you make it a regular practice to empty your res and start over every couple weeks.

...if you don't do that and all you do is top off it won't take long before you start seeing signs of trouble.

...active hydro is not for the lazy of heart.

peace, bozo

btw, i'd also recommend that you top off more frequently, don't wait until your res is so low your pump won't function.
 
justanotherbozo said:
...a lot of the hydro guys will top off most of the time and only change out the res every couple of weeks to ensure the nutrient solution is at the correct strength AND the correct ratios so just mixing your nutriment and adding say 5gallons to your depleted res is fine as long as you make it a regular practice to empty your res and start over every couple weeks.

...if you don't do that and all you do is top off it won't take long before you start seeing signs of trouble.

...active hydro is not for the lazy of heart.

peace, bozo

btw, i'd also recommend that you top off more frequently, don't wait until your res is so low your pump won't function.
Click to expand...

Even if its drip to waste and not recirculating?
 
yes even if it's a drip. just make sure the water you add is ph balanced and ppm's balanced for your stage of growth and you'll be ok. but you still want to change the res every couple of weeks or when you see first sign's of deficiency on your plants...
 
do you have meters to check ppm's and ph, and temp? if not you better hurry and get them bro. they are mandatory if you are drp, ebb and flo, nft, or aero growing....
 
thatreedocta said:
Who said I don't check ph and ppm? Yeah I have meters. Im not sure if you get my question.
Click to expand...
...yeah man, i think he gets your question just fine, ...but your initial question seems to indicate you don't have a whole lot of experience and so he's checking to see if you have all the necessary equipment is all.

peace, bozo

btw, the reason you still need to check that shit and to change out your reservoir on a regular basis is because your plants don't uptake the nutrients in a uniform way so some get used up while others are left behind, ...then when you add more you create an imbalance which too often results is some form of lockout.
 
^ He's using drain-to-waste, not recirculating.

I imagine the only thing he has to worry about is the nutrients possibly sitting there in his res and "settling"...

The real question is, does he have anything circulating his res solution, like an extra pump or airstones.
 
that is a good question and thanks bozo, i was just trying to figure out his situation. his question initially did seem like he didn't have meters and i understood his drip to waste but blacksun has a great point... i'm a soil grower and my res has recirculation pumps, aeration pumps and heaters to make my feedwater perfect....
 
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