Water Spec Request

14 years ago

Hey all, I was wondering if a kind soul would be willing to provide me with some data - I've got a 12 plant, 17g DWC system running at the moment, for Bibb lettuce, and I'm trying to nail down my nutrient solution.

In the next couple weeks or so I'm going to pick up a combo EC/TDS/pH tester to get some solid numbers. Until then, I was hoping someone here would be willing to share of their experiences.

I'm running Maxsea General Purpose (16-16-16) ferts, supplemented with Epsom salt for magnesium. The pH of my tap water, before nuts, is 7.5 (I'm waiting for a full copy of my local municipality's water quality analysis, ATM). My nutrient solution is composed of 1 teaspoon Maxsea + .25 teaspoon of epsom salt, per gallon of water.

Does this seem generally okay for Bibb lettuce? If anyone has experience with using Maxsea + Epsom for hydro, I'd appreciate some input.

This is a test system, just to play around with. Eventually, I'd like to be mixing my own nutrient solution, using pure chealated macros and micros, automatic pH stabilization, CO2 and O2 supplementation, precise, by the micromole, light control, all the fun stuff. A system that would make Resh proud. For now, I'm just trying to make sure I'm not locking out any of my baby's food.

I'll be posting pictures of them, btw, once my system is a bit more formalized (not so messy looking). :)

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Comments (3)

homehydro
14 years ago
1. What is a " 12 plant, 17g DWC system." Are you saying it weighs 17 grams? If so, are you saying the whole system weighs 17 grams, or just each plant? I got to assume the plant, but not sure how that would matter, or how you weighed it.

2. I'm not familiar with the nutrients you state your using. But my first thought is why are you trying to alter it's composition by adding the Epsom salt in the first place? Does that hydroponic fertilizer not contain magnesium? Is it not for hydroponically grown plants? Or are you just thinking adding more of whatever you can couldn't hurt?

3. Are you asking what pH your nutrient solution should be?

4. I'm not sure how a combo EC/TDS/pH tester would help answer any of that. Other than what the pH is, but wont answer what it should be (much less how to mix your nutrients, beyond the overall strength).

5. Have you contacted the nutrient manufacture to ask them what they would suggest in how to mix them?
grizzman
14 years ago
I suspect he meant 17 gallons DWC system, but I too was unsure.
And I agree, contact the manufacturer for their nutrient recommendations.
Until you're ready to do some figuring on your own, it's best to use what they recommend.
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apt403
Original Author
14 years ago
1.) 12 plant, 17 gallons.

2.) Maxsea is a water soluble fert, I've seen it used from everything from Orchids to roses to trees, and a few sites said it was okay to use for a hydro system. It doesn't contain magnesium, hence the Epsom Salt.

3.) I assumed that if anyone was using Maxsea in a hydro system, they could tell me where I'm at with the nutrient solution, too strong, too weak, etc. I can't measure EC, and all the information I have at the moment about my water is the pH of the plain tap.

4.) Lettuce does best at an EC of 1200 microS cm-1, and a pH of 5.8, based on Cornell's handbook. They're using Pete's Hydrosol, so the actual breakdown of the nutrients are a bit different between the two nuts.

5.) That was my next step, though I'm probably going to switch over to a more applicable nutrient soon.