Tap water in reservoir - NEED INFO

Hello,

I have city water with chlorine/flouride added by the government. Is this water safe to use in hydroponic garden reservoir -OR- should I purchase a water filter to remove the chemicals??

Thanks,
DL

When I had my hydro unit, I used city water that I let sit in open gallon jugs overnight to get rid of the chlorine. Everything did well.

Marsha.

Thanks Marsha,

I had been reading about leaving the water overnight and it is good to hear from someone who has actually done it and had success. That is the only way I can do it right now as a water filtration set-up is not in my budget.

DL

I might not be saying the right terms, but I heard that the chemical bond of the chemicals in water is stronger than what it used to be and you can't just sit out water anymore. Well, actually that goes for fish. I was told that so I put in stress coat. So, I bet it would carry over into the garden world too.
But I honestly wouldn't worry about it. Keep a bubbler in there and change the water so your salt content won't build up and lock up your nutrient uptake. Get pH monitor drops and see if you need to add any Up or Down. Sunleaves makes a handy one. But as long as your city doesn't have nasty water, you shouldn't do anything. Hope this helps. thanks.

forevereden,
Thanks!! I need all of the help and suggestions that I can get. It is good to know that city water can be used as long as the necessary testing and precautions are done.

DL

forevereden,

I don't think that stress-coat would help the plants in a hydro system. What stress-coat does is to help fish form "slime coats" that protect them from injuries. It also helps cut chlorine/chloramine in the water, which may be beneficial to the plants...never tried it, so I can't say for sure.

DL,

Testing for pH is a must in a hydro system. There are all sorts of pH up/down solutions on the market right now. My favorite site to get hydro stuff (when I had a unit going) was Worm's Way. A bubbler is essential also, to both keep the water moving and add O2.
A simple fishtank pump, and a large airstone are all you need for this. (Preferably one of the long rectangular types- more bang for the buck.

Are you growing under lights? If you are, a light meter is essential, also. I still use mine to determine who goes where by measuring natural light at various times of the day. It's a very useful tool for any indoor gardener. Plants "see" light a lot differently than we do. What seems like bright light to us sometimes barely registers on the meter. My meter has two settings; one for HID/Sunlight, and one for florescent lighting.

Hydro growing is as much art as science. You just have to experiment, and see what works best for you.

Good luck! Please post some pics, if you can.

Marsha.

Machikoneko,
Thanks for the info - I am new at this and getting info from a seasoned hydro gardener is priceless.

forevereden,
You have a point about the chemical bond in the water. We have chloramine treated water here not chlorine and letting water sit out will not get rid of the chloramine. I will be semi-organic so the chloramine will reek havoc with my nutrients on occasion. I am still in the water filter research stage - need low dollar system BUT need system that removes a high % of the chloramine.

Thanks one and all for the information!!

DL

Oh, no I am sorry, I did not mean putting stress coat in a hydro system! thanks for the info though

I was looking at a product I use in my fishtank filters called "Ammo-chips". It's used to absorb excessive ammonia in aquarium water, so it would be no help with the chloramine.

However, printed at the bottom of the label is this: "To neutralize chloramine, use AMMO-LOCK 2, as directed." I've never used it, but you may want to look into it. You could possibly use it in little net pouches in the water resevoir.

The company that makes it is Aquarium Pharmaceuticals, Inc., P.O. BOX 218, Chalfont, PA 18914. They don't list a website address on the package I have.

I hope this helps!

Marsha