Chlorine & flouride free water free from outside water catch barrel

I like your LED grow, and your plants are happy and healthy. May you have a bountiful harvest.
I too am in Canada, infact B.C.... I grew up in the land of (original Blueberry) ^^
 
Yeah I just did some trimming on her earlier today. She's trying to bush every second she gets. Not yet I tells her. ...


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Thanks Cannaresearcher , i appreciate your compliment and well wishes , nice.

I'm in BC as well , central Vancouver island , Summer is coming fucken hey

Me thinks Van island is the home of BC blueberry

Canresearcher said:
I like your LED grow, and your plants are happy and healthy. May you have a bountiful harvest.
I too am in Canada, infact B.C.... I grew up in the land of (original Blueberry) ^^
Click to expand...
 
Chlorine & flouride free water free from outside water catch barrel

@LEDBud Think she might be hermies. At the top flowering site I saw about 3 balls hanging down from here. I pinched them off though. And starting flowering soon though. Maybe a few days to a week or so. No sure. Just hoping she doesn't get to big. Got 26 inches to work with.
 
Chlorine only becomes an issue if the farmer is using an organic system. In organics, the farmer is encouraging a symbiotic relationship between the animals that live in the soil (bacteria, protozoa, etc.) and the plants that live in the soil (MJ, fungus, molds and mildews). The farmer maintains a bio-system that allows the beneficial dance between these two life forms that goes on naturally on our planet all the time. Chlorine interrupts this balance by killing the micro organisms.

That being said ... chlorine has been responsible for saving hundreds of thousands of lives. It makes unsafe drinking water ... safe. It kills bacteria in our drinking water that would really make you sick, and may even kill. Chlorine is A GOOD THING, in our civilized life. Most people don't know, but back in the 1800's the drinking water was so unsafe that most people had to make beer and cider in order to not end up sick. Ben Franklin is reported to have said that "In wine there is wisdom. In beer there is freedom. In water there is sickness." Distilling was mandatory.

But, do our plants care about Chlorine? No. Not really. UNLESS you are trying to grow using organic methods. And the only reason to grow organic is because you enjoy a challenge; and wish to make your life even more difficult than it needs to be. Which is ok, to each his own. That's why people climb mountains instead of taking the tram. It's why they swim across the English Channel instead of taking the ferry. It's why they ride a bike across the USA instead of taking the red-eye from San Francisco to NY like normal people. It's why they jump out of perfectly well running airplanes instead of putting their seat to the full upright position and fastening their seat-belts for landing.

To each his/her own. You wanna climb a mountain? Go for it. I'll meet you in the clubhouse at the top. What ever blows yer skirts up ... but, MY girls don't give a shit about Chlorine. They drink it up. They love the stuff. They beg me all the time, "More Chlorine dad. Please, more Chlorine." But I resist their pleas, because I am a mean daddy.

~ Auggie ~
 
Tap water and its Impact on hydroponicss

There's no point in feeding your garden expensive nutrients if the stuff in your tap water is keeping the plants from absorbing them...

Water is the basis of any hydroponics set-up. Nutrients and supplements are added to the water, which they mix with and change. Water and the various elements found in it also have an effect on nutrients and supplements–to put it simply, nutrients change water and water changes nutrients.

Chlorine and chloramines
The most common issue regarding tap water and hydroponics is chlorine. Many growers don't realize that chlorine is a micronutrient required by plants. The quantity they need is extremely minimal, though, so you do not ever need to add any. Most growers add chlorine without realizing it, since it is already in tap water–this is a rookie mistake. Because plants can absorb this micronutrient, they take in far too much from unfiltered tap water. The result is diminished growth.
Root health is also disturbed by chlorine; beneficial bacteria and fungi are quickly killed off by this bleach-y element. The microflora and microfauna living in the root zone are key to high yields and healthy vigor–without bacteria, organic nutrients would be unavailable to roots. Don't let chlorine kill the good guys!
Chloramines are chemical compounds of ammonia and chlorine that are also often used as municipal water supply sanitizers. Chloramines do not evaporate from water the way chlorine does and many water filters that remove chlorine cannot remove chloramine. The effects of chloramine on your garden are even more detrimental than chlorine.
To avoid the problems caused by these chemicals, invest in a water filter and make sure it takes out both chlorine and chloramine. The improvement you'll observe in plant health will be considerable, which should translate to a substantial increase in your harvest as well.

Hydroponics and chelates
Chelates keep nutrients, especially micronutrients, suspended in solution. Without chelates, some of the valuable elements in your hydro system would lock onto each other, forming chemical compounds that are worthless to your plants. Think of chelates as Teflon coatings for nutrients, keeping things free and available instead of stuck to something. Chelates can be chemical, like EDTA, or organic, like humic acid. All hydroponic base nutrients contain chelates for maximum nutrient availability.
As previously discussed, chlorine is technically a micronutrient. When high-quality hydroponic chelates come into contact with it, chlorine becomes even more likely to enter your plant's vascular system. In other words, chlorine is even worse for your plants in the presence of high-quality nutrients.
Don't let chlorine and chloramine use your nutrients against you–visit your local hydro shop and source out a filter that removes both substances, not just chlorine.

The bubble has popped
Some growers used to 'bubble out' the chlorine in their solutions, meaning they would use an air stone and let the water sit out for 24 to 48 hours. With new technology, though, these chemicals are now just too tenacious to evaporate completely using this method. Again, the only reliable solution is a quality water filter.
Most growers who switch from bubbling out to filtering report immediate improvements in plant health and garden performance. I made the switch several years ago and the results have been outstanding.

Water + oxygen = happy roots
When growing in hydroponics or using nutrient solutions, it is important to oxygenate the water. Experienced growers know that ideal water temperatures combined with motion are the keys to a healthy reservoir. It might also surprise you to know that bacteria are another step in the process to improving water.
Beneficial bacteria want an aerobic (oxygen rich) environment. When we provide cool temperatures and water movement, some strains of bacteria will actually pull in oxygen and make it part of the solution. Do your garden a favor and add a diverse blend of beneficial bacteria to your solution–among the many benefits of these microbes will be white roots and big fruits.

pH adjusters
Here we have another conundrum: incorrect pH levels reduce growth–however, correcting the pH level will also alter nutrient levels.
When scientists formulate hydro nutrients, they try to achieve the perfect nutrient ratios. Chemical pH adjusters contain phosphorus, potassium and other elements. Although our goal might be to correct our pH level, we end up changing the nutrient levels in the process.
Another danger of pH adjusters is going too far in one direction or the other. If you accidentally drop the pH level to five, you then need to raise it up a bit–but now you've added acid and base to the same solution, which creates unwanted salts and altered nutrient ratios.
Now consider the living organisms in your reservoir. We want to encourage beneficial inoculants, not poison them. Chemical pH adjusters in their concentrated form will kill many symbiotic organisms in your reservoir.
When using pH adjusters, add them sparingly. Overwatering and warm water can also cause pH problems–not to mention root rot–so avoid those pitfalls as well. For information on how to avoid pH adjusters altogether, check out my article Soilless Salvation and pH Perfection from the January 2011 issue of Maximum Yield.

Wetting agents
If you fling some clean water on a pane of glass, you can see that the droplets form into rounded beads. This is the natural tendency of water, due to its surface tension. If you do the same with soapy water, the droplets spread out much farther than they would without the soap. Clean water creates a lump; soapy water creates a film.
My physics professor, Dr. Benjamin Malphrus, used to say "Soap makes water wetter." Wetting agents like soap cause water to coat surfaces, rather than just rest on them–that's why we use these products with foliar sprays to achieve an all-over coating effect.
The same rules apply to roots. When wetting agents are used in your nutrient solution, the mix will spread over the surface of the roots, increasing the efficiency of nutrient applications.
Some common wetting agents include coconut extracts, quillaja saponaria (soap bark extract) and organic castile soaps.

Calcium, magnesium and RO systems
Measure the water coming out of your tap with an EC or PPM meter. If your water is like most, it probably contains 150 ppm or even higher levels of unwanted salts. This level of salt in your water limits the amount of inputs you can add. If your nutrient recipe is designed to achieve 1,300 ppm and you use salt-laden tap water, the results will be over 1,450 ppm. These unintended salt increases might burn your plants or interfere with your nutrient regimen.
What is that 150+ ppm comprised of, anyway? Often it consists largely of calcium and magnesium. You might think, "Great–I needed that anyway!" but you would be mistaken. The particular forms of calcium and magnesium that are contained in municipal water are often the large-molecule variety–and large molecules cannot fit into the small pores on plant roots. They are not absorbed by plants, but instead just attract other calcium molecules with a snowball effect.
The only way to reduce salt content is with a reverse osmosis filter. RO filters might seem expensive, but damaged nutrients and calcium lockout can cost more than filtered water. RO units made for the hydroponics industry include carbon and sediment filters to deal with the problems discussed in previous sections, so they have multiple advantages. Like most of my recommendations, the main goal here is healthier plants and bigger yields.

Soaking it up
When we learn how water and nutrients impact each other we can use them more effectively. Some growers just add a dash of this and a dash of that and top it off from the tap–others achieve their goals by learning about, carefully measuring and thoroughly testing every liquid they use. If you want to grow like a pro, get to know your water!

Tap Water and its Impact on Hydro Products - Maximum Yield Indoor Gardening Magazine
 
I am not a chemist, or biologist, and I have never published a double blind study funded by the University of California at Berkeley.

But, I have been growing for over 30 years.
Started as a teen working for a guy who did gorilla grows out in the wilds of Northern California. Started as a mule, packing in sacks of chicken shit, and Top Ramen noodles for the guy working the grow. Finally got my own and did four seasons. I have done outdoor grows of over 300 plants - alone.
I have done indoor grows of 1200 square feet of canopy as a SCROG set up - alone.
I currently operate a clone operation and produce upwards of 5000 babies per month, with a little help.

... and I have never concerned myself with Chlorine, and it has never affected production or health of the plant.
Just sayin.

~ Auggie ~
 
Auggie cool job you have , glad its working well and like they say , if its not broke don't fix it.

I can cheap out with rainwater and reap the same / similar benefits as RO water , imo.

RO water actually has benefits , read up on it , Rainwater being free is a cost effective version.

Well for me its as close I'll likely get.. RO users could be snickering at me haha , but likely not.

its alright , its all good !! lol
 
**For removing Chloramines/Chlorine one can EITHER use a multi-pass carbon filter or for even better results a "UV filter". The action of UV upon Chloramine frees electrons from the NH2Cl to form 4Cl- + 2H3O + NO3- + 3NO3 + 3NH4+ , this then converts
eventually to Ammonium chloride, Nitrogen dioxide, and Chlorine gas (Cl2) which easily off gasses.

... This happens at pL scale ( very little of this is present in tap water usually.. shortwave UV is highly effective for destroying Chloramines.
 
Chloramine removal is a great option

On eBay , you can get a 3 stage Chloramine filter unit for $100. Add a high pressure pump a pressure gauge poly tubing with a valve and its ready to clear water.

If I choose to grow threw the summer I will grab one
 
My city does use Chloride .. thankfully WITH UV light

I dug up a pdf on the local Municipal water supply. I was relieved to find the Chloride mg per liter numbers are as low as they are. I suspect the UV system plays a large role in that.

Chloride levels

Limit: 250 mg/l

Actual
Typical level: 1 to 5 mg/l
Average levels: 3.4 mg/l

````````````````````````````````````

Fluoride levels

Limit 1.5 mg/l

Actual
Typical:0 to 0.15
Average:0.03

It's frighting how high the limit is , Fuk

Also , I found a pdf file on my Cities Watersheds chemical makeup , I'm trying to figure out which ones are pollutants and which are naturally occurring
 
LEDBud said:
My city does use Chloride .. thankfully WITH UV light

I dug up a pdf on the local Municipal water supply. I was relieved to find the Chloride mg per liter numbers are as low as they are. I suspect the UV system plays a large role in that.

Chloride levels

Limit: 250 mg/l

Actual
Typical level: 1 to 5 mg/l
Average levels: 3.4 mg/l

````````````````````````````````````

Fluoride levels

Limit 1.5 mg/l

Actual
Typical:0 to 0.15
Average:0.03

It's frighting how high the limit is , Fuk

Also , I found a pdf file on my Cities Watersheds chemical makeup , I'm trying to figure out which ones are pollutants and which are naturally occurring
Click to expand...


I suspect the Fluoride levels are from naturally occurring as Fluorite (CaF2) in the watershed. It's very common. It's also completely inert material. It occurs mainly with Granite and Quartz on Vancouver Island. Big veins of this on SSI, and it is quite fluorescent under shortwave UV rock lamp in the dark.
 
I think your correct as the untreated intake water has nearly the same mg/l as the treated.
Very close , the samples were not analyzed on the same date.




Municipal water, treated


Chlorine Residual Levels

Free Chlorine 0.28 mg/l

Chlorine Byproducts (Trihalomethanes)

Bromodichloromethane 0.0024 mg/l

Bromoform 0.0008 mg/l

Chloroform 0.0180 mg/l

Dibromochloromethane 0.0039 mg/l

Total Trihalomethanes 0.0218 mg/l

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Municipal water , treated

Fluoride 0.03 mg/l

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Watershed untreated

Fluoride 0.0275 mg/l
 
The Truth:

Claims that it’s illegal to collect rainwater in some states are both true and false.

Eleven states have passed laws about the collection of rainwater, but that doesn’t necessarily make it illegal in those states. Some states actually offer tax incentives to encourage people to setup their own rainwater collection systems.

The topic of illegal rainwater collection first went viral back in 2012 when a man from rural Oregon was sentenced to 30 days in jail for illegally collecting rainwater on this property. The (true) story of 64-year-old Gary Harrington’s jail sentence sparked a lot of questions about rainwater harvesting.

Gary Harrington was sentenced to 30 days in jail on nine counts related to the unauthorized use of water, according to an Oregon Water Resources Department statement:

“Harrington stored and used water illegally by placing dams across channels on his property and preventing the flow of water out of these artificial reservoirs without obtaining a water right permit. The height of each dam varies; two dams stand about ten feet tall and the third stands about 20 feet tall. The total amount of water collected behind these dams totals about 40 acre feet; enough to fill almost 20 Olympic‐sized swimming pools. These man‐made reservoirs feature boat docks, boats, and were stocked by Harrington with trout and Bluegill for recreational fishing.”

The story led many to believe that all rainwater collection in Oregon was illegal, but that’s not the case. The state requires a water rights permit to use public water (including rainfall), but there are exceptions for “collecting precipitation water that gathers on an artificial impervious surface, such as a rooftop or parking lot; in rain barrels.” So, for most people in Oregon, it’s legal to collect and use rainwater.

There has been similar misunderstanding about rainwater collection laws in Colorado. Before 2009, Colorado had strict laws that basically made collecting rainwater illegal. But the state later introduced laws that made it legal to use some rooftop rainwater collection systems and to set up rainwater retention basins at new development sites.

Other states that have rainwater collection laws on the books include Arizona, Illinois, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, Texas, Utah, Virginia and Washington.

But these laws don’t make it illegal to collect rainwater; they outline allowable uses for rainwater and establish tax credits for people who invest in rainwater collection systems.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


I used up my collected water over a dry spell last month so aerated a can of city water for later use.


water_0111.JPG


I was shocked at the amount of Chlorine that was being released , it truly smelled as strong as a public swimming pool for the first 12hrs of aeration.

@ 24hrs the odor was at 5-10% strength @ 35hrs I could barely smell it with my nose by the water.
 
You maybe able to collect rain water in Denver, but us living in the mountains can't run out a hose to water the lawn or wash a car. Much less preventing water from reaching a water basin. A neighbor got served a cease and desist for a rain water collection barrel. Most of the water rights are owned by Denver or Aurora. If you live in those cities you can wash your car or water the lawn. This has been a point of contention between mountain residents and those cities. Farmers were prevented from using their wells for their fields, as the water tables flooded their basements. Water is a very touchy subject in Colorado.
 
Re: Chlorine & flouride free water free from outside water catch barrel

I collect free water for my plants by catching and storing condensation from a window unit. It's basically distilled water. It needs a little pH adjustment but comes off the unit about 6.5 which is fine for soil but needs to come down a little for hydro. Nutes dump it low so I usually have to bring it up some to make it good.
 
The Rain water I aerate has a PH 6 the Tap water has a PH of 7.4 which I adjust to PH 5.8 and 6 , it various.

Adjusting the PH is the Key to a big harvest , having it out of adjustment will cripple the plant big time.

I fucked up when I switched to Tap water I did not PH it at first and the plants stopped drinking / transpiring moisture. Once corrected everything went back on track
 

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