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Post by lloyd on Nov 27, 2007 23:00:39 GMT -5
I just got my new toy, a TDS meter.
Toronto water is 190 (all readings in ppm, parts per million).
My planted tank with aquarium plants, U. gibba and neon tetras is 54.
Distilled water is 0.
Toronto rain water has quite a range. My two plastic garbage bins are 17. The rain water in plastic bottles ranges from a low of 10 to a high of 53 with most being ~ 24. I think that the higher TDS might be from when the rain was lighter so it was able to pick up more solids from the air or the roof.
I guess I'll use the low TDS rainwater with TDS 10-17 for my CP's and the higher around 24 or so for my orchids.
Anybody have any thoughts of using rainwater with varying TDS for CP's? What would be the highest TDS to use with CP's?
I'm going to try melting some snow later in the year and see what the TDS will be.
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Post by Flytrap on Nov 28, 2007 15:09:37 GMT -5
Interesting and most useful info Lloyd!
How much are these TDS meters? and where can you buy them in Canada?
I was thinking of buying a pH meter and a "water hardness" meter - which now I understand to be a TDS meter.
I think it'd be useful for the crazy concoctions of fish/ frogs/ shrimps and CP enclosures I've been tinkering with.
I'd be interested to find out the TDS and pH of the rainwater that is collecting in the rain barrels I've connected my gutter drains up to. I sort of wonder if the roofing tiles mixed with wind blown debris (pine needles, leaves, bird poop etc) affects the quality of the collected rain water.
Thanks!
D
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Post by vraev on Nov 28, 2007 17:25:19 GMT -5
yeah! I am thinking of getting something to measure the pH of the distilled water that I am purchasing as well. Thanks for info lloyd.
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Post by lloyd on Nov 28, 2007 22:04:08 GMT -5
stores.ebay.com/Sunstone-HerbalsI looked all over and I could only find the really expensive ones locally in Toronto. I'm talking about $150 or so for a pH meter. I know the one I bought is cheap but I have the calibration solutions and I don't mind fiddling around. It seemed silly to spend a lot of money when I'm really doing "kitchen chemistry". Anyway I found the best deal on the lowest price Hanna Checker 1 pH meter and a Hanna TDS meter at the eBay place above. I know the S&H to Canada is a bit on the high side but they combine S&H so if you get maybe two meters and 3 calibration solutions the S&H is not that bad. Also the service is really good and you probably won't have to pay taxes or duties either. Vraev: Don't bother checking the pH of distilled water. If you want I will check the Price Chopper distilled water myself and tell you. Second the pH of any water with very low TDS (distilled = 0) will be dominated by the soil medium so the initial pH is not important. See the thread below. www.ocps.proboards78.com/index.cgi?board=growtips&action=display&thread=1190655825&page=3
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Post by vraev on Nov 28, 2007 22:49:13 GMT -5
thanks lloyd. That should take care of my concerns. I will take your word for it. phew! if required I am pretty sure I can ask my lab tech to give me a single piece of litmus paper to test out the pH.
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Post by lloyd on Nov 28, 2007 23:14:39 GMT -5
I'm going to calibrate my pH meter tomorrow with some new reference solution I bought at Bustan's and I'll try and get an accurate reading on the Price Chopper distilled water. I already checked its TDS which was 0.
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Post by vraev on Nov 29, 2007 1:55:20 GMT -5
Thanks lloyd. Lloyd....do u know of any pool stores in toronto? They should have silica sand don' tthey??
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Post by sticky on Nov 29, 2007 8:37:40 GMT -5
vraev, TSC stores has sand for 6 bucks for 50 pounds right now. sticky o and you should be able to find ph drops for around $20 i find the meter and the drops equall once you learn the colours and by the way thanks for the drosera and utriculara i havent been around to thankyou they arrived as always ,i love how you pack them thanks again sticky
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Post by lloyd on Nov 29, 2007 10:40:53 GMT -5
I took the time to calibrate my cheap little Hanna Checker 1 today. My digital thermometer said it was 22C (temperature is important for pH references). I calibrated it at 7.02 and 4.00. Then I checked my homemade 9.20 borax reference and it measured at exactly 9.20 so even the cheap meters are Ok if you fuss with them.
Price Chopper distilled water checked at around pH 9.5 but it doesn't really mean anything. It actually kept going down as I watched probably because CO2 from the air was making it more acid.
I also labelled my rain water bottles with the TDS so I can save the low TDS water for the more delicate plants.
I phoned a pool supply place and they only had the really fine silica sand which I already have. No TSC stores in my area unfortunately.
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Post by lloyd on Dec 14, 2007 15:46:37 GMT -5
Two week old snow TDS = 34. Fresh fallen snow (Toronto) = 7-8 TDS. So freshly fallen snow is about as close as you can get to distilled. My roof rainwater varies from 11-56 with the lower being from heavy rains and the average being 17.
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Post by vraev on Dec 14, 2007 16:33:28 GMT -5
thats pretty decent considering its roof collected. Do u just collect the water from the roof gutters??
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Post by lloyd on Dec 14, 2007 17:49:13 GMT -5
Yes it comes off a slate roof into aluminum gutters & downspouts and finally PVC pipe.
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Post by vraev on Dec 14, 2007 19:15:15 GMT -5
aaah! thanks lloyd! Hmm...I should try checkng the water from my roof gutters.
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Post by lloyd on Dec 30, 2007 17:27:02 GMT -5
It poured here on Friday and I collected some rainwater that fell directly into plastic buckets. The TDS was 7. Roof water definitely is higher with a low of 11, average of 17 and high of 52. I think if it doesn't rain for a while pollutants, dust and minerals build up on the roof and contaminate the runoff.
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Post by sdeering on Dec 30, 2007 18:45:14 GMT -5
I think I read somewhere neps can handle 50ppm dont know the rest. The meters I have are made in Calgary I think. They have worked very good for about 3 years now. When I calibrate them they are rarley out.
Do you keep your PH meter in water or the special storage fluid they sell? You probly know but if others are reading you have to keep the PH bulb wet all the time.
Toys are fun fun fun. Stephen
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