hydroponic Changing Hydroponic Water

I am beginning to experiment with hydroponics. My main water supply reservoir is 27 gallons and is black all around. It is chlorine free, tested the EC before and after I add the nutrients, and ph balance it to 5.8. 
My question is do I need to change the entire 27 gallon reservoir out with new water and nutrients or can I just take a new EC count add the nutrients and ph balance it again to 5.8 IF there is NO algae or foul odor? I am under the assumption that I DO NOT have to replace the entire water supply.
 
 
gorillamotors said:
I am beginning to experiment with hydroponics. My main water supply reservoir is 27 gallons and is black all around. It is chlorine free, tested the EC before and after I add the nutrients, and ph balance it to 5.8. 
My question is do I need to change the entire 27 gallon reservoir out with new water and nutrients or can I just take a new EC count add the nutrients and ph balance it again to 5.8 IF there is NO algae or foul odor? I am under the assumption that I DO NOT have to replace the entire water supply.
 
My one experience was a 5 gal. DWC that I never changed the reservoir contents, just added & adjusted nutes/pH level and I had a successful season. But I have read that changing it SOP.> How Often Do You Change Water for Hydroponics? A long time friend and veteran hydo grower might know.....
 
willard3 said:
Hey Willard, if you get a notification on this quote can you answer this question from your experience? I could swear I've read a few posts that some members DO change it regularly......
 
willard3 said:
You don't have to change the whole thing, but, if you don't, concentrations of things you don't want  including pathogens will increase in the reservoir until you have problems: 
 
Change the whole shebang: water's cheap. Once every two weeks is good.
I always learn things here Willard... I guess I should have read the whole page I posted the link to above as it reports:

"While water changes help when you’re adding nutrients, they also help prevent damage to plants from over saturation of minerals. When nutrients are used by plants there are still traces of minerals and compounds left behind. Plants use up more water volume than they do nutrients, which creates a situation where nutrients are more saturated than when you first added them. Too much of these leftover trace minerals can burn plant roots or kill your plants."

Which is exactly what you posted in above.

One last question:
 
gorillamotors said:
My question is do I need to change the entire 27 gallon reservoir out with new water and nutrients
Considering the size of the reservoir can the change be delayed for up to, let's say 6-8 weeks? I'm thinking with that kind of quantity it would not contaminate as quickly as a 5-10 gal. reservoir..... Just wonderin' your thoughts
 
The_NorthEast_ChileMan said:
One last question:
 

Considering the size of the reservoir can the change be delayed for up to, let's say 6-8 weeks? I'm thinking with that kind of quantity it would not contaminate as quickly as a 5-10 gal. reservoir..... Just wonderin' your thoughts
 
 
Just for reference - I set up a TS and a Jalafuego in a 5 gal bucket on 02/29. I haven't changed the water since then. A 27 gal container should last much longer. Of course, you have to pay attention to what the plants are telling you and act accordingly. 
 
You're going to have to keep track of lots of things in hydro including nutrient concentration and composition, Ph, temperature and etc. Write it down.
 
I don't know how many plants will feed from the 27 gal reservoir, but analyzing your data will give you a signal when things are going south.
 
Hey!
 
I am new to this forum, but not to Hydroponics. I have grown peppers indoors, and out.
 
I have not ever had to swap out my reservoir to be honest unless there was an issue. As noted above, unless it stinks, or you want to be extra careful. You can, it is just an added cost, and time. I have grown using many different methodologies. You can have stinky hydro that is fine, and odorless. Depends on what all you are adding. Add too much Myco, and you gum up the entire system, and in a week it you will be changing it. This is super true if you are doing it indoors. Now, this is based upon my experiences. Depending on what nutrients you are adding, their schedule, etc. you may have a different outcome. If you are attempting to go down the "organic" route, then this could change it as well. Some smell will come from that (I know). Slime in a typical hydro setup (usual grow + bloom nutrients, nothing fancy) then that is a serious sign of a true issue. Do not just change the water, remove the water, thoroughly clean the reservoir, purge anything that the roots are in. You can do a diluted bleach on the reservoir and water. For the other stuff, H2O2 does wonders cleaning stuff, while not harming the plants.
 
Peppers are easiest in my opinion outdoors. No lights to buy, no expensive electricity bill from the said lights. Plus, instead of swapping out the res, I found that when it rains, it usually overfills the res. Then you just have to check it after a rain. In the heat of the summer, you may find that you have to check your res once a week to ensure it has the right EC/PPM/pH, etc. Once you do that, mostly I top it up with fresh water once a week, and may add more nutrients every other week, sometimes even once every three weeks. Just make sure to keep an eye on your res level.

I used to use those 27 HDX totes for a res. Those work great, and last several years even outdoors. Keep it shaded outside, or keep it away from animals indoors. I moved on to using 55 Gallon drums. The more you have the less fuss you have with it. That was the real reason.
 
As for the other question regarding how many plants per 27 gallon tote, I honestly would not do more than 16. Outdoors I utilize a top drip method (I made rings around each plant with a bunch of holes in the rings). I dripped 3-4 times a day, plant size, and time of year dependent.
 
Indoors, 1-2 a day was fine for drips in a more controlled environment. Typically you can go heavier on the nutrients indoors as well. Outdoors, they get thirsty in which they want more water in higher heats, and less nutrients.
 
Keep an eye on it, test ECC/PPM + pH once a week. Look at the leaves, look for any discoloration. Look for any leaves rolling up, or down. Do not get crazy with it. But things like leaves turning color can mean nutrient deficiency, or over watering, etc.
 
If I left something unanswered, or if you need anything else, do not hesitate. :-)
 
coreyfire said:
Hey!
 
I am new to this forum, but not to Hydroponics. I have grown peppers indoors, and out.
 
 
If I left something unanswered, or if you need anything else, do not hesitate. :-)
 
I'll keep that in mind, THANKS!
 
The_NorthEast_ChileMan said:
I always learn things here Willard... I guess I should have read the whole page I posted the link to above as it reports:

I'd say let it go for up to 4 or so weeks, just focus on if your plants are telling you anything regarding low nutrition

"While water changes help when you’re adding nutrients, they also help prevent damage to plants from over saturation of minerals. When nutrients are used by plants there are still traces of minerals and compounds left behind. Plants use up more water volume than they do nutrients, which creates a situation where nutrients are more saturated than when you first added them. Too much of these leftover trace minerals can burn plant roots or kill your plants."

Which is exactly what you posted in above.

One last question:
 


Considering the size of the reservoir can the change be delayed for up to, let's say 6-8 weeks? I'm thinking with that kind of quantity it would not contaminate as quickly as a 5-10 gal. reservoir..... Just wonderin' your thoughts
 
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