So im getting ready to get my first flood table and my last attempt at hydroponics my ph would fly from 5.5 to 9+ in a matter of hours couldnt figure out why i used dechlorinated tap water should i use r/o any leadership on this topic is greatly appreciated
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It’s probably the alkalinity of your water. My city water is god awful. out of the tap I’m sitting at over 1500ppm. no dice! I would use your RO water. you’d be in control and not having to fight your regular tap water. Just my thoughts… Happy growing!
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I use my dehuey water, it’s been fairly consistent in the res.
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What’s your ph and ec out of the tap?
What nutes and PH product are you using?
I used GH PH down for a few runs and it was terrible. Using AN now (only AN product I’ll endorse) and it’s awesome and keeps things stable for me.
RO is the way to go if you can swing it.
If not narrowing down the issues might solve your tap water problem.
If it’s really high EC and PH , you may be forced to use RO.
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The ec is around 250 to 280 and the ph is roughly 8 to 9 from the tap i was using citric acid to lower my ph not sure if thats a problem. Im really trying to not get an ro system if i dont have to but if its necessary i will
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Thats not a bad idea
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Appreciate ya bto
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Citric acid is terrible imo. It was the main acid in GH and is why I switched to AN’s phosphoric acid ph down.
I chased PH issued until I switched.
Sulphuric acid is supposed to be good too, I know some people make their own.
AN’s is too cheap for me to bother.
A 1L jug of their PH down does around 5000gallons for me, I use 1ml per 5gal to bring me from 7 to 5.6.
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Imma use better products this round thinkin remo nutes and ill look into the an also
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I too have found AN’s Ph up/down to be exceptional, I don’t think I’ve found a better version and I’ve tried dozens
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I think it’s the strongest available phosphoric acid product at the hydro store. I use it now. Unlike other AN products, it is very cheap and concentrated.
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Agreed 100% best one I have used
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Ummmm whats an
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Advanced Nutrients.
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Appreciate that
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Yup R.O. for the win!!
I use a Stealth RO 300 that produces on a good day 300 gallons of pure clean water…this goes into 2 x 300 gallon tanks for a total of 600 gallons of RO storage. 
On a side note water temp has a lot to do with the efficiency of the RO system…77 degrees is the ideal temp for producing RO water…I use a blend valve to dial in the exact temps.
EDIT: As far as pH down goes I use Sulfuric Acid aka Battery Acid…sounds scary but it’s not! It’s extremely concentrated, CHEAP,(5 gallon BIB for $25!) plants absolutely love sulfur, it’s doesn’t mess with your N or P levels…and we all know how important nutrient ratios are in hydro, aero, dwc….
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@Alaskagrown do you dilute your sulfuric acid or use it straight.
Was considering this myself until I found ANs concentrated Phosphoric.
I was scared off it from being told that you need to mix it with water to get something useable for hydro. I was always thought acid and water dont mix and it can be dangerous.
Any insight on how you go about it would be awesome!
Edit:
How long do your filters last in your RO machine?
Was thinking about this too and was put off by the initial cost and the need to keep up with buying filters.
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I used to dilute with Distilled/R.O. water…but the last 5-6 years it’s just been full strength Sulfuric…haven’t noticed any issues what so ever and been using for over a decade. In fact I personally feels it’s a better pH down and more stable!
Acids and water mix just fine…but with mixing any acid or base ALWAYS add Acid/Base to water never the other way around…scary story…my brother was mixing pH UP(Potassium Hydroxide aka Lye) and added the powder first then added water…almost melted his face off and melted the chemical safe container!!! 
I change my R.O. Pre filters every 3-4 months and R.O. Membrane once a year…but depends on initial water quality and usage. 
Keeping fresh pre filters helps maintain the membranes for longer…almost back flush once a month as well.
Hope this help my friend…let me know if you have any questions.
Alaskagrown
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Great bit of knowledge! I always liked sulfuric acid. My buddy never could get over the battery acid label. Saved me a lot of money.
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