How to Prepare Water For Hydroponics [Updated]

If you've ever wondered how to make sure your water is in good shape before you start using it to grow hydroponic plants, this is the video for you. When I first starting growing hydroponically, I didn't know what I was doing and made a ton of mistakes (if you look up one of my earlier videos, you can see the proof!).
**Remember to check your pH again 30 minutes after you mix nutrients and adjust accordingly**
These days, I'm a little bit smarter, so I figured I'd remake the video with less mistakes and hopefully more information for all of your beginners out there. I might not have done everything PERFECTLY, but it's good enough for beginners to hydroponics and it'll get the job done in my garden just perfectly.
This is a 20 gallon tank for my Tower Garden that will be producing exclusively leafy greens like kale, spinach, bok choy, watercress, and mustard greens. Anytime you're growing something that you're not taking through to the flowering / fruiting phase of growth, you have a bit more leeway in how you set it up.
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[@SablePixelAdventures]

6 years later, and still such a great explanation! Thank you!

[@anemoneyas]

The difference in production quality compared to your old video is astounding lol

[@epicgardening]

+homunyan thanks! Still filmed on a phone though 😉

[@Templeman420]

I like your video but you really need to dilute the ph down prior to adding into your res.

[@sittingdingo1]

Guys im pretty sure this guy hasnt done this for very long. maybe 6 months max. Stay safe

[@D.o.a]

If you want to get rid of bolth look on the aquarium side you can use prime which instantly removes it.

[@sounder83]

Holy shit... I found you here too... You must have watched the followup vid right after like me... Ehh.. I didn't buy it. He still seemed fake-ish about it.. He read a wiki and did act 2!..

[@cdh79]

all in all a good video, however (if i may) i would like to state some points: while GHE does mention a specific amount of nutrients on the label, please be aware that this is based on pure RO water, that starts out with an EC of 0 (most manufacturers instructions are based on that).. so if you start out with 330ppm tap water (i assume that's the Hanna method of calculating ppm.. Truncheon and Eutech also use ppm, but they are NOT the same, 500ppm Hanna are 640ppm Eutech and 700ppm Truncheon, so i'd stay away from ppm completely, as it can get very confusing when someone says "use 500ppm" and you don't know which of those scales is actually meant... so i'd say just use EC instead, that's clear in millisiemens/microsiemens), then you're basically at 0.66 mS .. this is on the higher side, but still ok (my tap-water has 0.8 mS, so i use an RO filter and then mix some RO water and tap-water together to get a starting point of around 0.3 to 0.4 mS, as with pure RO i wouldn't have enough calcium and magnesium and i don't want to re-add that chemically.. my bottle of "hard water GHE micro" is still too full to replace it with the regular one that includes more ca and mg) and it basically means that you have a lot of salts in the water already.. i highly suggest checking EC after having added the nutrients, so you know how many combined salts you will actually feed your plants.. if you follow the manufacturers advice, but don't remove your baseline EC first, you might overshoot what the plant can uptake and go into a nutrient saturation or even lockout (which is definitely worse and more difficult to get out of than a deficiency).. for most plants there are tables what a good EC for nutrient uptake is, based on their vegetative stage (seedling, veg, flowering), but if you really want to be clear on not over- and not under-feeding the plants, you should monitor the PH and EC levels each day. As you're using a recirculating system, when the EC in your reservoir drops down from what you have mixed, then the plant is using more nutrients than water, so you can up the nutrients by a little. If the EC goes up in the container, then it means that the plants take up more water and less nutrients, and you should lower the amount of nutrients.. it'd be perfect if the amount of EC stays around the same over time. (this does not take any water evaporation into account).. there might be some PH drift as well (mostly upward during veg and downward during flowering), which is ok, and should closely be monitored daily as well, but that's a different topic..

[@Itstime1231]

If you have a large number of plants, is this worth the effort? Do your plants grow extremely well compared to just getting it close enough? Is it mostly a for fun/data point thing?

[@cdh79]

@@Itstime1231 the question needs to be "do you want healthy plants, or is it ok for you if they get sickly and possibly wilt and die? If you do pure hydroponics (like DWC, NFT and such) then in my opinion there is no way around measuring the right PH and EC every single day and adjusting accordingly based on what the plant needs.. the nutrient solution is the only thing your roots will get in touch with, so if that's off, then it's whole environment is off.. if you grow in coco or soilless, then it's at least important to measure what you feed them (so they don't get overfed or get underfed), and every once in a while check the EC of the runoff (but latest when you see issues with leave-coloration or any other signs of deficiencies or nutrient-lockout). For soil, it's less important to constantly check, but be aware that soil stores nutrients much more than the other types of grow medium.

[@steveletson6616]

You obviously didn't watch the first video from 9 years ago. This one was an updated video as he stated showing years things he did wrong in the first one. The first one starts with him testing the ppm of the water used.

[@steveletson6616]

Not saying that the other stuff you went on about isn't good information.

[@jakibros]

Excellent discussion about ph, EC and ppm. That helped me alot. Getting ready to start upgrade my system and was questioning whether to use tap water or RO. EC of my tap water is 0.8

[@Gaspa79]

Just a little heads up: because ph is logarithmic and the ph down solution has ph itself, the linear rule that 1/2 ounce reduces 0.6 ph does not work at all in theory. It maay work decently well in the 6-8 scale though, but it's something to keep in mind since re-measuring the ph takes little to no work. In any case, I really like your videos both the hydro series and the dirt series. Keep it up!

[@DadsWatchingYouTube]

What about those goldfish fish tank anti-chlorine and tap water treatment drops? I have them on hand. Also for rainwater, I have some from recent rain but the bucket that it collected in had some residents (bugs) and a bit of soil.

[@stungbeaver]

I appreciate the thorough details. Thank you! BTW, can somebody please shut that damn chicken up in the background?

[@KateTheSleepyTeacher]

I’m newish to your channel but I just wanted to say that I live in San Diego too. I’m an avid outdoor gardener getting into indoor house plants. I’m enjoying your content :)

[@epicgardening]

Good to meet another San Diegan :)

[@KateTheSleepyTeacher]

Epic Gardening I often purge a ton of succulents. If you ever want any , I give them away for free :).

[@devonr7497]

@@epicgardening you should aeration your water as well and find some ways to get those starting ppms down such as adding distilled water (as much as your willing to spend)

[@adamganjaman2275]

You did do a few little things wrong but I like the way you know your still learning and can put your hands up and say ok maybe I could of done it a little different have respect for that rather than the screw you approach used by lots of growers when they get criticised . Respect

[@zayvier69]

I’m confused You used three bottles of liquid to make the nutrient solution food the adjusted ph All I use is the first bottle called micro flora 5 0 1 general hydroponics solution and then adjust ph Am I doing it wrong? Should I be using all three

[@Eris-_]

No, that is NOT the way to adjust pH. You adjust the pH with pH adjusters and then add the nutrient for your plant (instead of mixing three different plant foods together and whatever else was thrown in there. Which was weird AF.)

[@jojoquinn2]

Question I have is how much solution do you use in a 5-gallon hydroponics container?

[@tomascardenas2375]

you still need to use ph meter you just cant say 1ml down de ph by 0.2.... thats imposible ph doesnt work like that

[@bg8266]

tomas cardenas It is not impossible, just keep in mind that the scale of pH is logarithmic

[@yadirbear]

It’s possible if you use the same nutrients always.

[@kurasaki81]

No you should always measure, cuz even the ph of the water you use can deviate. And so can the nuits themselves. A batch is never 100% the same. Just don’t be fucking lazy😂

[@mcmerry2846]

What about Natural nutrients?

[@pelegsap]

Great video, except that be careful with what you infer from the pH drop: what you did at most tells you that the pH-down solution has itself a pH of about 2.5 (if you wish, I'll provide the full calculation) - and even that is only true if we were talking about strong acids and bases, which is not the case (and thus there's also the added complexity of buffers forming in your solution). Remeber always that the pH scale is NOT LINEAR, and measuring always saves you from possible mistakes later :)

[@C3Voyage]

Good video using the liquids. I especially like your meter. Pretty accurate? Accurate over a long period of time? It's a lot of money. Thanks EG.

[@epicgardening]

+Hydroponic Gardening & More with Brent yeah, it's pretty pricy I will admit. I haven't found one yet that's better at the price point though. It's been accurate over a year so far, long as you care for it, store well, clean probe, etc.

[@C3Voyage]

I have the "under $20" versions. I've got 2 of the TDS ones and when they're close, I'm ok with it. Thing is, I know my base and what my ferts do after mixing doing it so long now. I do follow take a ph rating every couple days because of topping up---up as a precaution--but not terribly worried over a few ph points. Thanks again.

[@epicgardening]

+Hydroponic Gardening & More with Brent no problem Brent, thanks for sharing. I used to use those meters as well and they work just fine for me too!

[@maxwell9557]

What was your mistake from the ast video? You did nit explain.

[@dianehoward9521]

I'm just getting started and have nothing bought. What's the easiest and simpkest way to start. Not on a grand scale.

[@DougieRay]

Them Tower gaured are nice. But shouldnt you mix each solution first individual before adding anotehr?

[@judithannozine7682]

Help!! I put in too much flora micro in the reservoir. Hat do I need to do??

[@MrJeorgelee]

I am currently fighting root rot with H202 37% in a 7 gallon DWC. How long will it take to dissipate the H202 in the res so I can add the Hydroguard to add benificial bacteria? Also do I need to de-chlorinate my tap water before using the Hydroguard? I have read that chlorine in tap water can kill beneficial bacteria as well as the bad stuff.

[@tezzasbigbuz3933]

Wouldn’t have mixed nutrients properly because of the 2 minutes between

[@odochartaightheband8073]

Shouldn’t the ph down be added first? I’m a newb but I am going to be doing hydroponics soon the water in Alberta Canada is super high ph(8.3 ish)….lots of calcium & magnesium…..

[@audragardner2183]

Can you shoot a vid showing the use of water soluble nutrients, such as 20-20-20?

[@epicgardening]

I'll do it if I get some dry nutes!

[@gendelavega9160]

Thanks for the infos

[@rajeshwaranshanmugham3594]

Really cool video and i am.just new to hydrophonic and what should be the ph level to grow greens ? And how the water should flow in the pipe to touch the root and it should flow 24/7?

[@ramkrishnareddy5714]

Can I know the liquid quantity and their names

[@olstarofthesea]

Good job! Very concise.

[@epicgardening]

+Michelle Rene thank you!

[@metallicrock5946]

after 3 to 5 days my nutrient level drops and i need to top it up..do i top it with nutrient mix or just water ?

[@bradleymeadows5376]

I just use water...just make sure it's close enough to neutral to not jack up your mix.

[@anupammishra5585]

I am from India and these synthetic nutrients are really expensive here can you suggest some alternative

[@tspirit99]

horse shit, cow shit.

[@bitTorrenter]

@@tspirit99 You sir, are brutal. Try words like pellets, manure, guano.

[@chad_is_here]

I bought general hydroponics pH up and down and was going to buy the 3 bottle bundle, but then I looked into GH and sadly it looks like they sold out to the big corporations, Monsanto, Scott's miracle gro, whatever it is, so I'm gonna go to my local store hopefully they have better stuff

[@bryanadz]

Hi , How long time you must change (keep ) your water nutrition in this tank ? thanks

[@ebp4life]

U really should check pH daily in a recirculating system.

[@bannacis]

Great video!

[@houndar1]

I wish I had a flat backyard and could use one of those.

[@epicgardening]

+Michael Roth you can prop the wheels up on supports!

[@houndar1]

What is the tower that you are using?

[@epicgardening]

+Michael Roth it's called a tower garden

[@CardinalGardener]

Hey Michael Roth, I really enjoy using the TG myself and my backyard has a bit of an incline, most people prolly will to some degree, so it's always good to use a level to get the Tower straight, but that's super easy to do. You don't actually need to use the wheeled dolly you can use anything to keep some space between the Reservoir and the ground and so if your surface is Very uneven you can use something like piled bricks or 2x4's wood, stacked as needed using 4 support levels and just make sure it's stable when you're done!

[@rezahajghorbani8304]

Hi man it was really helping and great but can you tell me the name of the nutrients? My English is not that good and I didn't catch that Thank you

[@epicgardening]

General hydroponics

[@Chuck-mp1ji]

Nice video but I had figured out 100% of the info My problem is to keep the water quality. I change my water once a month, I have 2 filters one in the tank and one outside. Still, after a week, my water is full of stuff that blocks my pipes stop my system from functionning well. If u guys have solutions to preserve the quality of the water after preparation, I would be forever gratefull.

[@theforcehq8592]

where can I find the chemicals to put in the water? amazon link?

[@user-om3yk7fs7e]

dont add calmag ?

[@sukirtigupta9059]

okay, so the water stays stationary? i have read/seen about use of water pumps and air pumps. what would u suggest abt that? I wana experiment hydropony for the first time, but don't have the pipe setup, so was wondering if i can use a tub setup like this, and what pumps will that need

[@Siva-14]

Sir,anything else can be used in place of hana gro line...???

[@chaitanya6030]

What's the price of the liquid you added in water

[@javadaboobacker7822]

Nice vedio sir,thanks for it,also Can you plz give me the idea about ppm values?in which value we want take it? Thank you

[@epicgardening]

All depends on the plants that you want to grow my friend

[@anna-lisakelly292]

Hey mate just wondering if you're calibration metre was already calibrated before you put it in the water? I'm new to this. Also I have just a pH tester do I need something that does water temp as well?

[@JonStenstrom]

Love the vid. I also have a tower garden. How often should I change out nutes? Do I need to clean out the tank each time I replace or can I just add new pH'd nutes to the same res?

[@epicgardening]

+Jon Stenstrom honestly it's up to you. If you're growing short time to maturity crops like leafy greens I do not change it out. I just keep pH in balance and supplement nutes until they're all harvested, then do a big clean. For longer crops or fruiting crops I change at least twice

[@aarongentile7232]

What other nutrients can I also use I got something called Black Magic a black magic be is that okay to also add with the same type of nutrients you added? I'm growing tomatoes literally tomatoes. I know Tomatoes want a higher PPM than leafy greens and I have a chart or totality what PPM Tomatoes prefer but kind of wondering what additional nutrients I can add to make my plants grow better. Thank you love your videos!

[@leafatheart]

The mixing stick is for your protection. Some of the chemicals are carcinogenic should wear gloves

[@mirzamuezzinoglu205]

@Minty Borro put your hand into soil and wait a bit will get same result

[@dariness4459]

Hey epic gardening do you use water and nutrients for begining grow in rockwool or just water

[@yandenuts]

EG didn't reply, but I use no nutrients when seedlings are just in Rockwool, until I transplant/move them out into other mediums. Seeds have everythign they need to sprout, all by natures design. Like breast milk you could say. (FYI I am learning too!)

[@Loissupes]

Hi. I have been thinking about getting a tower garden (juice plus) for quite a while now but I don't like the fact they you are supposed to use their "tonics." I assume from this video, it isn't an issue to use a different brand of fertilizer? Thanks so much! I am trying to learn as much as I can.

[@gorkemvids4839]

you can use anything

[@lovelychaitanya]

Hi wonderful information... My question about the nutrient dose is...is it same for all types of plants or it's different? If it is different how to find the correct dose for a specific plant other than searching on Google? For example I couldn't find how to Mix it for cilantro. Please help.

[@epicgardening]

It's different for all types of plants, but for plants like cilantro where you only eat the leaves, it's easiest to follow the back of the hydroponic nutrient label. That'll be just fine for almost all plants you grow for their leaves :)

[@kawaiiboxs5502]

Can I just use regular water or do you need a solution of some kind?

[@epicgardening]

Usually regular tap water that you leave out for ~24hrs to off-gas chlorine is OK, then mix nutrients

[@Siva-14]

@@epicgardening Then what is the use of campden tablets...??

[@AsuzTV]

Cool

[@javediqbalmirza1953]

Dear Can I use hydroponic nutrient solution in soil

[@epicgardening]

You can, but I wouldn't recommend! You can grow hydroponically in a soil-like medium like coconut coir though.

[@anemoneyas]

It wont cause any problems but it's probably a waste of money.

[@javediqbalmirza1953]

Thanks

[@epicgardening]

+Javed Iqbal Mirza you're welcome!

[@lynelledehlbom9542]

HI! Thank you!!! I have a chart which show the different PPM and EC needs for each plant. I discovered that the Aggressive Flora mix is still way under those numbers when mixed. I am thinking about tomatoes and cucumbers at this moment. What do we do? Ignore it or try to increase the measurements?

[@kidcannaempire7073]

I need info on the 20 gallon tank or can you use any tank or container that support 20 gallons ??

[@epicgardening]

Almost any container will do

[@kidcannaempire7073]

Thank you sir 👍👍

[@tangbp1]

Hi may I know what u added to lower the pH to 6.7 when using tap water Thanks

[@epicgardening]

I use a product called pH Down from General Hydroponics

[@jarodtoups3403]

You can use lime or lemon juice as well, to lower ph more "naturally".

[@ebp4life]

@@epicgardening No u used root farm pH down.

[@ebp4life]

nutrients are acidic and lowered the pH on their own, before he adjusted it.

[@jmof0464]

Hi I heard that it is recommended that you lower your ph first and then add the nutrients because if the ph is wrong they might not dissolve well and or precipitate out of solution and also I heard that it is also recommended to dissolve your ph adjuster in some water because if you add it straight in the local ph drop might make them fall out of solution (I also use flora series ). O and also I have a question do you have an alternative way of calibrating my ppm meter and don't want to buy the solution because it is to expensive. Thanks 😃

[@epicgardening]

Good question - my "out of the tap" pH is around 8.1, so I don't think there would be many issues with non-dissolving or precipitating out. Your point about dissolving the pH adjuster is a good one though for the local pH drop. In this case I don't think it's a big enough issue to warrant it at this tank size, but it probably makes a bigger difference if you're trying to either 1) be more precise than me or 2) growing a higher-value crop that demands more rigorous measuring.

[@maryem8263]

Thank you!!!

[@epicgardening]

Of course!

[@johnnyh4891]

What was bottle used to fill your ph tester cover ? Just water?

[@epicgardening]

It's actually a special storage solution provided by Hanna: amzn.to/2wEBLxb - I'm not quite sure exactly what's in it, but it's designed to minimize microbial growth and prevent any osmotic effects between the solution you store your probe in and the inner reference electrolyte. That's a bit technical, but it is just a solution specifically made to keep the probe in good shape.

[@raemoehring9335]

Good video man but come on.... You should never just stick your hand into your water like that. GH says dilute your PH down before you dump it in.

[@bhargavabhargava552]

What are the chemical we have to use this video

[@epicgardening]

Hydroponic nutrients and pH down

[@bhargavabhargava552]

Plz give the chemical names

[@bildova]

your tap water PPM is around 300, mine is close to 700 :( I'll trade ya lol

[@epicgardening]

Holy crap!? Where are you at?

[@78fobby]

do I need water change after period of time?

[@epicgardening]

Usually once a week!

[@78fobby]

will you prefer soft water or hard water?

[@javediqbalmirza1953]

Why how it is wasted

[@epicgardening]

?

[@johnjones8818]

Micro vegetative bloom

[@nakaayayat]

How much did u pay for your ph and tds meter?

[@epicgardening]

$50-100

[@Beloved472]

The cheapest I currently saw was $259

[@tezzasbigbuz3933]

You didn’t wait the 2 minutes!!!!

[@AlejandroGarcia-yf9qf]

Not mixing the water each time you pour a nutrients its bad practice...

[@lebartzhadukur4442]

Just want to know, don't you need to mix thoroughly each of the hydroponic nutrient part before adding the next? Will it not create a nutrient lockout?

[@epicgardening]

You want to mix Micro 1st, then Gro or Bloom. There might have been bits of lockout due to the micro sinking and being more concentrated when I mixed in the Gro and Bloom, but MUCH less than there would have been if I mixed Gro or Bloom in 1st, then micro. Or if I mixed undiluted or didn't rinse the shot glass. Good question though! I could have been even more careful, but for a tank this size growing leafy greens, I didn't care to be laboratory-level precise.

[@lebartzhadukur4442]

Got it, thanks for that clarification. I was worried because I was told at the store where I bought my GH FloraSeries to measure up the Micro first then mix the water thoroughly, then measure up the Grow second then mix the water again and same with the Bloom. I notice you dropped in everything one after the other and then mixed the water after.

[@loonyloony6550]

No disrespect, but delete the other vid.

[@epicgardening]

It funnels people to this video due to how KZbin's algorithm works, otherwise I would!

[@travisrick]

Kevin, I am in Palm Springs. No very far from you. I wanted to know how much you like your Gro line meter. Thinking about getting one. Thanks and I really enjoy you videos.

[@epicgardening]

I absolutely love it. Super accurate and handy design

[@molonlabe8470]

No! You don't know what you are doing. You tested the tds and left it at 330 parts per million. Do you know what those 330 parts per million are? I bet you don't. I would filter the water to zero tds, and then add the nutrients. I don't check ph but if I did, I would check it after doing these things. TDS is all I worry about and things seem to work out fine if I get it right

[@allensmall3937]

20 gallons?

[@Siva-14]

Gallon is the unit to represent volume of water in US

[@caracerful]

hii wanna ask you how many times do u refill nutrients in the tank ..every 7 days 8 days ??

[@epicgardening]

Roughly 1x/week

[@johnjones8818]

Kamption tablet

[@jypsydog6079]

FAIL. You need to come back and RECHECK the pH. Give it 30 min. RETEST

[@epicgardening]

+Jypsy Dog I did, just forgot to mention :)

[@jasonreviews]

oh my god. your putting your hand in chemicals?

[@AlphaBravo860]

BIG ISSUE! You always mix MICRO in FIRST because you WILL get nutrient lock out if you don't. Which you did ADD FIRST BUT you did not MIX the MICRO in BEFORE you added any other nutrients. I'm sure some nutrients got locked out in that batch.

[@outsideaglass]

Ugh I hate the music in the background. Makes it so hard to hear.

[@epicgardening]

I've fixed this in future vids!

[@gaganjain5191]

Looks like you were in a hurry

[@epicgardening]

+gagan jain always my friend

[@bobdpa]

Great video!

[@epicgardening]

+Bob Dempsey thank you Bob!