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Rain Water

RagWeedDWC

RagWeedDWC

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Curious, does anyone collect rain water for DWC style grows? How well does it work and how did it change your nutrients?
 
I've been collecting rain water for my coco coir grow when I can.it's either collect rain water or run a hose out to the grow room to my 90gal tank. Only thing I've noticed with the rain water is I need to run a little more Cal-Mag. It's pretty close to using RO water its around 12ppm coming off my shops roof to a collecting barrel. It also takes very little ph down. With my GH nutes I don't need to do anything other than mix it up
 
Only real problem I have had is skeeters in my tank. So I put a 50micron filter on the end of my hose. Took care of that problem LOL
 
Howdy RagWeedDWC, I would not recommend using rain water in a DWC grow, even though the rain water absorbs oxygen and nitrogen as it falls thru the air, it also picks up mold and algae spores, dust, smog, and everything else that might be floating around in the air. In a soil grow, there are many beneficial microbes and bugs that will moderate the hazards in the rain water, where as in a hydroponic system, it is a breeding ground for all of these detrimental things. I think that one receives a greater benefit by using tap water, keeping it well aerated, and cool.
 
Great discussion, but in the conclusion the first several findings were prefaced with "May", however the point is spot on. No one really knows what is going to come down on roof top collection systems. Reason for the "May", to man variables but most are not good for grow our girls. Thanks, great read.
 
To your point DW2 the article referenced above proofs your statement, we really do not know what is coming into the barrels, including pesticides. Thank You.
 
Just hosing off my balls, and watering the grass, laundry etc. I have city water too, but wouldn't drink that either. If it is not in a plastic bottle I won't drink it. At least with bottled I know who to sue.
 
Correction I won't even hose my balls off with the well water. City tap water for that. The well is solely for outdoor watering of the lawn, and my wife's poisonous vegetables.
 
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For sure... you are correct. The pathogens have to be present first. It’s a possibility, but not for certain. Now you can always add a filtration unit to make the rainwater potable (safe for human/ medical plant consumption). The reason we don’t bring in things from outside is to limit risk. There is nothing in an indoor garden that acts as a natural predator (unless you are adding biological controls), so pests and pathogens are given a chance to thrive in an indoor set up. So you are really risking everything you worked for.
After all my hard work, time, and $$$ I put into a grow... using raw rain water is just a risk I am not willing to take.
 
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After 21 in the corps, I probably washed mine in everything but gasoline. However, will not water my plants with rain water :-)
 
Can see your point DW2 to a point. But tap water has all kinds of stuff in it also and unless your growing in an absolute sterile lab environment every time you open the door or flap to your grow room guess whats coming in. But hey to each their own. Good luck on your grow RagWeedDWC, very much looking forward to some pics on the grow!
 
We have been drinking our well water for decades. Other than a bit of hardness, its really decent (SO FAR). We have it lab tested every 2-3 years for the 29 carcinogens and about 200 other elements for water purity. The pH comes in around 7.4 and TDS is under 50ppm . Cal-Mag is a staple here for sure. Measure the rainwater before and the pH was a bit more acidic around 6.3 -6.6. I remember BMW had over 1500 cars ruined many years ago in the US due to acid rain etching water spots into the horizontal surfaces at one of their seaport storage lots. Water quality issues are not addressed as much as they probably should be.

The ladies here did very well from the well and standard soil and hydroponic fertilizer mixes with pH adjustments
 
I should probably clarify rather than resort to ball washing. I have emigrated from my urban existence to a bucolic rural setting. The little burg I inhabit has a population of around 170 people. I am surrounded by farm lands, with the local agriculturalists furiously pumping Monsanto chemicals onto their crops. My well is a ground water well utilizing a jet pump so it is no more than 25 feet deep. I am certain my well water through run off and ground seepage is contaminated by Monsanto's poisonous chemicals. Thusly I do not utilize the water for anything that might pollute my precious bodily fluids. (what movie is that line from? :D) I have checked the ph of the well water, and it is near 7 so the ph would not present any problem, but what else is included in that mix I dare not guess. The town tap water is treated, and from a deep well, but how effectively it is treated is up for debate. External use only so I guess i am back to ball washing. "What a strange trip it has been!"
 
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