Reddit mentions: The best pool chemicals& water testing products

Yeah, I agree. Ceradyn is a great option, thanks for bringing it up. For reference, they are available on Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Katadyn-Drip-Ceradyn-Water-Filter/dp/B0007U010W/

Actually the Gravidyn is a tiny bit cheaper - this is the one I have:

http://www.amazon.com/Katadyn-Drip-Gravidyn-Water-Filter/dp/B0007U011G/

For anyone who's wondering, yes, the two systems are identical except for the filters that come with. You can put Ceradyn filters in the Gravidyn setup, and vice versa.

The filters are quite delicate, though, and prone to cracking and breakage. You need to inspect them carefully for hairline fractures when you get them. For example, one of the ones in my Gravidyn was broken on arrival. I convinced Amazon to send me a spare one (rather than having to send the whole system back). Also, when I was moving stuff around in one of my storage closets in the garage, I accidentally dropped one of the spare Gravidyn filters on the concrete floor. It was inside its protective cardboard box, but it still broke. I was heartbroken - such a waste of money from a moment's clumsiness. Make sure to treat these things with kid gloves!

For completeness, here are the spare filters - Gravidyn:

http://www.amazon.com/Katadyn-20720-Gravidyn-Replacement-Element/dp/B0007U011Q/

And Ceradyn:

http://www.amazon.com/Katadyn-Ceradyn-Replacement-Filter-Element/dp/B0007U0116/

Hope it's ok posting links like this... I have no stake, not connected with the company at all etc.

The Monolithic filters are also interesting, and they claim to remove arsenic and lead as well. I would be concerned with arsenic in the surface water around here, though it might only be something that is in ground water (i.e. from wells etc). Anyway, these are very simple and cheap too, you can make a bucket filter around one of these little things and have a basic system. I don't know how much formal testing they have had, but they seem to be used a lot in 3rd world countries.

http://www.monolithic.org/water-filters

http://www.monolithicmarketplace.com/collections/frontpage/products/just-water-ceramic-drip-filter

As I said earlier, if I ever have to use the creek water, then I intend for the Monolithic to be the first stage, then treat with calcium hypochlorite (pool shock - 78% TurboShock from Poolife is the best I've found), then treat again with the Katadyn to remove the chlorine and just do another round of filtering in general. I figure I should be covering my bases with this.

http://www.amazon.com/POOLIFE-Poolife-TurboShock-1-lb/dp/B0017SSFU6

And also in case anybody's interested: To treat water with calcium hypochlorite, first make a bleach solution (NOT FOR DRINKING!) by adding a heaped teaspoon to 2 gallons of water. Then you can treat drinking water with this by using 1:100 ratio (i.e. for every 1 part bleach solution, 100 parts water). This should make it obvious that the calcium hypochlorite is pretty concentrated stuff - you shouldn't be trying to treat drinking water directly. First make the solution, then use that to treat the water. For reference, the 1:100 ratio translates into roughly 2.5-3 tablespoons of solution per gallon of drinking water, or 3/4-1 cup to every 5 gallons of water (if you're treating by the bucket). I give a range since it might be easier to measure 3 tablespoons and 1 cup rather than fractions like 2.5 and 3/4, and I think it's probably true that a little over treatment won't do any harm, especially if you are filtering it out anyway. Let the water stand for at least half an hour when treating, the longer the better. Contact time is important for killing the viruses etc.

Also, the pool shock is hard to store safely, since it produces chlorine. Anything metal will get corroded over time. The best method I have found is to use the mason jars with the metal canning lids (the ones that come in two parts). The 1 lb packs of TurboShock fit nicely in a 1/2 gallon jar. I know the lid is metal, but it has a plastic coating on the inside, and those lids are the best sealing I have found. I can put three jars inside a plastic 5 gallon bucket that has been sealed with a Gamma spintop lid. Then I can check on them every few months, and I'll know immediately if the jars have been leaking inside the bucket, because you'll be hit with the chlorine as soon as you open the bucket. I figure if the metal lids start rusting, then I'll just see what their safe lifetime is, and treat them as consumable items. A box of lids is only a few bucks, so replacing them every six months or year or whatever is no big deal. I also wrap the jars inside the bucket in bubble wrap, just so they won't break against each other if things are thrown around during an earthquake. With 3 lbs of the calcium hypochlorite, I'm ready to disinfect a LOT of pond water! Maybe also useful as bartering material in the event of a long term service outage, you never know.

Oh, and one last thing - I got a set of long handled measuring spoons, so that I will be able to reach inside the jars to get the pool shock out without having to tip them up or whatever, risking getting this toxic substance on my skin or in my eyes (big nope).

http://www.amazon.com/ChefLand-Set-Sizes-Stainless-Ingredients/dp/B00AEUR6K8

I know metal isn't good with calcium hypochlorite, but I'm not storing them with the stuff and their contact time will be minimal, and I'll be washing them after each use. I just figure it's useful to try to consider the practicalities of how you will use stuff in reality... also, I'll probably not make 2 gallons, but rather only 1 gallon at a time, which will mean a heaped 1/2 teaspoon of pool shock. And how to store the bleach solution? I found some nice 1 gallon jars with plastic lids for that:

http://www.amazon.com/1-gallon-USDA-Fermentation-Glass-Jar/dp/B006ZRBGSC

The solution should be good for a couple of weeks, I think, if stored in a cool dark place. I guess you could also use it to treat your bucket toilet, so maybe you won't waste much.

Sorry, as you can tell I have thought way too much about this stuff. :P

I am by no means an expert but here's what I do as a hot tub owner:

• Empty and refill for sure. Don't forget to turn off electricity before you drain it. Here's a neat trick. Put one end of the garden hose inside the full tub. Turn the water on so it fills the hose and starts filling the hot tub. Then disconnect the spigot end of the hose and make sure that end is lower than the hot tub water level / base. The tub should start draining. Once you refill, don't forget to turn on the power.
  
• I use bromine instead of chlorine because bromine dissolves slower and requires less maintenance. I bought a floating dispenser like this one from Amazon. It makes maintenance a lot easier. Fill it once with bromine tablets, check weekly.
  
• Definitely buy the test strips.
  
• Here are the other chemicals I use:
  
  • SpaGuard oxidizer (shock).
    
  • Amerse PH & Alkalinity Up.
    
    The brand doesn't really matter. I get them from Amazon.
    
• I keep the hot tub at 80-85F in the winter since I don't really use it. If you're going to use it often, and want it available fast, you can keep it at 98-100F. It costs money of course. for most tubs, I'd guess about $10-20/month but do your own math.
  
• I also have a hot tub bubble cover. It's very cheap but helps quite a bit.
  
• Here's my routine when not in use:
  
  • Once a week, run the jets and use the test strip to check the water. I have a 350 gallon tub. I add 3 tablespoons of shock and 2 tablespoons of "ph & alk up" even if the levels are fine. If any of the level is low, add more. If high, add less. I inspect the floating bromine dispenser and make sure it's got enough bromine. Adjust the level of the dispenser if bromine is too high or low. Run the jets for 15-20 minutes. That's it!
    
  • If you use the tub often, do the above step more often. Do it 20-30 minutes before you use it if you can. Buy a second filter. Replace the filter occasionally (based on use) and clean the filter you're not using with a filter cleaner and water.
    
  • Replace and refill water every 6 months if you use it often. 9-12 months if not very often.
    
  • If you see any growth of algae or if you see it foaming too much when you run, you need to be proactive.
    
  • If you use the tub often, you might want to invest in some chemicals to remove body oils etc.
    
    When I first got the house, I had a guy (former pool shop guy) who came in, cleaned the tub, and gave me a rundown of the chemicals I had inherited from the previous owner. You can use the nextdoor app to find out who the reliable pool people in your area are.
    
    Good luck!

>With the raft, don't the roots sit in water?

 

Yes and no. What you want to do is get enough foam so that about half of inch sits outside the water at all time. This allows the roots to breath outside of the water (like the DWC). Again, don’t let this part get dry or it can cause air pruning. You can do this by allowing the net pot to sit a little higher in the foam, planting higher in the net pot, or getting a little thicker foam.

 

I am attaching a link to MPH Gardener. I would say look over his stuff. He is pretty freakin’ awsome.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oDYeffYcVkY

 

>Can you recommend all the testing equipment I need or provide an Amazon link?

 

You will need a PPM and pH meter. These are two cheap version I use. You can go as crazy as you want, just remember the cheaper the more you replace them.

 

pH: http://www.amazon.com/Etekcity%C2%AE-Accuracy-Measurement-Resolution-Handheld/dp/B00FJFEB2O/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1427150876&sr=8-1&keywords=ph+meter

 

pH Callibration Liquid: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007X5KAV4/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_dp_ss_2?pf_rd_p=1944687462&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B004HE7W42&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=118RAVZJW5YGE1CB5EE9

 

PPM: http://www.amazon.com/HM-Digital-TDS-EZ-Measurement-Resolution/dp/B002C0A7ZY/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1427150876&sr=8-3&keywords=ph+meter

 

>With lettuce greens, I think the raft would work. Perhaps I'll do DWC with tomatoes; I think it would be hard with greens.

 

That sounds great. Watch the MPH Gardener on his Dutch bucket tomatoes first. I will preface with he does use MiracleGro for his nutrients, which is a highly debated topic. So take the nutrients with a grain of salt.

 

>How do you swap out water? Do you just do a 100% water change? Is that cost-effective with the price of nutrients?

 

I do do a 100% water change every two weeks. You can check the level of nutrients and try adding them; however, I have an outside garden during the summer and just put the nutrients there which does wonders for them.

 

Also, it gives me a chance to add in bacteria as I need it.

 

There are methods for balancing the pH, nutrients, and keeping the same water; however, as a beginner I would not get into this. If you want to we can talk but just swap the nutrients out as you go.

 

And this is where I will highlight that you want a shallow reservoir because you want to keep the minimum water you need to not to waste nutrients. I would say go to a hardware store and ikea and see what bins will work.

 

>Do I need to paint my plastic bin black to deter mold growth? Thanks so much for your help!

 

Yes and no. There are ways to go around managing algae with either pond products or barley straw mats, but to be honest sealing off holes and painting things black is the easiest.

 

Keep in mind that if you are going to have high heat in the room a white reservoir might be better than black.

Thanks for the shoutout! Glad I could be of some help!

Ok, so let's get started.

First, what part of Texas are you in? I believe you have native CP's closer to the eastern part of the state.

Now to answer your questions:

1. Here's a summary of CP expert Barry Rice's trip to eastern Texas. It has various CPs listed. I'm not certain about non-CP Texas natives.
   
   
2. I use this brand of Sphagnum Peat Moss exclusively. It's higher quality than many other brands. It also expands to about 4cu ft from what I understand.
   As far as the next ingredient, I go with Silica Sand which is also called pool filter sand. Do not use play sand, paver sand, etc. only Silica Sand/ Pool Filter sand. This is the brand that I use. I've hear Quikrete makes some, but it's not available in my area. I typically do a 50/50 or 60/40 mix. If your area is fairly dry, I'd probably do a 60 Sphagnum/ 40 Sand mix. You can add perlite if you'd like, but I'm not sure it's necessary. Other optional additions are long pine needles and long fiber sphagnum top layer. Long fiber sphagnum as a top layer would be good if your climate is fairly dry as it will supplement the plants with some humidity.
   
   
3. When you say large mini-bog, are you meaning that you want to keep it in a container like I have, or do you actually want to build it in ground? As far as in ground, I'm really not experienced with this. As far as water goes, get yourself a rain barrel. Make sure you test it with a TDS meter before using it (should be under 45 or so PPM). 1 inch of rain on a 1000 sq/ft roof will yield around 600 gallons. You can often make a rain barrel easily from a food-grade 55 gallon drum. Just check your local craigslist and you can pick them up for around $10-$20 and there are many guides on how to transform them for around another $20. These will cut down greatly on water costs. If you get fancy with it, you could possibly hook up a drip irrigation system that would be buried in the bog and water could release from the rain barrel with a hose valve timer. This would water from underneath and would simulate their natural habitat.

I think this is what you want.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.taylortechnologies.com/Instructions/5136.pdf&ved=0ahUKEwiFrKT1-evTAhUJ8IMKHUKQA-IQFggwMAE&usg=AFQjCNEqEy9ZytogOpqemuuM7g-2aCRzsA&sig2=Vw-GbwyNF3uXrApVRHoetQ

Do the pink and yellow tests daily. The other tests every couple of weeks.

Use an online calculator to help you balance the pool, like this one:
http://poolcalculator.com/?utm_source=www.poolcalculator.com&utm_medium=redirect&utm_campaign=redirect/

Also, learn how to backwash your filters. For your pool, I'm guessing do that every one to two weeks.

I'm a former certified pool operator from Idaho and worked at pools for 20 years, including one 160,000 gallon pool and a 1 million gallon pool. I'm unfamiliar with a chlorine free pool, unless it is referring to a different sanitizing agent like Bromine. Taking care of your pool frequently will help you learn the pool and what tendencies it has. You will probably know when you need to balance the ph or add chlorine. Other things like the alkalinity or saturation index are a little trickier, and you may want to consult someone at a local pool store when those are off (just be aware they usually suggest adding a lot more chemicals than you really need, $$, so the more you learn, the more you will save).

Also, if the water seems cloudy, but all the tests are normal, try getting a pool clarifier. It clumps together all the tiny particles in your pool so that they get caught in the filter. The next day, your pool will be crystal clear. Just backwash after use. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0064E8BL6/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_JuVfzbC9Q739H

These are the basics I can suggest. Good luck.

Tbh at my pool at the Y we run our chlorine mostly between 3-5. As said previously, higher bather load (more swimmers) usually means 5-10ppm. They meant chlorine at 1.5, a 1.5 pH would be absolutely incredible and dangerous. I consider 1.5 to be low, but we would not close our pool over it, just add more. 1 is closing.

You can get one of these testers at any pool store or Walmart for pretty cheap peace of mind. They have instructions inside that are very easy to follow. I'd be slightly offended if you tested my pool, but I also check the chemicals hourly and I'd know what they are if you asked me, so I doubt your lifeguards will say anything. Clearly they don't keep good records. You should complain about that. Not trying to make you paranoid, but the ones who don't check chemicals are not necessarily the best lifeguards either.

If it's cloudy, good call not to swim. If it smells strongly or makes your eyes water from deck, don't swim. I'll add that if you do get a tester and the pH is not between 7.2-7.8, then don't swim.


Can I ask what the hours of your pool are? IMO 3 times a day is not enough if it's open relatively 24/7.

Edit: You can totally buy strips. Never used them before, but they are also probably at any pool store or walmart. I would probably be amused if you did this at my pool. It's probably a lot subtler than the dropper-testers.

Edit 2: I feel like I should add that I would let you test my pool if you wanted to, even if it would hurt my feelings. I feel like up top there I insinuated that it wouldn't be okay, but it would be fine. I have nothing to hide.

I just came across this research on seawater greenhouses for a global water class.

My feeling is that it would be easier to focus on plants and animals that are native to that ecosystem. Look into halophytes. Other good crops could be kangkong or New Zealand spinach. Here is some research that was done on both of those crops under various saline concentrations. You will want to get an idea of the salt concentration you are dealing with. Might want to search for that info or order a salt test kit.

I would seriously reflect on non-traditional crops since the wont tolerate much imperfection in their environment. I feel that organisms that live in these saline environments have developed very good cellular machinery to regulate their homeostasis and should be looked at. Ions build up to toxic levels in many normal crops even at low concentrations of salts. Tossing in crops that are not adapted means that you will have to provide all of that energy to change their local environment. It could be done at a cost but its not really a permaculture way of doing it. It's easier to change the crops.

The idea is good though. Kristopher Hite posted an article on Scientific American on using plants to capture runoff nitrates from the Mississippi River. It would be useful if we could create something like a floating farm. Bill Mollison used to talk about how our city's are designs to dump nutrients out to sea, and future generations are going to have go out and bring it back.

It's just as possible that your tap water has too many minerals. My tap water supply can sometimes have 6-9 times the optimal level. Short of having a full water test done, you can buy a cheap TDS meter off amazon (we use these) but I'm sure any of them are fine. You're looking for an target of about 150ppm but I've had great cups from 100-350ish. You might find it might be a good idea to mix some distilled and tap, preferably filtered if your water has any distinct taste to it.

For no cost (aside from coffee and water) you could just try a 10%tap 90%distilled batch, a 50/50 batch, and a 100% tap batch and just make some adjustments from whichever you like the most.

I honestly don't know where I read every 7 days but it seemed to make sense, re-fresh the water at least once a week. Are you saying it should be changed more often or less often?

I bought a PPM meter, this one, 515 reviews and still 4 1/2 stars. Hopefully it works, I've had no luck in the past with digital PH meters and just use the chemical test kit from General Hydroponics.

After reading everyones comments I'm definitely gonna set up a PH adjusted plain water reservoir. However I grow different strains at the same time (different finish dates, some like more or less nutes than others) so I can't use one general reservoir, which is why I decided upon DWC instead of other hydro options in the first place.

Do the nutrient bottles tell you what the desired PPM is? What happens if you don't have a filtration system and your starting out at about 300 ppm from my regular well water.

> run the water for a few seconds to get it to be clear.

then you should DEFINITELY get a 2 stage system (otherwise you'll burn threw expensive cartridges for nothing) one dedicated to particulates. to determine what unseen contaminants you may have, first buy a water test kit, then get the 2nd stage filter to address what it reveals.

https://www.amazon.com//dp/B002XISS4C/ (if you are not good at following directions PRECISELY then have a friend come over and help you)

look, it really boils down to this - if you simply want a piece of mind placebo, then get the culligan your friends like. if you actually want to know what exactly is wrong with your drinking water, and filter precisely for it's now understood flaws, then listen to the voice of reason...

http://www.cityofws.org/waterqualityreport2014

I add 3 tablespoons per gallon or 12ml/liter of FloraGro into my water for an aggressive vegetative growth period. This is basically all of the time, because of what I'm growing - herbs and lettuce that is constantly harvesting and never flowering.


In the guide and video I made, I bought soil starts that were a bit beyond seedlings to speed up the process, but I would recommend just starting with seed in the system so you avoid any dirt and bacteria that the soil might bring in. I get the brown jelly going on every now and then, and I think it's one of these:

• Water too hot
  
• Too much light entering reservoir
  
• Debris from the dirt transplant
  
  As for changing the nutrients, I do a recirculating system where I only replace the water that gets used by the plants. So I fill it up once to start and then add water as necessary. I keep a 5 gallon barrel of water that is perfectly pH'd with nutrients added to make it a LOT easier.
  
  To check the amount of nutrients you have going on you can spend 15 bucks and get this. It will let you know the parts per million of nutrient in your solution.
  
  
  As for pH, it really doesn't fluctuate very much. I check it every now and then but as long as you pH correctly at the start, add the proper amount of nutrients to the water and refill as necessary then you are balancing pretty damn well.
  
  
  I'm a bit confused on the science question, could you let me know what you mean by that?
  
  
  

It is possible that you could have pretty decent tap water. Your best bet would be to get a TDS meter to determine the amount of total dissolved solids. Preferably you would want less than 5ppm.

People have successfully kept saltwater aquariums without RO/DI, but using RO/DI water limits the chance of any nuisance algae and poor water quality as some tap water already has ammonia/nitrite/nitrate in it. I would recommend using RO/DI water, but if you don't want to have to buy a unit - you could always buy RO/DI water from your local fish store. It's usually ~$1 per gallon. I would advise against any prepackaged "Natural Sea Water" though... which is like $15 for 4 gallons, so you'll know the difference.

It is way easier than you are making it out to be honestly. We bought one about 3 yrs ago and I was in your spot and I seriously got it dialed in really fast. This is what I use to test water every couple days:

https://www.amazon.com/Hot-Spring-Freshwater-Portable-Strips/dp/B00ASYBBWO

I would say here is great place to get questions answered honestly but there is also some forums too. Don't let chemicals scare you it is really easy to do you will see and will look back and say why did I even worry about it :)

Green and Mustard algaecide Swimtrine plus

This works really well. Make sure you shock, use your algaecide and proper filtration. I recommend a 36 hour treatment. Shock, use algaecide and use a wire brush on the mustard algae. After the first 12 hours of running your filter, shock it again. Shock a 3rd time at 24 hours, 4th at 36. After 36 hours, clean your filter out as best as you can.. another thing I’ll include is controlling your phosphates. Not a lot of people mention about phosphates but if you have surrounding trees/bushes that are getting into your pool, it’ll increase your phosphates, which is food for algae. Let me know if you need anymore help !

Edit: forgot to mention; Hasa Phos out works really well at reducing your phosphates. You should add this once the algae is gone.

Yeah I didn't go into it expecting much (an ounce or two) so we'll see what it comes out too, i'll be happy to get that.

Here are the links for the meters I get. I tested the ph meter and compared it to drops and it is spot on. Not sure about the ppm one but it got good reviews.

PPM Meter

PH Meter

Thanks for checking out my grow!

Just make sure you get the one with the DI. The replacement cartridges are pretty reasonable as well, and my lps sells them as well as amazon. I have heard nothing bad about that system. My TDS from the tap is 144, and is zero after that system.

Here is the TDS monitor for cheap:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001EHAZGW/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

And a float valve if you need one:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0113UJOOS/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Yeah def. grab one of these off amazon they are super cheap and usefull. https://www.amazon.com/HM-Digital-TDS-EZ-Measurement-Resolution/dp/B002C0A7ZY

Works great.

Alright taking into consideration the 12 plant limit here, my previous setup was too big for so few plants. So with some downsizing hopefully saves even more!

Tent - GROWNEER 48"x36"x72" Lodge Propagation Tent

Lights - HLG65 lm301b and red 660nm hydroponic grow light 4000K x 2

Kingbrite 240W samsung lm301h 288v3 quantum board X1

Fan - AC Infinity CLOUDLINE S4, Quiet 4” Inline Duct Fan with Speed Controller

PH Meter - Wellcows Digital PH Meter

PPM Meter - HM Digital TDS-EZ Water Quality TDS Tester

Carbon Filter - VIVOSUN 4 Inch Air Carbon Filter

Ducting - VIVOSUN 2-PACK 4 Inch 8 Feet Non-Insulated Flex Air Aluminum Ducting

Nutrients - MEGA Crop (2500g)

Botanicare CAL-MAG Plus Plant Supplement 2-0-0 Formula, 1 Quart

PH Control - General Hydroponics pH Control Kit

Soil - PREMIER HORTICULTURE 20380RG PRO-Mix HP High Porosity Grower Mix

Pots - Gardzen 10-Pack 1 Gallon Grow Bags x 2

Cloning Machine - CLONE KING 25

Total - 880.62 (includes shipping)

So with this setup ill keep 1 or 2 mother plants and then run the rest in SoG in 1 gallon pots. Using the 2 4000k lights for the mother plant and the cloning station and the 240w for the SoG area of the tent. Its a small setup but I think it'll work. Any idea what kinds of yeilds this could achieve? Any further input would be greatly appreciated.

I would be more concerned about making sure its cleaned out. There is this cleaner you can get that will clear out the jets and remove grime from the piping. https://www.amazon.com/Ahh-Some-Cleaner-Clearer-Efficiently-Clarifier/dp/B0030MYGXW/ref=sr_1_2_sspa?crid=1E6AKXTRWDK91&keywords=hot+tub+cleaner+for+the+jets+and+the+tubes&qid=1568212796&s=gateway&sprefix=hot+tub+cleaner%2Caps%2C176&sr=8-2-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUFMUlA2OVlOUjRVR1AmZW5jcnlwdGVkSWQ9QTA2NjI0NzExTU1INjZBVjJFMUw0JmVuY3J5cHRlZEFkSWQ9QTAzNjQ1MTIxWDJRQkxaVjI5QkM5JndpZGdldE5hbWU9c3BfYXRmJmFjdGlvbj1jbGlja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ== . I moved into my place 2 years ago and it came with a hot tub from the 90's. After using the cleaner, there was a ton of nasty buildup in the pipes. Once that's done, drain it and give it a good scrub down. Then change the filter.

Download the manual for your hot tub and read it to make sure you are performing proper weekly maintenance and using the correct chemicals. For example, some tubs take bromine tablets, some don't. There may also be some other cool features that you might not know about.

Get some hot tub test strips https://www.amazon.com/Poolmaster-22211-Swimming-Chemistry-Strips/dp/B001E6E9PG/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=hot+tub+test+strips&qid=1568212610&s=gateway&sr=8-3

Use them once or twice a week depending on hot tub usage. Then add any chemicals as needed. Make sure you fill up your hot tub once a week at least to make sure your jets are covered.

Yeah, I've been looking at the "Sunken Treasure" because it seems to have pretty good reviews and appears to be pretty simple to use.

Having worked in an area where these kinds of pools are really popular, here's what I'd recommend:

Use a basic algaecide like this (or whatever you can find in store that's similarly ammonium chloride based). The benefit of an algaecide is that it'll last longer than chlorine and that kind I linked doesn't require a ton of circulation. And it's cheap.

For your size pool you shouldn't have to put in more than a few cups once a week. You can see from the reviews that people just assume more = better and they end up with a bubble bath. Always read the directions! On that note, wait a day between adding it and any liquid chlorine. Chlorine doesn't distinguish between, well, anything. It'll just eat up your other chemicals if you dump them together (not to mention ammonium bases products or acids + concentrated chlorine = homemade chemical-weapon night night time).

Besides that, a floater with one or two chlorine tablets in it can't hurt during the summer at least. Tablets release chlorine slowly over time whereas the shock just nukes things for a short period. Together they balance each other. Just keep an eye on your PH with that test kit, and you should be golden.

If you cant stand it turn pool pump off and drop this in the water. The debris floating will eventually get filtered out but this stuff works quick to dissapate off the surface for instant gratification. Works best on pollen.

https://www.amazon.com/Jacks-Magic-JMSURFACE02-Surface/dp/B002ZJ1KXU/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?adgrpid=67435490786&gclid=Cj0KCQjw9fntBRCGARIsAGjFq5HHePkQ_wjsgnAjQUVhVzYDVdDIMnM54dSXvwUxfGcFtP6zWBzvwd8aApMpEALw_wcB&hvadid=337853704940&hvdev=m&hvlocphy=9011108&hvnetw=g&hvpos=1t1&hvqmt=e&hvrand=11507065600879403384&hvtargid=kwd-368187027014&hydadcr=4092_9616096&keywords=jack%27s+magic+surface+magic&qid=1572838246&sr=8-1

Equipment List
____

• Lighting: AquaIllumination Prime set to 14k
  
  
• Lighting Mount: AquaIllumination Prime Tank Mount
  
  
• Filtration: Innovative Marine Media Basket
  
  
• Filtration Media: Chemi Pure Blue
  
  
• Filtration Media: Filter Floss
  
  
• Return Pump: Upgraded to Maxi Jet 900
  
  
• Flow: Only the Spin Stream for now
  
  
• Heater: Cobalt Neo-Therm 50 Watt
  
  
• Thermometer: HDE Digital
  
  
• Auto Top Off: Tunze Nano Osmolator
  
  
• Algae Scrubber: Two Little Fishies Nanomag
  
  
• RO DI Unit: Express Water 100 Gallon Per Day 6 Stage
  
  
• In Line TDS Meter: HM Digital
  
  
• Handheld TDS and PH Meter
  
  
• Aquarium Salt: Red Sea Coral Pro
  
  Chemicals and Food
  ____
  
• Kent Nano Reef A & B
  
  
• Brightwell Aquatics Zooplankton
  
  
• Two Little Fishies ReVive Coral Cleaner
  
  
• New Life Spectrum 1mm sinking pellet
  
  
• I also feed frozen mysis occassionally, and I have a .5mm Hatchery pellet for Walter from Sustainable Aquatics.
  
  OnePlus 2 Manual Camera Settings
  
  
• Focus: Auto
  
  
• Aperture: 1/20
  
  
• White Balance: Cloudy (Very Bottom Option)
  
  
• ISO: 100
  
  For those interested my light is an AI Prime LED set to the 14k spectrum.

I don't recommend organic hydro. I've tried it to solve exactly the problem you are dealing with and it just creates other problems. For organic hydro to work conditions must be perfect all of the time or else it goes south incredibly fast, since the conditions are also perfect for pathogens to thrive in. If you want to go organic hydro, you need to do a lot of reading up on biofilters and aquaponics. It can be done but it is not easy and requires a lot of attention to detail. For ease of use and results, sterile hydro is best, but there are a few tricks:

1. You need to get an ORP tester. ORP stands for "Oxidation reduction potential" and is a way to measure the effectiveness of the sterilizer in your system. Without this tool you will always be guessing about how much to add. This tool has totally changed the game for me in hydro. You want to keep an ORP between 400-550 to keep bad things at bay.
   
   
2. You need to get some polyquat to kill the rusty looking stuff since once it's established it becomes quite resistant to chlorine. Polyquat 60 is very concentrated - I use 5 DROPS per 50 gallons and only use it when I have scum to get rid of. I had a 50gal res totally covered in red slime algae and after a simple sponge scrub and some polyquat plus 1mL per 5gallons chlorine bleach, res is bright white and water is crystal clear for over 45 days now. Run a higher concentration of both polyquat and chlorine in between cycles to clean your system.
   
   
3. Zone doesn't work. Stick with the bleach, get the ORP pen, and add a few mL of bleach every 2 days to maintain your ORP between 400-550
   

You'll need one of these: https://www.amazon.com/TAYLOR-TECHNOLOGIES-INC-K-1766-CHLORIDE/dp/B001DO35EU/ref=sr_1_2?s=lawn-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1520998347&sr=1-2&keywords=salt+test+kit

Also, any test kit that includes a CYA test should be good. The K2006 is a pretty standard kit that test all aspects of water chemistry (except for salt concentration) If you have a salt generator, you'll probably need to manually boost your CYA levels that would normally come from chlorine.

https://www.troublefreepool.com/content/138-water-balance-for-swg-saltwater-chlorine-generator

https://www.troublefreepool.com/content/127-salt-water-chlorine-generators-swg

I'm all about confirming an issue before trying to resolve it - so you might use a testing kit to check the hardness of your water. Might be overkill - or might be enough to make you feel good about installing a water softener. I saw someone else mentioned the water heater might be full of sediment. I believe you're supposed to drain the water heater every year to help, but those things will build up over time no matter what. A test kit might also let you check your normal cold water - as well as your hard water to see if build-up really is a problem. Good Luck!

When it was first introduced I wondered about the connected version. Couldn't see the difference between buttons on the brewer vs buttons on your phone. The fact that the price is lowered seems to substantiate my opinion. It's a "gee whiz look at what I can do" feature regardless of whether the feature makes any sense.

As far as water quality there's a difference between hardness (measured in grains) vs total dissolved solids per whatever(tds). There are kits to measure only hardness, but I think this device will tell you more about your water: https://www.amazon.com/HM-Digital-TDS-EZ-Measurement-Resolution/dp/B002C0A7ZY

The common wisdom seems to be not to use softened water as it will not extract the tastes from the coffee properly. Rather, filter out the tds.

I use a Zerofilter, and Brita filtered water to bring the tds up to 75-100 or so which is the level I think I saw Behmor recommend at one point somewhere.

You should consider buying a TDS meter like this one. It allows you to accurately keep track of the solution strength.

Don't worry about buying a more expensive one, you won't need much for a home project.

Does anyone have any experience with this?

LaMotte 2056 ColorQ Pro 7 Digital Pool Water Test Kit https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002WKK71S/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_zZyIDbTAA98EV

I’m a first time pool owner and currently have a pool guy to maintain it over these first few months but will eventually be taken it over myself. I’ve read good things about it but ultimately I’m debating between that and the Taylor 2006c. On paper I like the LaMotte because I don’t want to sit there and match colors to a chart.

Here's what I use for my ~17000gal inground vinyl pool in zone 7 (PA):

• 1 L Metal Free
  
• 4 lbs non-chlorine shock (Leslie's Fresh & Clear)
  
• 1 lb chlorine shock (Leslie's Power Powder Plus) - sometimes less
  
• 1 Qt algae control
  
• 1 L Pool Magic + PhosFree
  
• 1 winterpill
  
  Here's my process:
  
  
• make sure TA is in 120-140PPM range
  
• make sure pH is in 7.4-7.6 range
  
• drop water line
  
• bump filter and drain it
  
• remove ladders, skimmer baskets, jet fittings
  
• toss any tablets that were in chlorinator, drain
  
• blow lines
  
• add 1 L Metal Free
  
• add 4 lbs Fresh & Clear
  
• if free chlorine is between 1-3ppm, add power powder plus to increase
  
• wait a day (high chlorine will kill algaecide)
  
• add 1 qt Algae control
  
• 1 L pool magic + phosfree
  
• put on cover
  
  
  In January/Feb (those weird days where it gets to be really warm) I'll throw in an aquapill under the cover. I forgot to use it this year though, and the water was fine.. but it was a pretty cold winter.
  
  Note: to circulate chemicals after lowering the water, I use my pool cleaning robot. If you don't have one, you can use a submersible pump, with the return hose going right back into the pool.

Still pretty readily available in the northeast for me, but you can get it cheap from Amazon from a number of vendors.

http://www.amazon.com/In-The-Swim-Chlorine-Shock/dp/B002WKM4A0/ref=pd_sim_sbs_lg_3

Is a good example. 6 lbs for 33 bucks plus shipping is essentially 60k gallons of water. You can probably find it in cheaper or smaller quantities, I just grabbed the first thing I saw.

Hey, I'm looking at amazing water test kits now -- what exactly should I be testing for? pH? something like this?

or this maybe?

No one has mentioned it so I will:

Get a Parts Per Million meter. It doesn't have to be a fancy one, and actually see what's going on. My water tastes and smells pretty bad, but is only around 170ppm total dissolved solids. If I simply let it sit in a jug overnight, it tastes way better because the chlorine evaporates.

Also, request an analysis from your local water company. In my state, they are required by law to send one annually. It's a list of every molecule in their sample, but with Flint demonstrating, the testers may "pre-flush" the pipes before taking a sample, so if you don't trust the municipality or private water works, you can get your own sample relatively cheap (Home Depot does them for free where I am).

All in all a reverse osmosis system, or even just a passive charcoal one, should help tons. The former can actually take out chemically bonded impurities, while the later removes suspended particulate.

Aside from a good filtering setup, a cheap TDS tester like http://www.amazon.com/HM-Digital-TDS-EZ-Measurement-Resolution/dp/B002C0A7ZY/ will tell you if there's any increase in stuff in your water. You can measure your baseline for a while and if there's ever a perceptible change, you can test again. It won't tell you definitively what's dissolved in the water, but it can help you check.

Grab a TDS meter and see what the water looks like. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002C0A7ZY/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_t1_hi.xDbFM7VJRA

RO/DI water is great to use!

I think you should be fine using the maxigrow and cal-mag for now. I would not recommend using the rockdust or azomite though. You should get all you need in the maxigrow for now.

As for the TDS tester, I use this one It is cheap and works fine. It converts the PPM to EC by dividing the reading by 500. For example... 750PPM is going to give you a 1.5 EC. Some TDS testers in other countries will use a different conversion rate to get you the correct EC. EC is universal.

So lets say your peppers need to be at a EC from 1.3 - 1.8 "depending on the size." With the TDS meter I sent a link to, you would want your water to be at 650 PPM to 900 PPM. If your tap water is coming out of the tap already with a bunch of minerals already in it like 300 PPM worth, then you want to add your cal-mag and Maxigro until you hit that 650 to 900 PPM range.

As for your pH, you want to keep it as close to 6 as possible for peppers.

I'm not really sure what scale tbh, here is a link to the pen I got on Amazon if that helps at all. It might appear a lot lighter than it actually is due to my light in the tent being so bright white. Here are some pics with the tent light off and my phone flash on. I'm not sure if that's the right shade of green or not. I just watered them again after reading some info online with recommendations on Coco watering. I adjusted it to have some calmag in it and increased the Flora Grow and lowered the Flora Micro. Had a ppm of about 580 this time. Hoping it will make them happier.

Like most super powers, you can buy it for under $20

https://www.amazon.com/HM-Digital-TDS-EZ-Measurement-Resolution/dp/B002C0A7ZY

*first result I got on amazon. I'm not sure how good it is.

This is the salt tester I use it works great and is very accurate: https://www.amazon.com/Hayward-GLX-SALTMETER-Digital-Handheld-Meter/dp/B005IVZKKQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1475185291&sr=8-1&keywords=hayward+salt+tester

If I had the time I would always use the test kit for Salt which you can find here: https://www.amazon.com/TAYLOR-TECHNOLOGIES-INC-K-1766-CHLORIDE/dp/B001DO35EU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1475185345&sr=8-1&keywords=salt+test+kit

Also, if you are using strips you might want to consider going towards an actual test kit that is reliable such as this: https://www.amazon.com/Taylor-Technologies-K-2005-Test-Complete/dp/B00HEAQO5O/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1475185320&sr=8-3&keywords=taylor+test+kit+salt

The cheapest option would be to purchase the test kit for salt and continue using the strips. I recommend no strips and using the salt test kit and a normal Taylor test kit.

the Bluelabs gear is nice if you have the money.

I bought a simple $15 PH600 on amazon

http://www.amazon.com/Milwaukee-Instruments-PH600AQ-Tester-Calibration/dp/B005H78ZI0/ref=sr_1_1?s=lawn-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1334068927&sr=1-1

and just as cheap a TDS meter

http://www.amazon.com/HM-Digital-TDS-EZ-Tester-Purity/dp/B002C0A7ZY/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1334068952&sr=8-2

both work incredibly well

Here. It is by no means a "lab grade" device but gives great reference readings when analyzing how much your plant is eating (for my DWC setup anyways). I've never grown in soil but see people run a sort of "reference flush" to compare their previous runoff from the last time they watered to judge if their plants are consuming more nutes or more water so they can adjust their amendments accordingly. I do the same sort of thing on my hempy buckets but it is just so much easier since my medium is inert.

Id rather use hard water than soft water. Too much salt buildup kills plants.

Take a sample to your local fish store if possible (Or purchase a PPM/PH meter) to find out your PPM and PH.

Anything above 300ppm gets a little sketchy and you will want an RO system.

PH can be altered but anything over a PH of 9 you will be using a ton of PH down.

If your PH and PPM are both below what I stated above I would still recommend something like a Small Boy filter for Chlorine/Chloramine and undissolved particles.

I just purchased a water testing kit https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06VVQ7Y2Q/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1


I will post back here once I test it. Thank you for all of your help.

Water tester and filter system. Best items I bought that year.

https://www.amazon.com/HM-Digital-TDS-EZ-Measurement-Resolution/dp/B002C0A7ZY/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1504296326&sr=8-3&keywords=water+tester

https://www.amazon.com/APEC-5-Stage-Reverse-Drinking-Water/dp/B00I0ZGOZM/ref=pd_sim_60_2?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=J4HVJXXMCEZP1BPW9F5D

My take on this:

Make a choice: either continue as you do it now (salt hard water, attempt to use water softener system, without reading what it does to the water and tank inhabitants), or monitor results of each your action, by testing (GH, KH, pH, TDS) and do quick search for anything you would like to implement. Like water softener system and aquarium, what to do for reducing GH in aquarium water, and do not do that without testing results. I'm not attempting to lecture in any way, if it seems so, my apologies, was not intended to. Only this seems to me to be the main source of a problem.

Not the best, but good enough flow chart of connections between water parameters and what to change them, is here. pH and alkalinity are connected.

To know them, you will need GH/KH test kit, pH test kit, and, if you feel generous ($25), TDS meter and calibrating solution from the same seller, 342 ppm TDS. Why know TDS is here, scroll down to kidneys.

Each kind of aquatic animals has own limit of tolerances, if you place soft water tetra in Tanganyika water, it wouldn't be happy, I would expect it to die. See what animals you have and what are their requirements (fast online search for a name and GH, TDS).

Know your tap water, if you are using it. Test the same: GH, KH, pH, TDS, and nitrates.

Ask here, in separate thread or in quick questions thread, if this water could be used for your fish without altering it. If yes, you are good, use it without changing anything.

If not, now you have to figure out what would you do: changing your tap water or create artificial water, using RO water and remineralizer, creating water, suitable for your fish.

For USA, reverse osmosis system with carbon block for chloramines could be as low as $133 at Home Depot, don't know its gpd. There is cheaper RO Buddie, read from their manufacturer about chloramines, compare the size and cost of cartridges and make informed choice.

If use RO water, it could be used for diluting too hard tap water or for mixing it with remineralizer.

Mixing RO with remineralizer:

• For neutral to moderately hard water fish, Salty Shrimp GH/KH+, Aquarium Mineral or Shrimp Mineral, or any other GH/KH+.
  
  
• For African cichlids, another kind, made for them. I know Seachem makes something for them, but not details.
  
  
• For soft water fish, ask. My way will be too expensive for a 50-100 gal tank: using active substrate, designed to keep certain pH stable. UpAqua Shrimp Sand for pH 6.5, ADA Amazonia for pH 6, you don't need lower. Remineralizer for it should be GH+ (not GH/KH+), the same Salty Shrimp or any other brand.
  
  If you will need diluting hard water, control result by testing, and test ratio first in a small container (jar, glass).
  
  Any changes in the tank should be slow, to avoid shocking fish. Powders should never be added to the tank, see manufacturer's directions.
  
  Some are using Seachem Neutral Regulator to recrease water hardness by precipitating Ca and Mg, but you have to monitor results by testing, or you can overdose and kill animals this way. Not familiar with it, read FAQ there and Seachem Support forums for it. No guessing or assumptions, know what you are doing, after running trial in a separate vessel.
  
  It took some time for me to come to this too, you are not alone in this.

Well those roots look healthy to me. Just try the flushing. Here is a TDS I use for $16. Even if you do not go for the calibration solution gotta have it if you want to grow the dro.

After you transplant leave your light off for 24 hours to help with the shock. Sometimes hydro shops have used bulbs they will sell for cheap, depending on your ballast your should be able to run a 250 watt bulb if that's all you can find and afford. If the plants aren't in cubes I suggest letting the roots stay in the small clump of soil around them. You could wash the roots off but it will stress them more and when exposing them to lights you risk killing the roots. After you transplant fill right up to the bottom of the leaves that are growing. If you don't have a ph meter I suggest something like this. http://www.amazon.com/HM-Digital-TDS-EZ-Measurement-Resolution/dp/B002C0A7ZY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1396007211&sr=8-1&keywords=ph+meter Its fairly inexpensive and very easy to use. If all you have is less than $30 to spend I suggest the meter over a mh bulb and pick up a thermometer. Also since the plants will be in shock once you transplant them foiler feed with water (spray down the tops and bottoms of the leaves with clean soft water)

I'd make a tea from the soil your not using. Its not going to be the best but will give you some nutes if you can't afford to pick up bottles.

To be fair, tap water commonly has some ions in it - some salt, some rust. Which makes it conductive. Depending on a lake it can be less conductive than tap water. But that "depending" is pretty much the key. Unless you bring solid particle tester with you everywhere - you can't be sure.

Honestly, you can do much better for your money... There are kits in the Starter Shopping Lists to the right on the sidebar.

I was wondering the other day what exactly I would need for a turn-key grow setup, and put the following together. Mind you, this is not TOP of the line shit, but it will absolutely get you into the hobby!

600W Tube / Timer / MH & HPS Bulbs / Hangars / Ballast - $157.50

6 Inch Carbon Filter / 440CFM Fan - $149.75

25 Ft. 6 Inch Ducting - $19.10

48 x 48 x 78 Tent - $139.99

FFOF - $18.99

General Hydroponics Go Box Starter Kit - $35.95

CALIBER IV DIGITAL HYGROMETER - $19.23

Smart Pot Container - Pack of Five - $20.65

Micro-Tip Pruning Snip - $10.19

Light Duty Soft Wire Tie - $7.84

PH & Temperature Meter - $79.95

Water Quality TDS Tester - $15.59

LED Handheld Microscope - $16.81

Total just under 700$ and you are getting a LOT more for your money.

Don't blindly take that list, shop around, deal hunt, and do the research! There are many hidden costs associated with growing ><

I run a DWC and use this for a PPM meter. Does the job. Feel free to PM me if you have any questions or want to chat.

They can also be referred to as total dissolved solids or TDS. You can purchase a TDS/TSS meter to measure that, but you should do some research first to understand what you're measuring and what your TDS is in your water source.

If you want shrimp for algae control, look at amano shrimp, which are usually large enough to fend for themselves when housed with a betta. In a 5 gal, one would certainly do the trick.

I am using this device:
http://www.amazon.com/HM-Digital-TDS-EZ-Measurement-Resolution/dp/B002C0A7ZY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1452279486&sr=8-1&keywords=water+quality+tester

I used this device on :

1. Water tap : 50 PPT
   
   
2. Filtered water gallons that I filled in one of these machines in safeways : 7 PPT
   
   
3. Brita water filter: 80 PPT
   
   
   To answer your question:
   
   
4. The filter is 1 week old. ( I did follow the steps of empying 3 full loads before start using it).
   
   
5. ?
   
   
6. Yes, that is possible
   

Yea, if you really want to be sure, just bring a testing kit everywhere you go.

http://www.amazon.com/Watts-Premier-173006-All-In-One-Water/dp/B002XISS4C

>PPM of what? Lead, Arsenic, Copper, Chlorine, Minerals, Toluene, Vinyl Chloride... There's a lot of things with some ppm in your water, but I'm not directly aware of anything that is the highest in the nation. Where are you getting that information?

I'm honestly not sure what it is in it, but I know the levels are high as hell and I'm not OK with that, which is why I reverse osmosis filter my drinking water. Here is what I do know. I bought a PPM pen off Amazon ( https://www.amazon.com/HM-Digital-TDS-EZ-Measurement-Resolution/dp/B002C0A7ZY) and I test my drinking water. I'll do my own testing when the testers are so readily available and cheap. Mine will usually test between 300-350 PPM. If you don't believe me, buy one yourself and come over here to Plano and test it yourself.

Here is a map of water hardness in the US:

https://www.h2odistributors.com/pages/info/hard-water-map.asp

According to this map I should be seeing 120-180 PPM, but mine is twice that. According to Water Quality Association Classification that is Holy fuck your water is beyond hard classification, which means it's some of the highest in the nation, according to that. I've also did some digging and asking in other forums over the years on this and I even take my pen with me on business trips for my own personal amusement and yeah, my own testing pretty much tells me we're in company with the highest tested levels in the nation. Your own quotes above say as much, with the one NTMWD city you quoted, Richardson, being 620 ppm.

Just because WHO says it's ok to drink a 900 ppm puddle of water in Africa doesn't mean that is what I should expect from my US tap water for what I pay for it.

https://www.amazon.com/TAYLOR-TECHNOLOGIES-INC-K-1766-CHLORIDE/dp/B001DO35EU/ref=pd_bxgy_86_img_2?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B001DO35EU&pd_rd_r=9E1HJ22ZFG1HCRKJCBHH&pd_rd_w=or2a0&pd_rd_wg=4c4Ws&psc=1&refRID=9E1HJ22ZFG1HCRKJCBHH This test kit will do the trick. Easy to use and accurate.

I got the pH meter above, and this TDS meter, whilst my cabinet is monitored inside and at exhaust exit with this temp/humidity gauge with min/max for all fields.

Combined price is < $60.

Seems to work just fine.

But I do like the gizmo you linked to. Maybe for a hydro setup?

It measures the total dissolved solids in the water, which for the most part is what matters, buy one, stick it in the water. If it reads under 50ppm it's fine. If it's over it's no good.
Linky

You will want this. Tap water you say? That is the likely culprit. So you will need this, and this. After this your troubles should be gone.

These are what I use. They work just fine.

pH:

http://www.amazon.com/Milwaukee-Instruments-pH600AQ-Tester-Calibration/dp/B005H78ZI0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1348464821&sr=8-1&keywords=milwaukee+ph+test


TDS/EC:

http://www.amazon.com/HM-Digital-TDS-EZ-Auto-off-Function/dp/B002C0A7ZY/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1348464821&sr=8-6&keywords=milwaukee+ph+test

Looks a lot like ours. (Your "holding tank" is a mate to ours -- I assume it's a settling tank; can't think of any other real function for it).

Here's what I use for the pH adjustment: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002WKM4A0/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Same sized tank, and I use 2 teaspoons for each fill, though your mileage may vary, depending on your starting pH and pump I suppose. I think each teaspoon makes the equivalent of a gallon of bleach (I need to find a source for that, but that's what's in my head).

I have this one, works well for me and apparnetly measures 0-9990 ppm.

HM Digital (brand) TDS meter with 342 ppm calibration solution for it. On the back it has to have "Calibrate with NaCl" screw. This one was available locally.

Tds tester from amazon

HM Digital TDS-EZ Water Quality TDS Tester, 0-9990 ppm Measurement Range , 1 ppm Resolution, +/- 3% Readout Accuracy https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002C0A7ZY/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_YGc-ybYV4Q0QV

El cheapo: http://www.amazon.com/HM-Digital-TDS-EZ-Measurement-Resolution/dp/B002C0A7ZY

These cheap ones don't adjust to temperature, so you'll have to consider that if you're reporting your values for some kind of project. They calibrate it at 25 degrees C, so any temp lower than that is going to over-estimate your TDS.

pH is as simple as getting a test kit at a pet store.

I have the same one. TDS meter reads in single digits.

Cheap TDS (total dissolved solids) testing kit:

https://www.amazon.com/HM-Digital-TDS-EZ-Measurement-Resolution/dp/B002C0A7ZY

Or any meter that measures EC/TDS.

Invest in some calcium hypochlorite. One pound purifies 10,000 gallons.

Would this work out?
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B002C0A7ZY/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1414341438&sr=8-1&pi=SY200_QL40

Or this one?
http://mobile.walmart.com/ip/19582190?wmlspartner=wlpa&adid=22222222228015536541&wl0=&wl1=g&wl2=m&wl3=40872537152&wl4=&wl5=pla&wl6=78764899592&veh=sem

http://www.amazon.com/HM-Digital-TDS-EZ-Measurement-Resolution/dp/B002C0A7ZY

I edited it in. This one.

>Where would one get such a meter?

This is the one I bought.
HM Digital TDS-EZ Water Quality TDS Tester, 0-9990 ppm Measurement Range , 1 ppm Resolution, +/- 3% Readout Accuracy https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002C0A7ZY/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_dqfrzbBA5R7QJ

This is 1/2 cost and can be used many times.

HM Digital TDS-EZ Water Quality TDS Tester, 0-9990 ppm Measurement Range , 1 ppm Resolution, +/- 3% Readout Accuracy

https://www.amazon.com/HM-Digital-TDS-EZ-Measurement-Resolution/dp/B002C0A7ZY/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1503253674&sr=8-4&keywords=water+test+meter#Ask

You could've just gotten this, it's a digital water quality tester:
https://smile.amazon.com/HM-Digital-TDS-EZ-Measurement-Resolution/dp/B002C0A7ZY/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1493673452&sr=8-8&keywords=water+testing+kit

Maybe someone should buy MIL some of these as a late Mother's Day present.

Here's a simple and cheap one: http://www.amazon.com/First-Alert-WT1-Drinking-Water/dp/B000FBMAVQ/

Here's a more expensive and more complete one: http://www.amazon.com/Watts-Premier-173006-All--Water/dp/B002XISS4C/

I tested the distilled i was using and it read less than 5. Then my tap was 400, my shrimp tnak was 385 and my 20 gallon fish tank was at 550. So i think it was reading right. I ordered this one. http://www.amazon.com/HM-Digital-TDS-EZ-Measurement-Resolution/dp/B002C0A7ZY?ie=UTF8&psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00
Im not sure there is a way to change it and i think it only measures PPM