Tap water - why not?

[Ozpaph]

T
I have recently decided to change the water for the phrags to rain water, but when it comes to winter the rain water will be to cold and won't warm up enough to use for them. So I'll go back to tap water.

use an aquarium heater

 

[cnycharles]

use an aquarium heater

And if your water supply is larger than this can handle, you can try to find a stock (farm animal) tank water heater with an adjustable thermostat or something like it


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[blondie]

I've never thought of that before will look intoit I've not seen much of a difference in the plant just yet with the rain water really. Time will tell. As inhave to fairy the rain water in buy the watering can in to the water butt.

 

[Ray]

Again, I'll restate that "tolerating" dissolved solids is not the same as preferring them.

Granted, I have lived in places with fairly hard water, but when I started using RO some 25+ years ago, it only took a matter of 6-8 weeks or so before I could actually see the difference in the plants. Shiny, turgid leaves everywhere. Damned near anyone else that I've sold systems to, agree.

Now that I live in NC, my plants have been enjoying the rainfall, which can be substantial, and they are continuing to look great.

I sent a bottle of tap water off to the J R Peters lab, and its around 80-90 ppm TDS, mostly calcium, sulfur, and a bit of sodium, and very little magnesium. Alkalinity is only 1 though, and a pH of 7, so I'm watching my solutions pretty closely.