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Anyone know...

...to get TDS meters round here? Singapore. You know, the ones that measure ppm or mineral content, and I wouldn't mind if it comes with an integrated scale to measure acidity, or temp, or whatever. Reason is that I have been experimenting with some soil (in Daiso where those cheap stuff can contain anything in it), and I'm afraid that the whatever minerals are going to screw up my peat:sand mix. The 'soil' is something like coir, found in compressed blocks at the gardening section at Daiso. I put two of those into a 5 gall. terrarium and the blocks, amazingly, expanded and filled up the entire terrarium!
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That 'expanded' soil feels like peat and is composed of cocopeat and orchid bark, I think. FEF has it as well, although the only difference is that they label it as 'wondersoil', make it sound so darn amazing, and mark a flippin' high price on it. The Daiso version is a pretty cheap source of a 'peat' substitute, and will last you a lifetime. Oh yeah thats only what I think it is, the cover is written in Japanese...
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Sorry for the off topic, npw back tot eh TDS meters. How much do they cost? I would expect quite cheap, singapore being an electronic hub and all. Is it effective? Is it a good use of $ and so on and so forth...

If you have any info please share!

Peace out...
Jason

*sigh*...two weeks and no post from any singaporeans?
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I thought by the time I had come back from Kota Kinnabalu you guys would have chatted so much I would have to spend a week catching up with the latest...Are you guys stuffed up with work, or what...I remember Ebeyonder saying something about his exams finishing though
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...so I thought I might try to spark up a chat again...is it working?
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Oh yeah I forgot to mention you've gotta put water in with the blocks to make them wonder, how silly of me...
 
I have a Hanna COMBI HI 98129 pH, EC/TDS meter by mail order in 03/03 from SeaMe.com for US$127.13 inclusive of postage. But it is now selling for Euro 141.12 or US$ 170.20

I have also purchase compressed coir blocks at Daiso some time ago, and am trying to grow extra Drosera seeds on it, but have not measure it with TDS meter. Let me soak some coir in distilled water tonight and will let you know the reading tomorrow morning.

JK
 
wah leow eh, so high price!!!
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Yeah, I went to an electronics shop 2day and they quoted around the same price. Too bad for me, and thanks for checking anyways!
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So you've positively identified the 'blocks' as coir? Woohoo! Then maybe I should get some from amlaysia, I saw a 30cm X 30cm X 10cm thick coir block for sale somewhere, says it expands to 70litres of soil!
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Like I said, I might ask my uncle to bring some over next time he visits. But I'll need to check up on the price, however positive I am that it is about %X cheaper, thought the Daiso one was cheap heh? Anyone who wants (and is afraid of using the cheap and unknown contains what Daiso blocks) some let me know, but I think it would be quite a pain handling that muc soil at once, let alone indoors. My left over 8 gallons or so of coir is still taking up space in one of my terrariums.
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Jason
 
Hey JK have you gotten a reading for the coir yet? If you have time could you do me a favour and just stick the meter into ordinary singapore tap water? Because that was the only reason I wanted a TDS meter in the first place, to see if the water is pure enough for cps.
 
Water quality in SG depends on the region that you are in. I do not know why, but the tap water that I get here in NUS (Kent Ridge, near Dover) is on the hard side, whereas at my house (central part, near Thomson) is soft.
 
Maybe different areas tap water from different reseviors? I know one resevior has a mineral content of only 19ppm, quite low for tap water.
 
Hi Jason,
guqin was right about Water TDS in SG depends on the region. It varies from 70 ~ 200ppm.
You may be right about certain resevior having a mineral content of only 19ppm, but there are other chemicals added during water purification and “medical” process.
There is one more consideration; tap water is always slightly alkaline which is not good for CPs in the long run.
By the way, TDS for first run coir solution were above 1000, more washing is required, it is slightly acidic
 
  • #10
Yeah, they add chlorine, so it becomes acidic and raises the mineral content, so they add limestone to balance out the acidity, which again raises the mineral content, dangit...
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[b said:
Quote[/b] ]By the way, TDS for first run coir solution were above 1000, more washing is required, it is slightly acidic

I thought acidic was good for cps?

Anyway, thanks for the stats JK!
Jason
 
  • #11
Wait, isn't soil of value 1000ppm slightly over-mineralised for use with cps?
 
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