TDS meter question

Need help this is first run of potting soil haven’t transplanted yet just ran through pot to get reading of runoff. It’s ocean and happy frog with pearlite and a little worm castings. Not sure what the meter is saying. Do you guys use this tds meter? What am I doing wrong?

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I’m not familiar with the the blue lab meters but I know they are first class. Someone will be along to help you out.
I will tag a couple people for you. @MidwestGuy @MeEasy @kellydans

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I use an Apera meter. Can’t help here.

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Probe is damaged or dirty, I think per this:

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I use BlueLab devices but not that particular one…Have you calibrated the meter with calibration fluids?

Your manual should detail the calibration process and what all of the different display readings indicate.

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Being a bluelab I would call there customer service and I’m sure a company like them would be set up to walk you thru operations. Apera does so I’m sure Bluelab will as well.

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I believe that particular meter tops out at 5000 ppm, OR means over / exceeds pen’s limit
Add a little water to the runoff and see what happens, add more until you get a reading.
How do I know this,
I have the same pen
I have been know to exceed certain limits too

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Apera all the way :slight_smile:

Stick your meter in a cup of tap water see if you get a different reading I’m pretty sure O R means overranged. You can get some standard Conductivity solution to set your span , an also set your zero with distilled water. refer back to the manual For calibration procedures.

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Thanks everyone. I did double the solution and retested and it read into the high 2800’s. I guess the information is right, no need to feed for a long time. Having this high of TDS to start won’t burn them right? Just so new to me don’t know any better. Thanks for your help everyone

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You should be fine no need to feed for a while.

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High tds of synthetic nutes is what we worry about.
For reasons of building up on the roots as “salts”.
A high tds reading isn’t really bad, especially when talking about organic tds… fresh soil can be really high and that’s perfectly OK.

You hear people say, “foxfarm can be to hot”…
Well thats not how it works at all and they are misunderstanding a few things.
Any bagged soil you buy is no longer cooking and it is not to hot fir any seedling…
Soil being “hot” refers to, it’s still cooking and has some crazy biological actions going on and this can literally be felt by placing your hand into the soil…
If it’s “to hot” you can literally feel the warmth with touch… hope that makes sense :confused: “Mr grow it” on YouTube has a episode where they go into detail about the big misunderstanding of these terms and there implications… If you don’t know of his channel you should check it out, it’s an excellent source of tons of accurate information :grin:

Or means ph is over range
Ur is under range. recalibrate the meter to 7 first, then 4. I had same message on mine…