Does PH usually change over time?

[green54321]

I recently added a 50 gal barrel to my setup to store water since there's no sink or faucet in my room.

I PH the whole barrel at once to 6.5, but I've noticed lately that if I check it a couple days later it goes down as low as 6.3.

Is this normal?

If so, I guess it would make sense to ph a little high so it ends up right?

 

[OldPhart]

Is the water getting much exposure to the air, namely are you running an air pump? I wonder because just CO2 getting dissolved into the water can effect the PH.

 

[Phaeton]

Water sitting in a covered tank loses entrained air, including both chlorine and CO2.
Several of my nutrients require aeration, pH checks fresh made versus a few days old can change as much as .3, depending on length of sit time.

Just to be sure, put some air into the stored water and see it the numbers go back up. Easy aeration with a pump sucking from and a hose aimed back to the barrel from several feet away (fluming) for two or three minutes should do it.

 

[green54321]

Is the water getting much exposure to the air, namely are you running an air pump? I wonder because just CO2 getting dissolved into the water can effect the PH.

The barrel is sealed when the lid's on, but there's open space above the water in it.

 

[green54321]

Just to be sure, put some air into the stored water and see it the numbers go back up. Easy aeration with a pump sucking from and a hose aimed back to the barrel from several feet away (fluming) for two or three minutes should do it.

That sounds easier than dicking around with the PH all the time!
Thanks for the suggestion.

 

[bottomland]

I recently added a 50 gal barrel to my setup to store water since there's no sink or faucet in my room.

I PH the whole barrel at once to 6.5, but I've noticed lately that if I check it a couple days later it goes down as low as 6.3.

Is this normal?

If so, I guess it would make sense to ph a little high so it ends up right?

Wow, your ph goes down,, i get my water right out of the river at 7 to 7.5, if i ph my water to 6 n come back in a couple days it jump back up into the 7's...i would ph it a few hour before using

 

[Douglas.Curtis]

Biological activity will also lower pH over time...