Help ph pen is driving me nuts. and I got spots.

[antarchy]

So I got spots you can see here. And my Ph pen gets a steady reading in the calibration liquid but in my nut solution it variates usually it bounces about one tenth either up or down and back. Now if I set it in a cup of the solution and leave it for a minute it always starts to tick down and will continue to tick down until I remove it. An hour ago I got a semi steady 6.0 to 6.15. Now I'm getting 5.5 to 4.86. But the pen reads fine in the calibration solution. Anyone had problems like this got any tips for me on how to read it best. What is a good pen I got a hanna the red one with the thin probe for test tube use. The cheap twenty buck one.

 

[Trichome Toker]

The one plant looks kind of yellowish, unless it is just your lighting.

What is the pH of your starting water?

 

[antarchy]

Same plant HPS light. That's the problem my meter reads so unsteadily that I got anywhere from 7.2 to 6.3 reading from my water. I have been best guessing by watching my plants and taking a lot of readings for my ph up and down. usually I only need to go down on my ph. \ I think I overfed and that's what's causing the spots but I'm not sure because of my ph pen variations. So I was hopping to find some people who have had similar problems with ph pens. The second pic does look yellow but that's just a camera trick I guess because I believe that's the same leaf in the picture above it.

 

[Brother_Monk]

Maybe you need to change the batteries...or ummm spend the friggin' coin on a good one LOL!! Buy a good one, it'll pay off in the long run.

Peace
BM

 

[antarchy]

can't afford a good one right now. What do ya'll consider a good one?

 

[Brother_Monk]

can't afford a good one right now. What do ya'll consider a good one?

I ran across this one a little while agoHanna Multi Tester

The one I use is the Milwaukee Ph51 smart tester. Got it for 75 bucks, but I have seen them for 50.

Peace
BM

 

[antarchy]

As soon as I get the money I will get one. I like the fact it does EC also. but that wont help me right now.

 

[MTF-Sandman]

I've got a Hanna Checker1 and it's been working great for 2+ years...you do need to make sure that the batteries are good and that the electrode is clean tho as it seems to have a memory of the last solution it was used in. For mine, I just swish it around for a few seconds and it'll usually "wash" off the residue.

BTW, those spots look like calcium def and not PH spotting IMO...PH spotting usually occurs as white spots down the centers of the leaves. Doesn't look like it was overfed to me...

 

[antarchy]

Ok thanks I have noticed the memory thing while checking diffrent solutions I'm using flora nova and have never had problems before I think it has all the secondary nutrients liike calcium. Maybe ph lockout but I doubt deficiency. I think they are from overfeeding.