PH up question

[friscofrqancis]

Brief run down. I'm growing in coco using a flood and drain system. My nute profile is almost Straight K.I.S.S. at peak I use 7 grams of Maxi Bloom and about 7.5 ml CaMg (general Hydro's organic) in RO water. When I change my reservoir water with this mix my reservoir water shows an E.C. of around 2.0 and PH of about 4.6. Prior I was using half a tsp/gal Protek and my PH was nearly a perfect 5.8.

I've discontinued the silica supplement and am now faced with having to bring my PH up after a change. I've tried a couple brands with similar results. It takes a great deal of PH up to bring my PH in range. Once I have the PH in range. I close up and let my daily programmed regimen run. When I add water and PH the following day PH has climbed to 7.5 or so, the water is cloudy and there is a precipitate scum floating on top. I believe I may need to wait for a longer period to allow the PH to come up, unlike the PH Down which is almost immediate (I use a paint mixer and drill to agitate the res when adjusting and measuring. My reservoirs are 40 gal. I am using about 25 tsp to get my Ph in line I pretty sure this is too much.

Am I correct in thinking the Up takes longer to react than the down? How long is long enough? Any guidelines? There is adequate aeration and when I adjust down the water begins to clear and PH stabilizes after that.

Please no advice to go back to the silica supplement. I am probablygoing to do this anyway, but I'd like to know why the PH UP fucks up my water so badly I'm sure

 

[doams]

Brief run down. I'm growing in coco using a flood and drain system. My nute profile is almost Straight K.I.S.S. at peak I use 7 grams of Maxi Bloom and about 7.5 ml CaMg (general Hydro's organic) in RO water. When I change my reservoir water with this mix my reservoir water shows an E.C. of around 2.0 and PH of about 4.6. Prior I was using half a tsp/gal Protek and my PH was nearly a perfect 5.8.

I've discontinued the silica supplement and am now faced with having to bring my PH up after a change. I've tried a couple brands with similar results. It takes a great deal of PH up to bring my PH in range. Once I have the PH in range. I close up and let my daily programmed regimen run. When I add water and PH the following day PH has climbed to 7.5 or so, the water is cloudy and there is a precipitate scum floating on top. I believe I may need to wait for a longer period to allow the PH to come up, unlike the PH Down which is almost immediate (I use a paint mixer and drill to agitate the res when adjusting and measuring. My reservoirs are 40 gal. I am using about 25 tsp to get my Ph in line I pretty sure this is too much.

Am I correct in thinking the Up takes longer to react than the down? How long is long enough? Any guidelines? There is adequate aeration and when I adjust down the water begins to clear and PH stabilizes after that.

Please no advice to go back to the silica supplement. I am probablygoing to do this anyway, but I'd like to know why the PH UP fucks up my water so badly I'm sure

try this:
http://www.advancedhydroponics.nl/advanced/index.php/GB/products/ph-adjusters

no exp with ph up but their ph down keeps stable for at least a week mixed in bottle with fert. no cloudy water etc. every time got same results /tap water/.
worth a try if you havent alredy.
just a tip based on exp with other brands too this turned out best.

 

[friscofrqancis]

Might give that a look. I just filled a fallow res last night. I gave it a small amount PH up to bring the res to 4.9. No plants are in the trays for this res. There will be tonight. I'm interested in what the res will do over 24 hrs. Even if the 24 rest period gives me a better PH, I don't have 24 hrs after the res change. lights come on, then the first flood is one hour later. I do my maintenance and res changes in that time. If necessay, I could skip first flood once a week. I only flood twice a night,


I was recommended the ""Extreme PH down" by my hydro store clerk. Sure I was, at $50 US a gallon. Ordered by favorite; grow more ph down. Also had another grow store rep recommend a PH up that used sodium hydroxide as the main active ingredient. I pointed this out and mentioned that inorde for this to work The hydrogen molecules would have to break from teh sodium molecules to have any effect on PH, His reply: "well most nutrients are just salts anyway....." There was more, I didn't hear it. They have good prices. Don't usually follow the advice of store clerks, anyway. Some are intelligent enough, don't wanna knock 'em all. But they are SALESmen,

Thanks for the advice, I can always give it a look next time in the shop and buy a small bottle.

 

[Phaeton]

pH affects how fast and what nutrients the plants can absorb.
It also governs what minerals will dissolve and how fast in the reservoir.
If potassium silicate (Pro-tekt) is used with magnesium sulphate (Epsom salts) a precipitate will form in the solution, rendering the entire solution unfit for use.

Depending on brand and/or type of additives the addition of pH adjusters can cause the salt ions to bind to opposite charged ingredients. Manufacturers chelate reactive metals for this reason. Using matched additives from the same maker avoids this problem as they test for compatibility. Mixing brands or adding non chelated minerals can cause lockout or precipitation.

Restarting with a simple, proven formula from a single provider (grow diary recommendations) until a healthy baseline is established and then adding the special nutrients one item per grow cycle will allow the room to be dialed in.
Changing two items and having a problem leaves a question of which caused the problem or if it was a combination. Or if the results are spectacular which change was responsible?

A pH of 4.6 and a EC of 2 are not readings that adding more chemicals will fix. Too many incompatible chemicals are the problem.