pH up substitute(s)???

[rabid]

This forum is probably the wrong place to ask this question but I've searched a half-dozen others and found zilch, zero, nada.

I need to raise about 500 gallons of already-nuted water from 4.6 to ~6.0 pH. My jar of Potassium Hydroxide (pH up) has disappeared and using baking soda (Sodium Bicarbonate) isn't a practical solution. I can't get any more KOH until late this week and the closest source of pre-mixed pH up is about 300 miles away.

Anyone know a substitute to raise pH and will actually work and remain relatively stable for 5-7 days? A product I can (easily) find somewhere other than a chemical-supply shop? I need to start using this mix soon...like tomorrow

 

[Grobot2010]

On the scale that you are talking about, you should make the 300 mile trip and call the time and money spent on it part of the "next-time-when-working-with-500-gallons-of-nutrient-solution-I'll-keep-better-tabs-on-my-mission-critical-items,-like-KOH" education fund.

 

[Wascally Wabbit]

calcium hydroxide would raise your ph. It's sold as kalkwasser to raise calcium levels in salt water reef tanks.

 

[BasementBreeder]

Not an ideal solution, but lye should work. Easily found at many hardware stores, it's NaOH. It's a strong base so shouldn't take much. Still, be careful with the amount of Na you add. Also, I'm sure you can adjust the pH to only 5.5 and be fine.

 

[Mountain High]

Tap water! Silica!

 

[dizzlekush]

Potassium Carbonate
Potassium Bicarbonate
Potassium Silicate

I suggest this thread gets moved to the "nutrients & fertilizer" sub-forum.

 

[Bush Dr]

3rd set of answers to all 3 posts in different sections .... read the TOU

 

[rabid]

Wascally Wabbit, BasementBreeder, Mountain High, Bush Dr and dizzlekush--Thanks for your posts. We're in a remote area and our options are very limited. The expensive (and crop-specific) mix is for 200 grafted saplings in my neighbor's avocado orchard and the window for applying it is getting smaller each day. The application rate has to be bang-on 1500 ppm and pH between 5.8 and 6.1. These kinds of avocado sports are finicky bitches No tap water available around here--only from a well which is pH 5.2 and the nutes took it down to 4.6-ish. We really can't modify the mix now other than raising the pH. The pH up was in my partner's truck on Saturday and gone the next day--he reckons some kid stole it.

Anyway, if all else fails I'll--reluctantly--sacrifice my unopened quart of ProTekt silica to bring up the pH. AAARRRGGGHHH

And grobot...you know absolutely nothing about my situation nor the circumstances which led me to ask my questions. So STFU and shove your childish, snarky post up your ass...

 

[Mountain High]

Pop the top bro, pro tekt silica works for many growers to bring pH up.

 

[SeaMaiden]

If your water pH is that low you could probably throw in some dolomite lime and it should drive the pH WAY up. Go easy til you find that sweet spot is my recommendation. Even prilled dolomite works fairly quickly, I've tested it out myself, gets into suspension more quickly the softer and more acidic the water.

I would second the kalkwasser, but reading about your situation I think you'll about as easy a time finding that as you will getting the pH Up you want.

 

[Grobot2010]

I'm sorry you took it that way. My attitude is that desperate times call for desperate measures. On the scale you're talking about, it sounds like a significant investment has been made in nutrients and whatever the crop is in mid grow (if you had said, I have a 50 gallon reservoir, well that would be another story)... So the "education fund" addition was meant to be taken tongue-in-cheek and that there is always a bright side to put on a long road trip to remedy a bad situation. But I can appreciate the fact that you're in a stressful situation and the temper/fuse is short.

If you have access to what'll make it right, go for it, but I wouldn't opt for a "band-aid" option when a road trip can get you proper ingredients (again, because of the scale, and even more so now that you mentioned that you have a finicky crop to deal with in the first place).

 

[johnd]

I used hydrated lime to adjust a rejuvelac mix I made. I easily brought the ph from 4.1 to 7. As someone else said, add a little bit at a time!

 

[Homer J Pimpin]

if you've got the silica then use it.........be carefull though mixing silica to a pre made sollution can cause lockouts.......

 

[Ground Up]

air stones, lots and lots of air