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Using PH down consistently

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dpfour20

Member
The PH of my tap water is outta wack, is using GH PH Down every time I water going to give me issues? Is there a better product that is okay to use all the time? I am growing in a 50/50 coco promix mix, and am just concerned about maybe any kinds of potential lockout issues.
Thanks!
 
dubwise

dubwise

in the thick of it
Veteran
You can use it all the time but allow things to drift a little bit so that you have a healthy balanced approach. I use it consistently and have for years with no issues.
 
Hammerhead

Hammerhead

Disabled Farmer
ICMag Donor
Veteran
after I mix my nutrients I need to use PH up. I never need down... Are you just watering with tap?
 
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dpfour20

Member
Yea I was just doing a flush of the soil, been getting some strange issues im trying to sort out. PH of my tap water, after bubbling for 24hrs, was around 8.5. Even after mixing in nutes, im usually still using a few drops of PH down.

dubwise, things are drifting im sure, i dont have a digital ph meter at the moment, so my measurements arent really exact.
 
Lowman

Lowman

Member
dpfour20 said:
Yea I was just doing a flush of the soil, been getting some strange issues im trying to sort out. PH of my tap water, after bubbling for 24hrs, was around 8.5. Even after mixing in nutes, im usually still using a few drops of PH down.

dubwise, things are drifting im sure, i dont have a digital ph meter at the moment, so my measurements arent really exact.
Click to expand...

I use tap water as well. 0.6EC outta the tap. I have found Gh flra series micro/bloom works well if you use the hard water micro version. I am also doing a trial with technaflora recipe right now...and it is staying very stable. I also use nitric acid(technaflora) for my ph down...and it is more stable than citric, phos, and sulphuric acids.
 
T

TribalSeeds

Sorry, this is kind of a different question, but on the same path...
If youre using biocarbs like Earth Juice PH Up, can that stuff build up in your medium and jack up your PH over time?
 
S

St3ve

Member
it is not going hurt the plants... you will go through alot of down though.

I used to keep a 100g res that I would only have to fill once a week or so for conventioneer and just hit it with down every day or so. I went through ALOT of down so I got away. Now, I mix up a fresh batch of nutes every day. I find I like it way more.. I use alot less down since I'm not readjusting the same water over and again.. plus I have fresh water instead of slightly stale or cloudy. The plants seem to love it.
 
Sgt.Stedenko

Sgt.Stedenko

Crotchety Cabaholic
Veteran
dpfour20 said:
Yea I was just doing a flush of the soil, been getting some strange issues im trying to sort out. PH of my tap water, after bubbling for 24hrs, was around 8.5. Even after mixing in nutes, im usually still using a few drops of PH down.

dubwise, things are drifting im sure, i dont have a digital ph meter at the moment, so my measurements arent really exact.
Click to expand...

Bubbling your water or nute mix will cause the pH to rise. You are stripping out the dissolved CO2 when bubbling, which removes carbonic acid.
The same thing happens in a hot tub. Aeration will always raise the pH.
 
T

tgpfarm

Member
Hello,
I am a new grower (2nd grow almost done).
I have very "hard" tap water.
I am using GH hard water micro and bloom
I was using a lot of GH dry ph down. Had to ph down almost everyday.
I switch to sulfuric acid (battery acid from a auto parts store) and my ph became rock stable once I started to use the battery acid.
It was also much cheaper ($5 USD)
 
Bush Dr

Bush Dr

Painting the picture of Dorian Gray
Veteran
It's not worth bubbling water for soil, by the time it reaches the roots 90%+ is gone

It's also the cause of your high pH, my tap water is around 7, when I bubble it prior to drip feeding coco it's over 8, leave it to stand for 2 hrs and it's 7.2, as long as it's being bubbled the pH is high

Having said that my rez is full of micro bubblers, but once the nutes are added and pH adjusted it stays there for around 36 hrs, so for coco it's fine

There is no point to air entrainment for soil, in fact it may alter the solubility of your nutes
 
Sgt.Stedenko

Sgt.Stedenko

Crotchety Cabaholic
Veteran
If you have high alkalininty, it will take more acid to lower or base to raise. By adding acid, you lower the alkalinity. If you lower it too much, one drop of acid or base can cause a wild swing. It's a fine line to walk.
Once you understand basic water chmistry, it becomes easier.
 
T

TheBioMaster

Member
Sgt.Stedenko said:
If you have high alkalininty, it will take more acid to lower or base to raise. By adding acid, you lower the alkalinity. If you lower it too much, one drop of acid or base can cause a wild swing. It's a fine line to walk.
Once you understand basic water chmistry, it becomes easier.
Click to expand...

What he said....one of the most important factors that gets over looked a lot is the TA number (Total Alkilinity). If this number is to high no amount ph down will help you really.....

Needing to add ph down is not uncommon as when you have a true balanced nutrient level you should see a constant but slow rise in ph as the plants uptake nutrients and release things that cause the ph to rise back into the solution.

A healthy system will show a daily slow drop in PPM/EC levels and a daily very slow rise in ph........a completely "tweaked" or "dialed in" system will show a steady level of PPM/EC levels meaning they stay they same and do not drop or rise and the slow steady rise in ph......

Letting the ph "float" within a acceptable range is suggested as different nutrients are available at different ph levels.

With that said, you should ph your starting solution down to 5.2 and let it rise all the way up to 6.3 before intervening (This would be for hydro obviously)

As mentioned, if your nutrient solution is well balanced and not to strong you should see the ph rise slowly as the plant uptake nutrients......

I hate to mention this as I do not like Advanced Nutrients at all but it just so happens they have the most concentrated ph down and the General Hydroponics ph down is so diluted it is a waste of money!

Cheers!
 
vukman

vukman

Active member
Veteran
The tap water here is always on the high side of the PH readings as well....If you have to use it, you have to use it.
I've found that filling a 5Gal bucket or two (depending on grow) and letting it sit and 'de-chlorinate' ........if that's even a word.....lowers it a bit and then adding the nutrients brings it right into the 6.3-6.5 range.
If I am not using nutrients, believe it or not, I use vinegar to lower the PH. I've never heard of any negative repercussions coming from it and I figure it's natural plus it works...
All I can say in adding is repeating myself...if you have to use it, you have to use it...

Good Luck
 
R

RanchoDeluxe

Member
^^^
Sounds alot better than adding battery acid to your plants.

I don't understand how anyone could be stoked about smoking herb that has been grown using battery acid.

Lowman- I'd take the Pepsi challenge any day of the week. Peace.
 
S

St3ve

Member
RanchoDeluxe said:
^^^
Sounds alot better than adding battery acid to your plants.

I don't understand how anyone could be stoked about smoking herb that has been grown using battery acid.

Lowman- I'd take the Pepsi challenge any day of the week. Peace.
Click to expand...

Don't be so quick to judge it by its nickname. Its just sulfuric acid.. where as pH down is phosphoric acid.
 
B

BongToke

Member
what kind of nutes do you use? When i was using GH flora nova it would drop it from 7 to like 4.

maybe switch to a more acidic food?
 
Y

YosemiteSam

I am not sure which acid GH uses but if it is phosphoric then you could build P up to such a point that it affects ion interactions...check Mulder's chart...I think there is some P, K, Mg interactions and if you get the ratios too far out my guess is you are gonna lock K out.

Also at high levels P will fuck with micro organisms if you are counting on any.

You might actually want to look at sulfuric or nitric acid depending on the overall elemental ratios of your mix.

edit...also technically you may not want to use your nute mix til pH has stabalized. Rising pH is just showing you that you have not eliminated much of the alkalinity, which will then force the pH of your media to rise over time. You see this in grows that look nice and green early on but then look like shit before harvest...normally explained away by the grower as normal flushing. Trust me, if you get it right your plants should fade without a bunch of dead spots.
 
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