I know I can use baking soda for pH up and vinegar for pH down, but I don't know if it can have an adverse effect on the plant. Her newer foliage since adding the nute solution looks green and healthy, so I think it's okay. I had to use a bit of each to counteract each other and eventually got to a pH of 5.87, which should be about perfect. I tested the TDS after and it was up to about 1200, so I added some water to get it down to about 300-400 PPM for the first watering with nutes. I will up it from there, I just don't want to keep giving a harmful solution to the baby if that is the case.
Baking Soda is OK .. a little goes a long way so watch it. Would not vote vinegar into 1st place. Too organic in hydo and pretty week. I like pool acid (Hydrochloric) - comes in 38% mix at the pool store. pH Down is a proprietary mix - they wont tell you whats in it .. but it is based on Phosphoric and Nitric acids.
+1 you have to use a TON of vinegar to make a difference in pH, its just not worth the hassle when you can pick up ph up/down very easily
Just a comment on your PPM.. Is it bad that ur PPM is at 1500.. I'm curious as to why you dropped it down to 500.. I am currently using FOx Farms Full line of nutes and I uses plant success and Sugaree and my PPM's is up in the 1800's and I haven't seen any burning. I was told that I could push them that high and with the two additives i use pushes the ppm about 300 PPM's over what us recremended on their feeding chart via website
Two things: You probably have yours under HID (MH or HPS), in which case the plant can absorb all of the nutrients you are giving it. The reason I dropped to 500 at first was to ween the plant onto the solution. If you give her the max ppm at first, it could cause a bad reaction (nute burn, lock-out, etc.). I have my ppm up to about 1100 now. I am still under CFLs so I probably won't go much higher than that on this grow.
I know about easing them onto the nutrients from seedling to veg as I follow closely to the feeding schedule adjusted nutes back to 8 gallons and full strength for surge and plant success. Just saw seedlings ppm is between 700-800 and week 1 (1100 - 1260) and by week 4 its up to 1610 PPM's I am in the middle of my 3rd week of flowering an yes I'm under a 400w hps and 250w cfl ok that makes sense about HID and it's relationship to PPMs thanks for the reply and education
Lemon Juice is good for down in a pinch, same a baking soda for up. But for 12 bucks a quart, I'd just use the shit made for it, but if you run out and cant get to the hydro store you have to adjust the PH.
Keep it simple. Just buy some ph Up & Down... Amazon is good if there isn't a hydro store nearby. Most problems come from taking shortcuts or over complicating things.
Vinager is useless it evaporates out of the res in a matter of hours, bicarbonate soda is okay, but I have never used a ph up in my grow.
Is bicarbonated soda and sodium bicarbonate not the same thing? Little by little, a little becomes alot.