PH Jumping

[420Grower420]

I'm growing in 5 gal bubble buckets and at first everything with the Ph and my PH stick was fine. A few days ago I noticed my PH would jump from 5.5 to 7.5 in about a day. At the same time this happened, my PH stick, which was only three days old, started to crap out on me.

Now my Ph stick will only turn on when I take the batteries out then put them in and repeat about five times until it decides it wants to work. My Ph jumps from 5.5 to 8 about two times a day... yeah. I have been correcting the problem with vinegar but I will be picking up some ph up and down tomorrow. Could this problem have anything to do with me switching from a 100 something watt CFL to a 600 watt HPS? Could it be my 50 dollar PH stick? Could it be the vinegar? Could it be a sign from god?

Please help me

Ohh and one more question, what do you think the vinegar is doing to my plants aside from changing the ph of the water? I have a big gallon sized container and its about half empty between my 4 plants and its only been under a week into my grow.

Thanks everyone!

[Liflow]

I'm a total newbie but I don't see any point in buying pH up. Save yer money.

Maybe you could also post a little more about the nutrients and water you're using so people could help you better...

I'm using Lucas formula. Had a problem where my pH was drifting up and I was having to pH correct it daily. Nothing as major as yours... It would go up to like 6.2 or 6.5. In my case I think I had a bacterial problem -- the water started getting stinky, so I added some 35% H2O2 (I put 3ml per gal) and the pH stabilized a lot. Maybe someone with more experience can comment on what I did and whether it makes any sense or not.

I have a cheap pH meter also and I'm still not sure I trust it. But I dip it in RO water every time I use it and it always reads about the same. (7.0 - 7.1) Makes me feel a little beter about the accuracy... Maybe someone else w/ more experience could tell me if this makes any sense either...

[420Grower420]

Umm thanks for the help. Well the nutes I am using are Fox Farm Grow big and Im using 1/2 strength for the first week. I know something is up with ym PH meter because it wont turn on right but I'm not sure if it is reading correctly.

Im also using tap water with a normal ph of 7.2 and I ph down to 5.5 with vinegar.

I was looking at ph up and down and a 3 lb container for $18.99 has good reviews and some of the poeple were talking about how it was so potent that they only need to use about 1/4 tsp per gallon to lower it a whole point. If this is true, it would be about the same price as vinegar at the rate Im going since I have already used about half a gallon in a few days. I also think it might be better for the plants because I have no idea what all this vinegar is doing to them.

As for your R/O water, good job, I almost bought a R/O machine today but I didn't because I'm doing a stealth grow and down want to pull apart things in my pathroom just in case someone goes in there and is like, "WTF, a reverse osmosis machine in the bathroom???"

But yeah, r/o water is great for growing since you dont have to worry about chlorine, high ppm water, and any other funk that might be in there.

I have lightproof bubble buckets but right now my grow medium is realy low cuz I needed the seedlings touching the water so since it is lower than normal, light can reach the water through my net pots. This might allow some funky stuff to be able to grow in my water and effect my ph but I dont smell anythigna nd the water isnt realy slimy aside from the slippery feeling of bubbly vinegar.

Someoen let me know if its worth buying ph up and down instead of home made stuff please : )

Thanks.

[Help_Needed]

First, there's a VERY good chance your pH meter has gone out. I would NOT trust it. Get a new one. I almost killed my last grow when my pH meter malfunctioned because I added way too much pH down. You've got to have a realiable way to test your pH before you can decide how to adjust it.

Second, vinegar is NOT a good way to lower pH. It works for an emergency but will destablize pretty quickly. Spend 7 bucks and get a bottle of real pH Down.

Originally Posted by Liflow

I'm a total newbie but I don't see any point in buying pH up. Save yer money.

No offense but I don't think this advise could possibly get any worse. If you're going to grow in hydro you need 4 tools - a reliable pH meter, a TDS/EC meter, a bottle of pH Up, and a bottle of pH Down. Without those your chances of having a successful grow will deminish rather rapidly.

[420Grower420]

Originally Posted by Help_Needed

First, there's a VERY good chance your pH meter has gone out. I would NOT trust it. Get a new one. I almost killed my last grow when my pH meter malfunctioned because I added way too much pH down. You've got to have a realiable way to test your pH before you can decide how to adjust it.

Second, vinegar is NOT a good way to lower pH. It works for an emergency but will destablize pretty quickly. Spend 7 bucks and get a bottle of real pH Down.

I totally agree with you, I think the reason why I am haivng to ph down twice a day is because the vinegar destablizes so fast. Gonna go pick up some ph up and down tomorrow morning, any suggestions as to what kind?

[Help_Needed]

I don't think brand is very important. Just be sure you get it at a garden/grow store so that you get stuff that's designed for plants. You want to avoid fish tank or swimming pool chemicals. They will adjust your pH, but they're not good for the plants.

Also, DO get another pH meter. Your's sounds like it's pretty much shot and you really can't trust the readings your getting from it. Yes, they're a bit pricey, but they're more than worth it. When mine went on the blink last grow I ended up driving my pH down to 2.4 before I realized what happend. My plants never did fully recover.

[420Grower420]

Thanks man, tomorrow I will be buying some ph up and down, some ducting, a high power duct fan (to cool ym room and HPS light), and .... unfortunately a new PH meter. This one is still running but im not sure if I can trust it now or if it will jsut crap out on me in the middle of my grow and waste all the money and work/time im putting in here.

Shall I go with a Ph/ec meter from Hanna?

Any suggestions as to which kind I should get? I have enough to get a 200 dollar one if I need to.

PS, hydro stores are way over-priced and if I wasnt doing a stealth grow, I could have ordered stuff online through discount hydro stores. Ohh well, I'll be happy when Im swimming in bud, right? : )

[Liflow]

I have GH pH Down powder and it seems to work. The stuff is incredibly powerful. Last time I used it I put 1/4tsp for *9 gallons* and the PH dropped from 6.0 to 5.5.

I don't have an R/O machine, I buy R/O water at Wal-Mart. I always buy 1 gallon first and check the PPM and pH of it and then go back and buy the rest. I just have no idea how well maintained their machines are...but so far it's always been < 20 ppm and pH neutral.

I'm not sure why Help_Wanted said I gave you bad advice, but I'm an idiot, so you probably want to listen to them and get pH Up also

[420Grower420]

ohh kick ass, if walmart has r/o water im definitely gonna buy it. How much do you pay??

Probably not much huh?

Ohh also I think he may have thought you meant dont buy ph up or down and jsut use at home stuff, but im with u on not realy needing ph up because I have yet to need it.

I will buy it just in case because its cheap and realy strong.

[Help_Needed]

Hanna is an excellent brand of meter. If you can afford one, definately go for it.

As for water, yes you can get r/o in bulk from most grocerie stores. You can also get the generic bottled water for about $1.70 for 2.5 gallons. Just be sure you get the "drinking" water, not the artesian water. Also check the label to be sure they haven't added any sodium. The do that sometimes to make it taste better.

Last, about the pH Up, you really do want to have that on hand. Your nutes are actually quite acidic. Depending on the concentration you're using, as well as how fast your plants are eating, they can drive your pH downward by themselves, without anything else being wrong with your grow. And Murphy's law says that if it happens to you, you'll discover it a 9pm on a Saturday night when your local grow store won't be open until Monday morning lol. So it's worth keeping it around.

My current grow went through a brief spell where the pH dropped down to about 5.0 three days in a row. Having something on hand to fix that - without any guess work or doubts about the effects - was a real life saver.

[Liflow]

It is 33 cents a gallon out of the self-service machine at my local Wal-Mart. Get a couple 5-gallon jugs, makes it a lot more convenient than filling up a bunch of 1-gallon jugs like I did the first couple times...

[Help_Needed]

Originally Posted by Liflow

I'm not sure why Help_Wanted said I gave you bad advice, but I'm an idiot

Being mistaken is not the same as being an idiot . At least you tried to help, which is more than can be said for a lot of forum members. Besides, I've made more than my share of gaffes on this forum too.

In the two grows I've done, I've made just about every mistake you can imagine. There's a lot I've had to learn the hard way. Having the right tools and chemicals on hand can make a huge difference in the success of your grow.