Aeroflo PH swings, buffer, PPM changes

I ran an Aeroflow a few years back and did experience similar issues at times. I will try my best to answer your questions as best I can but I can't guarantee anything about the answers being right. I do have a chemistry degree and a MS in water/watewater engineering so I fell as if I can take a reasonable stab.

* Why does the PH solution change my PPM so much?

Are you adding CO2 to your set-up?

What is the GH pH up product active ingredient?

Assuming that you are using RO water, the RO filtration system removes almost all stuff from your input water. It is my understanding that the RO system also removes Carbonate alkalinty from the water, which could be the issue.....

As you take the RO water, add nutrients, then pH adjust it and add it to your aeroflo system. Due to the very high degree of aeration, the water will quickly take on carbonate alkalinity from the atmosphere. Carbonates are the primary pH buffers in natural water systems. Carbonates are basically atmospheric CO2 (Carbon dioxide) that gets dissolved in water and then participates in acid/base chemistry.

Carbonates are ions, and therefore would register on your ppm meter, and might possible account for an increase in ppm, and possibility an increase in pH over time with your aerfoflow system.

Also, as the water level drops in your system, your concentrations of nutrients, and pH buffers will change as well.

I ended up connecting my Aeroflow reservoir ( I think it held about 12 gallons) to a 30 gallon water reservior that was connected to a flot valve. This at least kept the water volume constant and eliminated concentration swings from dropping water levels.


Those Aeroflow move fast and you have to stay on top of the water chemistry.

 

• Why does the PH solution change my PPM so much?
• Should I adjust my PH BEFORE adding my nutes?
• How can I compensate for the PPM rise from the PH soultion?
• Why is my PPM swinging? Yesterday it was 1650 now it's 1850 and I havent done anything?
  
  First off , you got it backwards. PH Up before nutes and PH down After nutes(considering it's all GH brand) If your using the 3-part flora series I know Micro is before bloom but i'm not sure in what order to add Grow , it should be on the bottle.. This is to prevent cloudyness and precipitation in the reservoir. Most people still get clouds because they don't start with a high enough PPM. If you start at a low ppm , in order to raise the PH when Raising the Ppm's you must dilute that Ph up in a separate gallon of water before adding to your res. Honestly cloudy are unavoidable it's keeping them at a minimum that really does the job.
  
  Yes adjust PH UP first or Down after, some people say otherwise why adjust something with nothing in it , it's simply wrong. I would start a separate gallon jug before hand and add nutes and Ph up in the incorrect order so that you can find out how much of each you need , then add everything correctly to your res and toss out that first gallon , or add it at the Very end.
  
  I've always been told that Airstones/bubblers will raise the PH of your water , I do know that it makes it Very difficult for a PH/ppm reading so you must turn off all the pumps and bubblers while testing or take a sample. I think Gloden Glow is on top of his game , I would start a new res and let everything mix well to allow everything to cancel out and settle down . Bubble the water for 30 minutes , then add Ph up , wait 30 minutes , and nutes ... wait 30 minutes and take a reading. I don't see why it would'nt be stable as long as you have enough nutes in the water, And you kept your Res Topped off to 100percent water. As Gloden stated a res that is not at 100%water will tend to lower in PH and rise in Ppms.
  
  Killer Post Gloden Glow K+