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pH drifting up

Discussion in 'Advanced Growing Techniques' started by Big Poppa Puff, Dec 3, 2003.

  1. #1 Big Poppa Puff, Dec 3, 2003
    Situation, bubble bucket system week 2 into flowering. Ran out of phosphoric acid and had to use a citric acid-type pH lowerer from an outdoor goldfish pond system to lower resvoir pH to 5.2.

    12 hours later pH has drifted to 6.1. use the same crap to lower and 12 hours later the pH has drifted up to 6.1 again.

    After a couple of days, I get the good acid and try it again to stay at 5.2 to 5.4; but 12 to 18 hours later its drifted back up to 6.1

    after a couple of days the reservoir is dumped and a new nute batch is made. Since then pH is steady at 5.4

    Now the question is this, why did it keep drifitng back up and what makes it go up?
     
  2. #2 critter, Dec 3, 2003
    carn,t remember the reasons just now but l find the ph goes up when a change needs to be done .must be a reaction with the nuets as they build up.
     
  3. #3 unoit, Dec 4, 2003
    HIGH All, BBP have you looked at your water....Hard water. It is characterised by high levels of mineral salts and it can cause problems for hydroponic growers.
    Hard water usually has a very high pH and a grower will find that it takes a large amount of pH down to lower the pH. The hydroponic grower will usually add Phosphoric acid (H3PO4) to lower the pH. As it takes a significant amount of phosphoric acid to lower the pH, the levels of phosphates in the solution will skyrocket. Over time, the phosphate will accumulate and the high levels will affect the uptake of other nutrients, such as zinc for instance. Major nutrient imbalances will not be far off.

    To deal with this you have two choices when dealing with hard water. The first is to use a specially formulated for Hard water such as Ionic, a one-part nutrient solution available in both Grow and Bloom formulations. These formulas are more acidic and are also specially formulated to take account of the minerals, such as Calcium, that are usually present in Hard water. By lowering these elements in the nutrient solution it is possible to ensure that the final solution is as close as possible to ideal levels of the major elements.

    A second choice is to go with a reverse osmosis unit. RO systems filter the water before it enters your reservoir, removing about 98% of inorganic salts.
     
  4. #4 Buds, Dec 5, 2003
    Is it bad to have a PH level over 6 when your growing out doors? What symptoms show from a to high of a PH level or to low?
     
  5. #5 froggy, Dec 5, 2003
    guessing unoit right.
     
  6. #6 sidious, Dec 6, 2003
    i've seen these water holders, like a clear kettle that makes hard water soft, and changes the ph of it.........in Scotland the water is just about as perfect as you can get it........but in London, you need one of these kettles to purify the water first........you could get one of them.........Peace out........Sid
     
  7. #7 Big Poppa Puff, Dec 17, 2003
    I have soft water, not hard. One of the few places in the USA with good water that just lathers up soap all day long in the shower.

    And this problem started right after a reservoir change, not a week or two later after nutes built-up.

    I think it has something to do with the citirc acid based pH down solution. When I quit using it and got some more phosphoric acid I haven't had the problem since. I guess the buffering capacity of a citirc acid isn't as strong as a Phosphoric acid.

    What other pH lowering acids are out there on the market besides phosphoric?
     
  8. #8 froggy, Dec 17, 2003
    just remembering my chem...


    phos. acid is much stronger than citric acid. much stronger
     

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