# zero light (?) baking soda (?)



## Matthew7 (Mar 8, 2010)

I have four, five gallon buckets with Hydroton in net baskets and two 6" air stones inside each bucket. Two questions I have that maybe someone can help me with.

!: I used clear tubing, pulled through holes I drilled near the top of the buckets to operate my airs tones . I wish I'd searched out black tubing instead but ....lazy (I already had the clear). Should I wrap the tubing with electrical tape where it enters the buckets or something. I didn't think much light could enter because the holes are drilled just under the lip of the bucket and the holes are just big enough for the tubes but I don't want algae inside my buckets because my tubing acted like a fiber optic cable or something.

2: I'm using filtered water because the PH is so much better than my well water. It seems to be in a fairly safe range (5.8 or 6 and I'll be using 1/4 strength nutes for two week old seedlings) -In a pinch can I use baking soda if my PH is out of the safety zone or should I be ready with something else just in case???

Thanks again for all your help,   Matt

:holysheep:


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## Jericho (Mar 8, 2010)

I dont think you need the black ones. only issue is algae normally and that wont happen in an air tube. only water.

I dont think enough light would pass through the tube


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## zem (Mar 8, 2010)

i've seen a clear tube get green due to light but it will be very minor like a little green ring where the tube enters the bucket so you could wrap it neatly with a little piece of tape anyway


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## Matthew7 (Mar 9, 2010)

I'm wrapping the first 5' of the clear tube in electrical tape just in case.

So what about baking soda to adjust PH??? - (maybe a stupid question, but someone told me you can use it in a pinch and it sounds like just the kinda' stupid, moronic sort of thing I might do when I'm freaking out over sick plants or something!)


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## PencilHead (Mar 9, 2010)

Baking soda will raise pH if that's your goal.  Lemon juice will lower pH.

Some will tell you that food-grade adjusters won't hold the pH change--that's pure schtuff.  Once you've utilized an acid or a base, it has done its job by reacting with the opposite, then becomes salt and water (Chemisrty 101).  Those people are just fighting pH adjusters and buffers in their nutes and mediums--and that's what they do with their days: fight pH up, then fight it back down.  That fight equals salts.    

That said, I wouldn't use either baking soda or lemon juice because I don't have ANY room for error and the unknown is the room where error takes place.

Peace.


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## pcduck (Mar 9, 2010)

PH am I reading this right?:confused2:



> Some will tell you that food-grade adjusters won't hold the pH change--that's pure schtuff




and this is why they do not work



> Those people are just fighting pH adjusters and buffers in their nutes and mediums



how can it be _pure schtuff_ and later unworkable?


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## PencilHead (Mar 9, 2010)

No, no, Duck, I'm saying food-grade bases and acids will work as well as any other base or acid if you get enough.  Acid is acid, base is base.  The only difference is the type and amount of salt you get when it reacts.

I just don't think spending all one's time reading run-off and knee-jerk reacting is a lot of fun.  Those of you who are experienced enough to mix your own mediums are light years ahead of those of us who use these pre-mixed mediums--we get stuff we never asked for that do funny stuff to our pH. 

JMO, but I spent probably 50% of my first 6 months growing stressing over pH.  When I'd get my run-off at 6.5, my plants looked like warmed over death.  I changed over to RO that runs a constant 6.3 to 6.5 and forgot about run-off.  I may regret my cavalier 'tude one day, but I'm happier right now for it.


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## pcduck (Mar 9, 2010)

> I'm saying food-grade bases and acids will work as well as any other base or acid if you get enough. Acid is acid, base is base. The only difference is the type and amount of salt you get when it reacts.



I understand that part,^^^^ but  how can one says it works if it takes half a pond full of lemon juice/baking soda to maintain the pH? When you can use pH adjusters made for plants that only need a few drops to do the same thing? Besides having to deal with the smell and the scum in a hydro rez.

 I just do not understand:confused2: An airplane can get a person across the country, 2 ways, by flying or by rolling, I would rather fly.


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## zem (Mar 9, 2010)

yeah the first week of my very first grow i used like 4 bottles of lemon juice concentrated lime juice and vinegar to lower my ph my room reaked so i got 5L of phosphoric acid i'm still using them till today years after, ph doesnt drift at all with it and no smells + it feeds my plants with phosphorus


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## PencilHead (Mar 9, 2010)

PencilHead said:
			
		

> Baking soda will raise pH if that's your goal. Lemon juice will lower pH.
> 
> Some will tell you that food-grade adjusters won't hold the pH change--that's pure schtuff. Once you've utilized an acid or a base, it has done its job by reacting with the opposite, then becomes salt and water (Chemisrty 101). Those people are just fighting pH adjusters and buffers in their nutes and mediums--and that's what they do with their days: fight pH up, then fight it back down. That fight equals salts.
> 
> ...



Duck, I'm not disagreeing with you--the guy asked if he could use baking soda to raise pH.  Short answer: Yes.

My answer was erroneously aimed at soil grows, not hydros.  Sorry.


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