# Stablizing PH?



## Shockeclipse (Apr 18, 2009)

I did my buckets (dwc) for the first time.  Adjusted Ph to 5.5 and when I checked it like an hour later...it was almost 7, not I know its going to take some time, but I keep adjusting, and it keeps going up.  I did them on thrus and they still keep traveling?  What am I doing wrong?


----------



## WeedHopper (Apr 18, 2009)

Bro,,I dont get why your Solution's PH should change in your DWC. Are you adding something after you put your solution in the Rez?  I have never had my DWC solution do that. I can check it at anytime and its pretty much spot on. I add nothing more then Nutes and 3% Peroxide. I PH my solution after I add all my nutes. If I top off with water,,I PH it first at 5.8

What kind of PH meter are you using?


----------



## purplephazes (Apr 18, 2009)

Why pH Varies
The ratio in uptake of anions (negatively charged nutrients) and cations (positively charged nutrients) by plants may cause substantial shifts in pH. In general, an excess of cation over anion leads to a decrease in pH, whereas an excess of anion over cation uptake leads to an increase in pH. As nitrogen (an element required in large quantities for healthy plant growth) may be supplied either as a cation (ammonium - NH4+) or an anion (nitrate - NO3-), the ratio of these two forms of nitrogen in the nutrient solution can have large effects on both the rate and direction of pH changes with time. This shift in pH can be surprisingly fast.

Daylight photosynthesis produces hydrogen ions which can cause the nutrient acidity to increase (lowering the pH). At dusk photosynthesis stops and the plants increase their rate of respiration and this coupled with the respiration of micro organisms and the decomposition of organic matter uses up the hydrogen ions so the acidity of the solution tends to decrease (pH rises).
In low light (overcast days or indoor growing environments) plants take up more potassium and phosphorous from the nutrient solution so the acidity increases (pH drops). In strong intense light (clear sunny days) plants take up more nitrogen from the nutrient solution so the acidity decreases (pH rises) good luck take care ! go outdoor bro LOL


----------



## Shockeclipse (Apr 18, 2009)

CowboyBudsky said:
			
		

> Bro,,I dont get why your Solution's PH should change in your DWC. Are you adding something after you put your solution in the Rez? I have never had my DWC solution do that. I can check it at anytime and its pretty much spot on. I add nothing more then Nutes and 3% Peroxide. I PH my solution after I add all my nutes. If I top off with water,,I PH it first at 5.8
> 
> What kind of PH meter are you using?


 
Added nutes first, ppm is around 160, temp is 70, using a Hanna Combo meter, It has been Callibrated.


----------



## WeedHopper (Apr 18, 2009)

purplephazes said:
			
		

> Why pH Varies
> The ratio in uptake of anions (negatively charged nutrients) and cations (positively charged nutrients) by plants may cause substantial shifts in pH. In general, an excess of cation over anion leads to a decrease in pH, whereas an excess of anion over cation uptake leads to an increase in pH. As nitrogen (an element required in large quantities for healthy plant growth) may be supplied either as a cation (ammonium - NH4+) or an anion (nitrate - NO3-), the ratio of these two forms of nitrogen in the nutrient solution can have large effects on both the rate and direction of pH changes with time. This shift in pH can be surprisingly fast.
> 
> Daylight photosynthesis produces hydrogen ions which can cause the nutrient acidity to increase (lowering the pH). At dusk photosynthesis stops and the plants increase their rate of respiration and this coupled with the respiration of micro organisms and the decomposition of organic matter uses up the hydrogen ions so the acidity of the solution tends to decrease (pH rises).
> In low light (overcast days or indoor growing environments) plants take up more potassium and phosphorous from the nutrient solution so the acidity increases (pH drops). In strong intense light (clear sunny days) plants take up more nitrogen from the nutrient solution so the acidity decreases (pH rises) good luck take care !


----------



## WeedHopper (Apr 18, 2009)

> Added nutes first, ppm is around 160, temp is 70, using a Hanna Combo meter, It has been Callibrated.


 
Man Little Brother,,I wish I knew what to tell ya. I just never dealt with a PH problem in my DWC. When I change my Solution once a week,,I check the PH of the old solution cause I use it on plants in soil,,,and it is pretty much 5.8-6.0.
Lots of PPL here use DWC,,maybe they will chime in. Good Luck.


----------



## BuddyLuv (Apr 18, 2009)

First time ever using the bucket, quality of water, quality of nutes, etc...? We need all this info before we can help.


----------



## D3 (Apr 18, 2009)

What medium are you using?


----------



## Real78 (Apr 18, 2009)

Questions for you?
1. What kind of water are you using tap or RO water?
2. What kind of nutes?
3. How offten are you changing the res.?
4. Are you adding nutes first then checking  your ppm and pH?

I am using DWC and I have not had any problem with my pH jumping around. I check it every two days and I have my pH at 5.8 and it may only jump up between 6.0-6.5. The highest I have seen it get was 6.5 when I use pH and I use RO water with a ppm 15-30.


----------



## WeedHopper (Apr 18, 2009)

Yeah,,from 5.5 to 7.0 in an hour  ,,, me thinks somethen aint right with that meter. What do you use for PH UP and PH Down?


----------



## Shockeclipse (Apr 18, 2009)

Real78 said:
			
		

> Questions for you?
> 1. What kind of water are you using tap or RO water?
> 2. What kind of nutes?
> 3. How offten are you changing the res.?
> ...


 
1.  Actually its a natural spring water, 7.3ph and 100 ppms
2.  GH flora series
3. I was hoping to change once a week depending on nute uptake?
4.  I added nutes then adjusted for ph

Since Thursday night when I put them together, Thats when it changed dramatically from 5.5 to 7ish.  This was about 24 hrs later.  Now it is not jumping that far it seems but it is still moving?  I checked it at a little before noon and at 7 they were up 5.8 from 5.5 so I am assuming they will keep going up they way things have been going.....



			
				DLM3 said:
			
		

> What medium are you using?


 
Rockwool/hydroton (hydroton was rinsed..)



			
				CowboyBudsky said:
			
		

> Yeah,,from 5.5 to 7.0 in an hour  ,,, me thinks somethen aint right with that meter. What do you use for PH UP and PH Down?


 
I think I was stoned a worried and it was more than an hour, like 24hrs and I still thought that was not good.  I am using GH PH-up/down

I had thought it would be fine at first and I added nutes, adjusted ph and put my seedlings in....I fussed up my water lvl and started drowning the plants I think, they were not happy.  Even with this ph swing they look much better (took them carefully out, lowered water lvl to just touching so that the bubbles were poping through the bottom holes) they didn't get worse but do not look exactly better.  When I was checking ph today I noticed a root or two starting to comes straight down. Obviously a tiny root but I took this as a good sign that they will recover from my blunder.


----------



## Shockeclipse (Apr 18, 2009)

Are you kidding me.....I just realized the test solution I used was 4.01 and 7.00 <--supposed to be 7.01  could this be part of the problem or does that just mean its off by .01?


----------



## Shockeclipse (Apr 18, 2009)

A thought just occured to me, could the water temp rising effect the PH?


----------



## Pepper (Apr 18, 2009)

New to the hydro, but was told to run the dwc for 24 to 48hr with water and nuts, then check ph and ppm adjust it if needed then add the plants.


----------



## Pepper (Apr 18, 2009)

Shockeclipse said:
			
		

> A thought just occured to me, could the water temp rising effect the PH?


 

Best water temp in a dwc solution 65 degrees


----------



## BuddyLuv (Apr 18, 2009)

that .01 isn't the problem. I think it is something in the water.


----------



## TURKEYNECK (Apr 19, 2009)

BuddyLuv said:
			
		

> that .01 isn't the problem. I think it is something in the water.


:yeahthat: or a faulty meter as cowboy said.


----------



## Shockeclipse (Apr 19, 2009)

TURKEYNECK said:
			
		

> :yeahthat: or a faulty meter as cowboy said.


In which case I should.....


----------



## BuddyLuv (Apr 19, 2009)

well if you stick the meter in buffer 7 and it reads 7 then it is not the meter.


----------



## WeedHopper (Apr 19, 2009)

BuddyLuv said:
			
		

> that .01 isn't the problem. I think it is something in the water.


 
I have to agree.Something aint right in that solution if the meter is working.
As for the water temp,,it shouldnt effect PH like that. It will screw your roots though if its to high.


----------



## BuddyLuv (Apr 19, 2009)

I have a feeling this "natural" spring water is high is some sort of metal.


----------



## WeedHopper (Apr 19, 2009)

I think his Girlfriend or Wife,,or both  is messen wit him. She sneaks in there when he aint looken puts some PH up in there.


----------



## BuddyLuv (Apr 19, 2009)

LOL that would be awsome.


----------



## D3 (Apr 19, 2009)

Some cheaper rockwool is not pH neutral. Just like some gro rocks arn't. It will make you pH freakout. Try flushing to see if that works, wont hurt. I think you have a little troll messing with you.


----------



## Shockeclipse (Apr 19, 2009)

DLM3 said:
			
		

> Some cheaper rockwool is not pH neutral. Just like some gro rocks arn't. It will make you pH freakout. Try flushing to see if that works, wont hurt. I think you have a little troll messing with you.


 
I soaked it before I germed in there.  Its still shifting but I am maintaining it.  Plants don't look to be getting bigger that I can tell as of yet ( only been three days lol) but I noticed this morning I have massive root growth which I am taking as a good sign.


----------



## Shockeclipse (Apr 19, 2009)

CowboyBudsky said:
			
		

> I think his Girlfriend or Wife,,or both is messen wit him. She sneaks in there when he aint looken puts some PH up in there.


 
She knows better, and its funny that you said that because she is my fiance.....girlfriend wife is about right.


----------



## Shockeclipse (Apr 19, 2009)

BuddyLuv said:
			
		

> I have a feeling this "natural" spring water is high is some sort of metal.


 
Well thats no good......


----------



## BuddyLuv (Apr 19, 2009)

Shockeclipse said:
			
		

> I soaked it before I germed in there. Its still shifting but I am maintaining it. Plants don't look to be getting bigger that I can tell as of yet ( only been three days lol) but I noticed this morning I have massive root growth which I am taking as a good sign.


 
The roots is a good sign they are fine. I have a feeling your grow will just be alright, you will just have to stay on top of your pH. Let it drift to 6.0-6.2 before dropping it back down to 5.5. This will allow all the nutrients and supplements to be available to it.


----------



## Shockeclipse (Apr 22, 2009)

I have pics up in the sick plants forum under my "Unhappy plant= Unhappy grower" post.  I would have linked to it but I cant copy and paste from my phone yet.


----------



## Budking (Apr 23, 2009)

i have had the same problem in the past using all the same stuff GH up/down GH nutes, hydrotron, etc....


Its the Hydrotron and the fact the its the first time u filled them.

the first time u fill them theres dirt and dust and all sort of stuff that u cant see that will mildly effect PH. also i bet u didnt rinse the hydrotron with PH balenced water. that alone will effect ur ph (even if u did rinse the hydrotron) the dust that dosnt come off the hydrotrons end up in ur solution.

all in all with every thing combined the first time u fill any system ur PH willl be all over the place, but once its drained and filled, it will be much more stabl.
hope this helps


----------



## Real78 (Apr 23, 2009)

CowboyBudsky said:
			
		

> Yeah,,from 5.5 to 7.0 in an hour  ,,, me thinks somethen aint right with that meter. What do you use for PH UP and PH Down?



GH


----------



## Real78 (Apr 23, 2009)

I am willing to say it is your water. I would try some RO water you can buy it just about any where. Give that a try as it would be cheap to buy and you will know with in two days.


----------

