PH probs

[sickbiker]

ok so i check my ph two times a day and every time i check it has went up to about 7 or so and i bring it back down to 5.5. Im running a small DWC im changing my water every 7 days and when i change my water i add my nuts. I have no idea why it keeps going up

 

[sickbiker]

or is that normal

 

[bud.uncle]

whats your current ec/cf

There are a couple factors that can cause your PH to drift. The most common of these is running your nutrient solution too strong or too weak. If it's too strong, your PH drops. If it's too weak the PH rises.

 

[woodydude]

I used to have some bad problems with ph fluctuating, it still rises a little but is much more manageable.
This is my routine for nutes.
When I am due a nute changeover, 3 days before I fill up my spare tote with tap water (I am in Scotland so the ph is 6.8-7.2 and ec is 0.1)
I leave the lid off for 48 hours to allow for chlorine to dissapate.
I then add my nutes and ph to 5.5.
This then sits for 24 hours(Thanks THG)
Then I recheck the ph and adjust as needed.
Only then are my plants allowed near it.
The water replacing the water the plants take from the solution (top ups) also sits out and is ph'd for 24 hours before letting it near my plants, I am quite paranoid about it.

By following this regime, I find I dont have to ph the solutions the plants are in any more. I check it daily, but never need to adjust. I use AN nutes which have some kind of ph guarantee.

One thing to remember is that as the plants drink, they take out water but leave the nutes behind, meaning your level will drop, so will your ph, while you ec will rise.

I would recommend leaving the ph alone for a few days, monitor it so it doesnt go mad high, but leave it to allow the buffers in the nutes to work. I was the same way early on but now I just concentrate on what I am adding to my grow and that takes care of the grow.

Green mojo fella.
W

 

[The Hemp Goddess]

How are you checking your pH? What is happening with your PPMs when the pH goes up?

 

[trillions of atoms]

I add nutes and the buffers bring the PH in the zone....are you letting your nute solution sit and let the buffers work BEFORE phing it down?


Phing the solution to soon can cause swing...so can high ppms in un-nuted water, crappy nutes can do it as well.

what are your ppms before nuting?