PH goes up fast DWC

[gruglegm]

Hello growers,

I'm starting my first experience with hydro(DWC) and my PH is making me discouraged.

I've already done 2 complete cleanings and a complete water change, and my PH goes back up even after regulating with PH Down (Biobizz).

My setup:
1 - Water pump
1 - Air pump
1 - Heat Mat (23~25ºC)
1 - 25L bucket (10L current water)

Yesterday I did the cleaning, let it dry well and wiped everything with a cloth just in case. I added 10L of mineral water (PH:6, PPM:160, EC: 320)

I adjusted the PH to 5.3, 24 hours later my PH rose to 6.8.

Does anyone have any ideas? Is there something wrong with the submerged water pump?

Any ideas will be greatly appreciated, thank you

 

[bearhair]

I would ask @Mañ'O'Green but what do you mean by mineral water. I'd bet that might have something to do with it. Eh, maybe not. He will know for sure..

 

[bearhair]

I do think 23 to 25 c is too warm for dwc water also sub pumps generate heat. Read up on water temp for dwc..

 

[Mañ'O'Green]

@gruglegm welcome to AFNI think in Fahrenheit so I whip out my calculator and yes 23C to 25C is on the high side but doable. Since it looks like you are heating to that level turn it down to 68°F/ 20°C. This is the temperature that water holds the most dissolved oxygen. Roots need oxygen and they don't get it from the bubbles passing by them, the bubbles transfer oxygen to the water and the water passes it to the roots. The smaller the bubbles your airstone makes the better not only is it gentle on the roots but has way more surface area in contact with the water to transfer the oxygen.

I am assuming the pump is just to top water the plant to get the roots down into the reservoir and will be removed once that happens?

I have a primer on Bubbleponics and I grew some of my best plants using DWC.

Deep Water Culture Basics - Bubbleponics

Sharing some things I have learned doing Deep Water Culture with cannabis. Technically what I use is called “Bubbleponics”. First your environmental needs must be met - light, temperature, humidity and air movement all need to be in range for plants to grow well. I will assume you understand...

www.autoflower.org

Edit: Ooops I almost forgot the other question about PH. Mix your nutrients in a separate container the day before and aerate overnight this will help stabilize the PH at 5.8 but so many things are going on in the res that you must PH several times a day to keep it in range. Hydroponics is the most labor intense way of growing. I check my PH at least 4 times a day and make small adjustments when needed - sometimes every time I check.

Using spring water (bottled ???) will get fairly expensive. What is wrong with your tap water? If you have municipal water you should be able to get a water quality report online. Show me the hardness section and the sanitation section and lets see if you can use it?

 

[gruglegm]

@Markopo, thank you very much for the answer, I already saw here that @Mañ'O'Green answered me, I am grateful for your help!

@Mañ'O'Green, many thanks for the reply!

First, I've already adjusted the temperature and I'm going to read your Bubbleponics to fine-tune these details, I've seen many reports of successes with DWC, I'm looking forward to seeing the result of my first experience.

About water, my municipality has a very high amount of lime (Portugal) and mineral water (bottled) is really very cheap. I intend to use tap water, however, I will buy a filter to improve the water quality before that.

As for the PH, I'm realizing that more constant monitoring is needed, different from the soil, I'll do what you said to leave the nutrients a day before to balance.

About the water pump, I'm using it for the rooting phase, until it reaches the water. After that, I will remove it.

I'll return in a few days of analysis following these tips, to report something new.

Good growth everyone

 

[gruglegm]

@Mañ'O'Green, When reading your reports, I just saw a possibility for the lack of control:

"Do not use copper, brass or aluminum anywhere in your system; not even the tiniest fitting. "

I use a submerged probe, this one is made of metal and I will still replace it with a plastic/silicone one. Would this cause any anomaly in the PH/EC/PPM?

 

[bearhair]

I thought about trying dwc and after reading some of MOG's posts decided against it. I work a lot and don't think it would work for me..

 

[gruglegm]

I thought about trying dwc and after reading some of MOG's posts decided against it. I work a lot and don't think it would work for me..

It's really not easy, honestly I fell into DWC and even with the initial difficulties I'm enjoying it.

After all, I can't plant in the ground now, a hydroelectric plant has become more suitable. Relatively, I am having to get used to many different parameters, where I came from the external temperature varied from 25º to 40º, now where I am it varies a lot from -2º to 40º (winter/summer), but internally I manage to maintain the temperature without "so much expense"

After the tips I received here and the material I read, I noticed that it improved a lot, the whole day passed and the PH is already stabilized. I also found here in the forum this material (Beneficial Microbes for DWC) that when researching I saw that it really makes a lot of difference to alleviate most problems in DWC.

I hope to get a good experience, and just like on the floor, I'll fall a few times, but I won't give up

I'm in the right place, with solid materials, to follow this path..

 

[Mañ'O'Green]

@Mañ'O'Green, When reading your reports, I just saw a possibility for the lack of control:

"Do not use copper, brass or aluminum anywhere in your system; not even the tiniest fitting. "

I use a submerged probe, this one is made of metal and I will still replace it with a plastic/silicone one. Would this cause any anomaly in the PH/EC/PPM?

If it is made from Stainless Steel it is ok, any other metal will leach into the nutrient mix in a strength that will stunt and/or kill the plant. I learned this lesson the hard way. This is what happened to my plant from a brass fitting in my top-off bucket. This is Copper Toxicity:

Just use HydroGuard or Southern Ag Garden Friendly Fungicide if Botanicare HydroGuard is not available. The HydroGuard is made for Cannabis the Southern Ag is off label and may be a slightly different strain, yet others here have used it successfully.

You will be rewarded for your hard work!

 

[gruglegm]

@Mañ'O'Green
Here I get this product: Feeding Bio Enhancer or Cannazym.

Can I replace the ones mentioned above?