Live Stoner Chat Question about PH

[lykaboss]

Is it ok to have PH up and PH down in the same nute solution? Or does it really mess up the solution.

Hydro Application
For example, you mixed up some nutes it ph out to around 6.5, so you PH it down to around 5.8, Over night it swings down to around 5.2. So you have to add PH up to bring it back to around 5.8

 

[briman]

I am not a hydro guy, But I would certainly post this in the hydro section, and someone will get back to you pretty fast.

 

[Waximus]

Hi lykaboss, I know that too much of both in the nute solution can really throw the buffering into a tail spin. When I was doing hydro, I had pH down'ed too far, and was chasing it with pH up. I could NOT get that res to stabilize and ended up emptying and remixing. I made a rule: If I have to use more than 5ml/1 teaspoon of the opposite pH additive-to get it to where I wanted it, I'd remix. Needless to say, I got much more accurate in the first place-AN nutes are an expensive sink tonic... lol

 

[Bilbo]

Adding both will raise your EC higher too, personally I'd rather take it down and bring it back up with fresh tap water if I need to.

 

[lykaboss]

I think I may have found the flaw in my technique, This is just a thought I had. I am not allowing the solution to stabilize and I get in a hurry to ph it out correctly, and the ph swings are wild. Could it be that I am adding to much PH adjustments causing the solution to become unstable thus causing a lockout?

 

[Grey Bear]

What brand?
One size does not fit all situations.

 

[lykaboss]

I use the full skunk labs lineup for nutes, http://www.skunklabshc.com/

For PH adjustment i use Advanced nutes PH down and Gen Hydros PH up

 

[Grey Bear]

The nutes being added should drop the ph requiring you to raise it.
Give it about 5 minutes bubbling in the rez before phing
Then raise it slowly until you get you ph+ solution worked out. you are aiming for 5.8 but anywhere in 5.6 - 6. is fine.
I have found each bottle can react very differently, so don't assume from bottle to bottle.
You also want to make sure you are adding to H20
first your enzyme product
next Cal mag if being used
next base nutes, when you have A & B mixtures FOLLOW the instructions, they usually say to add A rinse the measuring device then add B
next add any other additives
assuming you have 10l to 20l of air movement in your rez through that should be well mixed within 5 minutes
ph to approx. 5.8

If you continue to have big ph swings I would contact the nute co. as you may have an old or bad batch.

 

[Bilbo]

Btw OP is your tapwater hard or soft and what is the ph when it comes out of the tap?