I can't get my water to ph down like normal. A few years on my system well water filter salt softener then three filter drink water drip float into five gallon buckets two and then I ph down normally minimal amounts of crystals down salt and stir and check. But I've been dumping tons of crystals down and ph barely moving. I thought my salt went bad so I bought new one but same issue. I also told co. But no response. It acts like my water is locked out chemically strange to me. I also ordered a liquid ph down to try different type. Thanks for any help. I'm struggling to get my plants watered because I can't ph water. Why isn't ph down Crystal working like normal?
Water pH won't move issue?
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Water softeners usually use 99%+ NaCl (common salt) and add their own salt (Na) to the water in the process of removing calcium and other minerals (exchanging Na+ for other positive ions). So you may just be adding sodium/salt to your water, which is definitely not good. The reason you can't lower pH might be because the softened water is well-buffered at whatever pH it's at.
How bad is your water to begin with (ppm/EC)? Have your measured ppm/EC/salts of your water before and after softening?
I suggest just get a cheap reverse osmosis-including water filtration system and forget about your water problems. For example, even this unit will do the job - https://www.amazon.com/3-Stage-Portable-Aquarium-Countertop-Reverse-System-100GPD/dp/B07H2TSNZM. A 4-filter/stage system adding deionization and likely about $10 more would be even better.
How bad is your water to begin with (ppm/EC)? Have your measured ppm/EC/salts of your water before and after softening?
I suggest just get a cheap reverse osmosis-including water filtration system and forget about your water problems. For example, even this unit will do the job - https://www.amazon.com/3-Stage-Portable-Aquarium-Countertop-Reverse-System-100GPD/dp/B07H2TSNZM. A 4-filter/stage system adding deionization and likely about $10 more would be even better.
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Thanks. I bought the 5 stage version, its cheaper than replacing my current filters. Sounds like my filters went bad, plus I think I should avoid the softener water salt? Do you agree? Yes I think my plants are ruined from dumping excess crystal down with no effect then ending up using that water anyway . I really failed again, my grows have been wasting money but horrible results and mistakes. I feel like I need to start over and replace everything. My lights have multiple issues. I think the seeds have been worse so will try different co., my room gets too hot, requires A/C, or if I could figure out airflow better. Is it cheaper to buy buds straight off plant? My failed grows cost $400-600 roughly in seed and soils, other. I need to figure this out better.
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I run a salt water softener before my RO it's suppose to prolong the life of the RO membrane this is how it was explained to me
A salt water softener in front of the RO system will help the RO membrane last longer. What happens is the salt globs on to the calcium, carbonates and other smaller ions and it makes the total molecule much larger and easier for the RO membrane to filter them out with fewer small Ions clogging the membrane. Don't use the RO waste water in the garden even outdoors without dilution.
Your water could well be the source of ALL your plant-growing problems. With RO, you could well see immediate positive results.
If the room is too hot (and it's hot outside), you can't avoid having to use AC. Are you exhausting hot tent air to the outside and using a thermostat switch to control the fan? Running exhaust non-stop is not optimal if running AC to cool the tent.
Yes I bought a new ph pen also it seems to work I checked multiple water sources. My old grow room was in a basement, I like that location better. Now I'm in a above ground building just a bedroom size room raised floor insulated walls two 6" fans pulling air out and four 6" holes to let air in plus I open the doors and let as much airflow through. It works good through winter but summer time I need a A/C to lower temp. Ive been suffering 80-90F temps in the room without A/C. I think I was told in past that I should still use a tent? I have a fan cooling the lights another fan blowing on plants and two console humidifiers. But my old lights are heat sink bar cob lights they run hot and my added new light has three light panels out and dimmer switches not working.
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It sounds like you've been putting a lot of metaphorical bandaids on stuff as they pop up and just trying to get to the finish line. Now you have so many bandaids unresolved problems have started to snowball into larger ones. When you say you have 2-6in fans, you cant mean inline exhaust fans right? Thats a lot of air being moved if they are both on all the time. I dont know how big your growspace is but a normal 6in exhaust fan can move 405 cubic feet of air per minute. Thats like 4-4x4s worth of air every minute, or basically a small bedroom.
Water is something you can resolve pretty easily. That RO system up there to wouldnt be too bad. Otherwise you could always go to the grocery store and use one of those water filling stations if your local store has them. It is RO water and I think its under 10 bucks per 5 gallons. I myself do that every now and again when Im too lazy to go get my local spring water. Its way cheaper to buy a couple of the 5 gallon jugs refilled with spring or filtered water because empty the jugs are about 20 a piece but filled they are like 7. Makes no sense to me at all.
If your lighting situation is failing that's going to cause a lot of problems too. Thats your plants energy source. So if your dimmer is broke whether its too high or too low will definitely effect how your plant metabolizes what your giving it. Same with environmental. If your grow space is constantly swinging hot to cold and the humidity is getting out of whack. That controls how much your plants transpire.
My main suggestion here would be make a list of your biggest problems, which seem like environment and water, and address those issues first. It doesnt make sense to start a grow if you dont have everything in order before you start. Obviously unexpected problems arise. But if you start with issues, when the unexpected stuff pops up its even more to deal with.
Consider putting a portable AC in your room. It will need its own exhaust vent. Perhaps buy now/ASAP, while pre-tariff (presuming you're in the US) inventory and prices are still available.
One common way of handling cooling, and how I do it, is to have a tent with that exhausting to the outside and controlled by a thermostat switch, with an AC cooling the room to somewhat cooler than you want inside your tent; or blow outside air in if it's cool enough. This way, with a tent in a 'lung' room, you're cooling the room air which is not being actively heated by your lights; essentially you are just cooling the air that's replacing what's being exhausted.
One common way of handling cooling, and how I do it, is to have a tent with that exhausting to the outside and controlled by a thermostat switch, with an AC cooling the room to somewhat cooler than you want inside your tent; or blow outside air in if it's cool enough. This way, with a tent in a 'lung' room, you're cooling the room air which is not being actively heated by your lights; essentially you are just cooling the air that's replacing what's being exhausted.
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