Way too high PH

[wetterisbetter]

My rez has worked amazingly well for 3 years (spring-fall outside greenhouse) until this season. My PH shoots up to dangerous levels and clouds up. I have wasted 3 times in 10 days due to the conditions. From what I can decipher from miscellaneous readings is most likely bacterial problems. Since I use RO water and the same exact amounts of nutes (have tried last season’s bottle and a new one) I assume I have developed a bacteria that is ruining my plants...? I have rinsed the sheeeit out of everything, however should I be sanitizing with sani-rinse or something as well? Been looking for days...

 

[Liberty_Hoonigan]

My rez has worked amazingly well for 3 years (spring-fall outside greenhouse) until this season. My PH shoots up to dangerous levels and clouds up. I have wasted 3 times in 10 days due to the conditions. From what I can decipher from miscellaneous readings is most likely bacterial problems. Since I use RO water and the same exact amounts of nutes (have tried last season’s bottle and a new one) I assume I have developed a bacteria that is ruining my plants...? I have rinsed the sheeeit out of everything, however should I be sanitizing with sani-rinse or something as well? Been looking for days...

There are 2 things I suggest for your situation. First, yes, sanitize all the things with either a citrus cleaner or hydrogen peroxide. That should eliminate any possible bacteria issue. The second is to check your RO filters and make sure they've been replaced or cleaned.

 

[friedguy]

In between grows I bleach everything with about 1:10 bleach/water. While growing I add .01g/gal of pool shock. If things still get bad (and this hasn't happened since I started using shock), I use H2O2 to sterilize.

 

[wetterisbetter]

Excellent. Thanks so much. I never used pool shock before, any specific kind or do they typically use the same chem in shock?

 

[PetFlora]

There are 2 things I suggest for your situation. First, yes, sanitize all the things with either a citrus cleaner or hydrogen peroxide. That should eliminate any possible bacteria issue. The second is to check your RO filters and make sure they've been replaced or cleaned.

3rd thing, calibrate pH meter. They do go bad and as they head in that direction they can get out of calibration daily. Believe me I know. I now use Milwaukee pH pen as it s super easy to calibrate

 

[wetterisbetter]

How much did the Milwaukee cost? I am finding quite a few different models.

 

[PetFlora]

How much did the Milwaukee cost? I am finding quite a few different models.

$30 on Amazon. Mine is the 500

 

[OldMedUser]

If the nutes are are clouding up chances are your pH pen is fine and you've got some bacterial thing going on that is causing the pH to rise.

Hard to get rid of as it gets into the net pots so they have to be sanitized too without killing the roots. Need to pour your peroxide/bleach sol'n thru them too.

I much prefer peroxide and have dosed my tubs daily with 5ml/L of 35% food grade peroxide to win the battle against root root in the past.

I'm not sure what kind of system you are running so you may have different issues.