FlowerPower88
Well-Known Member
I’m in coco/perlite, 3 gallon pots, day 15 of flower. Meter is not going below 6.3 and I put an obscene amount of down in. Any suggestions on getting some water I feel confident is safe?
Ph meter went up…suggestions
- Thread starter FlowerPower88
- Start date
HydroKid239
Well-Known Member
Best bet is to record your recipe for feeds, along with ph / ppm readings. This will assist somewhat when/if a ph’ing device is on the fritz.
RIS
Well-Known Member
Just went through this issue and it took too long to realize. Keeping a log as @HydroKid239 said is the most reliable method. I also have two ph meters for some reason and that is always a good "validation" of accuracy.
FlowerPower88
Well-Known Member
I have everything measured out except my ph…so stupid
I usually just mix it all up, test, add down…test again and adjust or not…but I just eyeball the ph down. I guess tomorrow I will get some aquarium strips and be careful, then when I recalibrate on Thursday…measure.
RIS
Well-Known Member
I just last week started to record what amount in ml of down is needed for a single gallon of tap water so in the event, I run against a shit ph reading ill have at least a rough idea as to the ph also if I'm expecting to add 1ml and it's still showing off I'll know something is up.I have everything measured out except my ph…so stupid
FlowerPower88
Well-Known Member
Yes, Thursday I am sitting down and doing some experimenting to see what’s what.
Billy the Mountain
Well-Known Member
Did you calibrate your meter?
Ideally with pH4 and pH7 solution
pH drops never lie
CaliRootz88
Well-Known Member
I've been using a blue labs ph pen going on 3 years now. Zero issues. Love it!
FlowerPower88
Well-Known Member
Idk, I definitely don’t trust it with how much down I put in there, it literally changed the color of the gallon of water! But my meter is a blue lab, first time I noticed trouble was yesterday morning, it was taking quite a while to get down to 6.1-6.0. I thought it was odd how much down I had to use, but it was more than double that in the evening (the last bunch I threw in was more out of frustration and to reassure myself that there is no way the meter is accurate). The meter instantly reads 6.2 or 6.3 when put in the solution, then shoots up to 7.0 or 6.9, then slowly goes down a tenth every 10-20 seconds until it settles at 6.3-6.2 again. The meter was new in February. Anyone have any idea how long plants in 3gallons of 70/30 coco perlite can go without water? Mine seem to dry after 6-8 hours on the surface, I don’t ever check to see if it’s moist below, because I water enough.
FlowerPower88
Well-Known Member
I had to order solution…we moved and I can’t find any…it will be Thursday until I have calibration and cleaning solution, and nowhere local has anything except aquarium strips that go down to 6.2. I am getting those in the morning and will experiment to see how close to 6.2 I can get it, then go just a touch more. That’s my best fix atm.
FlowerPower88
Well-Known Member
I love mine too, it is a great meter. How do you store yours? I think it may be from lack of proper maintainence.
I calibrated it the day I got it and have not since. How often should I?
Billy the Mountain
Well-Known Member
Calibrate a pH meter monthly or so
It's nice to have pH drops on hand as a sanity check, they never need calibration
Sure sounds like your meter is wonky if you're adding more pH down without a commensurate change in the meter
It's nice to have pH drops on hand as a sanity check, they never need calibration
Sure sounds like your meter is wonky if you're adding more pH down without a commensurate change in the meter
FlowerPower88
Well-Known Member
Yeah, so I mix my nutrients in a beaker, it was at 500ml and I usually add adjustments to the water then Shake and put 500 in the beaker and test, but the last time I added a whole capful of down (more than I ever need) directly to the 500 ml and that’s when it went 6,3 from 6.4. I put a ticket in with Blue Lab, just to see if it’s indicating something beyond calibration
MickFoster
Well-Known Member
Never wrong and never needs calibrating.
twentyeight.threefive
Well-Known Member
blueberrymilkshake
Well-Known Member
This is kinda irrelevant, sorry. A while back somebody said they don't use a pH or EC meter when they mix because they've been doing it so long. Wish I could remember who it was. Kinda sounds like bullshit to me, but I've been striving to gain that ability since I read the post haha.
I've managed to do it twice since last year, so I know it's possible lol. It's weird, once the proper amount of salts and pH up have been added, I can almost gauge it by the viscosity when stirring, like a sweet spot.
I've managed to do it twice since last year, so I know it's possible lol. It's weird, once the proper amount of salts and pH up have been added, I can almost gauge it by the viscosity when stirring, like a sweet spot.
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twentyeight.threefive
Well-Known Member
If I mix my nutrients to a certain EC I know it comes out 6.0 pH every time. I don’t check the pH or EC when I use that level of feed. It’s an extra step that’s not needed. Add a certain weight of salts and it’s the same EC and pH.
I don’t think I checked the pH but once the last two months of my last grow.
Step 1. Read manual.
Step 2. Rinse in distilled or RO and store in storage solution.
blueberrymilkshake
Well-Known Member
Would you say knowing your water can eliminate the need for a pH meter? I have noticed I check less than I used to.
xtsho
Well-Known Member
I have said that. I use simple nutrients that I know the EC of by how much I add so I don't bother measuring the EC I just measure the nutrients. The last grow I just finished I used just MaxiBloom with coco. I mix up 4 gallons at a time. I checked the EC once or twice and the pH the same. The same amount of MaxiBloom to water is the same EC so no need to check every time unless I change amounts which I don't. The same amount of PeKacid lowers the pH to 6.0 where I want it so no need to measure every time. I just mix by measurement and it's always right where I want it to be.
Now if you're fumbling around with some ridiculous feeding chart and a dozen bottles of stuff then you would probably want to at least check the pH as different additives can alter the pH. I don't bother with that nonsense and just feed my plants what they need so once I have a recipe I just keep using it without the need to check EC or pH. I won't bother using my pH or EC meter unless I switch nutes and then only for the first couple of batches to figure out the recipe. After that it's just measure and mix.