Ph fluctuations

i am running a DWC in buckets with 4 gallons water. my ph is climbing to 6.9. to adjust i add Ph down. 2ml in 4 gallons brings it down to 3.9 WTF. with fresh water in 4 gallons it takes 18 ml to bring it from 8.2 to 5.5. why is it so sensitive now. i just seem to be chasing my tail trying to get this balanced out. am i missing something?

Smokey

change the batteries in the Ph meter...

gribniff said:

change the batteries in the Ph meter...

Click to expand...

the blue lab pen is working just fine.

root rot?

rapid pH fluctuations is par for the course in single small buckets.

Smokey57 said:

i am running a DWC in buckets with 4 gallons water. my ph is climbing to 6.9. to adjust i add Ph down. 2ml in 4 gallons brings it down to 3.9 WTF. with fresh water in 4 gallons it takes 18 ml to bring it from 8.2 to 5.5. why is it so sensitive now. i just seem to be chasing my tail trying to get this balanced out. am i missing something?

Smokey

Click to expand...

This is why I do rdwc with a 55 gal reservoir ph fluctuations are at a minimum

I've had the exact same issue working with small batches of water. You really have to add the pH juice very little at a time.

No body asked the big question!

WHAT WATER?

If it's RO. You should be adding 5 ml of a Calcium Carbonate based Ca/Mg for a buffer. Try and avoid Calcium nitrate based Ca/Mg's. Unless the strain is a Ca hog.

You need to keep your hydro pH "swing" twixt 5.7 - 6.2
Daily checking at lights on is proper.

Smokey57 said:

i am running a DWC in buckets with 4 gallons water. my ph is climbing to 6.9. to adjust i add Ph down. 2ml in 4 gallons brings it down to 3.9 WTF. with fresh water in 4 gallons it takes 18 ml to bring it from 8.2 to 5.5. why is it so sensitive now. i just seem to be chasing my tail trying to get this balanced out. am i missing something?

Smokey

Click to expand...

Are there any nutrients in the water you are trying to pH? Most nutrients contain buffers to help this issue so if your water is just fresh plain tap water then you are going to bounce for a bit to stabilize it to a "normal" pH.
For every gallon of 6.8 tap water I use, I can count on 1 ml of pH down to drop it one full point. With nutes in the water I can usually just set it and only adjust on the gallons added for topoffs.

Smokey57 said:

i am running a DWC in buckets with 4 gallons water. my ph is climbing to 6.9. to adjust i add Ph down. 2ml in 4 gallons brings it down to 3.9 WTF. with fresh water in 4 gallons it takes 18 ml to bring it from 8.2 to 5.5. why is it so sensitive now. i just seem to be chasing my tail trying to get this balanced out. am i missing something?

Smokey

Click to expand...

Because you are not starting at 8.2 when you re-adjust but 6.9, reducing the amount needed to reach the same amount ph drop per gal. hope this helps

There are no more buffers in the water, which is why the pH change is so drastic. Others have said that nutrients contain buffers, which means that they help keep the pH the same. You should not adjust the pH of plain water before adding nutrients, unless you are just adding plain pH'd water to top up your reservoir.

If you do not have any problems with the plants, such as “bad” bacterial infestation or root rot, then here's a helpful chart. This chart ONLY works if there are no problems with the plants, otherwise you'll still be chasing your tail.

It's just to give you an idea of what to do, I’m still learning as well and this helped me quite a bit.

I’ve got the bluelab guardian monitor, which has been super helpful, if you’re tired of checking pH all the time.

tap water is Ph 8.0 with Hydroguard and Orca , then add Holland Secret at 25% veg formula, then Ph down added to bring it to 5.5. PPM is 400 after a week plants are drinking about 1 liter a day. PPM down to average 370 Ph up to 6.9. I top off each every 2-3 days, with 2 liters of water with bennies and nutes, Ph 5.7, pph 500

plants are looking great. I am just trying to head off any lockout before i see it in the plants themselves.

by the way, the 4 plants in the back are in soil. all are citrus skunk, except one blueberry in hydro.

Smokey

Smokey57 said:

tap water is Ph 8.0 with Hydroguard and Orca , then add Holland Secret at 25% veg formula, then Ph down added to bring it to 5.5. PPM is 400 after a week plants are drinking about 1 liter a day. PPM down to average 370 Ph up to 6.9. I top off each every 2-3 days, with 2 liters of water with bennies and nutes, Ph 5.7, pph 500

plants are looking great. I am just trying to head off any lockout before i see it in the plants themselves.

by the way, the 4 plants in the back are in soil. all are citrus skunk, except one blueberry in hydro.

Smokey

Click to expand...

pH to 5.7 and let it climb from there.