ph went...down?

[immortal420]

This is something new, and another new problem for me guys; it's that time again :thumbsup:

OK, in the three years doing this not once has my ph in my res DROPPED.

What could it be? What's new??

I've been adding CAL-MAX (like calmag plus)

I added it last Saturday and changed my res Wednesday. The ph didn't go down on Wednesday from the previous adding on Saturday.

Now 3 days later, today; my ph went down from 5.5 (Wednesday) to 4.6 (today)


What's going on guys?

[herbie the love bud]

What did your EC/TDS do? Nutrients buffer the pH. When a plant drinks the nutrients out of the water the EC goes up. When a plant drinks more water than nutes (or evaporation), the EC goes down.

[immortal420]

My EC went from 1285 to 1900. I change the reservoir once a week, I don't top-up, should I?

ppm went from 850-950.

[elskeetro]

I know that in different scenarios, root rot can cause a falling pH. Are your roots ok? just a shot in the dark.

Skeet.

[Greenthing]

The first thing i would do would be to check out your ph meter.
It might need calibrating.:jointsmile:

[LOC NAR on probation]

My EC went from 1285 to 1900. I change the reservoir once a week, I don't top-up, should I?

ppm went from 850-950.

Yes you should keep the rez topped up with ph water. The flux in ppm's can change the PH. If ppm's go up your plants are drinking more water. Remember the plants are also pissing in your rez. LOL. Giving off waste material too. That why your doing right by changing every week.

Let's say you have a 5 gallon rez. When you top up with 5 gallons of ph water or as I do just top up with R/O which is 7.0 for me it brings the ph back up to 5.8 or 6.0. You have replaced the 5 gallons your plants drank it's time to change because of waste your plants gave off.

Top up with your water and I bet the ph comes back up. The rez might of just got toooo low this time and ph went down. No big deal cause you sound like your on top of it and care about your crop. That's why it's hard to walk away for a long time unless you have the automated system and I bet I could screw up that if I did not keep a eye on it.

[immortal420]

LOC, my brotha..just in time for another teaching :thumbsup:

Maybe you can help me with this..

So yeah, once a week I change over entirely with 15 gallons of distilled water and I adjust the ph 3 or 4 days after but I don't add anything other than the ph down, but in this case; it was ph up I needed.

That root rot could be the problem b/c my plants are looking bad again but I haven't checked for it. If it is, what should I do?

Is it necessary to top-up with just ph water during the week? If-so, I can work that into my schedule.

Thanks.

[herbie the love bud]

You can either top off with RO water and after topping off (if necessary) readjust the pH, OR you can dilute your original mixture to the rate your plants drink at so that the ppm remains constant throughout the week and this is the best approach.

[immortal420]

How do I find out the rate?

Also, since I've been adding the CAL-MAX to my reservoir, it has been getting real foamy. Does this happen with CalMag as well?

I use 60ml of it for 15 gallons of the distilled water.

[Rubberbubbler]

whats the temp of the water