im done jacking around with ph problems

i've got several grows under my belt some turned out fantastic and others kinda suffered a little. my biggest problem has been with ph (im a dirt farmer)my tap water changes so much it is hard to keep up with. i have used the drop test kits with varied success over the years and have tried a few different ways to adjust the ph of my water. im at the point of disgust with this round. tap water has been jumping around from 7.5 to 8.5 all summer. i do let my water stand for a day or 2 before using it to make an attempt at cooking off some of the junk the water co. dumps in. i also run the water through a filter on my faucet.(not r/o) i am looking in to purchasing a ph meter and some up and down. my test drops work ok but i need to check run off. i have looked at a lot of meters and read some reviews and it seems most like the oakton meters. funds are tight but i dont like wasting money on junk just to save a few bux. this is not a thread about the best meters or any thing like that and please no bickering over meters. just your opinion on what you have used. thanks and happy growing:hippy:

Interesting, you have issues with water PH changes also.....Mine varies anywhere from 5 to7.5 after a 24 hour sit. I RO to remove iron, so no junk to worry about. I find that my changes occur the greatest when the weather dumps a bunch of rain. I do not know why and I have not talked to the city as no need to enact red flags.

I have in the past damaged my plants from these changes. BUT, the good old drop test kit keeps me in the safe range and costs a minimal amount. Those fancy PH things concern me as to how long they may or may not function properly. I have adapted to the drop kit and it works for me.....I am such a fan of the KISS methodology too.

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Originally Posted by driftersmokinjo

i have looked at a lot of meters and read some reviews and it seems most like the oakton meters. funds are tight but i dont like wasting money on junk just to save a few bux. this is not a thread about the best meters or any thing like that and please no bickering over meters. just your opinion on what you have used. thanks and happy growing:hippy:

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My first meter was the cheapest Hanna model, I think it was called the "champ", not sure on the name. It was kind of a pain in the ass, had to calibrate it frequently. When the electrode needed replacing I figured I'd check out a different brand.

Picked up an Oakton "eco Testr/pH2", much better than that frickin' Hanna. The Oakton is a joy. :) After the initial calibration, the darn thing is just spot-on. Been using it for a couple months now and it has never _needed_ recalibration. Every time I've checked it against the buffer, it's been perfect. :thumbsup:

I'm real happy with the Oakton, so far, and it was only around $80 bucks. The guy at the hydro store recommended it, even though I was looking at some of the higher-priced meters. :cool:

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Originally Posted by EvilCartman

My first meter was the cheapest Hanna model, I think it was called the "champ", not sure on the name. It was kind of a pain in the ass, had to calibrate it frequently. When the electrode needed replacing I figured I'd check out a different brand.

Picked up an Oakton "eco Testr/pH2", much better than that frickin' Hanna. The Oakton is a joy. :) After the initial calibration, the darn thing is just spot-on. Been using it for a couple months now and it has never _needed_ recalibration. Every time I've checked it against the buffer, it's been perfect. :thumbsup:

I'm real happy with the Oakton, so far, and it was only around $80 bucks. The guy at the hydro store recommended it, even though I was looking at some of the higher-priced meters. :cool:

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i have the oakton eco Testr/pH1, same thing as the 2, only difference is that the 2 has automatic temperature calibration...and costs $15 more.

milwaukee makes solid meters as well.


-shake

thanks for the replys fellas. im gona order an oakton. havent read anything bad about them so far.

my new oakton is on the way. got the kit buffer / solution kit for 115 shipped to my door. here is the link if anyone is interested. Oakton EcoTestr pH 2 Tester - instrumart.com

As a side note, RO water + nutes typicaly brings your pH right down to where it should be. RO water starts out at 7 and will bond EASILY with anything added.

maybe 1 day i will step up my game to the point i can justify the r/o system. but for now i will just use my cheapo filter and stay on top of my ph..

assuming your not growing a lot, just buy r/o water from the store.

got my oakton ph2 today. after conditioning and calibrating the meter i checked my tap water and not to my surprise it was 8.4as soon as the lights come on im gona check my run off and see what i come out with. i thinking i should use 7.0 water to run through. or should i run it straight and see what happens in the soil ?

Drifter,

Iâ??ll use my tap water as an example. As it comes from the tap itâ??s about 6.8 â?? 7.0 depending on the time of yearâ?¦â?¦.however as it sits open to the air it outgases. The out gassing process is a process of de-acidification. That means that the Ph will continue to rise. My tap water will rise to well over 8.

Same thing happens in the buckets and controllerâ?¦..but faster because the airstones outgas (or de-acidify) the nute solution at an accelerated rate.

I just included this so that you would understand that your tap water will rise in Ph as it sits open to the air. Might just solve a mystery or two.

Loads oâ?? luck,
HMR

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Originally Posted by Horsemanrocks

Drifter,

Iâ??ll use my tap water as an example. As it comes from the tap itâ??s about 6.8 â?? 7.0 depending on the time of yearâ?¦â?¦.however as it sits open to the air it outgases. The out gassing process is a process of de-acidification. That means that the Ph will continue to rise. My tap water will rise to well over 8.

Same thing happens in the buckets and controllerâ?¦..but faster because the airstones outgas (or de-acidify) the nute solution at an accelerated rate.

I just included this so that you would understand that your tap water will rise in Ph as it sits open to the air. Might just solve a mystery or two.

Loads oâ?? luck,
HMR

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thanks for the info. last night when i checked it the water was straight from the tap. same thing to day only ph was 8.5. didnt have time to check on the ladies today but in the morning that is first on the to do list. will post results from that later in the day

Even if you can't do RO, there are DIY methods you can utilize to manage this.

Since these drastic pH changes are caused by changes in the chemical content of the water, use ion-action water purifier filters. Get a large bucket, drill holes large enough to SQUEEZE some brita or pur or whatever filters in, seal them up tight with some sort of adhesive, set that bucket over another bucket (I drilled equal-size holes in a lid to allow the bucket to just sit on top while the water filters through to the second bucket below,) and pour your water in. The more filters, the more water filtered per minute.

Works with rainwater as well as long as you keep the bottom bucket sealed.

thanks for the idea on the water filters. i just might have to give this a shot. i only need about 10 to 15 gallons a week. i use the pur facet filters right now but my wife likes the filtered water also so i have to replace the filters about every 2 months. if i had my own personal set up i wouldn't freak out when i see the red light on the filter when i start filling my jugs:thumbsup:

still havent checked the run off on my girls but i did do a check on some recycled soil i have. i used water straight from the tap at 8.5 ph. filled 1 gal. pot till i had clear run off and ph was 6.3. did my usual ph down method bringing water down to 6.8 and the run off was still 6.2. gona have to set aside a day to bring the girls out and give them a good flushing and see how things are. hell i could have been mistaking my problems. maybe i was dropping my ph to low trying to fix. now i have the proper tool for the job i will know.

Get pH test strips. I got like 200 strips for about $7 on Amazon, with delivery. They work great. You dont get SUPER exact measurements, but within .1. And that's been good enough for me. Testers get within .01. Then just use the right amount of pH Down and retest.
Also, try making a bunch of water at the same time(6-7 days worth). That will save strips for the budget farmer. :pimp:

it has been my experience with test strips that they do work well with plain water. after i get my personal nute mix in the water it is no longer clear and that presents a problem with the strips. the drops have worked better for me but what i want to look at is the run off and i havent been able to do that accurately with strips or the drops do to the color of the run off unless it is after a good flushing. at present i need to bring the ph back up with my nute solution. starting with plain water at 8.5 ph add nutes and it drops to 5.2. plain water going in at 8.5 comes out of the soil at 6.3. as soon as they need nutes again i will check the run off and see what affect the nutes have on the ph in run off. my soil is pro mix bx with extra perlite added. i have some second run pro mix that was used for about 6 months then flushed real well and let dry be for reusing and so far it has not lost its buffering capabilities with plain water. still need to check after i add the nutes. thanks again fellas all input is valuble in 1 way or another.