im done jacking around with ph problems

[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

[driftersmokinjo]

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

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

[khyberkitsune]

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.

[driftersmokinjo]

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:

[driftersmokinjo]

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.

[nickkap]

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. imp:

[driftersmokinjo]

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.