Reservoir problem.....Zandor?

[Stormcooker]

I'm onto my next grow. I am using Flora Nova nutrient feeding chart in the clone phase (light nutes). I also use half strength Cal-mag, and half strength Silica Blast. I use RO water too. I have not yet added the recomended amount of Floraliscious because I'm waiting on a delivery of new Floraliscous Plus.

I have a constant PH monitor. I start out around 5.5 and it naturally drifts upward over a day or two to 6.0 before I knock it back down to 5.5 or so. This has always been my routine.
My reservoir is brand new, just began two days ago. There was a slow and steady rise from 5.5. to 5.8 as usual, last night I left it 5.8 and this morning I looked at the monitor and it read 4.0!!!!!!!!!!!!!! What the hell?? The nutrient mix looked cloudy!!!!! How does this happen so suddenly? THe rez was fine then eight hours later cloudy and dropped pH!!!!!! I have never seen this. If anything there has been sudden RISES in Ph in past grows, not drops like that. I don't understand it!!!!!

I want to say that maybe it is a sudden bacterial problem but does that cloud water and drop pH? I don't use added bacteria (yet), my rez water comes from chlorinated well water and then filtered by RO. I would think that that should be sufficient purification. I use two good airstones in the rez, and temps are good.

PLease help!!! Does anyone have a link to pH fluctuation information?

Stormcooker Reviewed by Stormcooker on 09-17-2005. Reservoir problem.....Zandor? I'm onto my next grow. I am using Flora Nova nutrient feeding chart in the clone phase (light nutes). I also use half strength Cal-mag, and half strength Silica Blast. I use RO water too. I have not yet added the recomended amount of Floraliscious because I'm waiting on a delivery of new Floraliscous Plus. I have a constant PH monitor. I start out around 5.5 and it naturally drifts upward over a day or two to 6.0 before I knock it back down to 5.5 or so. This has always been my routine. Rating: 5

[Stormcooker]

hmmmmmmmm

[redvetttes]

is Floraliscous Plus.
for veg or flower

[Garden Knowm]

Are the roots dying? I guess there are NO roots since you just started 2 days ago?
Maybe it is something on your new resivoir.. some chemical?

Have you tries another PH test.. the simple dropper method.. justto confirm your situation?

[latewood]

Damn, If I wasn't so stupid

[Stormcooker]

I just changed the resevoir again and cleaned the whole system with a a little bleach. I still don't know what the problem is but there seemed to be a bit of algae or maybe just some sediment on the bottom of the reservoir like I would find at the end of a 7 day reservoir.
What I am going to do since this has never happened to me before (quick pH drop and cloudy rez) is to eliminate a few things that I am trying differently. My last grow I didn't use Cal-Mag or Silica Blast until mid-flowering, and even then I'm not sure if it did anything. I use RO water so it sounded like something I needed by advice from other growers.

[Stormcooker]

is Floraliscous Plus.
for veg or flower

Floraliscious PLus is for veg and flower. It is an alternative to the regular Floraliscous grow and bloom, it contains similar stuff witht he addition of beneficial bacteria & microbes

[Stormcooker]

Are the roots dying? I guess there are NO roots since you just started 2 days ago?
Maybe it is something on your new resivoir.. some chemical?

Have you tries another PH test.. the simple dropper method.. justto confirm your situation?

I can't check roots, I'm sure they are fine though, there has been steady growth through this trauma. It is probably Cal-Mag or Silica Blast. Maybe that stuff is less stable or over-active when not mixed with full strength nutes.

My pH monitor doesn't lie. I calibrate it often. I have a dropper system for back-up though but I hate using it since it relies on coloration for test results. Dropper system doesn't take into account that some reservoir nute mixes are colored already (like brownish red), and cloudiness can screw up your reading too.

I'll know in a day or two if the elimination of Cal-mag and silica blast is the cure. The only oter thing I can think of is bacteria in water although VERY unlikely since it is chlorinated, and then reverse osmosised to remove chlorine and everything else. I am going to install a UV light in my RO system to prevent that chance of bacteria in water.

[Stormcooker]

so far so good, pH is slowly rising like it always used to (.5 - 1.0 per day). I wonder if it may have been the Cal-Mag, Silica Blast, or BOTH.

[Stormcooker]

I've read that magnetic submersible pumps do funny things to mineral nutrients like Iron. It causes them to "drop out" of the mix or something. Anyone know of this????????