growing hydro with no way of checking ph

[friendowl]

i know i should have waited to get the ph pen but i couldnt.
i know that ph should be aroung 5.5 -6.0 in hydro.
everything is looking good but im kinda nervous cuz
i dont want to lose my babies.i heard that ro water is 6.0
then when you add the gh 3 part form.the ph will drop
to around 5.8.is this true.

friendowl Reviewed by friendowl on 03-09-2006. growing hydro with no way of checking ph i know i should have waited to get the ph pen but i couldnt. i know that ph should be aroung 5.5 -6.0 in hydro. everything is looking good but im kinda nervous cuz i dont want to lose my babies.i heard that ro water is 6.0 then when you add the gh 3 part form.the ph will drop to around 5.8.is this true. Rating: 5

[britewire]

you got paper that react to the acidity of liquids... Don't know the name of that stuff.. go and get it at your local aquarium specialist.

[karmaxul]

its litmus paper if that is how you spell it. Alot of nutes lower your ph drastically however I have never tested that brand. R.O. water should be right around 7.

One love
c

[LOC NAR1958]

It's true but other factors can effect this too. It can lower or raise from plant giving off waste salts. 5.2 to 5.8 is best. Shurely you must have a pool or pet store that has dropper kit to check PH. They are cheap and mind you the color of the GH 3 parts will change the color but you will be much closer than guessing. It's not worth playing with and it can hold you dead still till it's fixed. Get a small kit till you get a PH pen.

[karmaxul]

hanna 9044 call hanna

[friendowl]

the test kit at the fish store only reads above 6.0
i wanna know my ph so bad.
no one understands my pain but you growers.
when my girl says why do you look sad
i cant say cuz i dont know my ph
so i say my head hurts

[Gen]

Don't despair, go to a pond store and get the chemical test kits. The paper ones suck. No r/o water does not come out to 7 or 6. I have r/o water and it comes out the same as my tap, 8.1. GH nutes do drop your ph a little, but it depends what you started with. I've been using GH nutes and I have to adjust my ph with vinegar every day to bring it back down. I'm not sure what other people do, this is my first hydro grow. My soil plants are great, but my hydro plants have had slimy roots, twice and are growing at a snail's pace.

[friendowl]

they say if it aint broke dont fix it
my hydro plants are looking healthy
and are growing fast.i mean fast.
i must have gotten lucky cuz it seems
i got 8 out 10 females of white widow from nirvana.
i change my water every 2 weeks.so far so good.

[latewood]

you got paper that react to the acidity of liquids... Don't know the name of that stuff.. go and get it at your local aquarium specialist.

litmus paper

[latewood]

a couple of notes...AN or gh 3-part, pure blend pro will buffer your water close to correct ph if you are using RO or distilled water...In other words, I find that almost all, not all, but almost all the time...If using Pro nutes and RO/distilled water...you will get well within the ph limits required to grow successfully...

You need a PH pen...Hawk ebay and find one for 30-40 bucks...I got my Milwaukee(the best) for about 40 bucks and have used it for about a year. with no problems.

If they look healthy they are...

On the subject of vinegar...It works, but if you use a Pro PH down (10 bucks a qt.) then you won't have to adjust your ph everyday, because when you get your set-up dialed in, your ph stays consistent.

consistency is the most important issue when trying to achieve a good potent yield of fem's/frost...therefore ph consistency through the use of at least a good 3-part and pro ph product's is mandatory if you want to be successful growing in Hydro...If you use tapwater, you will have more ph problems because of unwanted minerals in the water.
hope this helps.lw