[FastForward]

I know that bubbling water/nutes caused pH to go up (because of a co2 exchange going on, apparently). I've currently bubbling 20l of tapwater (usually ec0.6 pH8) and I just tested it - it's pH 8.6 now.

Question is: if I stop bubbling it and mix up nutes with it, when i feed my plants will the pH go down in the coco over the next 24 hours? (if I pH it to 5.8) Or should I leave the tapwater to stand after bubbling before mixing? I don't want my plants to have to adjust to pH swings if at all poss.

[rocky]

bubbling water means what? boiling it?

[julsbagell]

If you are using twater ph will rise after you water only slight though. Its good for the ph to rise a little after you water makes more nutes available.

[FastForward]

Originally Posted by rocky

bubbling water means what? boiling it?

Leaving it to sit for 24 hours with airstones in it.....to keep it aerated and to help evaporate off the added chlorine. I'm worried that if I use bubbled pH 8.8 water i'll drop the pH to 5.8, but it won't be stable once I water the plants, causing pH probs again...which I don't want!

[koopa troopa]

the oxygen bubbling up does not raise ph. only co2 and possibly hydrogen floating in the air will make subtle changes to your ph levels.

bubble tap water for 24 hours, add nutes, bubble again for 24 hours and then ph to 5.8 before you feed.

[Midnightgardener]

ph swing: caused by the bicarb in h2o, ph 5.0 kills bicarb,
2 types of ph down on market one with bicarb one without...get the one with out(ph plus too) B.A.C sells it.
so you make your ec first then you ph it to 5.0 with b.ac ph -
then raise up with ph plus to 5.8(b.a.c of course)(be accurate do not want to use down again)

e=mc2

[Midnightgardener]

oxygen in h20, alot at the temp of 18-21 ( use a chiller to maintain)
do not bring your water temp from high to low(eg 25-20) kills o2
air stone do not provide much help in the o2 department,circulating water works better as moving water creates o2.
:blink::blink::blink::blink:

[theherbalizor]

FF, your description is exactly how I feed my plants.

24 hours with air stones, then mix nutes, pH and feed. Been doing so for years.

My water comes out ec 0.5 pH 7.1 after 24 hours pH8.5

I find that if I rebubble for 24 hours after pH balancing the pH will rise again from 5.8 to 7.0 ish. But heres the thing, only a drop of pH down need be added to lower it back down.

So from my observation, I theorise that the nute mix does infact stay at the pH level whilst in a healthy medium. If this was not the case, then surely the same amount of pH down would need to be added to rebubbled balanced pH nute mix to lower back to the previous pH level.

I hope this makes sense, I am high as a kite from some temple ball.

[theherbalizor]

Yes DO or Disolved Oxygen in tap water in non air rated water at 19 deg c is around 7mg / L.

Adding an airstone may only increase this temporarily by 1 per haps 2 mg. And by each deg c the temp rises the more DO disipates.

By using a compresser and ciramic microdifusers then you may be able to increase the DO content to around 10 mg.

But what ever the exact figures are, I have seen a dramatic improvement all round when using 24 hour bubbled water.

Great info Mg

[FastForward]

Thanks for the replies guys....v. interesting MG. I may just stick a water pump in there for circulation instead...might be easier.

Herb- if you've been doing it that way for years and had no probs then I'll do it that way...(bubble, nutes, pH, feed)

It's at the point where I can't afford to spend any money on water, so I have to use this tap water and make the best of it I can.

p.s. you're more coherent than ever btw herb