Airstones and rising pH

[FastForward]

I know that airstones cause pH to go up (something to do with O2 displacing CO2) - and that Rhizotonic seems to accentuate the effect.

Is it only rhizotonic that causes pH rises(in the tank, not only as a basic/alkaline solution) or do all the root stims do it?

Reason for asking is that I want to put rhizo in my waterfarm with an airstone but my last experience of using an airstone and rhizotonic was massive pH gains - so am happy to switch to Regen-a-root or another root stim alternate.

 

[HolliHerb]

Try Hygrozyme. I've used it with great success and I've seen many other's that uses it also.

I get explosive root growth in both soil and hydro using Hygrozyme along with House and Garden Root Excel.

On soil I use just Hygrozyme. I do not have issues with rising ph at all and I have two stones running off a dual diaphragm air pump.

Check it out.

 

[theherbalizor]

H&G Root Excel also amplifies this problem.

 

[hererisssh]

I use Cannazym but any of the previously mention products work.

 

[FastForward]

HH - cheers, but am already using hygro - but that's more enzymes and I need root stims, especially for the younger, vegging stuff.

Herb - shame...I was drooling over a small bottle of that stuff...expensive but amazing apparently....maybe it's the nature of root stims then?

So if you want to run a waterfarm and put in a freshly rooted plant in a root riot, you're going to want to put in some root stim into the feed. If you've got an airstone in there and using a rootstim, the pH will rise quite sharply over a 24 hour period (e.g. 5.8-6.4) whereas without the rootstim it might only be 5.8-6.1 ime....

This can't be good for plants can it - constantly adjusting for pH? And do all hydro-ists suffer from this...? DWC and RDWC especially, but anyone with an airstone in the tank and using root stims...

 

[HolliHerb]

H&G Root Excel also amplifies this problem.

Really? hmm i didn't know that. i wonder how come I don't have ph issues.

I'll list additives I use.

Mad Farmer N.U.T.S Hydro 30ml per gal Soil 20ml per gal
Pro-Tekt Siica @ 2ml per gal
H&G Root Excel @ 1ml per gal
Hygrozyme @ 5ml per gal

Those are rough measurements because I adjust to the moment.

Maybe its the NUTS, my friend was the one that introduced me to the stuff. its fluvic acid. I was doing a biogrow and he mentioned how my fish would like this stuff because it'll balance out the ph.

At first it drops your ph a bit, then raises it stable. I sometimes with my nutrients wouldn't need to adjut with ph up or down. rarely ph up in general.

I have air stones in both my hydro res and soil res 24/7

hope this helps

-HH

 

[ukcheesehead]

FF how bad are u finding it ? the ph not being stable? see ive ordered some of my dripper stuff today . and going to order the rest when ive done a bit of research on drippers n stuff. ive got the run to waste sorted and was going to order a top spin 12 and a pump .

 

[Donk Frog]

i use voodoo juice to help root growth, along with tarantula......thanks for the info on airstones making PH go up......i have 4 12" airstones in my res....I have to ph down almost every morning...I use fulvic acid too, but it does not seem to help that much:thinking

 

[FastForward]

FF how bad are u finding it ? the ph not being stable? see ive ordered some of my dripper stuff today . and going to order the rest when ive done a bit of research on drippers n stuff. ive got the run to waste sorted and was going to order a top spin 12 and a pump .

It's fine at the moment only because I'm not using an airstone in either the coco dripper or the waterfarm...usual small daily rises, although tbh there's very little or no run off back into the res - so it's pretty much run to waste (i.e. no runoff to mess with pH and EC).

I'm using a microjet pump (from the aero prop) in the coco dripper res to keep things moving around instead - temps seems fine (18-20c).

I just wanted to put an airstone in the waterfarm but I know the minute I do it'll send the pH bananas (esp with rhizo) and I just can't be arsed with the extra hassle...