Do you re ph the water in your reservoir?

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the123321

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I am looking at using autopots with water with calmag with silicon in it. I have been mixing a few days worth at a time and then when I test ph in the water the next day it is like .5 higher. How does that work with a reservoir? Do you test ph in the reservoir every day and then adjust it as needed? Is there a way to keep it from drifting up like that on there? I use gh ph down with tap water on there. If you have to test and adjust the ph every day that takes a lot of the convenience of the autopots out from it on there.
 
Dirtbag

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I make a fresh resivoir every other day and over the course of 48 hrs it doesnt drift 0.1. Nothing.

I use quality nutrients, botanicare specifically and I dont use an airstone. I've always found pumping air into a res made ph drift and since I stopped years ago I havent noticed any I'll effect.

If my res was sitting for several days or a week then it's a different story.
 
the123321

the123321

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Thanks. I think it may be the liquid silicon I put in the water on there.
 
Dirtbag

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Thanks. I think it may be the liquid silicon I put in the water on there.
No, I use silica and it holds stable. Ph adjusters, especially organic ones can drift as it breaks down in the resivoir. But once you balance the ph with nutrients and silica it shouldnt drift unless you are pumping air through it or using cheap nutrients or organic ph adjusters.

Are you using an airstone?
 
the123321

the123321

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Thanks. I am not using the airstone in it. I have not set up the reservoir yet. The autopots recommend hand watering for like 2-3 weeks then putting it on the reservoir. While hand watering I have noticed that after I mix in the gh calmag with the gh silicon then use gh ph down to get it down to like 6.2 then when I test it the next day to use that day it usually has gone up by like .5 on there.
 
MIMedGrower

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I make a fresh resivoir every other day and over the course of 48 hrs it doesnt drift 0.1. Nothing.

I use quality nutrients, botanicare specifically and I dont use an airstone. I've always found pumping air into a res made ph drift and since I stopped years ago I havent noticed any I'll effect.

If my res was sitting for several days or a week then it's a different story.


Would you use a recirculating submersible pump if going longer?
 
Dirtbag

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Would you use a recirculating submersible pump if going longer?

I tried using a flooming pump for a bit. I think the submersible I used had a mag drive that affected the nutrients though... Mag drive pumps running non stop will draw iron out of the water. I noticed all my new growth was chronically pale yellow. As soon as I stopped it greened up. That was the last time I tried aerating my res with anything.

I never have liked the idea of pumping room air with God knows what in it through the nutrient solution. I think if it was needed I'd try to find a way to rig up an air filter system on an air stone, or inject pure O2 into the res. But Itll probably never come to that, I make my nutes fresh every couple days so it's not an issue.
 
cemchris

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Thanks. I am not using the airstone in it. I have not set up the reservoir yet. The autopots recommend hand watering for like 2-3 weeks then putting it on the reservoir. While hand watering I have noticed that after I mix in the gh calmag with the gh silicon then use gh ph down to get it down to like 6.2 then when I test it the next day to use that day it usually has gone up by like .5 on there.

Are you mixing Si ----> then PH down ---> then Calmg ----> then nutes? Si will usually make you PH skyrocket above 9. It also doesnt like to suspend into most things besides plain water. You can change the order but it takes forever. Make sure calmg goes in before nutes. Make sure Si is first.
 
Dirtbag

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Are you mixing Si ----> then PH down ---> then Calmg ----> then nutes? Si will usually make you PH skyrocket above 9. It also doesnt like to suspend into most things besides plain water. You can change the order but it takes forever. Make sure calmg goes in before nutes. Make sure Si is first.

Interesting, I hadnt heard that about si. I know about the calmag/nutes order. But I always add my si last. I add calcium, then nutes and that takes me down to like 5.2, then I stir the nute solution while I slowly drizzle in diluted potassium silicate and watch the ph meter. I stop drizzling when it climbs to about 0.2 below target and keep stirring, and it usually settles bang on and stays there.

I've always looked at it like other than calcium which you want to dilute as much as possible first, after that, you want to get the ph of the solution acidic and keep it there to ensure everything stays properly dissolved. Go low and creep it back up basically. It's how I mix my stock tanks for the sprayer at work too to make sure stuff doesnt drop out from mixing things into a high ph solution.
 
JadedMarxist

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Wait your afraid of pumping dirty air into your solution?

It's the same air you breath every day all day. I can't see how the air would need filtering first.

Besides would the stones not be a sort of filter?

I've found when I was using additives I had nothing but trouble with ph fluxes. Sometimes major fluxes and not always up or down. I stopped using additi e's and use only the base nutes. Got my rez temps steady at 65-68f. Haven't had a problem besides yellow spots I assume are light burn now from spraying them down hour before lights out.
 
JadedMarxist

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Silica does not want to dissolve in anything but pure water. I've not much experience with it but it's to be added only to pure water first before calmag so it dissolves completely.
 
Dirtbag

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Wait your afraid of pumping dirty air into your solution?

It's the same air you breath every day all day. I can't see how the air would need filtering first.

Besides would the stones not be a sort of filter?

I've found when I was using additives I had nothing but trouble with ph fluxes. Sometimes major fluxes and not always up or down. I stopped using additi e's and use only the base nutes. Got my rez temps steady at 65-68f. Haven't had a problem besides yellow spots I assume are light burn now from spraying them down hour before lights out.

It started when I was working for another guy, I was the DG in his building, and it was a friggin dump. There was mold and mildew issues and I just thought you know... lol, maybe this ain't good to be pumping in the res...

Also, I run a lot of filters for air circulation and I can tell you they get dirty....
Ever take a look at fan blades after a grow cycle or two? Gross.. Air is actually pretty dirty, unless it's in a sealed room running hepa filter air purifiers, even then...
 
JadedMarxist

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Sorry Dbag not knocking the how or why you do waht ya do with filtered air comment.

In a recerc system I've seen ppl use stones but would the recirculation not oxygenate the water at least a bit?

Also I run dwc so these are just thoughts but with the rdwc could you on the feed side using gravety and a slope use bigger diameter pipe then say hang a bunch of objects ramdomly thru the first part if it Comming from rez to make a babbling brook kinda thing to airate the water?

Kinda like a waterfall
 
Dirtbag

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Silica does not want to dissolve in anything but pure water. I've not much experience with it but it's to be added only to pure water first before calmag so it dissolves completely.

I do pre-dilute both calcium and potassium silicate in RO first at like 50:1 so it's very liquid and keep it in an old ph up bottle, and it dissolves readily into nutrient solution if I add it slowly.
 
JadedMarxist

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No i know I just have to look at my ceiling fans they get pretty dirty or my cars air filter but I mean you breath the same air so I would figure it's not doing any more harm putting said air into water for your plants.

Now mold in the room or potential for it that's another story. Although not all mold is bad mold lol
 
Dirtbag

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Sorry Dbag not knocking the how or why you do waht ya do with filtered air comment.

In a recerc system I've seen ppl use stones but would the recirculation not oxygenate the water at least a bit?

Also I run dwc so these are just thoughts but with the rdwc could you on the feed side using gravety and a slope use bigger diameter pipe then say hang a bunch of objects ramdomly thru the first part if it Comming from rez to make a babbling brook kinda thing to airate the water?

Kinda like a waterfall
DWC is a different animal... cant really comment on it as I dont have enough experience with roots in just water. But theoretically I dont see why not if the water was flowing fast enough and there was enough churning and turbulence.
I know NFT systems like you see in PVC pipe and gutters dont need it because it's like you said, a waterfall back into the res constantly. But even then people still like their airstones.
 
JadedMarxist

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There is also 2 sides with dwc me I'm for stones the more the better.

But then there is the kratky method where its just roots in Stagnant water. I've never tried it sounds disgusting to me even in dwc I change out the water once a week at least
 
Dirtbag

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No i know I just have to look at my ceiling fans they get pretty dirty or my cars air filter but I mean you breath the same air so I would figure it's not doing any more harm putting said air into water for your plants.

Now mold in the room or potential for it that's another story. Although not all mold is bad mold lol

I just see it as unnecessary. The stones get all funky and gross and the airump heats up the res and ph often drifts.. The nutrient solution gets plenty aerated when it comes out of the irrigation hose I think, and as long as the res isnt sitting there for more then a couple days and is made fresh regularly, it's not going to be a problem.
 
JadedMarxist

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Sorry to the op I check my ph and ec 3 times a day when possible minimum once a day. Average 2x a day.

Personally I write everything down also so if I need to go back and see what I did or didn't do or added to, when problems arise.

If my ph in my rez is between 5.5 and 6.5 I don't adjust but outside of those numbers I do. Daily if need be in turn I change water more frequently to prevent salt build up.

When I change water I also sterilize all buckets and equipment every time with h2o2
 

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