Newbie question about ph testing RO water

[NewbieHydro]

Hey folks. I haven't started my grow yet. I am still gathering information and supplies. I want to make this grow a success.

To my question: My BlueLab PH probe tells me not to check PH of RO or distilled water as it will ruin the probe.

If I use part RO and Part Tap will my probe be safe?

If I use all RO and wait until I have mixed nutes. will my probe be safe?

Thanks

 

[Aqua Man]

Hey folks. I haven't started my grow yet. I am still gathering information and supplies. I want to make this grow a success.

To my question: My BlueLab PH probe tells me not to check PH of RO or distilled water as it will ruin the probe.

If I use part RO and Part Tap will my probe be safe?

If I use all RO and wait until I have mixed nutes. will my probe be safe?

Thanks

I use my prob daily and calibrate it weekly. It's a cheapo so I don't bother if I had a good one I would buy the storage solution. If I remember right they contain an electrolyte solution that it in a sense leeches into the water to create a circuit and the voltage returned is converted into a ph number.

So for this reason I think the storage solution matches the electrolyte fluid in the ph probe.

I could be wrong I'm going of memory from a long time ago.

 

[oldskol4evr]

Hey folks. I haven't started my grow yet. I am still gathering information and supplies. I want to make this grow a success.

To my question: My BlueLab PH probe tells me not to check PH of RO or distilled water as it will ruin the probe.

If I use part RO and Part Tap will my probe be safe?

If I use all RO and wait until I have mixed nutes. will my probe be safe?

Thanks

lets see apic of the probe,i have never heard of this,might be sayin dont leave in ro or distilled for storage use,i be damn if i wouldnt check it anyway in hydro all is liquid,i store my pen in the soultion for checking the pen,i never let it dry out,when it starts to get low in the cup ,i dump the solution and put more in ,the solution is cheaper than a new pen

 

[NewbieHydro]

You may be correct. The actual wording is
"DO NOT soak or rinse the pH probe in RO (Reverse Osmosis), Distilled or De-ionized water. Pure water changes the chemistry in the reference, causing the probe to die. "

Here is a link to the manual pdf

BlueLab Ph Pen

 

[Aqua Man]

When they say don't use RO they mean testing ph of RO is not accurate and they also mean do not use RO as a storage solution.

Mixing and phing nutes with RO should be done like this.

1. Add your cal mag to reconstitute your RO.
2. Add your nutrients.
3. ph your water.

You never need to ph RO water and should never try to ph RO water because it has no buffer and is very unstable because on this. Once you add some bicarbonate from say cal mag then you have some stability (a buffer) to add acids and ph your water.

 

[oldskol4evr]

When they say don't use RO they mean testing ph of RO is not accurate and they also mean do not use RO as a storage solution.

Mixing and phing nutes with RO should be done like this.

1. Add your cal mag to reconstitute your RO.
2. Add your nutrients.
3. ph your water.

You never need to ph RO water and should never try to ph RO water because it has no buffer and is very unstable because on this. Once you add some bicarbonate from say cal mag then you have some stability (a buffer) to add acids and ph your water.

perfect i didnt know how to say it hahahah

 

[NewbieHydro]

Mixing and phing nutes with RO should be done like this.

1. Add your cal mag to reconstitute your RO.
2. Add your nutrients.
3. ph your water.

I am planning to use Silica too. My understanding is the Si must go in 1st?

 

[Aqua Man]

I am planning to use Silica too. My understanding is the Si must go in 1st?

Yes silica first

 

[cemchris]

My god someone read the manual. Kudos.

As far as storage solution if you are using you ph pen daily or even every 4 to 5 days you dont need to worry about it. Storage solution is more for long term storage. Just make sure the sponge is wet in the cap. I just dunk the pen and the cap in my nute solution so its always wet when I put it up. You can also use calibration solution as a storage solution. My pen is never more then .1 off and its pretty old at this point so you don't need to worry about buying something like that.

 

[Krisforce]

When they say don't use RO they mean testing ph of RO is not accurate and they also mean do not use RO as a storage solution.

Mixing and phing nutes with RO should be done like this.

1. Add your cal mag to reconstitute your RO.
2. Add your nutrients.
3. ph your water.

You never need to ph RO water and should never try to ph RO water because it has no buffer and is very unstable because on this. Once you add some bicarbonate from say cal mag then you have some stability (a buffer) to add acids and ph your water.

Hy,

Tried making a buffer with RO water.


Hy, how would you make a buffer solution with KHCO3 (Potassium bicarbonate) to have a pH of around 5,5–6. It would be used in a hydroponics system to make a buffer solution in RO water (demineralized) that can resist the acidic nutrient fertilizer. Tried with 60 mg/L and 90 mg/L of KHCO3, but unfortunately, the pH drops drastically to a level of pH 4 after 4-5 days, which is not good for my plants… IMPORTANT: the system is a passive system not bubbling CO2 in the solution!!!

So, in 1 L RO water, I added 90 mg of Potassium Bicarbonate (KHCO3) as a buffer and make the solution to 90 ppm (128,6 µS/cm). This brought the pH to 7,86. Then, after half an hour I added the Nutrient Solution. 935 µL Nutri Forte A (specification attached to the comment) + 935 µL Nutri Forte B (specification attached to the comment). I stirred it. At the moment the EC showed 1203 µS/cm (1,203 mS/cm) and pH was 7,13. I added 80 µL Phosphoric acid (H3PO4) to adjust the pH. I stirred it. The EC at the moment showed 1205 µS/cm (1,205 mS/cm) and pH was 5,56 on 23,8 ºC.

The solution is in a Jar, not touching any plant only under pure air. The values changes by days:

Day0 - EC 1205 µS/cm | pH 5,56 | 23,8 ºC

Day1 - EC 1220 µS/cm | pH 5,81 | 22,0 ºC

Day2 - EC 1238 µS/cm | pH 6,01 | 21,5 ºC

Day5 - EC 1360 µS/cm | pH 4,02 | 21,9 ºC

I am asking your help figuring out how can I solve this. Should I raise the KHCO3? If yes, what should be the overall amount? What could be the problem?