pH probs in rdwc

[cardrack111]

running 90 gallons at the moment, will be 120 gallons a week from now when i flip. I will also be adding 3k more hortilux in a week (running 5k now). Sealed room. I am currently having heat issues/ventilation issues in outside room, and my 1/2 hp chiller is cooling big res to 74-79 F. Aside from the heat issue, I am adding pH down every hour it seems like. I am in the process of installing r/o unit.... I am on well water with pH around 7. Is it normal to be adding pH down so often(and so much of it)? Or is it related to the heat issue? or nutes? pls help... i wanna tackle this prob and move onto the next.


*100% compliant medical grow*

 

[Mr.Sputnik]

Make sure your the entire reservoir system including buckets, lids, pots, reservoir, ect is not having light hit it. Light hitting the water will cause the PH to rise and never be able to stabilize at the PH that you want. Even the slightest amount of light will make it difficult for you to keep your PH in check. Keep everything covered in panda film or a black lid. Oh, and make sure your water chiller is in a different room than your res and your grow room, it's like an AC and it needs to vent heat off somewhere.

 

[DazedNconfussed]

I have the oppisite problem, mine drop from a ph of 5.8 to low 4's by the next day. I use orange home depot buckets....Last grow had the oppisite problem, ph always going up like yours. I switched nutes from botanicare to GH this grow so my guess was it must be caused by the nutes themselves......Just my opinion.....

 

[squarepusher]

Phosphorous acts as a buffer in rdwc i believe, are you changing out your rez every 2 weeks?

 

[cardrack111]

Phosphorous acts as a buffer in rdwc i believe, are you changing out your rez every 2 weeks?

they have been in the buckets for 3 days, changing res b4 i flip in a week..

 

[cardrack111]

Make sure your the entire reservoir system including buckets, lids, pots, reservoir, ect is not having light hit it. Light hitting the water will cause the PH to rise and never be able to stabilize at the PH that you want. Even the slightest amount of light will make it difficult for you to keep your PH in check. Keep everything covered in panda film or a black lid. Oh, and make sure your water chiller is in a different room than your res and your grow room, it's like an AC and it needs to vent heat off somewhere.

Thanks! will be covering big res w/ black material asap. will cover any light leaks getting into mini res's also.. Wishin I made separate room for chiller now...It is 90 degrees in room where res, ballasts, chiller are...........

 

[cardrack111]

I have the oppisite problem, mine drop from a ph of 5.8 to low 4's by the next day. I use orange home depot buckets....Last grow had the oppisite problem, ph always going up like yours. I switched nutes from botanicare to GH this grow so my guess was it must be caused by the nutes themselves......Just my opinion.....

I'm using Advanced with H&G additives

 

[cardrack111]

Make sure your the entire reservoir system including buckets, lids, pots, reservoir, ect is not having light hit it. Light hitting the water will cause the PH to rise and never be able to stabilize at the PH that you want. Even the slightest amount of light will make it difficult for you to keep your PH in check. Keep everything covered in panda film or a black lid. Oh, and make sure your water chiller is in a different room than your res and your grow room, it's like an AC and it needs to vent heat off somewhere.

I think i need to frame a small "room" for big res...too much heat now. maybe 5 X 3 X 3', with a small window a/c built into it. im thinkin keep the inlet part of the 1/2 hp chiller inside this room, so its good cool air going through it.

 

[xX Kid Twist Xx]

dazeand confused-when you ph drops is your ppm also rising? you may be feeding to hard. the plants are taking in the same amount of water they need but are not taking in all the food with it. so there is more nutes in less water in a few days causing your ph to lower.

 

[Mr.Sputnik]

Yup, PH dropping is your plants drinking water and not uptaking nutes. I bet your PPM's are rising while the PH is lowering. I personally like GH flora nova nutes.

Your water chiller is like an AC, it has to pump out heat in order to cool. I would put them in a place that is directly ventilated outside, away from anything you are trying to keep cool. A seperate room with the balasts in it is a good idea.