Plain water reservoir life and creeping pH

[Gurtgurt]

Hello,

I have 2 questions. I filter my tap water into a 5 gal bucket, lightly covered, and bubble aquarium bubbles through it. I'm wondering how long this plain water can sit and bubble before getting stale/growing things/needing to be replaced.

Here's the one I have problems with...

The other day I poured out 1 gal to feed. Added some cal mag and pH down. I just bought a fancy pH pen, it is calibrated. PHed to 5.8, threw an air stone into the 1 gal and left for 90 min to do something else.
When I get back and test, pH was back up to like 6.4 I don't remember. Markedly higher.

So do I pH until it's on the button and pour immediately? pH over several rounds and hours till it equalizes? pH the entire reservoir? Did the bubbles raise the pH, or just make it seem that way?

I am growing organic in coco, and I was worried at how much chemical pH down I kept having to add.

Thanks for your thoughts

 

[GrimReffer]

Hello,

I have 2 questions. I filter my tap water into a 5 gal bucket, lightly covered, and bubble aquarium bubbles through it. I'm wondering how long this plain water can sit and bubble before getting stale/growing things/needing to be replaced.

Here's the one I have problems with...

The other day I poured out 1 gal to feed. Added some cal mag and pH down. I just bought a fancy pH pen, it is calibrated. PHed to 5.8, threw an air stone into the 1 gal and left for 90 min to do something else.
When I get back and test, pH was back up to like 6.4 I don't remember. Markedly higher.

So do I pH until it's on the button and pour immediately? pH over several rounds and hours till it equalizes? pH the entire reservoir? Did the bubbles raise the pH, or just make it seem that way?

I am growing organic in coco, and I was worried at how much chemical pH down I kept having to add.

Thanks for your thoughts

Is your water from a well or city?

 

[SandSpider]

I started noticing that in mine (Doing DWC in 5 gallon buckets with bubblers using tap water) it was taking 3 days to stabilize checking every 12 hours. So I started two buckets with everything (including bubblers) 3 days before a water change and the 3 day spike chasing went away.

 

[deerman12]

I was getting ready to post your exactly problem. I had a 5 gallon bucket set up at 6.4, test a week later it was 7.3. WTF. So adding a bubbler will help with Ph spikes?