Question on PH levels and flux

[Badchoice]

So I am still kind of new to certain things and just would like another persons info. I just started week 4 and changed my nute amounts went from 2 gal nutes 1 gal supplements to 3 gal nutes with supplements for the higher ppm and ec.
Now the past 3 weeks the ph had done its normal over 12 hours move .2 .4 up or down but now it’s been a few days and the ph has been staying at a flat 6.0. So since that is new too me, is that a good sign? Bad sign?

 

[Aqua Man]

So I am still kind of new to certain things and just would like another persons info. I just started week 4 and changed my nute amounts went from 2 gal nutes 1 gal supplements to 3 gal nutes with supplements for the higher ppm and ec.
Now the past 3 weeks the ph had done its normal over 12 hours move .2 .4 up or down but now it’s been a few days and the ph has been staying at a flat 6.0. So since that is new too me, is that a good sign? Bad sign?

I like my ph to drift up a bit.

Gonna link this then if you have any questions just ask away.

Marijuana pH Levels for Growing Weed: A Basic Explanation

OK I'm going to do my best to explain PH since its something that is for the most part greatly misunderstood and can be confusing to new growers and even experienced growers alike. This will explain why we need both ppm and PH meters to give us informed information about PH This will be a...

www.thcfarmer.com

 

[Moe.Red]

Nice writeup Aqua Man, new here and just saw it.

Hey Badchoice, sounds like something is being added to the water that is buffering it to 6.0. I'm confused what you mean here:

I just started week 4 and changed my nute amounts went from 2 gal nutes 1 gal supplements to 3 gal nutes with supplements for the higher ppm and ec.

It's hard to interpret what that means without a ton more detail. You are going to need to provide a bunch more info or try to solve it on your own. Think of it in terms of what is different this time? Nutes? Water Source? Plant type and system load? Environmental factors?

I can tell you that I have a very locked down system, and I am currently seeing a similar thing to what you describe and the only change was the cultivars I'm running. Even the plants themselves will steer PH.

Personally I wouldn't sweat it, 6 is good. Just make a note of it and see if it is repeatable in the future or a nuance of this specific grow.

 

[Aqua Man]

Nice writeup Aqua Man, new here and just saw it.

Hey Badchoice, sounds like something is being added to the water that is buffering it to 6.0. I'm confused what you mean here:



It's hard to interpret what that means without a ton more detail. You are going to need to provide a bunch more info or try to solve it on your own. Think of it in terms of what is different this time? Nutes? Water Source? Plant type and system load? Environmental factors?

I can tell you that I have a very locked down system, and I am currently seeing a similar thing to what you describe and the only change was the cultivars I'm running. Even the plants themselves will steer PH.

Personally I wouldn't sweat it, 6 is good. Just make a note of it and see if it is repeatable in the future or a nuance of this specific grow.

Yes even a shift of veg to flower you can often see ph become more stable or a slight downswing. Everything down to the microbes can affect PH. I find a good starting alkalinity and aeration to help a lot. Even tap water comes out and will rise in PH usually aboit 0.4 over time depending on aeration as it off gasses the buildup of carbonic acid. All these things are why it's important to have a good base alkalinity to help stabilize the swings.

 

[Moe.Red]

I learned something here:

Sources i would recommend would be calcium carbonate, potassium bicarbonate (commonly sold as PH up) and finally what i would consider the best option is potassium silicate as it is a source of potassium and silica which are both excellent for cannabis.

Add potassium silicate to the pile to study.

 

[Aqua Man]

I learned something here:



Add potassium silicate to the pile to study.

Yeah probably the best option of them all.

 

[Badchoice]

Nice writeup Aqua Man, new here and just saw it.

Hey Badchoice, sounds like something is being added to the water that is buffering it to 6.0. I'm confused what you mean here:



It's hard to interpret what that means without a ton more detail. You are going to need to provide a bunch more info or try to solve it on your own. Think of it in terms of what is different this time? Nutes? Water Source? Plant type and system load? Environmental factors?

I can tell you that I have a very locked down system, and I am currently seeing a similar thing to what you describe and the only change was the cultivars I'm running. Even the plants themselves will steer PH.

Personally I wouldn't sweat it, 6 is good. Just make a note of it and see if it is repeatable in the future or a nuance of this specific grow.

Not all that much on outside details temp and humidity all that I got set good just nutes and ppm and ec all set good in range I’m just confused on the ph stabling out im use to over 12 hrs between tests on ph go up or down a few points but not the ph Staying stable so Im just confused If PH stabling out is that good Like what you want It stable or Is it bad Because you kindof want a little flux?

 

[AnselAdams]

Yes even a shift of veg to flower you can often see ph become more stable or a slight downswing. Everything down to the microbes can affect PH. I find a good starting alkalinity and aeration to help a lot. Even tap water comes out and will rise in PH usually aboit 0.4 over time depending on aeration as it off gasses the buildup of carbonic acid. All these things are why it's important to have a good base alkalinity to help stabilize the swings.

I too have been having an issue with maintaining a stable PH. I did some research into buffering (remembering my saltwater reef days) I hope this helps. The short version is that if you are using RO water, a gram of baking soda per 5 gal/20 liter will set your alkalinity to about 60-70 ppm. I used a hanna freshwater tester to figure it out.

Hanna Checker on Amazon

. . . "This one only applies to those of you who are using RO water and relates to
water alkalinity and its ability to buffer pH. For those of you who are using mains
water this material doesn’t apply due to mains water often possessing high
alkalinity (often far too high) values. Alkalinity is best expressed in this case (so
as not to confuse things) as the buffering capacity of water. That is, the
alkalinity of water is related to the pH, but it is actually a different parameter. It
is a measure of the capacity of the water to resist changes in pH. Don’t confuse
“Alkalinity” with “Alkaline” (which relates to an alkaline pH of above 7.0). The
higher the alkalinity, the more acid can be added without considerably changing
the pH. This is because the bicarbonates (HCO ) and carbonates (CO )
react with the hydrogen ions (H ) contributed by the acid, preventing them from
dropping the pH. Alkalinity is typically expressed as the equivalent concentration
of calcium carbonate (CaCO ). The ideal range for alkalinity as ppm CaCO is
expressed as 40-60 ppm, with 20-80 ppm being the outside range. Calcium
carbonate is 60% carbonate and 40% calcium at 100% purity. Thus to equate
60 ppm CaCO into how much carbonate this represents 60 (ppm) – 40%
(calcium) equals 60% Carbonate, so 60% of 60ppm = 36ppm carbonate. This
would equate to 1 gram per 10L of water using calcium carbonate or when
using potassium carbonate (K2CO3 is 43.4% carbonate @ 100% purity) 0.83
grams per 10L or when using baking soda (sodium bicarbonate or NaHCO3
which is 76.24% bicarbonate) would equate to 0.762 g/10L. As a
recommendation, I tend to suggest that baking soda is ideal for increasing
alkalinity in hydroponic systems where RO water is used. Firstly it is easy to
access at high chemical purity through supermarkets. Secondly, when used at
the suggested rate of 0.47grams per 10 litres it contributes approximately
13.5ppm of sodium (Na) to the nutrient solution which is well within tolerance
range for plants being grown in hydroponic systems (and less Na than is
typically found in mains water supplies). On the other hand, while some have
recommended the use of potassium carbonate and calcium carbonate for pH
buffering water, both of these components will add calcium or potassium to the
working solution at ppm which may contribute to nutrient imbalances."

original article:

Site permanently closed due to piracy and trading off Issues

Site permanently closed due to piracy and trading off Issues. Manic Botanix, nor its author, is in no way linked to any commercial interests claiming a link. Full stop. The domain and its content are now for sale. No low ballers need apply. Contact [email protected]

manicbotanix.com

Hope this helps.

Happy Growing

 

[Badchoice]

I too have been having an issue with maintaining a stable PH. I did some research into buffering (remembering my saltwater reef days) I hope this helps. The short version is that if you are using RO water, a gram of baking soda per 5 gal/20 liter will set your alkalinity to about 60-70 ppm. I used a hanna freshwater tester to figure it out.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00DI3I7RO/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
View attachment 1045921


. . . "This one only applies to those of you who are using RO water and relates to
water alkalinity and its ability to buffer pH. For those of you who are using mains
water this material doesn’t apply due to mains water often possessing high
alkalinity (often far too high) values. Alkalinity is best expressed in this case (so
as not to confuse things) as the buffering capacity of water. That is, the
alkalinity of water is related to the pH, but it is actually a different parameter. It
is a measure of the capacity of the water to resist changes in pH. Don’t confuse
“Alkalinity” with “Alkaline” (which relates to an alkaline pH of above 7.0). The
higher the alkalinity, the more acid can be added without considerably changing
the pH. This is because the bicarbonates (HCO ) and carbonates (CO )
react with the hydrogen ions (H ) contributed by the acid, preventing them from
dropping the pH. Alkalinity is typically expressed as the equivalent concentration
of calcium carbonate (CaCO ). The ideal range for alkalinity as ppm CaCO is
expressed as 40-60 ppm, with 20-80 ppm being the outside range. Calcium
carbonate is 60% carbonate and 40% calcium at 100% purity. Thus to equate
60 ppm CaCO into how much carbonate this represents 60 (ppm) – 40%
(calcium) equals 60% Carbonate, so 60% of 60ppm = 36ppm carbonate. This
would equate to 1 gram per 10L of water using calcium carbonate or when
using potassium carbonate (K2CO3 is 43.4% carbonate @ 100% purity) 0.83
grams per 10L or when using baking soda (sodium bicarbonate or NaHCO3
which is 76.24% bicarbonate) would equate to 0.762 g/10L. As a
recommendation, I tend to suggest that baking soda is ideal for increasing
alkalinity in hydroponic systems where RO water is used. Firstly it is easy to
access at high chemical purity through supermarkets. Secondly, when used at
the suggested rate of 0.47grams per 10 litres it contributes approximately
13.5ppm of sodium (Na) to the nutrient solution which is well within tolerance
range for plants being grown in hydroponic systems (and less Na than is
typically found in mains water supplies). On the other hand, while some have
recommended the use of potassium carbonate and calcium carbonate for pH
buffering water, both of these components will add calcium or potassium to the
working solution at ppm which may contribute to nutrient imbalances."

original article:

Site permanently closed due to piracy and trading off Issues

Site permanently closed due to piracy and trading off Issues. Manic Botanix, nor its author, is in no way linked to any commercial interests claiming a link. Full stop. The domain and its content are now for sale. No low ballers need apply. Contact [email protected]

manicbotanix.com

Hope this helps.

Happy Growing

Oh boy that’s a lot of reading between aqua and this but I’ll go through it when I get home. Guess I was just hoping for a simple yes the goal is stability or no You want fluxing couldn’t even find anything over google but it wouldn’t be any fun researching if the answer was that simple

 

[Aqua Man]

I too have been having an issue with maintaining a stable PH. I did some research into buffering (remembering my saltwater reef days) I hope this helps. The short version is that if you are using RO water, a gram of baking soda per 5 gal/20 liter will set your alkalinity to about 60-70 ppm. I used a hanna freshwater tester to figure it out.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00DI3I7RO/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
View attachment 1045921


. . . "This one only applies to those of you who are using RO water and relates to
water alkalinity and its ability to buffer pH. For those of you who are using mains
water this material doesn’t apply due to mains water often possessing high
alkalinity (often far too high) values. Alkalinity is best expressed in this case (so
as not to confuse things) as the buffering capacity of water. That is, the
alkalinity of water is related to the pH, but it is actually a different parameter. It
is a measure of the capacity of the water to resist changes in pH. Don’t confuse
“Alkalinity” with “Alkaline” (which relates to an alkaline pH of above 7.0). The
higher the alkalinity, the more acid can be added without considerably changing
the pH. This is because the bicarbonates (HCO ) and carbonates (CO )
react with the hydrogen ions (H ) contributed by the acid, preventing them from
dropping the pH. Alkalinity is typically expressed as the equivalent concentration
of calcium carbonate (CaCO ). The ideal range for alkalinity as ppm CaCO is
expressed as 40-60 ppm, with 20-80 ppm being the outside range. Calcium
carbonate is 60% carbonate and 40% calcium at 100% purity. Thus to equate
60 ppm CaCO into how much carbonate this represents 60 (ppm) – 40%
(calcium) equals 60% Carbonate, so 60% of 60ppm = 36ppm carbonate. This
would equate to 1 gram per 10L of water using calcium carbonate or when
using potassium carbonate (K2CO3 is 43.4% carbonate @ 100% purity) 0.83
grams per 10L or when using baking soda (sodium bicarbonate or NaHCO3
which is 76.24% bicarbonate) would equate to 0.762 g/10L. As a
recommendation, I tend to suggest that baking soda is ideal for increasing
alkalinity in hydroponic systems where RO water is used. Firstly it is easy to
access at high chemical purity through supermarkets. Secondly, when used at
the suggested rate of 0.47grams per 10 litres it contributes approximately
13.5ppm of sodium (Na) to the nutrient solution which is well within tolerance
range for plants being grown in hydroponic systems (and less Na than is
typically found in mains water supplies). On the other hand, while some have
recommended the use of potassium carbonate and calcium carbonate for pH
buffering water, both of these components will add calcium or potassium to the
working solution at ppm which may contribute to nutrient imbalances."

original article:

Site permanently closed due to piracy and trading off Issues

Site permanently closed due to piracy and trading off Issues. Manic Botanix, nor its author, is in no way linked to any commercial interests claiming a link. Full stop. The domain and its content are now for sale. No low ballers need apply. Contact [email protected]

manicbotanix.com

Hope this helps.

Happy Growing

Oh boy that’s a lot of reading between aqua and this but I’ll go through it when I get home. Guess I was just hoping for a simple yes the goal is stability or no You want fluxing couldn’t even find anything over google but it wouldn’t be any fun researching if the answer was that simple

If you plants look good and roots like good and uts stable I wouldn't worry to much. It just helps to understand things you have to deal with is why I linked it.

 

[AnselAdams]

If you plants look good and roots like good and uts stable I wouldn't worry to much. It just helps to understand things you have to deal with is why I linked it.

Agreed!... also the reason for my "short version". The rest is research and knowledge. Cheers

 

[Badchoice]

If you plants look good and roots like good and uts stable I wouldn't worry to much. It just helps to understand things you have to deal with is why I linked it.

oh they look healthy with No signs of anything on the leafs and the roots are a nice creamy white and I know they eating I see the ppm and ec going down a little on each test which shows me it’s drinking, Just was curious I’m sure other people close to “Being In my shoes” Might have had the same question and their seems to be no general yes or no out their but I got a weird feeling like certain other things when it comes to growing a general yes or no ain’t cutting it lol

 

[Aqua Man]

oh they look healthy with No signs of anything on the leafs and the roots are a nice creamy white and I know they eating I see the ppm and ec going down a little on each test which shows me it’s drinking, Just was curious I’m sure other people close to “Being In my shoes” Might have had the same question and their seems to be no general yes or no out their but I got a weird feeling like certain other things when it comes to growing a general yes or no ain’t cutting it lol

Lol yeah there are very few yes/no answers in growing cannabis.

 

[Badchoice]

Lol yeah there are very few yes/no answers in growing cannabis.

Well here I’ll make it easy than lol, is this looking good yes or no?

 

[Moe.Red]

With only 4 gallons or less of water, I'd be happy that it is not swinging more. Looks good, time to start training!

 

[Edinburgh]

I try and keep at 6.2, while you dont want wide swings a ph of 6.0 is not bad, while it is possible to grow cannabis anywhere from 5.5 to 7.0 ( not optimal but possible as long as no swings) you want to shoot for 6.2 or 3, buy a batery powerd ph meter, when you water and or feed check the beginning run off and the end that way you can tell if your getting wide swings in your ph.

 

[Aqua Man]

Well here I’ll make it easy than lol, is this looking good yes or no?

Looking good bro

 

[Moe.Red]

I try and keep at 6.2, while you dont want wide swings a ph of 6.0 is not bad, while it is possible to grow cannabis anywhere from 5.5 to 7.0 ( not optimal but possible as long as no swings) you want to shoot for 6.2 or 3

Is that 6.2 - 6.3 based on some science? If there is a study or some documented trials, I would love to read more. I have been running at 5.8 based on the testing others have done. I can dig up those links if you want them. Always looking to learn more and if I am too low for optimum, that is a really easy fix.

In a perfect world, we would like to see 2 identical setups running clones from one mother and vary only the PH to find the sweet spot. Has that already been done and I missed it?

 

[Badchoice]

Is that 6.2 - 6.3 based on some science? If there is a study or some documented trials, I would love to read more. I have been running at 5.8 based on the testing others have done. I can dig up those links if you want them. Always looking to learn more and if I am too low for optimum, that is a really easy fix.

In a perfect world, we would like to see 2 identical setups running clones from one mother and vary only the PH to find the sweet spot. Has that already been done and I missed it?

Well I would guess their are some strains just due too genetics like a more acid or vice versa base solution to thrive, guess call it recreating the natural environment? Like the plant I have going I have no knowledge of it but around 6ph give or take .2 seems to like it since it’s shown zero signs of defects from nutrients only little humidity problem but that’s all fixed.

 

[AnselAdams]

I try and keep at 6.2, while you dont want wide swings a ph of 6.0 is not bad, while it is possible to grow cannabis anywhere from 5.5 to 7.0 ( not optimal but possible as long as no swings) you want to shoot for 6.2 or 3, buy a batery powerd ph meter, when you water and or feed check the beginning run off and the end that way you can tell if your getting wide swings in your ph.

Actually you do want the swing. Take a look at the chart below and you will notice that as you swing between 5.5 & 6.5 some nutes are picked up at the lower end of the scale while others are more available towards the higher end. The trick is to let it rise/fall over the course of a couple of days; not a couple of hours.

Happy Growing