Just a quick thread on pH testing your water supply... I hope this thread helps everyone out. Here I am going to explain a cheap, effective way to test and adjust your water's pH as to ensure the maximum health of your plants. Below is a list of items you will need, how much they cost as well as where you can buy them.

pH Test Kit(for fish aquariums)
$5 at walmart or pet store

Distilled White Vinegar
$2 at your local grocery store

Arm & Hammer Baking Soda(not baking powder)
$2 at you local grocery store

To Test The Water's pH Level:
There's a few different types of pH test's that are available to you. The cheapest that I have found(and use currently) is a test made by a company called API Aquarium Pharmaceuticals and it's a pH Kit for fresh water aquariums. It test's levels from 6.0 - 7.6 which is perfect for us! It comes with a pH Test Solution, a clear glass test tube(with cap) and a reference card with a color chart to figure out what the pH is. If you are using this same kind of pH Test Kit then this is what you do....

1 Pour your water into the clear glass test tube(up to the line)
2 Keep the test tube in an upright position, insert 3 equal drops of pH Test Solution into the test tube.
3 Put the cap on the test tube and gently shake.
4 Once the color of the water inside the test tube turns color, hold the test tube up to the color charted reference card and match the colors to find your pH level.

To Adjust Your pH Levels:
A simple way to adjust your pH levels is by using Distilled White Vinegar to lower the pH level and Arm & Hammer Baking Soda to raise the pH level. This is a great way since its so cheap and all natural! Mary Jane likes it's pH to be between 6.2 - 6.8 at all times and it's very important to give her what she wants! Would you want to drink dirty ass tap water that hasnt been filtered to your enjoyment? Didn't think so! Haha so with that being said.. make sure to keep a constant flow of balanced water!

Distilled White Vinegar:
When using this to lower your pH level to the acidic side.. make sure to only give your water a eye dropper drop at a time until the water has reached your desired level.

Arm & Hammer Baking Soda:
When using this to raise your pH level to the alkaline side.. make sure to only give your water an extremely tiny trace amount( a clump the size of a pin tip) at a time until the water has reached your desired level.

I hope that this thread has helped inexperienced and beginning growers! Or simply grower's looking for tips and tricks! Thanks for reading everyone!

Info been around for time brother good post for newbie's but i would suggest just one thing buy the proper ph ajustment eqipment.a bottle of both will cost you next to nothing.the other thing is find out if you live in a soft water area or hard,if you live in a soft water area just use more water after the nutrients have been added little by lttle and the ph will come good.if the area that you live in has hard water then leave the water to stand for 24 hours this will lower the ph and make the chorine dissapate.then add your nutrients and get the ph bang on.i never have my ph above 5.5 because it will normaly higher during the night,so test every feed or you could end up with ph flucktuation.

proper pH adjustment equipmnt? you mean pH+ and pH-? why would i spend $15+ on a chemical solution when im going all natural? and this thread was meant for newbs not people who already know about pH. however thanks for the pH flucuation tip!

Thats good to test the water yes you are correct I in fact use both "Distilled white vinegar" (less bacteria then other vinegars) and baking soda as well. But theres one thing you dont seem to mention and thats after the nutrients are mixed in and the water changes color therefore effecting the outcome of your water test. IMO its best to go ahead and spend $15-20.00 on ebay and get a cheap hanna digi. I know the thread is about water testing and I am talking about testing nutrients. But theres no way your not gonna give your plant any nutrients the whole times its alive are ya? Either way if you want the best outcome just go ahead spend a few more bucks and get a digi. Thats just me 2 cents, you guys have a great day ok

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