# Help Please - How much baking soda per gallon of water should I use to raise ph level



## WhiteRhino69 (May 19, 2010)

I know about ph up and down but I kinda need to do it with something I already have now.


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## jesus of Cannabis (May 19, 2010)

no no no
stick with what works, baking soda is so iffy and touchy. you have to make sure to get it all dissolved or it might sit on your roots and eat them like acid. try and use something else, lemon juice or something. liquid to liquid.


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## fatman7574 (May 20, 2010)

Lemon juice is an acid, it therefore lowers the pH. You need to use a hydroxide. preferably potassium hydroxide. For a temporary fix until you obtain some potassium hydroxide use some sodium hydroxide. Red Devil drain cleaner is sodium hydroxide and is sold at most grocey, or hardware stores. It takes very, very little to raisethe ph. Like add a few crystals at a time.

Potassium Hydroxide is cheap on Ebay. About $6 for 2 pounds. That would last you several life times. GH brand pH Up runs about $8 a quart. Two pounds of crystals will make many, many, many gallons of the diluted pH up.


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## MetalSmoker (May 20, 2010)

Fatman7574 What do you Suggest for PH down? In a Low Pressure AERO system? I have been reading your Posts...Man u Need to write a book!!


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## fatman7574 (May 20, 2010)

MetalSmoker said:


> Fatman7574 What do you Suggest for PH down? In a Low Pressure AERO system? I have been reading your Posts...Man u Need to write a book!
> 
> Klene-Strip Phosphoric Prep and Etch. It is available at Home Depot, Lowes and almost all hardware stores and auto paint stores. It is phsphoric acid. A gallon will alst you a life time as a hobby grower.
> 
> http://www.johnnypopper.com/forums/lofiversion/index.php/t16642.html!


The other alternative is Nitric acid n butit is much less common to home and shop usage so is much more expensive as it is not widely stocked. It is pretty much only available in bulk amd undiluted as a laboratory supply.


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## stumps (May 20, 2010)

all those chems your talking about are a pain to use. add to much to fast of any of the them to water and you get a hell of a reaction.


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## fatman7574 (May 20, 2010)

Duh, dilute some in water first so you can add it safely in larger fluid amounts. Those chems are the very same ingrediants in pH up and pH down. The retailers just dilute those chems put a fancy label on a small bottle containing mainly water and then charge a huge mark up for doing so. Mineral acids and hydroxides are stable, organic adjusters such as vinegar and citric acid are not stable as they convert to other compounds and therefore their adjustment effects are only temporary. When using full strength acids and hydroxides you, yes, must add them in very small quantities, such as a drop at a time in a small reservoir. That is why a gallon lasts a life time for the hobbiest.


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## Ebban Flow (May 20, 2010)

I wouldn't advise using baking soda because of the sodium content. It will work for adjusting PH and you won't need a lot at all so be careful but I wouldn't use it, that is just my opinion though. If you're strapped for cash and want to cut corners anywhere you can financially you can always get PH up & down for fresh water aquariums at a pet store or at walmart. They are cheap but I find at least with PH up from walmart you need to use a lot more than it recommends when adjusting PH after you add nutrients. Just save up and spend the 10$ a bottle for the real PH up and down and you will thank yourself in the long run.


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## stumps (May 20, 2010)

fatman7574 said:


> Duh, dilute some in water first so you can add it safely in larger fluid amounts. Those chems are the very same ingrediants in pH up and pH down. The retailers just dilute those chems put a fancy label on a small bottle containing mainly water and then charge a huge mark up for doing so. Mineral acids and hydroxides are stable, organic adjusters such as vinegar and citric acid are not stable as they convert to other compounds and therefore their adjustment effects are only temporary. When using full strength acids and hydroxides you, yes, must add them in very small quantities, such as a drop at a time in a small reservoir. That is why a gallon lasts a life time for the hobbiest.


Nice.. Some peeps might not know how to mix acids or base chems to water. It can be rather socking if you add to much to fast.


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## fatman7574 (May 21, 2010)

OK, to make them approx equivalent in strength to common retailed Ph Up and Ph down.

Dilute the Potassium Hydroxide granules approx 5.6 grams per liter of water for a pH Up equivalent solution.

For pH Down add 1/3 liter Phosphoric acid to 2/3 liter water for a pH down equivalent solution.

These will provide approx the same pH change ability of the retailed Dyna-Gro pH Up and pH Down solutions.
m


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## muchogood (Jun 13, 2010)

stumps said:


> Nice.. Some peeps might not know how to mix acids or base chems to water. It can be rather socking if you add to much to fast.


So does one mix H3PO4 to H2O or vice versa? And at what rate and temp?


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## stumps (Jun 13, 2010)

small amounts of acid or base into water.


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## EagleEyeHamThrust (Jun 14, 2010)

It's true, you can save a few bucks by making your own pH adjusters, but there are risks depending on which buffers you use. On the other hand, you can get a gallon of Up and Down from Gen Hydro for around 60 bucks (total for both), and that will last you a minimum of a year unless you're running a 100 gal res or something.


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