PH Buffer for unattended PH control

S

stinky

Active Member
I am heading out of town for a work conference here soon for a whole week. Right now i am adjusting PH every other day with some citric acid based downer. Concidering the rockwool slowly brings it back up, and the roots are so intertwined that removing it is not an option i am willing to humor:

What is a good PH buffer for the water to counteract the rockwool that will last for a week? Is there anything i can add? In my salt water aquarium, the buffer is fish poo, constantly bringing the water down despite the coral wanting to bring it up. Water has a natural tendency to move towards accidic but rock wool is killing me. I only used 1 inch cubes to sprout too, its not like im talking 4 inch cubes or anything.
 
It's not the rockwool that is causing the pH shift, at least not after the first watering. It's normal for the pH to swing in 1 direction, and then back. The plant actually has some effect on the pH swing. And the citric acid is a weak adjuster that is prone to rebound.

Your source water has an effect on pH swing, too. Using alkaline source water to start buffers pH better than RO or distilled. The size of the rez is probably the main culprit in fluctuation. When you leave, use the most nute soup that you can, with a weak ppm and low pH.

HTH :mrgreen:
 
week ppm? how much weeker? Right now im at 800 PPM, ive been slowly stepping it up since i start flowering the week i get back.

And why do you drop the nutes down for unattended use? Waters more stabile? Anyhow good advice.
 
problem solved i think, i called my aquarium store and they carry a 5.8 buffer for raising discuss. Plan to go pick it up today. Supposed to be able to keep 20 gallons at 5.8 for 2 weeks before you get swings. Discus are often in a very bland aquarium with no plants for breeding. Just a rock in the center for the eggs. They strip it out anyhow, but without anything in there to decay the ph likes to climb. Which is why im surprised this climbs, because in my experience with aquascaping, plants and roots slowing decaying always bring ph down and keep it down.
 
Well, I think those products may contain some sodium, which is fine for fish, but not for plants. Check the label.

More nute soup in your rez will make it more stable pH, so fill your rez all the way up, and use weaker ppm because your ppm will rise with every watering and no topping off.

HTH :mrgreen:
 
When I need to drop pH for flowering plants, I use a phosphorus based 'pH Down' phosphoric acid sauce from the local hydro shop. I'm paying to add phosphorus with other additives anyway. I adjust the tanks for my vegging mums with nitric acid based stuff. Mad! Free nitrogen! :D
 
potroast said:
Well, I think those products may contain some sodium, which is fine for fish, but not for plants. Check the label.

More nute soup in your rez will make it more stable pH, so fill your rez all the way up, and use weaker ppm because your ppm will rise with every watering and no topping off.

HTH :mrgreen:
Click to expand...

No topping off? as in the water or the plants? The humity where i grow is 25% so i have been allowing for a small amount of evap this whole grow to get it up to 35. Plus my 6 plants drink up about an inch off the 10 gal res every day. Should i be doing something else? Ive been keeping an eye on ppm and ph while doing this, and still have been doing a bi-weekly change out. I think the next grow i do will have significantly more water in the rez.

And as for the sodium, the one for discuss has no sodium since they cant handle it in any way. Thanks for the tip though, i wouldnt have thought to look.
 
stinky said:
No topping off? as in the water or the plants? The humity where i grow is 25% so i have been allowing for a small amount of evap this whole grow to get it up to 35. Plus my 6 plants drink up about an inch off the 10 gal res every day. Should i be doing something else? Ive been keeping an eye on ppm and ph while doing this, and still have been doing a bi-weekly change out. I think the next grow i do will have significantly more water in the rez.
Click to expand...


If you're watching the change in ppm, then you know how to adjust the rez for fluctuations. Absent the TDS meter, proper rez maintenance would be to top off that 1 inch lost each day with plain water.

The more water in the rez, the less fluctuation there will be.

HTH :mrgreen:
 
good info thanks. i think i will be ok now for the week. next grow im doing a ebb with a float valve so to keep allot of water available and stable.
 
those buffers evaporate calcium and magnesium to "soften" the water, so you may want to look into getting some calmag+ to keep everything in balance
 
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