What's the difference between gardening and aquarium ph down?

dscorpion

dscorpion

Well-Known Member
Greetings RIU
I have quite hard water with ph around 7.3+ and I'm growing in soil. And I assume it's the cause of my slow grow. So I was thinking I should start mixing my tap water with distilled water and start ph'ing.
I was looking around for ph management and locally I could get ph down for aquariums for quite cheap like 4$. But if I would have to get ph down for gardening it would be 10+15 postage.

Phosphate free ph minus for fish tank
https://www.jbl.de/en/aquatics-freshwater-products/detail/2325/jbl-ph-minus

81% phosphoric acid ph down
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/hydrophonics-kit-FISH-TANK-PH-TESTER-SET-UP-DOWN-/250779976081?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item3a63a6c191

Or I've heard some people is using lemon juice, may it work out?

Thanks!
dscorpion
 
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Growan

Growan

Well-Known Member
Battery acid (car battery) will work too. Sulphuric I think?

Lemon juice works, but seems not to balance for very long. PH will crep up quickly again.
 
C

churchhaze

Well-Known Member
dscorpion said:
Greetings RIU
I have quite hard water with ph around 7.3+ and I'm growing in soil. And I assume it's the cause of my slow grow. So I was thinking I should start mixing my tap water with distilled water and start ph'ing.
I was looking around for ph management and locally I could get ph down for aquariums for quite cheap like 4$. But if I would have to get ph down for gardening it would be 10+15 postage.

Phosphate free ph minus for fish tank
https://www.jbl.de/en/aquatics-freshwater-products/detail/2325/jbl-ph-minus

81% phosphoric acid ph down
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/hydrophonics-kit-FISH-TANK-PH-TESTER-SET-UP-DOWN-/250779976081?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item3a63a6c191

Or I've heard some people is using lemon juice, may it work out?

Thanks!
dscorpion
Click to expand...
The aquarium pH down is probably hydrochloric acid, while hydro pH down is nitric acid or phosphoric acid. Sulfuric acid works in a pinch as well. Lemon juice is bullshit.

You shouldn't need to use pH down in soil anyway.
 
dscorpion

dscorpion

Well-Known Member
churchhaze said:
The aquarium pH down is probably hydrochloric acid, while hydro pH down is nitric acid or phosphoric acid. Sulfuric acid works in a pinch as well. Lemon juice is bullshit.

You shouldn't need to use pH down in soil anyway.
Click to expand...
I've heard about it aswell, that soil doesn't need ph management.
Somehow my plants are more lime'ish green and I thought that would be the reason.
 
dscorpion

dscorpion

Well-Known Member
Mad_Prophessor said:
Phosphoric acid is phosphoric acid. It doesn't matter what the label says it is for, it is what it is.
Click to expand...
Thanks!
Yeah, made a quick tour with ph down possibilities, so nitric is for grow phase and phosphoric is for bloom :)

Growan said:
Battery acid (car battery) will work too. Sulphuric I think?

Lemon juice works, but seems not to balance for very long. PH will crep up quickly again.
Click to expand...
I think I'll stay away from battery acid, I think unless a hydroponic based grow emergency, It's not so good.
 
C

churchhaze

Well-Known Member
dscorpion said:
I've heard about it aswell, that soil doesn't need ph management.
Somehow my plants are more lime'ish green and I thought that would be the reason.
Click to expand...
Lime green is from low urea/ammonia and high nitrate to supply nitrogen. If you mean a healthy lime green.
 
M

mainliner

Well-Known Member
acid's acid .... You can use any but it makes sense to use the one which doesn't break down so fast like lemon juice .


i guy told me once he used ants acid .......... Ants spray some kind of acid from their ass in defence of their home lol

he was quite drunk at the time :)
 
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