PH up/down options with rdwc?

[fragileassassin]

Pretty much just the title.
I used the GH ph up/down this grow and they were great for most of the grow, but during the last few weeks of flower ive had to use a LOT of up.
Im getting a little more drift down now than I was for veg and early flower. itll drop 0.3-0.4 over 3-4 days, but it takes like 40-50ml of the GH ph up to bring it from 5.6-5.7 to 6.0+

Is there something more concentrated I can use or should I just buy bigger bottles and get used to using this much every few days?

 

[myke]

Ive never liked using ph up,looks like an oil streak when you pour it in the res.Isnt 5.6 ok for flower?

 

[fragileassassin]

Ive never liked using ph up,looks like an oil streak when you pour it in the res.Isnt 5.6 ok for flower?

I correct at 5.6 but itll keep drifting down if I dont do anything.

 

[myke]

Is that not a sign off something a miss in the roots?

 

[fragileassassin]

Is that not a sign off something a miss in the roots?

it didnt do it until I started using my bloom booster. So far everything still looks good in them but its still drifting. I think its just because of my waterfall sprayer things.
Its not a crazy fast drop, just a slow drift. It just takes a lot of the up at a time to bring up 100 gal.

 

[GBAUTO]

What I've encountered using GH Flora trio and Megacrop over the past 3 years is that they pH @ 5.5-5.8 when I mix them. I normally keep the solution for 10-14 days and I use pH up to slowly let the pH rise to the 6.5 end of the desired range. GH sells pH up in a dry mix and I use that to make my own solution: 90g of pH up in a liter bottle and water to fill.

 

[fragileassassin]

What I've encountered using GH Flora trio and Megacrop over the past 3 years is that they pH @ 5.5-5.8 when I mix them. I normally keep the solution for 10-14 days and I use pH up to slowly let the pH rise to the 6.5 end of the desired range. GH sells pH up in a dry mix and I use that to make my own solution: 90g of pH up in a liter bottle and water to fill.

Im using MC and their bloom booster and thats about what im seeing too.
With my water, it goes right to 5.7-5.8 with just the MC and 5.4-5.5 with the bloom booster.

Ill look into the dry mix. I just went through this quart bottle in 1 grow.

 

[Bigz2277]

What growing medium are you using? soil/hydro and etc. need different ph levels.

 

[fragileassassin]

Its rdwc in hydroton.

any of you guys used Potassium Hydroxide pellets or flakes?
From what im finding that may be the best way to do it cheap.

 

[GBAUTO]

If I'm not mistaken, that's what GH's dry mix of pH up is made from that.

 

[5BY5LEC]

That PH drop is pretty much exactly what I saw and it got worse the more bloom I used.
My only concern was the GH PH up affecting my PPMs cause I was using a shit ton.
Its like 0-0-50

 

[fragileassassin]

Yeah I'm having to push like 40-50ml at a time of the gh stuff.

 

[fragileassassin]

If I'm not mistaken, that's what GH's dry mix of pH up is made from that.

I guess I should have just looked at the gh stuff.......
"Base solution is formulated using Potassium Hydroxide and Potassium Carbonate"
So I should be fine using powder, pellets, or flakes of either.

 

[curious2garden]

I use this: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BPUTXGQ/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I mix 1 tablespoon (15 cc)/ 1 quart water, add to reservoir as necessary.

 

[fragileassassin]

I actually found a very informative article about potassium hydroxide and carbonate in use with hydroponics.
TLDR version is that the potassium hydroxide is stronger and will give you a bigger adjustment per cost ect but it isnt as stable as the potassium carbonate so it provides less buffering ability and is more dangerous to handle. The potassium carbonate doesnt adjust the levels as well but provides a better ph buffer.
http://blog.stuppy.com/aquaponics/advantages-of-potassium-carbonate-and-potassium-hydroxide-for-aquaponics

I am considering getting dry potassium hydroxide and potassium carbonate and combining those in a 2 hydroxide : 1 carbonate ratio and diluting into a mixture similar to what you said. This would appear to be what GH does for their PH up, though who knows the mixture.

 

[CoB_nUt]

Sulphuric acid for ph down for the win! Stable with the added benefit of sulphur. Cheap as all get out too. I run Megacrop also.

 

[fragileassassin]

Sulphuric acid for ph down for the win! Stable with the added benefit of sulphur. Cheap as all get out too. I run Megacrop also.

Ive used very little ph down through this crop only really in the beginning when ppm was so low it wasnt offsetting the ph of my water enough on its own at res changes.
The Greenleaf bloom booster tanks the ph. I mixed up ~45 gallons of it today in my top off barrel. I gave it 1g per gallon of the bud explosion and 3g per gallon MC into RO water and I had to adjust up from barely over 5.
Through the whole veg just using the MC it stayed between 5.8-6.0 with no adjustment except after res changes.

 

[fragileassassin]

So I just found a really helpful thing
https://www.maximumyield.com/managing-ph-in-aquaponic-systems/2/1208
It looks like I should order a carbonate hardness test kit first and see where my nutrient solution is sitting.
if my KH is low, i should be fine just adding some Potassium Carbonate/Bicarbonate. My only concern would be if its strong enough to offset the huge drop the bloom booster causes without the hydroxide or still having to use a lot of it..

 

[CoB_nUt]

How hard or what is the ppm of and alkalinity of your tap water? If It's horrible disregard..if it's decent, try mixing a small batch of tap +to 50/50 and try your nute solution,see where it falls. Maybe a 5 gal test batch.
The tap should help buffer against such a deep drop.

 

[fragileassassin]

tap water is 80ppm and 7.0ph
I run it through the RO filter to get chlorine out. I dont get much waste water from my filter.