my tap water is ph 7.7 receive ph down and up bottles and GOT MY ASS SCARED

I used my meter on tap water and got ph 7.7.

I ordered ph up and down bottles and when i received them (yep i didnt took the time to read about them) i got my ass scared when reading nitrix and phosphoric acid mix corrosive.

Dealer even sent me a security procedure manual asking for the use of acid gas filter full face mask with ce certification, and full body protection.

Ive dropped that shit out of my house in a room with an open window to aireate a locker and a warning in the door ^^

I am not using that shit in a plant.

Ive read lemon or vinegar alternative to get ph down, and baking soda to get it up is working for lot of you.

But is it truth that those organic ways to deal with ph dont change it for more than a day.

And what about my tap water being 7.7, maybe organic nuts and hydro korrels medium will even lower it enough to just dont need to adjust dont ya think.

I also have a small aerofarm, which means no clay medium so i suppose that unless nutes make their work lowering ph i will need some ph supervision on that one. Same for my aerogarden fine herbs ^^

You will definietely have to do something to bring the Ph of the water down as is way to high for nute uptake in hydroponics. You are looking at a range of 5.5 to 6.0 so you have quite a ways to move down the scale as each step is twice as acidic or basic as you move up and down the scale. Organics are fine if you aren't using H020 as this will just kill of the benificial bacteria, I have noticed that people have had undesirable consquences from using organics such as algae and other organic growth in the rez and even on the roots. When using Ph up or down you are talking about using very very small amounts as 1ml will swing 5 gallons a 1/2 point to a full point. Sorry they scare you such and perhaps I should have more respect for the danger they hold but I'm not fighting the war agianst some of the growths I've seen from using organic ph and down in hyrdoponic systems.

hmm, so choices are, organic groth with algae warfare, or toxic growth killing beneficial microbes.

I probably will try to go organic route using some vinegar, and see how hard it is. If it is too difficult, will keep organic nutes, and use those ph up and down to kill algae. Maybe beneficial microbes killed by those will regrow cause of the organic nutes if ph is constant enought to not need to use ph movers continuously.

GH makes an awesome pH up and down in powder form and you dont need a fuckin spacesuit to use it...

WTXgreenery said:

GH makes an awesome pH up and down in powder form and you dont need a fuckin spacesuit to use it...

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That's funny because on the side of my GH pH down powder it reads "Protective glove and eye protection must be worn."

just go to winn dixie or walgreens and take a 1 gallon jug with you. put in 35 cents into the water machine and get r/o water.... problem solved

anything that will raise or lower PH is either an acid or a base. Your supposed to use protection. I never do and have had no problems going on several years. Baking soda is a base and raises ph, vinegar an acid and lowers ph. I used this stuff on a dwc grow and they died within three days. I always use GH ph up or down now and have had zero problems.

jas6118 said:

Baking soda is a base and raises ph, vinegar an acid and lowers ph. I used this stuff on a dwc grow and they died within three days. I always use GH ph up or down now and have had zero problems.

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Are you sure soda and vinegar killed your plants cause i took them as my first choice lot of chaps here say they are using them with no issues except that they usually do not change ph for more than 2 days.


And im european so dont know those shops but will go to some equivalent here and ask what they use also.

When I add PH down to my tap water I use 1.3 CC to 2 gallons of water. I pour a small amount into a shot glass before I start mixing nutrients and add the PH down using a diabetic syringe. I never leave the open container on the bench and I have had no problems. Wash the syringe and the shot glass in warm water afterward and it is ready to go for next time. I use the GH brand and it works great.

didnt really read the other replies. so if this has been answered.... oops.

ph + or - is very unstable. meaning u have huge huge swings in your ph the more you use them. i personally try my best not to use any of it. instead.... i use the lucas formula.

i have a garden hose hooked up to my shower head. it runs to a whole house filter. and then a garden hose runs from there to my rezzy. the filter brings my ph down from 7.5 to 7.0 and the nutes do the rest. i add in what nutes i need to bring down the ph. ill run 1500 to 2100 ppms with a 5.8 ph from the first week in veg all the way till the end with no ph swings and the lucas formula will not burn ur plants up. not to mention i never have to change my water because i dont add all of that unnecessary crap to my nutes.

a week later.... ill check my water before i have to fill up and ill be at 6.1 or 6.2. add water and repeat.

hope this helps.

Your method is great, and i agree with you. Not playing with ph would be the best way to grow plants as long as you can count on bio nutes and resting the water apart for 24h to get usable ph for plants to absorb nutes.

I find also that in case u really need to use ph modifiers that little tommy found a great way to deal with that dangerous shit.

Thx u a lot for your replies will put them in practice and see how my tap water works.