ph adjustment, aero and soil

hey muchachos, got something I want to put to you.

In brief, I have an aero set up for my clones and when the roots come through, I switch to soil.　All's going well on that front. 100% success rate.

I do have a couple of quandaries though.

With the aero set up, it seems I have to adjust the pH every day. The pH of my tap water is 7.2, and I adjust it to 5.7-8, but every day the pH raises by 0.8-1.0. It seems quite extreme.

With my plants in soil, however, I water them from a reservoir I keep in the room, which I fill about once a week. I set the pH of that water to 6.5. Now, in the past, when I watered from the reservoir, I wouldn't bother checking the pH level, assuming that it would have stayed the same as what I set it; but recently I checked out of curiosity and the pH had risen from 6.5 to 7.2. I was at once overcome by curiosity and anxiety. (Although, I should note, my plants don't seem to have suffered from this prolonged torture). Following on from this, I gave my reservoir a thorough clean, and I let my water sit with an air pump running through it for one day. I tested the water both before and after the rest and at the beginning the water was 7.2, but after a day the pH had gone up to 7.8; and this was water without any nutes in it or anything. I don't really know why this is happening, and I'm worried that after I water my plants the pH could continue rising in my soil (a soilless mix). In any case, I now adjust the pH of the reservoir regularly.

Can any of you dudes give me some advice, on either my soil reservoir or my aero set-up?

It would be much appreciated.

g man.

What are you using to lower your pH?
Are you smoking in the room that hasa the AIR PUMP(aquairum pump right?) in it?

cheers

Hell no, I don't smoke in the room, so God help me; and yes, it's an aquarium pump.
I use the General Hydroponics down to lower the pH.

hey GA

there was anotherpost similiar to yours... same problem.. and it was never solved...

my suggestion is to lower the pH to 5.6-5.8 and then not add any nutrients or pH up/down.. and monitor it for 1 week..

keep us posted..
cheers

Couple things since your watre is so ph high. Are you letting it set out in a bucket for 24-48 hours because with that high a ph you have hardwater so your local watre company (assuming this isnt well water which is bad anyways) adds extra chlorine to help clean it and the tatse with extra floride. These when put in an aer tub then aerated and sprayed evaporate off then fall back into the water. Well the water is used by the plants and some water evaporates but now the water level is less but the chlorine and floridde cant get out the tub which fall back into less water making your ph go up.Let the water sit a day or 2 in advance thenadd your nutes then adjust the ph to 5.8.Youw ill see a flux daily with clones and less with larger plants but more with larger setups with multiple plants. My aero setup grow 28 adult plants and they when going into bud drink about a gallon a day each so I have to top off daily and recheck the ppm and ph as they move up with less amounts of water but if they move just slightly then your right on meaning the plants are drinking and eating in proportions. If the levels get higher then they are drinking more so back off the nute mix.If the ppm falls then add more.The ppm amount are in direct relation to your ph readings.But try the water sitting idea in an open container and see if that helps.Good luck

I bought an extra reservoir, and I've been letting the water sit for a couple of days before adding nutes. This has helped. The pH levels do not fluctuate now.

i'm no scientist, but I guess as the chlorine evaporates, the pH rises?

I don't know. But I do know, now, that if you let the water sit for a couple of days with a pump running through it, the pH will rise, but it will stablise, and then then you can add you nutes and your whathaveyous with no problems. I guess. If anything else turns up, I'll post it.

Take it easy guys, and thanks for the advice.

g man.