Plants doing better in res ph'd at 4.5-5.0

Hey guys so here's the story...this is my first try at DWC. I have been battling deficiancies and root problems since the beggining of this grow. I tried GH formula and Lucas formula properly ph'ing my res at 5.7-6.3 and always had problems that bogled my mind to the point where I was just gonna quit the DWC. Then I just kept trying different things battling issues but on the side I left my veg res going the way it was and being lazy to ph up at times to where it was at 4.8 on meter and the darker orange on the drop tests I decide to experiment and to my amazement the vegging plants blew up drinking tons of water and nutes while the plants in flower just stunted and deficiant weren't doing anything for weeks...so I ph downed the flowering res and what do you know they are growing beautifully and roots are exploding with growth! So I have been flowering for 4weeks now and no pistils at all but I know due to all the stress it may just have slowed the process. So now im just experimenting with how low and high it could go before I get probs...I guess you learn something new everyday! Just thought I'd share that and see what you guys think...

*nomore rootrot
*deficincy is lessening
*vigorous growth
-at low ph levels and high ph causing sickly plants

do you calibrate your ph meter?

i was gonna ask the same thing as dbkick

Your meter, if you have one, is off. I suggest checking the results against a cheap drop test kit. Your solution in the test bottle - the prescribed number of reagent drops added and the resulting color checked against a chart. Those really are accurate.

It has to be off. At that ph it can not absorb any crucial elements.

Calibrate that meter....

mmmm, What Strain. What Condition is the water. hard Water Or soft? and yes is your ph calibrated properly