Swimming pool PH Plus/Minus

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Green Gemstone Man

Active Member
My water is PH 7.5 and my plants seem to be dying. Unfortunately the only stuff I can find in my town is the PH adjuster that is used for swimming pools. The stuff is dry not liquid.

Does anyone know if this stuff will kill my plants? Also, can plants live at this PH level to maturity?
 
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kilik2007

Well-Known Member
Yea the swimming pool stuff is chlorine-based and therefore not recommended...I'd go with lemon juice as well until you can get proper PH Down.

Get it down to 7 and that's close enough. 6.3-6.8 is the correct range for soil. For hydro it's around 5.5, but I'm assuming you're in soil.
 
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Green Gemstone Man

Active Member
I've got 2 gallons of water. Should I throw in a tablespoon of baking soda/lemon juice...a cup? Also, how long should I wait to retest again?

thxs
 
P@ssw0rd

P@ssw0rd

New Member
yeah start with a tablespoon, stir it up, then test again. Vinegar also works in a pinch. Or go to the auto parts store and buy some battery acid, mix it one cup to 1 gallon of water, then use that mixture as your ph down solution. works great and its the same thing as hydro ph down. Dilluted Phosphoric acid. Good luck
 
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Green Gemstone Man

Active Member
o.k. I'm going to try to LOWER the PH with Lemon juice and RAISE the PH with baking soda if I go too low? I want to make sure I have this right. If anyone can confirm I'll try it right now...
 
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bigwheel

Well-Known Member
You sure you mean suphuric acid here? Thats whut you would get at the auto parts store for battery acid. PH down on my cement pond uses Muriatic Acid..aka Carbolic Acid I think. Might be just the ticket...just hate to see the boy kiill his self.

bigwheel



P@ssw0rd said:
yeah start with a tablespoon, stir it up, then test again. Vinegar also works in a pinch. Or go to the auto parts store and buy some battery acid, mix it one cup to 1 gallon of water, then use that mixture as your ph down solution. works great and its the same thing as hydro ph down. Dilluted Phosphoric acid. Good luck
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P@ssw0rd

P@ssw0rd

New Member
yeah your right sulfuric acid it is. But it works great. Yeah don't get hurt dude. From what i understand this stuff will fuck you up if ya get it on ya straight. But once it's pretty safe, as safe as the hydro down anyway, still be careful but it's not like its gonna melt your face off. I tried both lemon juice and vinegar for awhile, They both work but seem pretty unstable, always went right back up the next day in my hydro, but for dirt i don't know, might be ok. Good luck
 
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bigwheel

Well-Known Member
Well I aint much of DIY type person so I just bought the PH kit from the dopeheads over at the hydro shoppe. I think they got to me by charging 20 bucks but whut do an ignerent person like me do when you get overcharged? I just pay it of course:) Will say one fella posted here or maybe somewhere else that it don't take much of that Ph down to really get it to the acid side of the scale. Used 1/4 t. of the down on a gallon of distilled water today and throwed it way down into high fours of low fives. Took me a bunch more of the Up to get it straight again. I think I shoulda just left it alone. It was checking in the light 6's when I tested it right outta the jug. When I finally got it back to where it started I decided to leave it alone. Moral of the story is I dont think Distilled Water take much tweaking..and if you do tweak it go real..real..real..easy on the PH down..sulfuric acid..mustard gas or whutever you use to lower it.

bigwheel
 
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kilik2007

Well-Known Member
Haha yep they weren't kidding when they said "it don't take much." But don't get discouraged - now you know to go drop by drop, so the next time it'll be much easier. Don't give up... pH is a very very important aspect of keeping your plants healthy.

bigwheel said:
Well I aint much of DIY type person so I just bought the PH kit from the dopeheads over at the hydro shoppe. I think they got to me by charging 20 bucks but whut do an ignerent person like me do when you get overcharged? I just pay it of course:) Will say one fella posted here or maybe somewhere else that it don't take much of that Ph down to really get it to the acid side of the scale. Used 1/4 t. of the down on a gallon of distilled water today and throwed it way down into high fours of low fives. Took me a bunch more of the Up to get it straight again. I think I shoulda just left it alone. It was checking in the light 6's when I tested it right outta the jug. When I finally got it back to where it started I decided to leave it alone. Moral of the story is I dont think Distilled Water take much tweaking..and if you do tweak it go real..real..real..easy on the PH down..sulfuric acid..mustard gas or whutever you use to lower it.

bigwheel
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