Automatic pH controller - Do they only dose acid - pH-down - or alkaline - pH-up

[hydropad]

Im intressed investing in a automatic pH controller doser, and I see all of them comes with only 1 dosing pump. I'v been looking for weeks now for a pH controller that comes with two pumps for both - acid and alkaline. In my experience with manually correction of the pH levels in hydro growi'n I used almost alkaline (pH-up) as mutch as I'd use acid (pH-down) so my question is why do almost every pH controller come with only one dosing pump? Is it possible sitt back relaxing while growin without running back and forward changeing the pH adjustment bottels from acid to alkaline and opposite at the pH controller? Can anyone pleas help?

 

[Jin Terra]

Well before you invest in a pump I have a few questions and a suggestion.

What size grow are you doing?

Would this pump be in a resivior?

How often are you running into ph problems?


As far as a suggestion goes I'm not sure how you feel about the nutes you use but if you consider using organic nutes the pH takes care of itself. I use General Organics for my DWC grow and my pH is usually where it needs to be without having to balance it. Granted, it makes things a bit "messy" in the bucket but it is worth it not to stress about the pH.

 

[hydropad]

Thanks for replying! Im set up new grow system now using only one 600w, but after a lot of thinking I decided to try grow in soil this time, or cocos. I dont have any experience with soil growing do You know if i need to pre correct the pH levels before watering in soil and how often? The thing is Im working 7-10 hours a day and i wanted to invest in automatic systems that controlled my plants to the perfect environment, any ideas? Im willing to use a lot money on it.

 

[AnimaSola]

Dtw hydro, rdwc hydro, uc hydro, or Dtw coco is what you want for an automated system. For each one of those you add your nutrients to a reservoir and then pH the res. If your res isn't too big there should be no reason to adjust the pH after that, you just add new water and nutrients to the res and pH when you change the res every week. Dtw coco is probably the easiest to take care of but requires extra work lifting and preparing coco.

 

[hydropad]

Thanks for reply. What You mean by lifting and prep coco Luweedgi? The whole reason i chose grow in soil or cocos over hydro or dwc its the noise from waterpumps and airbubles because my grow room is unfortunately next to my bedroom. How often needs the intervall watering in dtw to dripp?

 

[AnimaSola]

You can auto water coco or soil but you would need air and water pumps. Hydro you set up the bucket system and add water, coco you have to carry the stuff and mix it with perlite if you use perlite which equals more work.

 

[hydropad]

Does anyone know if its possible to disconnect the water pumps/air-pumps 2-3 hours every day if your running hydroponic without harming your plants in any way?

 

[Apbeast87]

Check out Current Cultures RDWC systems, just add a chiller and a rez, and your set for at least a week pending how many plant sites you want

 

[TorturedSoul]

Does anyone know if its possible to disconnect the water pumps/air-pumps 2-3 hours every day if your running hydroponic without harming your plants in any way?

If you're talking about DWC hydroponics, then don't do this! The amount of dissolved oxygen in your nutrient solution has a BIG impact on root (and, therefore, plant) health.

Sure, you can shut off your oxygenation device(s) once in a while. You can get across a parking lot immediately after you've fallen and broken your leg, too, lol. Personally, I don't recommend either of these things....

 

[hydropad]

thanks for reply. I was meaning dripping system, not dwc. I usualy have an airstone in the resirvor just for the extra. I really wanted to go hydro this grow because I have a some experience with hydro but I had to go for potting compost instead this time because off all the noises the pumps and water makes since my grow room is tight to my bed room, therfor I wanted to shut down everything just for couple hours hehe.

Do anyone have experience with pH testing in soil? I hear if you for example adjust your water and nutrients-pH(or have pH perfect nutes) to correct pH right before watering, then you water, but the soil has another pH so when the water/nutes mixes together with the soil the pH change. Does somebody have any recomendations how to do this acurate? Mabye the change is so little that it dosent effect mutch..