Scientific
New Member
Question: Could the elevated temperature of the nutrient solution in my reservoir, and possibly the overnight pH drops, be the result of the bacteria culture that I dose the tank with at my weekly water change? (2 ml/gallon Hydroguard brand bacillus)
What I have observed
"Sometimes pH crashes because of the presence of a large amount of microbial activity in the nutrient solution." -- pH Dynamics at generalhydroponics.com
So I'm wondering if my mysterious pH instability and the mysteriously warm reservoir temperatures may be related side effects of bacterial activity.
By the way, even when the weather got hot and my reservoir temperature was in the mid-80s for days, the roots and the plant stayed healthy. I just really had to watch the pH.
What do you think? Could the elevated temperature of the nutrient solution in my reservoir, and possibly the overnight pH drops, be the result of the bacteria culture that I dose the tank with at my weekly water change? Has anyone seen this sort of thing before?
Thanks!
What I have observed
- My reservoir has been three or four degrees F warmer than the surrounding air temperature.
- The pure water that I'm flushing the reservoir with now is the same temperature as the surrounding air temperature.
- Compost piles dosed with a bacterial culture "compost starter" can heat up so much that they catch fire, so I know vigorous bacterial activity can significantly raise temperature.
- The pH in the reservoir would often drop from 5.8 to 5.2 overnight.
"Sometimes pH crashes because of the presence of a large amount of microbial activity in the nutrient solution." -- pH Dynamics at generalhydroponics.com
So I'm wondering if my mysterious pH instability and the mysteriously warm reservoir temperatures may be related side effects of bacterial activity.
By the way, even when the weather got hot and my reservoir temperature was in the mid-80s for days, the roots and the plant stayed healthy. I just really had to watch the pH.
What do you think? Could the elevated temperature of the nutrient solution in my reservoir, and possibly the overnight pH drops, be the result of the bacteria culture that I dose the tank with at my weekly water change? Has anyone seen this sort of thing before?
Thanks!